Fairshake, its website says, is a super PAC that “supports candidates committed to securing the United States as the home to innovators building the next generation of the internet.” Generally, it supports politicians who back policies favorable to the cryptocurrency industry.
The group registered with the Federal Election Commission in 2023, and it is financially supported by some of the most influential companies and executives in the digital currency sector.
FEC records identify Brandon Philipczyk as Fairshake’s treasurer and Josh Vlasto is the group’s spokesman. Philipczyk has worked on various campaigns for Democratic candidates, including former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president. Vlasto previously served as press secretary for Sen. Chuck Schumer and former New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, both Democrats.
As a super PAC, Fairshake can receive unlimited financial contributions from donors, who must be disclosed periodically in reports to the FEC. As of June 30, it had received almost $137 million in the 2026 election cycle and still had about $127 million on hand, according to its latest FEC filing in July.
Its largest contributors include Coinbase, a company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange; Ripple Labs, which specializes in a blockchain technology used to make digital payments; and AH Capital Management, also known as Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, a venture capital firm. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the co-founders of Andreessen Horowitz, remain two of the super PAC’s biggest individual donors.
The super PAC has already spent roughly $13.3 million this election cycle on independent expenditures, which are advertisements and other communications that expressly advocate for or against candidates for office. In February and March, it opposed a trio of Illinois Democrats in congressional primary races, including the state Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who won the Democratic nomination in the Illinois Senate race; state Rep. La Shawn Ford, who won the Democratic nomination for the state’s 7th Congressional District seat; and state Sen. Robert Peters, who failed to win the Democratic nomination for the state’s 2nd District seat.
Last year, Ford and Peters voted for a 2025 state law that put in place new rules for the digital assets industry. Meanwhile, one of Stratton’s primary opponents, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, may have been seen as more of an industry ally, since he had cast votes for federal legislation described as “very pro-crypto” by a nonprofit called the Stand With Crypto Alliance.
During the 2024 elections, Fairshake spent about $195.8 million in total. It donated more than $86 million to Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress. It also put nearly $40.7 million into independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates. According to the website OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign spending, Fairshake spent about $14 million for Democrats, about $13.5 million against Democrats and roughly $13.1 million for Republicans.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Angela Lin contributed to this article.
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The Trump administration tapped a surveillance giant with a record of attacking the press to advise the State Department on free speech.
Among the partners for the State Department’s new “Freedom Tech Excellence Program” is Palantir, the AI and data integration firm started by right-wing powerbroker Peter Thiel. Under the program, company employees will go on temporary assignments to advise the government on “digital freedom and freedom of expression,” including counter-surveillance and dealing with First Amendment issues.
“FTEP brings private sector talent to the Department for limited-term assignments to advance diplomatic efforts on key issues including online freedom of expression, privacy-enhancing technologies, countering digital surveillance, and responsible AI governance,” according to the State Department’s website.
“Neither this State Department, nor the partners they have announced so far, are trustworthy leaders in what they identify as online freedom of expression.”
Palantir is best known for building large-scale data analysis platforms. In addition to corporate contracts, the company’s massive government tenders include database, surveillance, and tracking tools for police and federal authorities. Among its government clients are the military, the State Department itself, and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Palantir and its key personnel have also been involved in multiple lawsuits against journalistic outlets.
The firm’s history has raised criticisms of its role in the new State Department initiative, especially given the Trump administration own’s dubious track record on First Amendment issues.
“To some extent, this announcement and this program sound like doublespeak,” said Carrie DeCell, a senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute. “Certainly neither this State Department, nor the partners they have announced so far, are trustworthy leaders in what they identify as online freedom of expression or countering digital surveillance.”
The new initiative is planned to run through the beginning of 2029, according to the State Department’s press office. While participants could be placed anywhere in the agency and may require security clearances, the Freedom Tech Excellent Program “is not geared towards bolstering the Department’s internal application or operational use of AI technologies,” the department said in a statement to The Intercept.
Anduril, a military tech firm with links to Palantir and Thiel, was also listed as a partner in the State Department initiative. Anduril’s executive chair Trae Stephens is a partner at Thiel’s Founders Fund, which has invested about $2.6 billion in Anduril. Besides a mutual appreciation of “The Lord of the Rings,” Thiel shares similar politics with Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey and has backed Luckey’s new bank, Erebor.
Neither Anduril nor Palantir responded to requests for comment.
Palantir and the Feds
Palantir’s work has brought it notoriety across the globe, though at times defining what it does can be complex. It has repeatedly eschewed its label as a surveillance firm. Palantir CEO Alex Karp denied on a podcast last year that the company engages in unconstitutional surveillance work.
And, in an unsigned blog post last year, Palantir wrote, “Contrary to some media reports, we are not a surveillance company.”
Palantir, though, enabled U.S. mass surveillance by bolstering the National Security Agency’s global data collection efforts, according to documents provided to The Intercept by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. Palantir helped the NSA expand a program that became notorious for its ability to hoover up Americans’ communications along with those from abroad.
More recently, the firm has become a focal point for protests in the U.K. over its massive contract with the National Health Service and its ties to the Israeli military. Just this week, the NHS apologized after admitting it had falsely stated that Palantir did not have access to identifiable patient data.
Stateside, the company had a contract with New York City public hospitals that gave it access to patient information. The contract was allowed to expire after it came under scrutiny in an Intercept report. The Intercept also reported this year that Palantir has access to sensitive federal databases for its contract to aid in Internal Revenue Service investigations.
Palantir’s IRS work led to a letter last year from 10 members of Congress to Karp requesting information about the “mega-database” built off IRS data. In response, the firm again denied that it was engaging in widespread surveillance of Americans and that it was building any such database.
Palantir also has a 15-year relationship with ICE. The Intercept found that its contracts with the agency have aided immigration raids, including ones that led to family separations. And Palantir built bespoke software for ICE that helps track self-deportations and visa overstays.
In April, Reps. Dan Goldman and Nydia Velázquez, both Democrats from New York, sent a list of questions directed to ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, demanding information about how they were leveraging Palantir’s technology to create “a mass surveillance ecosystem.”
Attacks on Free Press
Along with eccentric far-right views and donations to MAGA Republicans, one of Thiel’s most well-known acts was his involvement in the lawsuit that drove the news outlet Gawker into bankruptcy.
Thiel had become upset with Gawker over the media company’s reporting about his personal life. He went on to spend $10 million secretly bankrolling lawsuits against the company, finally scoring with a major judgment in favor of the wrestler Hulk Hogan that caused Gawker to close and sell off its assets.
Journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said that Thiel constituted a “serious threat” to the group’s principles of “freedom of press and independence of media,” particularly in light of the secrecy around his role in the case. His actions were, RSF said, “nothing different to governments using legal or economic leverage to shut down a media that happens to displease them.”
Palantir also recently filed a suit against Swiss online news magazine Republik for reporting on how Palantir repeatedly failed to land contracts with the Swiss government. Palantir claimed that Republik had an obligation to run a list of rebuttals from the firm.
A Swiss court, however, handed Palantir a defeat by siding with the outlet on all but one of the 23 charges and forcing Palantir to pay most of Republik’s legal fees. (In a since-deleted post on Medium responding to the Republik lawsuit, Palantir once again denied that it is a surveillance company.)
David Greene, senior counsel for anti-surveillance nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that positioning Palantir as a bulwark for civil rights undermined the government’s own free speech initiative.
“There’s a big problem right now with the U.S. government and the people outside government who exercise power, in terms of trying to claim free speech as a value when they clearly don’t sincerely hold that value,” Greene said. “It really lowers the esteem of the U.S. in terms of having any moral authority on freedom of expression grounds.”
The House Majority PAC, or HMP, as it is formally known, was created in April 2011 by Alixandria Lapp, a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee official. It was one of several political action committees formed by Democrats in response to the heavy spending by conservative organizations in the 2010 midterm elections, when Republicans won the House.
House Majority PAC says it is “solely focused on electing House Democrats, including protecting our most vulnerable incumbents and boosting our most promising challenger and open seat candidates.” Abby Curran Horrell, a former chief of staff for Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, became HMP’s executive director in April 2019. Mike Smith, a veteran political strategist, has been its president since January 2023, after Lapp stepped down.
As a Carey committee, also called a hybrid PAC, the House Majority PAC can act as both a traditional PAC, giving money directly to candidates’ committees, and a super PAC, making independent expenditures not coordinated with candidates and accepting donations of any size from individuals, labor unions and corporations. It must disclose those donations and expenditures in reports to the Federal Election Commission.
HMP reported receiving roughly $123.6 million for the 2026 election cycle as of June 30. A significant portion of that money came from House Majority Forward, an affiliated nonprofit organization that says it’s focused on “promoting economic growth and opportunity, social justice, environmental stewardship, and democracy.” Other large donors to the PAC include Connie Ballmer, co-founder of investment company the Ballmer Group; George M. Marcus, the billionaire founder of the Marcus & Millichap real estate firm; and philanthropist and retired media owner Fred Eychaner, who is a Democratic megadonor.
HMP has said it may spend more than it has raised thus far, as it has placed nearly $284 million in TV and digital ad reservations for the 2026 midterms in about 70 media markets, according to a June announcement. “Nearly 80% of these reservations are in offensive districts—underscoring HMP’s commitment to aggressively expanding the House battlefield and putting more seats in play than ever before,” the PAC said in a press release.
FEC records show HMP already spent about $961,000 in the fall of 2025 trying to influence the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. But Republican Matthew Van Epps, a military veteran, ended up defeating Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn.
In the 2024 election cycle, HMP raised about $260.5 million and spent the vast majority — $195.7 million — on independent expenditures, which are advertisements that expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a federal candidate. The PAC also contributed $530,625 directly to federal candidates.
Senior Writer D’Angelo Gore contributed to this article.
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The Congressional Leadership Fund’s purpose is to maintain and expand the slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives. The group was formed in October 2011 as the conservative counter to the liberal House Majority PAC and is endorsed by House Republican leadership.
CLF is what’s known as a hybrid PAC or Carey committee, meaning it “has the ability to operate both as a traditional PAC, contributing funds to a candidate’s committee, and as a super PAC, which makes independent expenditures,” according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization that tracks money in politics. Such organizations must have separate bank accounts for those purposes.
Chris Winkelman is the CLF’s president, as well as the president of its sister 501(c)(4), the American Action Network. Winkelman is a lawyer who previously served as general counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee and was the NRCC’s executive director during the 2024 election cycle.
As of June 30, the CLF had raised more than $163 million in the 2026 election cycle and had almost $142 million in cash-on-hand, Federal Election Commission records show. “This is the highest cash-on-hand ever recorded at this point in the cycle for CLF,” the PAC said in a July 15 press release.
At least $44 million of the money it has received for 2026 came from the American Action Network. Meanwhile, major individual donors include Miriam Adelson, a physician and businesswoman; Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; Kenneth Griffin, the CEO of the investment firm Citadel; Paul Singer, founder of the hedge fund Elliott Investment Management; and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
As of June 24, the CLF had announced $175 million in ad reservations for the fall. It said the campaign will span 41 local markets across the country and include ads airing on broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms.
The PAC already spent more than $219,000 on direct mail or text messages trying to ensure that Republican Rep. David Valadao keeps his seat in California’s 22nd Congressional District, which was redrawn to favor Democrats after California voters approved Proposition 50 in November. Valadao and Randy Villegas, a progressive Democrat, were the top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary and will face each other in the general election.
Democrats need to gain a net of at least three seats to win a majority in the House.
The CLF spent more than $7 million helping Valadao hold on to his seat in 2024, when he was facing Democrat Rudy Salas, who lost. In total, the PAC spent about $217 million that election cycle on independent expenditures advocating for or against congressional candidates.
Senior Writer D’Angelo Gore contributed to this article.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through our “Donate” page. If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, P.O. Box 58100, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
President Trump has ordered a 15% tariff on imported products made with polysilicon, a key material for semiconductors and solar panels. The new tariff will take effect on December 4th. The Guardian reports: The executive order signed by the president on Thursday evening said: "The plan of action in this proclamation will, among other things, help ensure the commercial viability of United States production of polysilicon and its derivatives that is necessary to meet United States economic and national security requirements." Polysilicon, an ultra-pure form of silicon, is an important ingredient in making the semiconductors vital for AI processing power, datacentres and solar power generation. US solar factories have long accused Chinese rivals of dumping cheaper panels on the market, which they say have been enabled by excessive government subsidies and by moving manufacturing to other countries to dodge US tariffs.
[...] The US has two main polysilicon factories, including Hemlock Semiconductor, which operates a plant in Michigan and is a joint venture between the US tech company Corning and Japan's Shin-Etsu Handotai. The Munich-based Wacker Chemie runs a factory in Tennessee. Trump said in the order that he had accepted recommendations by the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, to set minimum import prices of $21 a kilogram for polysilicon, $100 a kilogram for polysilicon ingots and wafers, $0.22 a watt for solar cells, and $0.38 a watt for solar modules or panels. The order also allows the commerce department to create an incentive program for companies that invest in factories to produce polysilicon or derivative products.
According to its website, Restoration of America is an “umbrella name for a family of conservative organizations” that will “defend our nation by electing like-minded leaders and by creating organizations and campaigns that promote fully transparent elections, economic freedom, limited government, military superiority, secure borders, rule of law, and the sanctity of life.” Besides the super PAC, the collective includes two 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, Restoration of America and Voter Reference Foundation, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Restoration of America Foundation.
The super PAC describes itself as a committee that helps conservative candidates “win the toughest battles in America,” and says its advertisements spread the message of “restoring America’s greatness” and “defeating the woke Left.”
Doug Truax is the Founder and CEO of the Restoration of America political organization and its super PAC. Truax is a graduate of West Point and an Army veteran. In 2014, he ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat for Illinois, but lost to then state Sen. Jim Oberweis, who was defeated by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin in the general election.
As a super PAC, Restoration of America PAC can receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, political action committees and other sources. It’s also required to periodically report those donations to the Federal Election Commission.
In the 2024 election cycle, it raised and spent more than $91 million, including nearly $43 million on independent expenditures, which are communications, such as TV or newspaper ads, that expressly advocate for or against candidates. The majority of its independent-expenditure spending – more than $34 million – was against then-Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, who was campaigning to become president.
Richard Uihlein, the billionaire CEO of the shipping and industrial supplies company Uline, is the super PAC’s largest donor. FEC records show the Republican megadonor contributed more than $80 million to the super PAC for the 2024 cycle, and so far, he has already contributed over $ 57 million from January 2025 to June 2026. Restoration of America PAC reported receiving almost $60.8 million in total contributions as of June 30.
Much of its spending during the 2026 cycle has beencontributions to other conservative groups, including American Principles Project PAC, Citizens for Free Enterprise and Americas PAC. But the super PAC did spend over $1.6 million on TV ads last fall, supporting Republican Nate Morris’ U.S. Senate candidacy in Kentucky.
Morris later suspended his campaign in May — at President Donald Trump’s request — and endorsed Rep. Andy Barr for the Republican nomination in the Senate race. Trump then nominated Morris in July to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Colombia.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Justine Weng contributed to this article.
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Since it launched, Democracy PAC hasbeensolelyfunded by Soros or companies or organizations he created. As of June 30, the super PAC had received more than $102 million for the 2026 election cycle, according to its most recent financial report to the Federal Election Commission. About half of its money came from Geosor Corp., a private investment company that Soros has long owned. The other half came from the Fund for Policy Reform, a nonprofit that Soros founded as part of his Open Society Foundations, which describes itself as “the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for rights, equity, and justice.”
The board chairman of the Open Society Foundations is Alex Soros, one of George’s sons, who was chosen by his father in 2023 to take over his philanthropic and political operations. The New York Post reported in June that the Soros network was on pace to surpass its previous donation record of $128 million during the 2022 election cycle.
In the 2026 cycle, Democracy PAC, according to FEC records, has so far used more than $40 million of its funding to make large contributions to other Democratic-aligned groups, including Senate Majority PAC, Strategic Victory Fund IE PAC, J Street Action Fund and AB PAC, which is also known as American Bridge 21st Century. Democracy PAC has also contributed millions to several committees working to elect Democrats at the state level.
Meanwhile, Democracy PAC II had both received and donated about $1.6 million as of the end of June, FEC records show. But it had more than $121 million cash on hand, money left over from a $175 million donation that George Soros made to his secondary super PAC during the 2022 election cycle.
During the 2024 election cycle, Democracy PAC gave more than $67 million to other groups, and Democracy PAC II distributed an additional $9.6 million.
Senior Writer D’Angelo Gore contributed to this article.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through our “Donate” page. If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, P.O. Box 58100, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
GOP Sen. Ted Cruz told Aaron MacLean on the "School of War" podcast that President Trump should heap more pressure on Iran — including by arming Iranians to "let them overthrow their own government."
Delays to sexual assault charges and failures to report past convictions in court hearings gave Simon Levy chance to attack more women
Catastrophic errors left a prolific and proven sex offender free before he murdered two women in London, it can be revealed.
On Friday, an Old Bailey jury found Simon Levy, 40, guilty of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Sheryl Wilkins five months later.
The CPS admitted errors at three court hearings in May, June and August 2025, which ended in Levy remaining free. It would not specify publicly what those were, but a source authorised to speak for the organisation said they included failing to mention he had been arrested for Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, and that it could find no record or mention of Levy’s past sexual assault convictions, nor that he was a suspect in a 2024 rape.
The CPS said: “We accept there was relevant information regarding bail that was not provided to the court when bail applications were being considered. Our actions fell short of the standards that victims, families and the public are entitled to expect … We could and should have taken a more robust approach to representations about bail.”
By May 2025, police wanted Levy remanded, fearing he posed a “high risk of reoffending” with his crimes “escalating”.
Levy failed to attend three crown court hearings for the train attacks, and the CPS accepts there is no evidence of a warrant being sought for his detention. For two he claimed illness, for the other that he was not informed. His final non-appearance in crown court was on 11 August 2025. A fortnight later he murdered Wilkins. A CPS source said individuals involved in the Levy case had been disciplined.
The assaults on the London tube network and trains were investigated by BTP. Officers arrested Levy, who was travelling on a stolen Oyster travel card, but handed it back to him, unaware it was stolen. With it he travelled to south London to commit his first murder, and carried out further sexual assaults on trains.
BTP admitted the charging of Levy for his sexual assaults on trains in November 2024 was held up because of a delay in holding an identification parade after his arrest. It meant his bail was extended and during this delay he attacked and raped another woman and murdered Valencia-Trujillo, a mother of two.
BTP identified him as a suspect and charged him but never searched his home. Peter Fulton, BTP’s head of crime, said: “There’s a fine line between going fishing and breaching someone’s human rights.” He said that every woman who reported Levy for attacking them on a train saw him charged and convicted. When the Met, which investigated the murders, searched Levy’s home, evidence was found about his attack on the prison officer.
The police watchdog has placed two Met officers under investigation over whether Levy was supervised correctly as a person on the sex offender register. A constable is under investigation for gross misconduct, meaning he could be dismissed. The other officer, under investigation for misconduct, is a detective sergeant.
BTP said it had not referred its errors to the police watchdog. Instead it has moved one officer, who it says delayed the holding of the ID parade, out of investigations, and given a supervisor words of advice.
Some in party are delighted by leader’s tack rightwards but opponents have savoured latest Conservative controversy
There was a moment in the middle of this week when a news alert raised eyebrows among the politically committed. It read: “Kemi Badenoch: Former neo-Nazi candidate would just be sorting out bins.” It was a collection of words that might prompt palpitations in the most sanguine of communications professionals, followed by panicked advice that retreat was necessary. But as a deeply weird week for the Conservative party came to a close on Friday, its leader appeared adamant she would hold the line.
With Badenoch accused of aping Reform UK on policy and purging centrists from her party in recent weeks, her decision to stand by a man who was jailed after creating sexualised images of a Jewish MP and calling her a “rodent” has prompted concerns about the leader of the opposition’s political antennae and the Tories’ wider strategy.
Senator Bill Cassidy, who will not be returning to Congress after losing his Louisiana primary to a Trump-backed candidate, said he would support the AG nominee
Following Lisa Murkowski’s announcement that she plans to vote “no” on Todd Blanche’s nomination to lead the Department of Justice, the acting attorney general can’t afford another defection in order to secure the permanent position.
So far the only other holdout is Senator Bill Cassidy – a GOP lawmaker from Louisiana. Cassidy, a former physician, said this week he’s concerned about Blanche’s ability to lead the justice department independently, considering he once served as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
CBS News reviewed dozens of posts on social media that suggest a renewed push for migrants to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
A federal appeals court said the White House lacks the authority to unilaterally construct a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the East Wing once stood.
Bill Cassidy, the US Republican senator seen as the decisive holdout on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, announced on Friday that he will support the pick, setting the stage for a major win for Donald Trump.
Confirmation that Cassidy, of Louisiana, is prepared to back Blanche – Trump’s former personal lawyer, and a loyal ally of the president – appeared to clear the last hurdle of his confirmation process, which had been challenged by the defections of the Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
Much-delayed devices to be deployed by end of month after immigration agents involved in deaths or serious injuries
Officers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be equipped with much-delayed body cameras by the end of next month, it was reported on Friday. But experts have questioned the transparency of a policy that allows the ICE director to restrict the public release of footage unless “it is in the best interests of the agency”.
Pressure has mounted on the Trump administration to provide body cameras after people caught up in encounters with federal immigration personnel suffered death or serious injuries.
The AFL could borrow some of the gumption from a North American ice hockey league to grow Australian rules football’s elite women’s competition
In Australia, it is called the Matildas effect. Elsewhere, it has increasingly become known by a different name: business as usual.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is one of several North American competitions making a habit of not only attracting spectacular women’s sports crowds, but doing so at a domestic level. Just three years into its existence, the ice hockey league is doing a mighty fine job of it too, with last season’s attendance up 71% on their inaugural campaign.
Two Multi-Client Studies Launched to Track Enterprise AI Barriers and Europe’s Digital Autonomy Push
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 7, 2026 — Intersect360 Research has announced two new multi-client research studies. The first, “Enterprise AI Adoption,” examines the drivers, barriers, and satisfaction gaps shaping enterprise AI investment. The second, “AI in the EU,” analyzes Europe’s push for digital sovereignty and autonomy in artificial intelligence.
The Enterprise AI Adoption study will explore the true state of AI use inside organizations, including testing, production, training, and inference. Intersect360 Research’s ongoing survey work has already reached 458 medium to large enterprises with more than $10 million in annual revenue. That work found that 84% of AI and HPC budgets are combined within organizations that run both workloads, underscoring how closely AI investment is now tied to high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure decisions. The study also found that while enterprises view product development, engineering, and R&D as the ultimate promise of AI< that category currently has the lowest rate of AI adoption within enterprises at just 31%. That trails well behind data analysis, analytics, and forecasting.
“Intersect360 Research studies show a substantial gap between AI workloads associated with horizontal applications – such as customer service chatbots – and those associated with science, engineering and R&D,” said Addison Snell, CEO of Intersect360 Research. “This study will surface the specific obstacles and enablers for adoption of these more advanced applications, determine what verticals are best positioned deploy AI for science in the near term, and help us gain clarity as to how providers can support end-users confidently deploy AI functionality into these mission critical areas.”
The Enterprise AI Adoption study will combine Intersect360 Research’s existing broad-based AI budget survey data, presented to sponsors as an initial kickoff, with a new quantitative survey of more than 200 additional respondents segmented across commercial verticals and geographies. It will also include a qualitative survey capturing 30 to 50 organizational quotes on AI adoption, usage, and outlook. Intersect360 Research estimates the enterprise AI opportunity will reach $100 billion in 2027, growing at a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR), driven by hybrid on-premises and cloud deployments and shaped by data sovereignty, supply chain, and facilities planning issues.
The AI in the EU study will assess the state of AI adoption across the European Union relative to the U.S., China, and Japan, with a focus on workloads in science, R&D, and engineering, as well as the region’s hardware, software, and emerging technology landscape, including quantum, photonics, and fusion. The study comes as European institutions have made digital sovereignty a policy priority. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has committed €7 billion from 2021 to 2027 across 38 member states, deploying 11 supercomputers, three of which rank among the world’s top ten, along with 19 AI Factories and 13 AI Factory Antennas. The European Chips Act is separately mobilizing €43 billion in public and private support to reach 20% of global semiconductor market share by 2030.
Both studies will be anchored by Intersect360 Research’s HPC-AI Leadership Organization (HALO), a global end user group that helps guide the firm’s research agenda. The AI in the EU study will additionally be informed by the HALO EMEA Advisory Committee. Research for both studies will take place in the fourth quarter of 2026 through the first quarter of 2027, with final reports expected in the first half of 2027.
Base pricing for sponsorship of the Enterprise AI Adoption study is $35,000, and base pricing for the AI in the EU study is $20,000. Both include full survey data and final reports, with optional add-ons available for custom survey questions, sponsor-branded white papers, and participation in concluding webinars. Companies interested in participating must commit by September 30, 2026, to provide input into the survey and discussion guide.
About Intersect360 Research
Intersect360 Research is a market intelligence, research, and consulting advisory practice focused on high-performance data center trends, including High Performance Computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, cloud computing, big data, and hyperscale. Intersect360 Research utilizes both user-based and supplier-based research to form a complete perspective of market dynamics, trends, and usage models, including both technical and business applications. The company’s research agenda and studies are informed by the HPC-AI Leadership Organization (HALO), a global end user group organized by Intersect360 Research to help guide the future of the HPC-AI industry. More information on HALO is available at www.hpcaileadership.org.
In addition to its market advisory subscription services, Intersect360 Research offers customers an array of client-specific services, including custom surveys, white papers and custom analysis. More information about Intersect360 Research as well as the full slate of Intersect360 Research reports available for purchase and download can be found at www.intersect360.com.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: On Thursday, AMD said it's entered into an agreement to acquire Taalas, a Toronto-based startup that makes chips for inference. Taalas' accelerators are customized, or hard-wired for a single AI model, rather than being general purpose. In exchange for that loss of flexibility, Taalas' technology promises a less-expensive chip that it says can produce output for specific models thousands of times faster than a traditional GPU. An AMD representative declined to provide a purchase price for the transaction. Taalas has raised a total of $219 million in venture funding since its 2023 founding.
Taalas' current chip runs a small version of Meta's Llama 3.1 model, though the company is working on chips for bigger and more advanced models. It's manufactured using an older Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. process, and uses speedy SRAM memory on the chip itself. Taalas CEO Ljubisa Bajic says on the startup's website that the company "developed a platform for transforming any AI model into custom silicon." "From the moment a previously unseen model is received, it can be realized in hardware in only two months," Bajic wrote.
Counter-disinformation group says social media channels connected to Pravda network helped amplify message
Accounts with links to the Russian military promoting far-right messages reached more than 500,000 people in the early days of the Ceuta migration crisis, according to an analysis done by 411, a counter-disinformation group.
Russia-linked social media accounts frequently spread destabilising narratives in Europe, often promoting far-right talking points about immigration.
The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of documents and images related to UFOs, the fifth disclosure in recent months about the strange encounters.
Trump’s summer of tariffs means trade uncertainty is here to stayExpert commentthilton.drupal
The Trump administration has pushed through another round of tariffs. While they are being challenged in the courts, unpredictable and costly US trade policy is here to stay.
The Trump administration spent the waning days of July upending – again – the structure of US trade policy. Various issues have been used to justify a new wave of tariffs, investigations and threats – including forced labour, EU digital policy, Canadian commodities and Brazilian politics. But amid these specific dramas, a broader reality has become clear: that rapidly changing, often political tariffs are the new normal for US trade policy.
Congress also bestirred itself on trade last month, but in contradictory directions that may ultimately serve instead to further embolden the White House. Indeed, the more aggressive this administration’s use of tariffs becomes, the more difficult subsequent administrations are likely to find it to move away from them.
From ‘Liberation Day’ to Section 301
July was a big month for US trade policy as time ran out on the temporary ‘section 122’ tariffs that the Trump administration put in place in February 2026. Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 per cent on all imports for up to 150 days ‘to address fundamental international payments problems.’
This was the administration’s move to keep a form of global tariffs in place after the US Supreme Court had overturned US president Donald Trump’s original approach. The court struck down his use of an emergency powers act to declare wide-ranging tariffs via an executive order on ‘Liberation Day’ in April 2025.
Following this setback, in March 2026 the administration initiated a series of investigations under ‘section 301’ of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits it to document and levy tariffs on countries that burden or unfairly restrict US exports.
The first section 301 investigation to be completed was also the largest: the claim that US commerce was being harmed by imports of goods produced with forced labour. The investigation did not, crucially, focus on firms using forced labour. Instead, it accused 59 countries and the European Union of permitting the import of goods allegedly produced with forced labour elsewhere.
On 24 July, the administration implemented tariffs on the 60 economies. While the new rates are significantly lower than the original ‘Liberation Day’ rates for many countries, they reinstituted a 10-12 per cent minimum tariff on the 60 economies, which together provide the US with 99 per cent of its imports. This applied even to the countries (and the EU) that had moved to enact or beef up enforcement of forced labour bans.
Canada, Brazil, EU, China
These forced labour tariffs also stack on top of some previous ones. As a result, while estimates put the overall US effective tariff rate at 10.8 per cent, some countries face much higher tariffs.
In July, the administration cited a previously unused legal authority (section 338 of the notorious 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff act) to declare 50 per cent levies on various Canadian goods – some longstanding trade irritants, others related to Canadian public boycotts and retaliation over prior tariffs. The White House also put a 25 per cent tariff on some Brazilian goods, in a move that was viewed by many in Brazil as politically motivated ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.
More is on the way. An ‘excess capacity’ section 301 investigation targeting 16 economies including China, India, Japan and the EU is still in process, with potentially high tariff outcomes. The administration has said it would restart its 2019 section 301 investigation against countries that engage in so-called ‘digital protectionism,’ which would chiefly target EU members and Canada. President Trump’s response to EU fines on Google in July was also to suggest additional tariffs.
President Trump gets a new version of the across-the-board tariff wall he desires, while importers get chaos.
Pharmaceuticals have also been targeted. On 31 July, tariffs on pharmaceuticals from certain companies – justified under a different law focused on national security concerns – began to take effect. Some are as high as 100 per cent. The administration also has an ongoing section 301 investigation targeting German pharmaceuticals, in response to German efforts to lower drug spending.
Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing nibbled at the edges of their trade truce; in addition to putting 12.5 per cent forced labour tariffs on Chinese goods, the US banned Chinese-made humanoid robots.
For its part, the Chinese government has continued to build out its ability to restrict critical minerals flows, while meetings between senior US and Chinese officials have not marked progress on agricultural trade or Washington’s planned Board of Trade to manage relations with China. It appears, to quote former US negotiator Ambassador Wendy Cutler, that ‘just holding the truce together has become the main objective.’
Exemptions and challenges
The new tariffs – like the ones they replaced – cover about half of all goods imported into the US, with significant exemptions. The exemptions process may help manage inflationary pressures at home, but it also makes implementation complex and has prompted questions about which industries are given exemptions and why.
An audit of the first Trump administration’s tariff exclusion practices in 2018 and 2019 by the Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General warned of the ‘appearance of improper influence in decision-making for tariff exclusion requests.’
A recent New York Times report raised questions about the basis of the exemptions from last month’s tariffs over forced labour, including commodities like diamonds. The report quoted White House spokesperson Kush Desai in response: ‘The only special interest guiding the Trump administration’s decision-making is the best interest of the American people.’
Overall, President Trump gets a new version of the across-the-board tariff wall he desires, while importers get chaos. The new tariffs are already being challenged in court, including by 25 US states. Experts disagree on which challenges might succeed, but it appears that the administration aims to maintain elevated tariff levels by imposing new tariffs faster than courts can overturn old ones.
Contradictory Congress
A majority of the American public, including independents and non-MAGA Republicans, dislike tariffs. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, a longtime critic of tariff initiatives from both parties, introduced comprehensive legislation that would wrest trade policy power back to Congress. But the bill has no clear path forward.
At the same time, a bill giving the president even more tariff authority to target Russia, including to put 100 per cent tariffs on top importers of Russian oil, began to move through the Senate with strong bipartisan support. Wyden was one of only ten Democrats to oppose it.
This reflects the politics of tariffs: the pain they impose is diffuse, while the benefits are highly specific and thus easier to organize around. A majority of US public opinion supports free trade in the abstract but opposes specific trade liberalization deals with their real and imagined costs.
As a result, Congress remains unwilling to engage in affirmatively setting trade policy, handing more power to the executive branch. Meanwhile, more corners of US industry are getting used to building in uncertainty and negotiating with the administration for exemptions from tariffs.
This means it’s going to get harder, rather than easier, for future leaders of any political stripe to swear off trade policy as a cheap political tool. As with climate change, the risk for US trade policy is that the world is left with heat and unpredictability all year round.
Argonne-led collaboration will use AI and U.S. Department of Energy user facilities to understand how tiny flaws affect electronics over time
Aug. 7, 2026 — How a microelectronic device performs depends on what it is made of, how well its materials and interfaces are built and how electricity, heat and tiny defects change over time. These devices power much of modern life — from smartphones and laptops to secure communications and artificial intelligence (AI) hardware.
Credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock
As next-generation devices become smaller, faster and more tightly packed, their performance is affected more and more by tiny flaws in materials and interfaces. These defects can lead to overheating, electrical leakage, unreliable switching and, in the end, shorter device lifetimes. But defects are not always harmful. They can also influence electrical and thermal behavior in useful ways, depending on how they are distributed and how they evolve over time. Understanding both the harmful and beneficial effects of defects is essential for designing better microelectronics.
To address the challenges defects pose, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Northwestern University plan to develop the Materials Discovery Cloud. The project will create a physics-informed AI framework that learns how material composition, structure and operating conditions influence defect evolution and key functional properties such as electrostatic potential, current density and temperature.
The Materials Discovery Cloud is part of DOE’s Genesis Mission, a bold national initiative to double America’s research and development productivity within a decade while strengthening U.S. technological leadership and global competitiveness.
From Protein Folding to Device Function
AlphaFold is an AI system developed by Google DeepMind that predicts a protein’s 3D structure based on its amino acid sequence. It transformed biology by making structure prediction much faster and more accurate, helping scientists better understand how proteins work.
The new microelectronics effort follows a similar idea but applies it to a very different problem. Instead of predicting protein structure from sequence, the team aims to predict how networks of defects form, change and affect how a device works.
“In biology, AlphaFold learned to connect sequence to structure,” said Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Argonne scientist and lead principal investigator on the project, as well as a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. “We want to connect defect distributions in materials and interfaces to the electrical and thermal properties that matter for microelectronics. Such a framework remains elusive.”
Why Defects Are So Hard to Understand
Defects are tiny irregularities in a material’s structure. They can include missing atoms, dislocations, voids or chemical disorder. Some defects hurt performance. Others can help enable useful behavior. The challenge is knowing which defects matter, when they matter and how they change under real operating conditions.
These attributes are difficult to determine because no single instrument can capture the whole picture.
Some tools, such as electron microscopes, can directly image features at very small scales. X-ray methods can reveal strain, buried structures and defect motion. Other techniques measure chemistry, electrical behavior and heat flow. Each method shows one part of the story, but not the whole system.
A useful way to think about it is like trying to understand the day’s weather from the temperature alone. Temperature tells you something important, but you also need to factor in wind, clouds, precipitation and humidity to see the full picture. The same is true for microelectronics.
Bringing Many Tools into One Framework
To close that gap, the team is combining many types of data from DOE Office of Science user facilities and advanced computing systems, drawing information from different tools and scales into one unified platform.
The Materials Discovery Cloud will help researchers gather experimental data, run simulations and generate synthetic data that mimic experiments. The synthetic data is especially important because complete experimental data sets for material samples are still complicated and time-consuming to collect. Simulations can fill in missing pieces and help train the AI framework.
Another part of the effort focuses on autonomous discovery, which uses AI, machine learning and robotics to help researchers decide which measurements to run next and collect new data more quickly. That can help address one of the project’s key challenges: generating enough high-quality experimental data to build and refine AI models.
In this work, researchers are developing an AI-guided platform for microelectronics materials that can synthesize samples and carry out multiple kinds of characterization in a more integrated, high-throughput workflow. By reducing the need to move samples among facilities for separate measurements, the approach could speed data collection and help fill important gaps in the multimodal datasets used to train the framework.
“What makes the Materials Discovery Cloud powerful is that we can bring together experiments, simulations and AI in one workflow,” Sankaranarayanan explained. “That gives us a way to learn from limited data today while building a framework that can grow more capable as new data comes in.”
AI Guided by Physics
This system is not designed to be a black box that gives answers without explanation. Instead, it will be built around well-established laws of physics. This helps ensure the AI’s predictions are grounded in how materials and devices actually behave.
That certainty is important because the researchers want the system to do more than spot patterns in data. They want it to help reveal why certain defects lead to specific changes in performance, reliability or lifetime.
To do that, the framework will combine several kinds of AI tools that can bring together many types of data, learn from both experiments and simulations and identify which new measurements would be most useful next. In the end, the goal is to connect tiny, atomic-scale features in a material to the larger electrical, thermal and mechanical behavior of a real device.
What Success Could Look Like
If successful, the Materials Discovery Cloud could change how scientists design and test new materials and devices.
Instead of waiting through long rounds of experiments, researchers may be able to get useful answers from a smaller set of early measurements. That could help them spot problems sooner, avoid spending time on weak candidates and focus more quickly on the most promising designs.
Over time, the framework could also support inverse design. Rather than starting with a material and seeing how it performs, they could start with a goal — such as better heat management or a longer-lasting device — and ask what kind of material structure or defect pattern would be needed to achieve it.
By bringing many different measurements into one predictive system, the effort aims to help scientists better understand, control and design the materials behind the next generation of microelectronics.
Other contributors to this work include Pierre Darancet, Henry Chan, Maria Chan, Daniel Durham, Tom Gage, Dina Sheyfer, Hua Zhou, Ross Harder, Jeffrey Klug, Mathew Cherukara, Supratik Guha and Aditya Koneru from Argonne; Mary Scott, Archana Raja, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Ed Barnard and Sujoy Roy from Berkeley Lab; Panchapakesan Ganesh and Rama Vasudevan from ORNL; and Mark Hersam from Northwestern University.
This research was supported by the DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Office under the Genesis Mission’s BES AI Pathfinder Program, Materials Discovery Cloud.
Aug. 7, 2026 — The University of North Dakota has been selected for the inaugural cohort of projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, making UND the only institution in North Dakota chosen to participate in the national initiative.
The project, led by Jielun Zhang, assistant professor in the College of Engineering & Mines’ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will develop new methods to improve the security and reliability of artificial intelligence models used in battery management systems and other energy science applications. Jueming Hu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UND, serves as co-principal investigator.
The Genesis Mission is a historic national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy that is building the world’s most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By uniting government, industry, academia and philanthropy, it is accelerating breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security through a new platform that combines artificial intelligence, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments.
“Our researchers are tackling complex challenges that have the potential to improve lives and strengthen critical infrastructure,” said Vice President for Research and Economic Development Scott Snyder. “Selection for the inaugural Genesis Mission reflects the quality of research taking place at UND and our commitment to advancing discoveries that serve our state and the nation.”
The project, titled “Adversarial Robustness Framework for AI Models in Battery Management and Energy Science Workflows,” addresses an increasingly important challenge as artificial intelligence becomes more widely used to monitor and manage lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, support the electric grid and provide backup power for critical facilities.
AI models help estimate battery health, monitor operating conditions and identify potential problems before failures occur. However, those models can be vulnerable to manipulated data or cyberattacks that could cause them to overlook battery degradation, misidentify unsafe operating conditions or make incorrect recommendations.
To address those risks, Zhang and his collaborators will develop a framework for evaluating and improving the resilience of AI models used in battery management and related energy science applications. The research team will create standardized methods for testing AI systems against realistic attacks, develop techniques to detect compromised data and strengthen AI models so they can continue operating reliably in challenging environments.
“Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool for managing increasingly complex energy systems,” Zhang said. “Our goal is to develop practical methods that help ensure these models remain secure, reliable and trustworthy so they can safely support critical energy infrastructure.”
The project also includes collaborators from La Sierra University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Clean Republic SODO LLC.
The research builds on UND’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, advanced computing and energy systems research, bringing together expertise from multiple engineering disciplines to address challenges at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI and critical energy infrastructure.
The goal of the Genesis Mission Phase I awards is to identify promising pathways toward transformative scientific capabilities and establish a foundation for future investment and scale. Project teams will design and demonstrate research workflows that integrate AI with scientific investigation while evaluating whether those approaches can accelerate discovery, improve predictive capabilities, enhance experimentation or generate new scientific insights.
Researchers expect the project to produce new evaluation methods, software tools and model-hardening techniques that will help scientists, utilities, technology developers and energy system operators assess and improve the resilience of AI systems used in energy applications. The work could contribute to safer battery technologies, more reliable distributed energy resources and more secure deployment of artificial intelligence across critical energy and scientific workflows.
Representatives from UND joined researchers from across the country at the Genesis Mission Summit on July 22 in Washington, where the inaugural cohort of projects was announced.
The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Andrew and Tristan Tate remain in jail as they fight extradition to UK to face charges of rape, assault and more
Lawyers for Andrew and Tristan Tate urged a US judge on Friday to release the brothers from a Miami jail as they fight the British government’s efforts to extradite them to face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
In a filing in Miami federal court, the Tate brothers’ lawyers said their “extraordinary public visibility” would make it impractical for them to try to flee, meaning there was no need to keep them behind bars until the extradition proceedings end.
Home Office minister Anna Turley says PM is ‘authentic’ and praises video of him discussing bar snacks with John Healey
Streeting said it was “not OK” that the killers of PC Andrew Harper were eligible for early release, PA reports.
He said the government should “never have been put in a position” where prisons were so full that offenders were going to be let out at an earlier stage of their sentence.
A federal appeals court is set to consider President Trump's effort to fire two immigration judges this fall, a case that could have significant implications for federal workers.
Teenager killed his grandparents before opening fire at school near Bangkok, where more than 30 were wounded
A Thai teenager killed his grandparents before opening fire at his school, where he shot five people dead and took his own life, police have said, in an attack that has shaken a country struggling to deal with gun violence.
The 14-year-old wounded more than 30 people in the shooting at the prestigious Debsirin Nonthaburi school in the Nonthaburi province on Bangkok’s outskirts. Nine people were in a critical condition, the Thai health department said.
Experts say the attackers’ behaviour, and the handling of their cases, have striking similarities
About 40 metres off Tottenham High Street, up a slip road for deliveries to a B&M homewares store, is a stretch of concrete paving behind a 2-metre wall topped with spikes.
This is the patch of ground that Simon Levy tried to turn into his personal killing field.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 7, 2026 — QC Ware today announced a technology demonstration of a hybrid quantum-classical computational chemistry workflow using Promethium and IBM Quantum hardware.
The demonstration calculated electrostatic interaction energy for nitric oxide reductase by combining GPU-accelerated molecular modeling and classical chemistry methods with quantum measurements performed on IBM’s 156-qubit Heron superconducting quantum processor. The work highlights how Promethium can be used alongside quantum hardware in scientifically relevant workflows. This was a technology demonstration and is not currently a fully integrated Promethium product capability.
“This demonstration shows how classical and quantum computing can be combined to address meaningful computational chemistry problems,” said Dr. Kin-Joe Sham, Co-Founder and COO at QC Ware. “We believe Promethium delivers high-performance computational chemistry today while providing a foundation for exploring future hybrid workflows.”
Nitric oxide reductase is a chemically complex metalloenzyme system, making it a relevant benchmark for evaluating advanced computational methods. The workflow focused on electrostatic interaction energy, an important molecular property in drug discovery, catalysis, and materials science.
The demonstration builds on QC Ware’s previously published research in hybrid quantum-classical chemistry and reflects the Company’s broader strategy of delivering practical, GPU-accelerated quantum chemistry today while advancing the use of artificial intelligence and quantum computing to address increasingly challenging scientific problems.
Available today, Promethium’s GPU-native architecture enables researchers to apply quantum chemistry across larger molecular systems and more compounds than has traditionally been practical. For selected workloads, Promethium runs demanding calculations up to 20× faster than the main conventional platforms, helping researchers generate molecular-level insights in hours instead of weeks and accelerating decision-making across drug discovery, catalysis, and materials science.
About QC Ware
QC Ware is a quantum computing software company. QC Ware develops applications that unlock the power of quantum computing for drug discovery, material design and other industry verticals. QC Ware’s Promethium platform provides GPU-accelerated quantum chemistry for molecular modeling and drug discovery, helping customers make better discovery decisions today while exploring the hybrid quantum-classical workflows of tomorrow. QC Ware also organizes and hosts Q2B quantum computing conferences in Japan, Europe and the United States.
Aug. 7, 2026 — The US Department of Energy recently announced that three research projects involving New York University (NYU) faculty have been selected in the first round of the DOE’s Genesis Mission. The selected ventures span quantum computing, decentralized scientific AI, and multi-agent hypothesis generation, underscoring NYU’s growing role in AI-enabled discovery science.
The Genesis Mission is a national DOE initiative that unites the department’s national laboratories, universities, and industry partners with advanced AI, high-performance computing, scientific instrumentation, and data infrastructure to accelerate discovery. More than 5,000 applications were submitted, and just 278 projects were selected in this first round. NYU’s three projects are among that inaugural group:
“AI-driven Pulse-level Optimal Control of Many-body Quantum Eigensolvers” is spearheaded by Andrei Vrajitoarea, an assistant professor of physics, and Norah Hoffman, assistant professor of chemistry and physics. The team will design a new way to program quantum computers that skips a costly translation step. Today’s quantum algorithms are typically written in abstract instructions, then translated into a rigid sequence of hardware operations, which slows computation and introduces errors. Using AI, the NYU team will instead control the quantum hardware directly.
MARS (Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Scientific Hypothesis Generation) is led by Brookhaven National Laboratory in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, NYU, and Microsoft. Mengye Ren, an assistant professor of computer science and data science at NYU’s Courant Institute School of Mathematics, Computing, and Data Science, will help build specialized teams of AI agents designed to help scientists generate stronger, evidence-based hypotheses more efficiently. Early work will focus on identifying problems in analog circuit designs and interpreting material structures from X-ray data.
DAISY (Decentralized Agentic Intelligence System for Scientific Inquiry) is led by Iowa State University in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, with NYU’s Chinmay Hegde, an associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Juliana Freire, an Institute Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. The team is designing a network of AI agents that divide labor, share compact knowledge tokens, and work together to accelerate discovery. NYU will help lead development of the platform’s core toolkit, with early applications planned in materials science, crop breeding for bioenergy, and the power grid.
“Science is entering an era where discovery itself can be accelerated by the tools we build to pursue it,” said Juan de Pablo, NYU’s Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Executive Vice President for Global Science and Technology and executive dean of the Tandon School of Engineering. “This is exactly the kind of cross-disciplinary momentum the Genesis Mission was designed to unlock, and it’s where NYU is ready to lead.”
“Our breakthroughs emerge from the deep and broad disciplinary excellence among our faculty, which is bolstered by the collaborative environment we foster in Arts and Science,” said Michael Purugganan, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Arts and Science and Silver Professor of Biology. “As part of the Genesis Mission, our scientists will continue to embrace AI’s potential as an engine for discovery in meeting 21st-century challenges.”
“Leveraging AI from the ground up is vital for both scientific discovery and technological advancement,” said Gerard Ben Arous, dean of NYU’s Courant Institute School. “Developing promising AI agents into advanced applications has been a driver of the Courant Institute School’s success, and it will remain a core focus under the Genesis Mission.”
Yinon Levy charged with manslaughter in first exception this decade to culture of impunity for Israelis who kill Palestinians in the occupied West Bank
Prosecutors in Israel have indicted an extremist settler for shooting a Palestinian activist last July, the first attempt this decade to hold an Israeli responsible for killing a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.
Yinon Levy, who was under western sanctions, is charged with manslaughter over the death of Awdeh Hathaleen, an English teacher and peace activist. In his last moments, Hathaleen filmed the settler drawing his weapon and opening fire towards him.
The typical American's paycheck has grown faster since 2019 than in any stretch since the early 1980s. But prices climbed nearly as fast, swallowing about 80% of the wage increase.
US employers unexpectedly lost 23,000 jobs in July and gains for the previous two months were revised down sharply by a combined 103,000 jobs, painting a weaker picture of the labor market than past data indicated.
The unemployment rate, however, held steady at 4.1%. Economists had projected an unchanged unemployment rate and 83,000 new jobs for the month.
The all-conquering franchise’s revamps are technically impressive, its transfers more true to life – and its new grassroots social hub is surprising fun
As if the world wasn’t sufficiently football-obsessed, it’s time to prepare for the arrival of its biggest football video game. EA Sports FC 27 (the franchise that used to be Fifa – what better time to no longer be Fifa-branded?) is due to be released on 25 September. I just spent two intense days in Vancouver, where the EA FC games are made, playing FC 27 and talking to its developers.
With an annual franchise such as EA FC, it helps to have something fresh to entice regular fans, and FC 27 has a whole new element, entitled the Grounds. It’s a physical hub-type area, similar to the City as seen in 2K’s recent NBA 2K basketball games, but much more pleasant to frequent, split as it is into areas inspired by British, French and Argentinian street-football culture.
US domestic airfares are 26.5% higher than a year ago, according to June’s consumer price index data, and analysts say prices globally are up 25-30% compared with 2025.
A Trump administration framework on AI testing leaves a lack of transparency – and plenty of open questions
After months of talking with tech industry leaders, the Trump administration finalized a framework this week for how it will test new artificial intelligence models for safety and cybersecurity risks. So far, the White House is keeping details of the framework private, in a blow to transparency and potential boon for secretive AI companies.
On Tuesday, staff from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, Nvidia and Microsoft attended a private meeting with White House officials to review the AI framework. Multiple outlets have sincereported that although the volunteer vetting process for new AI models has been settled, the White House does not plan to release its policy publicly and will only share testing criteria with a select few tech companies.
Robyn Cory says daughter Kristen was not protected, amid questions about why it took six years to identify remains
The family of Kristen Galvan, a 15-year-old Houston girl who was sex trafficked and murdered, says law enforcement failed her twice by not protecting her after she gave forensic interviews about her traffickers, and later by taking more than six years to identify her remains.
The Texas attorney general’s office announced on 28 July that Kristen’s remains had been positively identified using advanced DNA testing conducted over the past year. Parts of her skull, clothing and an earring were found beneath a bridge beside a jogging trail in Missouri City, about 10 miles outside Houston.
Officials try to find homes for residents as talks to save social assistance hub collapse amid government crackdown
Rome authorities are scrambling to find homes for hundreds of people sleeping in tents in extreme heat after talks aimed at saving Italy’s most high-profile centre for housing and social assistance collapsed amid a crackdown by Giorgia Meloni’s government on squatted buildings.
The approximately 400 evicted residents of Spin Time Labs, located in a 10-floor building in Rome’s Esquilino district occupied by grassroots groups since 2013, will not be allowed to move back in after its private owner refused Rome council’s offer to buy the property. The residents were forced out at the end of last month.
Companies receiving billions in refunds for U.S. tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court should return money to consumers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.
As Abelardo de la Espriella takes office as president vowing a new military offensive, the country’s last leftwing rebels are getting ready to fight back
As the boat approached the riverbank, camouflaged figures watched from the tree line.
Behind them, in the dim understory of the jungle, a commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN) sat with his rifle on his lap, amid the buzz and whine of insects and the thwacks of machetes on bamboo as his troops set up camp, hidden from enemy drones.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department.
Good morning. Donald Trump’s statement that oil companies have made “too much money” from the Iran war has angered environmentalists, who say his policies were designed to benefit those very corporations.
Americans have paid more than $78bn more at the pump since the start of the Iran war, according to a Brown University tracker. A recent analysis from the environmental advocacy group Climate Power and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal thinktank, found that Trump’s policies had cost the average American family $285 more when filling up their cars.
What policies has Trump enacted to help the oil industry? Since re-entering the White House last year, he has eased dozens of restrictions and regulations on fossil fuel expansion, exempted fossil fuel producers from environmental rules, and signed an executive order last year directing the attorney general to prioritize blocking climate lawsuits targeting oil majors. Trump has also personally invested in major oil companies.
What did the supreme court previously rule? In the court’s June decision, the chief justice, John Roberts, said Trump’s first order violated the 14th amendment of the US constitution. “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights – to freely participate in our political community,” he wrote. “The framers of the 14th amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land’. We keep that promise today.”
MIAMI, Florida — A dispute over a prized lobster-diving location in Biscayne Bay escalated into an attempted murder case after authorities accused a Miami Beach boater of deliberately shutting off an 18-year-old diver’s air supply underwater.
Michael Joseph Simpson Jr., 51, was charged with attempted felony murder following the July 29 confrontation during Florida’s two-day recreational spiny lobster season. According to a Miami-Dade sheriff’s report, two groups argued after one accused the other of taking their preferred diving spot.
Investigators allege Simpson entered the water and shut down a Brownie’s Third Lung system supplying air to diver Hunter Coffer. Boat owner Steven Del Sol reportedly pulled Coffer to the surface by the air hose after witnesses shouted that a diver was still underwater. Coffer emerged gasping, disoriented and tangled in lines, according to the report.
Simpson’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, strongly disputes that account. He said Simpson never touched the equipment and claims video shows another person becoming entangled in the system while Simpson was elsewhere. The defense also says multiple witnesses support Simpson’s version and criticized investigators for making an arrest before interviewing them.
Simpson surrendered Aug. 4 and was released on $10,000 bond. Prosecutors will ultimately determine whether to formally pursue the attempted murder charge.
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has donated $1.25 million to the campaign opposing Amendment 3, widening the financial advantage for groups seeking to preserve abortion rights approved by Missouri voters in 2024.
Stop the Ban has now raised more than $6.5 million ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The leading committee supporting Amendment 3, Her Health, Her Future PAC, has raised just over $1 million. Missouri Right to Life has separately spent about $230,000 supporting the measure.
Amendment 3 would repeal the constitutional reproductive-rights amendment voters approved with roughly 52% support in 2024. If approved, it would again prohibit most abortions, with exceptions for medical emergencies and pregnancies resulting from rape or incest during the first 12 weeks. It would also place Missouri’s existing ban on gender-transition procedures for minors into the state constitution.
Bloomberg previously gave $1 million to the coalition that successfully supported abortion rights in Missouri’s 2024 election.
The fundraising gap mirrors that earlier campaign. Abortion-rights groups raised more than $31 million in 2024, compared with roughly $5 million by opponents.
Supporters of Amendment 3 argue voters should restore stronger abortion restrictions. Opponents frame the measure as an effort by lawmakers to overturn a reproductive-rights decision Missourians made less than two years ago.
With the primary complete, both sides are expected to accelerate advertising and voter outreach through November.
Few have heard of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, but it has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars
When I started my training in 1980, we accepted an arithmetic that would now be indefensible. Central lines, the catheters we threaded into the great veins of the critically ill, became infected, and some of those patients died. We recorded the deaths as complications. Almost no one thought of them as preventable, because no one had yet done the slow work of proving they were.
That work got done, and federal money paid for it. Beginning in 2008, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a small arm of the health department, funded a national effort in more than a thousand adult intensive care units: a checklist, a sterile insertion protocol, and a unit culture in which a nurse could stop a surgeon. Central-line bloodstream infections fell by 41%, from 1.915 to 1.133 per 1,000 catheter days. The agency estimates that effort alone averted between 290 and 605 deaths. Across its wider work on hospital-acquired harm, AHRQ’s own accounting credits 20,500 deaths prevented and $7.7bn saved in the four years from 2014 to 2017. Hardly any of my patients have heard of the agency. That was always rather the point.
Robert B Shpiner is an internist and clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has practiced and taught intensive care medicine for more than 40 years
Save Our Signs aims to document every sign in the more than 400 national parks and historic sites across the country before the Trump administration removes them
Jenny McBurney was among hundreds of people around the world who sprang into action last year when the Trump administration started deleting government datasets and webpages because they included information about “gender ideology”, environmental justice or diversity, equity and inclusion.
McBurney, a government publications librarian at the University of Minnesota, joined the Data Rescue Project, a group that mobilizes volunteers to archive critical government datasets that are at risk of deletion by the Trump administration.
High 30s celsius forecast for France, Spain and Italy next week, before affecting Germany, Poland and Czechia
Another pulse of heat is expected to affect central and western Europe next week. The latest forecast models show daily maximum temperatures well into the high 30s celsius widely across France, Spain and Italy during the first half of the week, while Germany, Poland and Czechiawill experience the highest temperatures towards the end of the week. The shift in the focus of the heat as the week progresses can be attributed to the movement of high pressure. At the start of the week, low pressure centred in the Atlantic and high pressure centred over the low countries will draw warm air from southern Europe northwards into parts of France. During the working week, the high pressure will slip a little farther south and east, enabling the warm air once situated over western Europe to make inroads into parts of Germany and central Europe.
The heat in central and western Europe this summer has been unrelenting. Last week’s weather tracker highlighted record-breaking temperatures for the month of July in Austria. However, only a few days later, on 4 August, the all-time record was shattered with 41.0C achieved in Stammersdorf, north-east of the capital, Vienna. This comfortably broke the previous all-time record set in August 2003 by 0.7C. Unbelievably, that record was broken again the following day when 41.2C was recorded in Deutsch-Altenburg. Slovakia also set an all-time record on the same day, of 41.4C. The continuing European heatwave, associated with a vertically extensive anticyclone, raised the freezing level above 4,000 metres across much of the Alpine region. This represents a level in the atmosphere well above many Alpine glaciers, accelerating the seasonal melting process. On the opposite side of the Atlantic, 51.8C was recorded in Badwater, California, the highest temperature in the US for 2026 so far.
A teenager described as "troubled" and "bullied" by a classmate killed his grandparents before gunning down five staff members at a high school in Thailand, police said.
By dragging out talks, Tehran aims to damage the US president politically – but some fear a bruised and weakened Trump could lash back
Tehran has set out a protracted negotiating timetable designed to keep Donald Trump embroiled in the Iran conflict until the midterm elections, in the hope of inflicting the same ruinous blow on his presidency as Jimmy Carter suffered over the 1979-81 US embassy hostage crisis.
For many inside Iran, inflicting meaningful revenge on Trump is a legitimate and self-standing war aim, reflected in the mood of those attending the funeral of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei where demands for retribution were ubiquitous.
The rookie quarterback ran in from the five-yard line on the final play to give the Carolina Panthers a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL preseason on Thursday night.
To counter the purported national scourge of “organized retail crime,” a bill moving through Congress would deliver the Department of Homeland Security unprecedented policing powers, granting even more authority to what experts say is an already lawless ICE.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, or CORCA, was introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, last year with wide bipartisan support. The bill is aimed at limiting coordinated retail theft and shoplifting, which lawmakers allege is happening at “unprecedented levels” as organized criminal gangs steal merchandise from stores and resell the goods online. According to the legislation, the perpetrators “are often polycriminal organizations, using profit from the reselling of stolen goods to support crimes involving drugs and weapons trafficking” while facilitating “human smuggling,” all of which is “funding nefarious groups and activities and threatening the integrity of the international economy.”
The bill would give Immigration and Customs Enforcement authority to coordinate federal efforts against large-scale shoplifting. ICE would establish a so-called “Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center” that would bring under one roof analysts and agents from myriad agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Secret Service. The goal is to centralize investigative data and establish “a secure system for sharing information regarding organized retail and supply chain crime threats by leveraging existing information systems at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.”
It’s unclear if ICE agents themselves would have the authority to confront alleged suspects. DHS and ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Civil libertarian groups are disturbed by legislation they say constitutes a major expansion of domestic surveillance and policing by DHS, which was founded largely to tackle matters of counterterrorism, civil defense, and other matters of national safety, and ICE, whose purview is immigration enforcement and transnational crime.
“This would formalize a mechanism for retailers to share data about consumers with DHS.”
Jina John, senior policy counsel for AI, privacy, and technology at the ACLU, told The Intercept the bill could grant DHS increased surveillance powers. “This would formalize a mechanism for retailers to share data about consumers with DHS as well as state and local authorities relating vaguely to ‘threats,’” she said. “The risk here is that when retailers share information, it’s not a specific clip of footage related to a specific theft, in practice, they are sharing continuous footage. That means access to FLOCK license plate readers in retail parking lots and surveillance cameras at stores and malls.”
The Center itself would be staffed in part by ICE agents and helmed by a director handpicked by the head of ICE. The bill allows the Center to share information deemed confidential under federal law, which includes the “identity, confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures of any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association.” Such disclosure would require the sign-off of the Center’s director.
“Given that this director will be named by ICE, an agency that has acted without any regard for the law, this is probably not the best person to make such important judgments,” ACLU senior counsel Nina Patel told The Intercept.
Despite sustained opposition to DHS and ICE under Trump’s second term by congressional democrats, CORCA was co-sponsored by 13 Democratic members of the Senate, including Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin.
In a July letter opposing the bill, rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP, and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law cautioned about the establishment of “essentially a new fusion center, nominally for the purpose of addressing retail theft.” Like DHS itself, fusion centers are a post-9/11 creation intended to thwart acts of international terrorism. Over the past two decades, their mission has widened and now encompasses, for example, the surveillance of political protests.
The premise that organized retail theft is a rampant crime phenomenon, rather than a new name for the timeless petty offense of shoplifting, is disputed and controversial. In 2023, the National Retail Federation, a trade group that supports the bill and whose warnings are cited in its text, retracted a report claiming organized retail crime was responsible for 50 percent of the nearly $100 billion worth of merchandise that went missing in 2021. The true number was found to be closer to 5 percent of that sum.
The companies on whose behalf the NRF lobbies are inclined to support legislation dedicated to safeguarding merchandise and profits. Should it pass, CORCA would deepen collaboration between corporate America and DHS and expand the country’s public-private surveillance apparatus. “Companies determined by the Executive Associate Director to have significant interests” in retail theft could be granted information-sharing agreements with the government about threats, investigations and loss prevention activities, according to the bill’s text.
The ACLU and other civil liberties groups insist ICE is so lawless it can’t be trusted with new powers. “As a result, ICE would have more access to information and more sway over local law enforcement — which means more opportunities for ICE to misuse data and target people in violation of their rights,” Patel said. “ICE cannot be trusted.”
In May, the House passed CORCA and referred it to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Grassley and Durbin are now hoping to turn it into law as an amendment to the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon’s annual funding bill that historically passes easily with bipartisan support. Despite the fact that CORCA is intended to protect store shelves from thieves, and not the United States from foreign militaries, both senators are urging the acceptance of the amendment on the grounds that it will “reduce violent crime.”
A press release from Grassley’s office last month included exhortations to include the amendment in the NDAA from executives of Amazon, Home Depot, and the International Council of Shopping Centers, among others.
Met police say charge relates to alleged assault that reportedly took place in December at venue in London
The England footballer Ivan Toney has been charged with assault after an incident at a nightclub in Soho in December last year.
Scotland Yard said the striker had been charged on 31 July with assault causing actual bodily harm. Toney, who plays for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 24 September.
Stephen Akinsanya says being mistaken for defendant shows lack of progress on racism within legal system
A black barrister has said a security guard told him he could not park in a court’s car park in London because “it’s not for defendants”.
Stephen Akinsanya, who in June was awarded an OBE for raising awareness of youth knife crime and its prevention, said the incident, at an east London court about four weeks ago, illustrated the lack of progress on racism within the criminal justice system.
Donald Trump’s second term is unlike his first. The politicians who challenged him are gone. The lawyers who once pushed back now choose their battles. What remains is an imperial president with almost no internal checks - using executive power to reshape everything from the economy to immigration and even the presidency itself.
Few journalists have covered Trump as closely as the New York Times's Jonathan Swan. He speaks to Jonathan Freedland about how the president has consolidated such enormous power and what it could mean for America - and the world.
Florida man faces count of attempted felony murder after confrontation over a spot to catch lobster, authorities say
A Florida boater was alleged to have tried to kill a diver by cutting off his air supply while they fought over a spot to catch lobsters off the state’s coast recently, according to authorities.
Michael Joseph Simpson Jr’s criminal defense attorney on Thursday issued a statement dismissing those allegations as “false”. Nonetheless, Simpson, 51, was faced with a count of attempted felony murder after he was jailed in what a sheriff’s office report portrayed as a particularly heated case of boat rage on the waters of Miami’s Biscayne Bay.
DHS secretary Markwayne Mullin says ‘We’re going after them right now’ despite threat of violence in home country
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are faced with the prospect of imminent risk of arrest and deportation – to a home country racked with crime, violence and political unrest – after the Trump administration officially stripped them of humanitarian protections that had allowed them to live and work legally in the United States for years.
US district judge Ana Reyes confirmed on Wednesday that her order blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from ending temporary protected status (TPS) for Haiti was no longer in effect. This followed the controversial supreme court ruling in June that upended judicial review of the program and opened the door for immigration enforcement to track down and detain Haitians en masse.
Perinatal psychiatrist Dr. Uruj Kamal Haider and Kriti Lodha joined a special edition of "Healthful" to talk more about mental health conditions, including postpartum psychosis.
A new study argues that life may have emerged twice on Earth. "Two of the main lineages of life -- bacteria and archaea -- may have independently figured out the secrets of metabolism that upgraded them from non-living to living," reports ScienceAlert, citing a new study that "focused on the most rudimentary set of chemical reactions thought to enable this transformation." From the report: "The surprise is that the enzymes that catalyze those reactions are not conserved across the evolutionary divide that separates bacteria and archaea," says William Martin, a biologist at Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf in Germany.
"The new data leave only one conclusion. The bacterial and archaeal lineages made the transition to the free-living state independently. Only free-living cells are alive. "Let's call it by name: we are looking at one origin of the genetic code, but two origins of life." That's a huge claim to make, especially when defining what life even is can be surprisingly tricky. The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances.
Ten months into her tenure as editor in chief, Weiss’s biggest – and riskiest – bet is getting closer to taking flight
Bari Weiss is 10 months into her tenure as editor-in-chief of CBS News, but her biggest test is right around the corner.
The newest season of 60 Minutes is set to premiere next month after Weiss overhauled the show’s correspondent corps and production staff in the spring. Long considered the gold standard in television news, the show still generates a staggering nine million average viewers per night at a time when linear television’s core audience is either ageing out or turning to digital alternatives.
BOSSIER PARISH, Louisiana — A federal desegregation case dating to the civil rights era has formally ended after 61 years, returning full control of Bossier Parish schools to local officials.
The Bossier Parish School Board and Justice Department agreed to dismiss the 1964 case, which began when Black students were still being excluded from white schools. Federal oversight later governed issues including school assignments, facilities and other measures intended to dismantle the district’s dual school system.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the district had complied with court requirements for decades and described continued oversight as costly and unnecessary. Superintendent Jason Rowland said the dismissal gives local officials “freedom to make our own decisions” while acknowledging the history that produced the decree.
The original plaintiffs are deceased, and their children could not be located, according to court filings. The Justice Department, which historically enforced desegregation orders, has increasingly supported ending long-running federal supervision under the Trump administration.
The move follows similar efforts involving other Louisiana districts, including DeSoto and Concordia parishes.
Ending court supervision does not repeal federal civil rights laws or permit renewed segregation. Bossier Parish remains subject to constitutional and statutory protections against racial discrimination, but future disputes will no longer be handled through the decades-old desegregation case.
Can the UN close the global AI gap? Expert commentjon.wallace
Can UN AI governance bridge the widening digital divide between AI superpowers, middle powers, and developing countries?
The UN Global Dialogue in Geneva, held from 6-7 July, brought together governments, companies, academics, and civil society to discuss the risks emerging from the widening technological gap between middle powers, developing countries, and the AI superpowers.
Advanced semiconductors, computing infrastructure, and AI capabilities remain concentrated primarily in the United States and China, leaving many countries dependent on technologies they neither develop nor fully control.
This creates difficult choices between proprietary US systems and open-weight Chinese models, while raising issues around safety, governance, and technical capacity. The resulting asymmetry extends beyond access to AI, limiting the ability of other countries to shape the standards, infrastructure, and governance arrangements that will determine AI’s future.
The UN summit resulted in a proposal for a ‘Dialogue of Dialogues’ approach to help address some of the issues discussed. This approach cannot counter the technological dominance of the US and China. But it can help countries strengthen their collective position by linking existing governance initiatives, improving technical interoperability, developing shared safety baselines, and building greater capacity to shape the future of AI governance.
Risks and governance priorities
The Geneva summit drew on the preliminary report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. The report identifies various real-world harms emerging from artificial intelligence, including the lack of robust mechanisms to evaluate autonomous AI agents and mitigate bias; the proliferation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material and deepfake-enabled sexual violence; and the environmental cost of building large-scale AI infrastructure.
Notably, the report also describes how AI governance initiatives remain fragmented, with over 40 types of AI governance instruments globally. It also points out that governance is largely voluntary and concentrated at the corporate level. Another report by the AI Governance for Humanity Lab takes stock of this fragmented landscape and proposes concrete steps for streamlining it through interoperable standards, like shared incident reporting and crisis protocols.
The Geneva summit built on this work by proposing a ‘Dialogue of Dialogues’ approach, resembling the IPCC, ICAO, and WHO models. This would connect governance initiatives, strengthen interoperability, and support evidence-based assessment without creating a supranational regulator.
Through the UN AI Dialogue Partnerships Hub, it seeks to foster consensus, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among like-minded state and non-state actors while respecting geopolitical diversity and national sovereignty.
Coalitions to ‘govern the governance’
The Dialogue of Dialogues would enable smaller coalitions to advance shared AI priorities, preventing gridlock and aiding broader multilateral progress. This includes minilateral and regional efforts among states, and multistakeholder efforts uniting like-minded governments, tech companies, and civil society.
One good format to build on would be compute coalitions, where groups of interested countries pool their computing resources, infrastructure, and expertise to reduce their dependence on the AI superpowers. The EU’s AI Continent Action Plan is an obvious example. So too is Brazil’s Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA), which supports 100 collaborative AI research projects with Latin American and African partners. Meanwhile, Africa’s AI factory initiative promotes digital sovereignty by developing locally relevant AI models in African languages and pricing services in local currencies.
The Dialogue of Dialogues…will be most effective in promoting technical interoperability and shared baselines among other countries.
Another useful format would be regulatory coalitions grouped around shared challenges. This would see a coalition of governments, researchers, civil society, and AI laboratories identify practical common standards on challenges such as AI watermarking, deepfake detection, or safeguards against AI-generated sexual exploitation material.
Such standards could form the basis for adoption by others: the European Union’s AI Act is a good example, as is Singapore’s proposed ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) which aims to help establish common rules on digital trade and trusted cross-border data flows.
Smaller coalitions like these could promote technical interoperability through common evaluation methods. That would enable AI developers, particularly in technologically underdeveloped countries, to demonstrate compliance across regulatory regimes without costly duplication of certification. Such interoperability could significantly reduce compliance costs for companies while enabling them to compete internationally.
What a Dialogue of Dialogues can achieve – and what it can’t
The UN’s Dialogue of Dialogues cannot impose binding constraints on the US or China, or somehow compete with the US-led Pax Silica or China’s WAICO groupings. It will be most effective in promoting technical interoperability and shared baselines among other countries – creating ‘translation keys’ that allow diverse AI regulatory regimes to communicate with each other.
The risk is that, if handled incorrectly, it could lead to further fragmentation. Regulators must work with the private sector to promote interoperability: for example, by developing shared safety benchmarks or transparency reporting requirements.
Interoperability is not a cure-all for the polarizing dynamics of the global AI race. But it can reduce friction among countries not locked in strategic competition, ensuring that countries do not have to choose between incompatible regulatory regimes such as the US and China or the EU.
Such an effort could start with what is achievable. For example, sovereign coalitions could seek to create a ‘minimum viable interoperability’ by 2027 – as suggested by Costa Rica in the Geneva Dialogue. This could be achieved by establishing shared terminology, comparable risk classifications, consistent documentation, interoperable incident reporting, and multilingual evaluation methods. These are technical, not overtly political measures and can be built even amid rising geopolitical tension.
The UK is well-placed to be a key player in global AI governance interoperability by rallying support among middle powers. It has a strong AI safety research base, is a signatory to Pax Silica, and maintains dialogue channels with both the US and China as well with technologically developed and underdeveloped countries through the Commonwealth.
The Dialogue of Dialogue approach will also need to be defended at the United Nations. The Global Dialogue was established by General Assembly resolution, not by Secretary-General prerogative so a new UN Secretary General cannot unilaterally abolish it. But there is a risk it could be deprioritized.
To ensure it has lasting impact, the Dialogue of Dialogues should be progressed by the UN’s Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), which oversees the UN’s 2024 Global Digital Compact and emerging technology governance. ODET is best placed to coordinate across the UN system and ensure balanced participation among governments, civil society, academia, and industry.
Co-locating with the ITU’s AI for Good and WSIS summits would provide an ideal opportunity to promote the Dialogue of Dialogues approach to industry and a wider range of stakeholders, while reducing resource requirements and leveraging an established audience. This arrangement, however, should be accompanied by robust independent governance safeguards under ODET to prevent undue corporate influence.
The Dialogue of Dialogues approach cannot prevent the challenges that countries face in the emerging AI landscape. But it should be persevered with, if countries outside of great power rivalry are to gain equal access to the opportunities AI promises – and promote the standards needed to ensure AI uses are safe and beneficial to all.
Ultimately, bridging the global AI divide requires sustained, inclusive multilateralism. Giving every nation a voice in setting global standards through the UN can ensure that AI serves as a tool for universal progress rather than further fragmentation.
The US aviation regulator has ordered inspections of the fuselages of Boeing 737 Max planes for possible cracks in a component.
The Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive will affect an estimated 471 aircraft and follows reports of cracks in earlier Boeing models.
In this week’s episode of Independent Thinking, our experts explore the US-China race for AI leadership and the likelihood of an AI crash
The $2.6 trillion spent on artificial intelligence, data centres and advanced chipmaking dwarfs the cost of previous infrastructure megaprojects. Yet AI has become a money pit for tech giants like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta, and the tech is failing to hit its stratospheric targets.
Could an AI crash take overinvested economies down with it? In the longer term, whose approach will dominate? Will it be the US’s private-led model with tech giants at the top? Or China’s tactic of spreading low-cost AI throughout the Global South, with an eye on dominating the future?
Bronwen Maddox is joined by Alex Krasodomski, director of Chatham House’s Digital Society Programme; James Kynge, a senior research fellow for China and the World with the Asia-Pacific Programme; and Creon Butler, director of the Global Economy and Finance Programme.
About Independent Thinking
Independent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.
Kareem’s Quote of the Day: Can we finally learn to see our cultural differences as strengths rather than as threats?
If the Disease Doesn’t Kill You, Listening to RFK Jr. Just Might: Laughable misinformation…if only public health weren’t so deadly serious.
Insider Trading is Illegal, Unless You Pay Trump Media $100,000 a Month: Market-moving posts make it seem as if the American dream is rigged.
Jesse Owens & the 1936 Olympics: One man shattered Hitler’s racial mythology in Berlin, but he couldn’t defeat the American version when he got home.
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History (PBS): Henry Louis Gates Jr. examines the complicated history between Black and Jewish Americans.
Valerie June: “Workin’ Woman Blues”: The hard, daily work of women becomes a spare, soulful performance that refuses either self-pity or sentimentality.
Kareem’s Quote of the Day
“If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”
Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991), creator of Star Trek
(Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Star Trek first came on the air on September 8, 1966, while I was beginning my sophomore year at UCLA and preparing to make my debut on the school’s varsity basketball team. It was an exciting moment for me and, between classes and basketball, I didn’t have any time to watch television, but when I did become aware of the show, it felt right to me. The multicultural, multiracial, multiethnic crew of the Starship Enterprise was the same kind of crew I’d worked with on the basketball court since my high school days at Power Memorial Academy in New York. (Sadly, we didn’t have anyone from another planet.) I already knew the truth that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry put on display every week: if you want an elite team, you choose the most qualified person for each position, and you ignore extraneous issues like race and religion. You trust that cultural differences will enrich your team, rather than create divisions. The world is still catching up with that idea, and a lot of people are going to die off before they recognize its fundamental truth.
Roddenberry was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1921, but his family moved to L.A. when he was still an infant. His father, like mine, was a police officer, and we both grew up in big, vibrant, diverse cities; maybe that’s why we came to see the world in the same way. He wanted to be a cop like his dad and studied police science at Los Angeles City College. He was also interested in flying, and he entered the United States Army Air Corps-sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall. He was 20 years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and like hundreds of thousands of his contemporaries, he rushed to sign up for the armed services. With his pilot license in hand, he was made an officer and eventually flew 89 combat missions and won the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. He survived two plane crashes while he was in the USAAC and another after the war when he was a pilot for Pan Am.
After that, he decided to stick to working on the ground, and became an officer with the LAPD. He started in the traffic division, but he had dreams of being a writer and soon joined the force’s Public Information Division, eventually becoming the head speechwriter for the city’s chief of police. From there, he became the department’s liaison to the popular TV series Dragnet, eventually writing treatments for the show based on real cases. By the mid ‘50s, he quit the force to become a full-time TV writer. Over the next decade, he made a name for himself writing cop shows, military dramas, and Westerns before creating Star Trek. The show wasn’t a huge commercial hit, but it developed a cult following. When it was threatened with cancellation after its second season, a thousand students from 20 local schools marched on NBC in protest. That got the show a reprieve, but it was cancelled after its third season.
Still, it had kicked open a door for everything that followed. It had a crew featuring a Black woman, an Asian American man, and a Russian officer during the height of the Cold War—not to mention Mr. Spock, the Vulcan who extended the show’s theme of inclusion to other worlds. One episode even allegorically tackled the Vietnam War, as the Klingons and Captain Kirk fought via proxies on the planet Neural. Kirk compared the situation to “20th-century brush wars on the Asian continent,” and faced vocal opposition from the antiwar Dr. McCoy. Legend has it that the episode was so controversial that it almost got the show cancelled on the spot.
When I hear today’s Republican party rail against DEI, I always wonder what it is that they find so objectionable: is it the diversity, the equity, or the inclusion? Break it down into its component parts, and it’s hard to see where the harm comes in. It’s like their stated opposition to “Antifa”: aren’t we all supposed to be anti-fascist here in the USA? The truth is, these are just labels President Trump and his followers use to rile up the masses. They’re as phony as MAGA, which has nothing to do with making America great again, unless you think it was great back in the days when women couldn’t vote, Black people had to sit in the back of the bus, and gay people were imprisoned for falling in love. I seriously doubt anyone in today’s GOP would admit out loud that they support those positions. But I also seriously doubt they have learned to “take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures,” or see them as “part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”
OTTAWA, Canada — New research concludes that human-caused climate change significantly increased the likelihood of the extreme fire weather behind Canada’s devastating 2026 wildfire season, contradicting President Donald Trump’s repeated emphasis on poor forest management.
World Weather Attribution found that the hot, dry and windy conditions affecting northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories were at least twice as likely because of global warming. The group’s rapid-attribution studies use observations and climate models to compare current conditions with a world without human-driven warming.
Trump has accused Canada of failing to properly maintain forests and brush, even threatening tariffs over wildfire smoke drifting into the United States. Researchers say management practices can influence how fires spread near communities, but climate change is worsening the underlying heat and dryness that make large fires more likely.
Canada has endured three exceptionally severe wildfire seasons, with millions of acres burned and smoke repeatedly degrading air quality across the United States. As of early August, more than 4,500 fires had burned roughly 3.9 million hectares nationwide.
The study recommended stronger early-warning systems, improved coordination among firefighting agencies and greater use of Indigenous knowledge in wildfire planning.
The findings do not suggest forest management is irrelevant. They indicate that management alone cannot explain the worsening scale and frequency of extreme Canadian fire seasons as temperatures continue to rise.
A decade after leaving elite gymnastics behind, the viral UCLA star is chasing a spot at LA 2028 on her own terms – and inspiring a new generation
Every morning, Katelyn Ohashi gets up and makes a smoothie and then walks her four-month-old puppy. She drives to the gym and begins with a moment of gratitude before warming up with gymnasts half her age. She trains four days a week, around four hours per day, while also dabbling in her various hobbies. It’s a routine that maybe a decade ago she didn’t envision but is now undertaking.
When Ohashi left elite gymnastics in 2013, it was no longer a place where she found joy. Although she was seen as an Olympic hopeful (she was the last gymnast to beat Simone Biles in the all-around finals at the American Cup), a back injury took her out of the running for the Games. She slowly found her joy for the sport in NCAA gymnastics at UCLA, where she was known for her perfect 10 floor routines that often went viral, garnering millions of views from around the world.
The administration is subjugating science to political imperatives, a major blow to US soft power and technological progress
The Trump administration is waging an unprecedented war on institutions devoted to research and higher learning. While plenty of countries have harmed universities by imposing neoliberal logics on academia – creating artificial markets in the name of spurring professors to be more productive – the Trumpist subjugation of all science to political imperatives has no equivalent in a democracy; if anything, it is reminiscent of Stalin’s Soviet Union. The assault now also targets foreign students and any kind of international collaboration – a major blow to US soft power. Why are Trumpists engaging in what can only be described as an act of wanton self-injury?
Project 2025’s Russell Vought, the director of the office of management and budget, initiated the rule change that would make any federal grant subject to review by political appointees – including funds for science that so far have been allocated through judgment by first-rate fellow scientists. This measure would furnish Trumpists with a new weapon to threaten universities along the lines of: “Nice medical school you have there – pity if something were to happen to it because your administration had failed to come into alignment with the president’s priorities.”
Jan-Werner Müller is a Guardian US columnist and a professor of politics at Princeton University
Critics decry proposed hyperscale projects, fearing overuse of water and electricity, and ‘appropriating rural, Black-owned landfor industrial purposes’
There seems to be a fight over datacenters in nearly every city in the US right now. And amid the extreme polarization of today’s politics, the opposition tends to be bipartisan.
“I would say it’s kind of the far left and the far right ran into each other and had a hug,” said Frank Scott Jr, mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. “But they come at it from different perspectives.”
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins received a letter signed by more than 60 lawmakers citing a recent ProPublica investigation that detailed how the agency has failed to provide veterans with adequate mental healthcare. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
What They Said: The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Judy Chu, who is a psychologist and represents a district in Southern California. “Caring for our nation’s Veterans is a fundamental responsibility,” the letter says. “That includes ensuring access to high-quality mental health care.”
The lawmakers demanded that the VA disclose details about its shortage of mental health providers and the impact on veterans. It also pushed the agency to lay out how long veterans have to wait for care.
As ProPublica has detailed, while the VA has long had a shortfall of mental health providers, the situation has gotten far worse under the current Trump administration. Hundreds of mental health staffers have left the VA and not been replaced.
Background: ProPublica’s investigation recounted the troubling experiences of both mental health providers and of veterans seeking care.
With so many staffers leaving and not being replaced, the remaining providers have often been stretched remarkably thin.
A psychologist who worked for a VA in Arizona recounted how some of her one-on-one sessions were replaced with online group sessions that included as many as 35 veterans. The therapist said their remaining individual sessions were sometimes limited to as little as 16 minutes.
“It was always bad,” said the psychologist. “And now it’s at a breaking point.”
In VA exit surveys that ProPublica obtained, mental health staffers who quit often wrote that they were no longer able to provide high-quality care.
“Mental Health is understaffed, burned out,” wrote one New York-based staffer who was leaving. “There is not enough mental health care for the Veterans who need the services.”
Veterans, meanwhile, have started to fall through the cracks.
Jason Beaman, a Navy and Army vet, was shuffled among therapists who later left until he finally had enough. “I just quit. I don’t want to mess with the therapist anymore,” Beaman told us this spring.
Why It Matters: After Trump returned to office last year, his administration promised to deliver veterans “the highest quality care.”
The VA is the country’s largest healthcare system, serving 9 million veterans. Those men and women face many mental health issues at a higher rate than the general population. They die by suicide at roughly twice the rate.
VA mental health staff have developed deep expertise in addressing the particular needs of vets. Indeed, studies have shown that vets get better care at the VA than through private providers.
“VA psychologists are best in class,” said Russell Lemle, former chief psychologist for the San Francisco VA Health Care System and now a senior policy analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. “When you lose them, the veterans are the ones who pay the price.”
ProPublica reported that in January, the department had around 500 fewer psychologists and psychiatrists than it had at the same time last year. Recent VA data shows those head counts continue to decline.
Response: In response to questions from ProPublica, VA spokesperson Quinn Slaven defended the agency. “The Trump Administration is solely focused on measuring VA’s success by how well it serves Veterans,” Slaven wrote in an email. “This commonsense approach has led to dramatic improvements for Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors across the country.”
Slaven said that the VA completed a record number of mental healthcare appointments in the past fiscal year while also lowering veterans’ wait times.
The VA previously declined our request for an interview. Instead, spokesperson Peter Kasperowicz accused ProPublica of attempting to mislead the public by “cherry picking issues that are limited to a handful of sites and in many cases were worse under the Biden Administration.”
After ProPublica shared the findings of its investigation and the names of veterans who would appear in it, the agency reached out to several to inquire about their care and offer help.
The congressional letter gives the VA until Aug. 14 to respond.
Why Should Delaware Care? Household costs have risen steeply in recent years. In response, some consumer advocates have called on utilities to protect vulnerable people from a loss of service. Wilmington City Council followed the trend last month when approving a measure that would have prevented the city from shutting off water service to vulnerable households that meet certain criteria.
An attempt to override Mayor John Carney’s veto of a measure to prohibit water service cutoffs for certain vulnerable people fell short Thursday after too few Wilmington City Council members showed up to attend a special meeting to consider the measure.
Only five members of council were in attendance at the meeting, falling two short of the quorum threshold. A public body cannot take official action unless it reaches a quorum of members in attendance, which is seven on Wilmington’s City Council.
Introduced by Councilwoman Shané Darby, the bill would have prevented city officials from shutting off water service for certain homes with unpaid accounts. Low- or middle-income households that are occupied by a senior citizen, a person with a disability or a child younger than 5 would have qualified for the protection.
Last month, the City Council narrowly passed the measure. About two weeks later Carney vetoed the legislation. According to Wilmington’s charter, the City Council had 15 days from the date of a veto to hold an override vote, meaning Thursday’s special meeting was its last chance to do so.
Wilmington Mayor John Carney has defended his opposition to the water shut-off limitations, citing the need to support the financial health of the utility. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY BRIANNA HILL
Darby, who held a press conference this week to tout the override vote, attended the Thursday meeting, along with Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo, and councilmembers Coby Owens, Christian Willauer and Alexander Hackett.
Congo announced that all other members of council had contacted him before the meeting to be excused.
“This was our one opportunity to override the veto,” Congo said during the meeting.
Nine of the council’s 13 members would have had to vote in favor of the override motion to reverse Carney’s decision. Only seven members voted in favor of the legislation when it initially passed in July.
In a statement issued Thursday, Carney reiterated his justification for the veto.
“Wilmington has worked hard to strike a balance between supporting residents and ensuring the financial health of our public utilities,” Carney said. “We recognize the importance of making water service affordable and accessible, but we must also maintain policies that encourage customers to engage with the city to resolve delinquent accounts.”
In further defending his veto, Carney also emphasized existing protections against water service disconnection for people with delinquent accounts. He said that while there are around 4,000 delinquent accounts, protections in place make water service disconnections “rare.”
Still, keeping the enforcement mechanism in place is crucial in maintaining the water system’s financial viability and upkeep, Carney said.
Several residents spoke in favor of the veto during the Thursday meeting’s public comment period.
And many of them acknowledged they were “preaching to the choir,” given that the council members in attendance were all likely to support the bill’s goals.
Why Should Delaware Care The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is an annual free jazz concert held in Wilmington that serves as a shared space for community members and visitors to gain exposure to a variety of sounds. This year, the event started on a rainy note but that did not stop Rodney Square from being a place that fosters connections for long-time friends, vendors building clientele and performers giving back to their home.
Matt La Von grew up a Marine brat, moving from place to place and leaving short-lived friendships behind — until he got to Delaware in the 1990s.
While living in Bear, La Von attended his first jazz concert: Wilmington’s Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. He fell in love with the genre, and his high school band director pushed La Von to pursue that passion.
He has since moved away from northern Delaware, but La Von, now a professional saxophonist, came back to the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival this week.
He returned not as an attendee, but to perform alongside his quintet in front of his longtime high school friends whom he refers to as his family.
“Man, I’ve been so busy and wrapped up in my own busy life in New York City that I forgot about this special place that I can attribute almost everything to,” La Von said. “If I didn’t have these experiences, if I wasn’t shaped by these people, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today.”
La Von was one of 20 performers who took the stage at Wilmington’s Rodney Square during this year’s jazz festival, a week-long celebration of the legacy left behind by jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown.
The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival brings in hundreds of people from all age ranges who come in from Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and beyond to listen to free music. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY CRISTAL SANCHEZ
Wilmington shows up for the arts
Even when the festival started on a rainy note Monday evening, it still drew in a crowd of around 1,500 people, said Lattisha Williams, program assistant of cultural affairs for the city of Wilmington. The community came wearing their ponchos or raincoats, and a slew of umbrellas lined the festival grounds.
The late Clifford Brown, the festival’s namesake, was a jazz trumpeter from Wilmington’s East Side who contributed to the creation of the hard bop sound that reigned over jazz in the 1950s.
He has been described as one of the greatest trumpet players in history, La Von said, particularly for his warm sounds that are repeated by players today.
“Whether I’m in New York or Paris, I’m pretty sure that there is an 80 to 90% probability that [Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring”] is getting played in any club session,” La Von said.
Brown’s legacy also expands beyond the festival’s end date. CityFest Wilmington also hosts free live concerts every Wednesday during the summer season.
Arreon Harley-Emerson, CEO and artistic director of Elevation Ensemble by Elevate Vocal Arts, recalled a time when the festival was the only event happening at Rodney Square. Now, he said, the space blossoms with art- and music-centered events.
“I think that Clifford Brown is an example of what can happen when we believe in the arts,” Harley-Emerson said.
And data suggests that Delaware believes in the arts. The state ranks third in the country for arts funding per capita, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, spending an estimated $7.03 per person on the arts this year.
Both Delaware and the city of Wilmington also ranked among the National Center for Arts Research’s most arts-vibrant communities in the country last year.
Ryland was just one of many children that became interested in the free drum circle beside the stage that audience members were invited to participate in. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY CRISTAL SANCHEZ
Festival attendees share jazz across generations
As Wilmington resident Karin Smallwood looked around the festival crowd on Monday, ranging from toddlers to seniors, she said the best part was seeing how the free concert bolstered the culture of jazz.
“It’s a great opportunity for the younger generation to experience jazz music,” Smallwood said. “Even if they don’t know what it is, you will still see them tapping their foot and nodding their heads.”
Brittany Draxton, who recorded her 7-year-old son Ryland as he patted his small hands on a circle of drums free for community members to play with, said it was important that she show him the festival’s beauty.
“The fact that he was able to express his skills, and there’s this peace here, and the music,” she said. “It’s about keeping the Southern jazz culture alive.”
Jonathan Mitchell, owner of Mitch’s Mo’Better Chicken food truck, has been serving his food to festival attendees since 2012. His participation, though, extends far earlier than that.
“Since I was 10 years old I have been coming here,” Mitchell said. “And now I’m coming as a vendor, so it’s a good experience where the whole community comes out, and I get to see my repeat customers.”
Mitchell’s cousin, Jeron Johnson, was a first time vendor at the festival this year, serving water ice from his food truck Treat 2 You.
“We used to come here just to see my cousins and the show,” he said, pointing to Mitchell. “So it’s a blessing to be inside here doing my work.”
Saxophonist Matt La Von said coming back to Delaware to perform with his quintet at the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival was emotional for him. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY CRISTAL SANCHEZ
Music that transcends cultures
The festival brought in musicians across multiple genres, from gospel, to R&B, to sounds traditional of Native American tribes.
R. Carlos Nakai is a Native American flautist who takes inspiration from the indigenous communities he is a part of, the Navajo Nation and the Ute Tribe. He said he hopes to bring a different expression to America’s multicultural music scene during his performance this Saturday.
What’s most important to him is the possibility of connecting with jazz artists to freestyle. He said he hopes the audience will welcome new sounds they may have never heard before.
“Maybe we will offer a kind of opportunity or information that they can build upon in their own way to express themselves in the mixed community that this country is,” Nakai said.
La Von, the professional saxophonist, said the festival has always featured diversity. What he most remembers from the festival during his first visit is the wide variety of demographics sitting on the stairs or in their lawn chairs to listen to jazz.
He hoped to achieve a similar feeling on Monday with his song, “Solidarity,” he said, created in response to the protests after the 2019 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“I wanted to write something that incorporated those feelings, and, you know, get back to the feeling of togetherness,” La Von said, “which is what we’re missing in so many parts of society.”
Get Involved The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival will run through Aug. 8 at Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington. The festival is free to attend, and begins at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday. More information can be found here.
UK house prices were broadly stagnant in July as prospective buyers were squeezed by higher mortgage rates, uncertainty around the Middle East and stretched affordability, according to the lender Lloyds.
The average property cost £299,253 in July, down by £143 compared with June, the bank’s monthly index found.
Move to raise levy on goods made with polysilicon aims to protect domestic US supply chains from China, the major producer
Donald Trump has ordered a new 15% tariff on imported products made of polysilicon, an important ingredient in microchip manufacturing that is primarily produced by China.
The new tariff, which will take effect on 4 December, is aimed at supporting US chip and solar panel supply chains to compete with Beijing on artificial intelligence and energy.
Daniel Mullins explains how he plans to follow up his quirky classic without losing what made it stand out in the first place
Glitchy aesthetics. Literally collapsing menu boxes. The game taunting you by “possessing” your Steam friends. Technical tricks of this nature may sound gimmicky in 2026, but they felt excitingly unorthodox a decade ago, when Pony Island came out to critical acclaim.
Fans of Daniel Mullins, the celebrated indie developer of Inscryption, will be forgiven for forgetting that Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is in active development. After all, it’s been almost three years since the announcement – and a full decade since it was first teased as an Easter egg in Pony Island’s ARG (Alternate Reality Game) – with only a single trailer and a bunch of tunes from the soundtrack released to the public.
US president’s complaint industry ‘making too much money’ comes after his policies boosted corporations
Donald Trump’s statement that oil companies have made “too much money” from the Iran war has angered environmentalists, who say that his policies were designed to benefit those very corporations. If he really believes his own claims, he should impose a windfall profits tax, advocates say.
“Trump’s declaration that big oil is ‘making too much money’ belies his accommodation and giveaways to the industry that have enabled its price-gouging – not to mention his disaster of a war of choice against Iran,” said Tyson Slocum, energy program director at consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen. “But like a broken clock that’s correct twice a day, the president is right that oil companies are ‘making too much money’, which means Trump should endorse a windfall profits tax.”
ExxonMobil and Chevron on Friday both reported windfall profits for the second quarter of the year. Chevron said its earnings soared nearly 400% to $12bn, while Exxon’s profits more than doubled to $14.5bn. On Monday evening, Trump took aim at those gains, saying the companies “ought to give some of that back to the public”.
In a 2025 meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump held up a printed article from American Thinker while accusing South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa of state-sanctioned violence against white farmers in South Africa. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Since he returned to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has upended foreign aid. It’s labeled well-established, long-running programs as “not aligned with American interests” and slashed their budgets.
Still, the billions of taxpayer dollars Congress has allocated for foreign aid programs must be spent; lawmakers have insisted the government continue to fund humanitarian aid, global health and pro-democracy causes around the world. With most of the old programs now gone, however, we wanted to know: What is the Trump administration doing with that money now?
Recently, we published our investigation that found one answer to that question in a little-known bureau of the State Department that has dramatically transformed under Trump. For decades, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, known as DRL, has supported human rights in some of the most oppressive countries in the world. Now, our reporting found, it’s planning to direct funds to controversial groups supporting right-wing causes in Europe and elsewhere.
Our full story lays out some of the groups the government has considered funding, which include a British free-speech organization that has fought against bans on “gay conversion therapy” and a British American think tank created this year to focus on “existential threats to Britain, to America, and to our shared Judeo-Christian civilisation.” (Administration officials dropped that grant after significant pushback from Congress.)
One proposed grant particularly caught our attention: Trump administration officials suggested funding research on crime against minority populations in South Africa.
It’s clear from sources we spoke with that the key targeted minority population in question is the white ethnic group known as Afrikaners. Afrikaners were responsible for creating the nation’s infamous and brutal racially segregated apartheid system. Previously, DRL staff had been told to begin the process of awarding funds to a group called Lex Libertas, which was founded by a controversial figure who has called for Afrikaner self-governance. The group is currently fundraising to place 3,000 white crosses on the National Mall in remembrance of attacks on South African farmers.
The proposed grant was later opened up to allow a broader set of invited groups to apply for $1 million of funding, though it is still intended for the same purpose, according to people with knowledge of the process. The State Department declined to say whether Lex Libertas will be among those invited to compete, citing ongoing deliberations, but said the Trump administration has serious concerns about the human rights situation in South Africa that need to be addressed. Lex Libertas did not respond to questions about the organization or the proposed grant.
Former diplomats who have worked extensively on human rights told us they were shocked that the victimization of white South Africans would be prioritized over the serious issues elsewhere in the region.
“It’s laughable to suggest that on the African continent, the prime issue of human rights concern is whites in South Africa,” one former agency official said when we asked him about the grant. South Africa is plagued by violence, but extensiveresearch has found that white South African farmers are not victims of crime at higher rates than other groups.
Experts also described the proposed grant to fund research into violence against Afrikaners as keeping with the Trump administration’s overall stance toward South Africa.
For decades, the U.S. relationship with the country has been symbolized by our massive support for HIV care, Mattie Webb, a professor at the Virginia Military Institute who studies South Africa and U.S. foreign policy, told us.
Since Trump returned to office, there’s been a stark shift as the administration has strengthened ties with borderline white nationalist groups that are considered fringe in South Africa.
“The U.S. is very clearly shifting its priorities away from aid that would benefit far more people in South Africa to this narrow focus on the white minority,” Webb said.
There have long been tensions between South Africa and the U.S., former diplomats told us, but the aid the U.S. provided saved lives and helped sustain a working relationship that is vital to U.S. national security and economic interests. Now, by seeking to fund a movement antagonistic to the South African government, the U.S. risks driving a wedge between the two nations.
Other grants also raised red flags for experts and lawmakers. Political appointees at the State Department are considering funding a British free-speech organization that has fought bans on discredited therapy practices that attempt to convert gay people to heterosexuality. That proposed $5 million grant would provide support for people facing “deplatforming” and advocate against “restrictive online safety and hate speech laws,” according to a document we reviewed. (The organization’s founder said it had “neither applied for nor been awarded a grant from the US State Department or any other branch of the US Government” but did not respond to our other questions.) And a call for proposals recently released by the bureau would fund research, conferences and cultural engagements in wealthy democracies to develop “civilizational self-confidence in Europe.”
Not all the proposed funding is directed to controversial groups, our reporting found. But even some of the grants slated to fund more traditional human rights projects skirt federal requirements for competitive bidding that are meant to deter waste, fraud and abuse. Instead, officials are trying to direct millions to handpicked organizations, according to sources and documents.
In response to questions about our reporting, the State Department stressed that the process of awarding grants is ongoing and that multiple offices provide input, writing that “programs are still in active deliberation and receipt of a grant is not guaranteed to any organization that does not meet all requirement and standards for federal grants.”
We are continuing to report on foreign aid and the Trump administration’s policies in South Africa. If you have tips or information we should know about either of these issues, please feel free to get in touch with us! Reach out via phone or Signal to Anna Maria Barry-Jester at 408-504-8131 or Sharon Lerner at 718-877-5236.
President Trump is planning to announce over $180 million in grants to boost educational programs for the mining industry, CBS News has learned, part of a bid to increase critical mineral production.
The curator of Norway’s national museum in Oslo is bringing the work by the Flemish baroque artist Clara Peeters out of obscurity in a major exhibition of female artists
Anonymous was often a woman: so said Virginia Woolf. And so thought Cynthia Osiecki one day in 2022, when she chanced on an unattributed still life in the storage area of the National Museum of Norway in Oslo.
Osiecki had been studying the work of a renowned 17th-century Flemish artist, Clara Peeters, one of the earliest practitioners of still life painting. Works by Peeters hang in the Prado in Madrid, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Researchers in China have developed a living mycelium textile that can self-clean, renew its surface, and partially repair holes when treated with a nutrient solution and fresh fungus. The material can also gain added properties such as blue pigmentation or UV resistance by co-culturing it with yeast or other fungi. Dezeen reports: The breakthrough from the researchers at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology is a type of engineered living material (ELM) -- a material built off living organisms that stay active even after they're fabricated into their final form. [...] By working with living but dormant cordyceps militaris fungus instead, the researchers have been able to take advantage of its biological functions. The result is a material that is self-renewing and responsive to its environment, in ways that could one day transform architecture and clothing -- as seen in a prototype dress created together with material innovation company Peelshere.
It can also be adapted by mixing in other fungi or yeast, lead researcher Ke Li and her team detail in a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. In it, they describe a "programmable fungal platform" where mycelium is treated like a modular system, with the sheet material forming a base structure and extra biological abilities, such as colour and UV resistance, becoming "plug-and-play" add-ons via other organisms. This gets their textile closer to the self-repair, environmental responsiveness and controllable functionality that is the promise of engineered living materials, they argue.
The ELM's self-renewing and semi-repairing functionality comes from the mycelium base structure. Following drying at 45 degrees, the material is not quite living and not quite dead, but instead in a "low-metabolic, dormant-like state", Li told Dezeen, meaning it is not actively growing. However, new growth can be triggered by applying a nutrient solution of potato water, leading the dormant mycelium to germinate, send out new fungal filaments and renew the material's surface. When this nutrient solution is applied over a hole, along with a small patch of fresh fungus, it triggers the living cells to grow across the gap, seamlessly repairing the surface without any adhesives or stitching. The material is also naturally self-cleaning, as it is hydrophobic. "Its distinctive surface texture, biological colouring, controlled repair and biodegradability may be particularly useful in applications where visual expression and a defined product lifetime are important," said Li.
"Further improvements in durability, moisture resistance, safety and manufacturing consistency would be needed before it could be considered for routine clothing or permanent architectural use."
I have a friend running a vesc gtxl and is looking at getting some true btg gt rails to put on his board. He also loves the xr feel from my btg vesc xr. Are there any XRC btg rails available yet? If so what all would be needed to convert to the xrc style board but run btg?
Temperature records have been broken in several countries across central and eastern Europe as the extreme weather that has caused wildfires and droughts across the continent continues.
Countries including Slovakia, Austria and Hungary registered record temperatures. On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency said a new high of 42C (108F) had been reached in Dolné Plachtince.
I got a x7 and miss the feel of the pint x engagement feel and break damping/feel I just love the power of the x7. Anyone here know what equivalent settings in floaty would be closer to the accel and deccel speed and power of a stock pint x? I had aggressiveness turned all the way up in the onewheel app btw. (Literally the only thing about the pint x that I didn’t like was how fast it went. If I could replicate everything from that ride style I would)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to its lowest level since 1983 as the Trump administration continues to release emergency crude to offset supply disruptions caused by the war with Iran.
According to federal data, the reserve is now at about 304.8 million barrels, which is a drop of over 108 million barrels since the drawdown started. The administration said it would release 172 million barrels over 120 days after commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was mostly shut down. For context, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through that strait.
The reserve is supposed to be used for serious supply emergencies, and the administration has used it to try to keep gasoline and crude prices from spiking. Still, President Trump has said that these releases cannot make up for wartime disruptions forever.
Overall, the oil market is still tight. Saudi Aramco estimates that the conflict with Iran has removed more than 2.6 billion barrels from global supply. U.S. refiners are trying to bring in more oil from the Middle East when they can.
It is important to be clear here: commercial U.S. crude inventories are not at a 45-year low. EIA data shows that commercial stocks have actually gone up recently, to about 407 million barrels. The record low only applies to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, not to all domestic crude supplies.
What might a modern day equivalent of Isaac Asimov’s laws of robotics look like? Guided by the author, I propose the three laws of AI
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk predicted in July that legions of AI-powered robots would dominate the physical world and that AI might not take orders from people any more. He also offered an alternative vision in which there would be agreement for a collective objective to make AI benign by imbuing it with a love of the truth and a desire for humanity to prosper, and that governments might have to enforce this objective.
Governments around the world are belatedly starting to act on AI. In the US, President Trump’s administration is delaying and restricting the distribution of the most powerful frontier AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic. In the European Union, AI regulations promulgated in 2024 came into effect this year. However, these actions are a long way short of requiring the kind of guardrails that would imbue AIs with a desire for humanity to prosper.
Why Should Delaware Care? Prohibitions on voter suppression, intimidation and dilution tactics were passed federally in 1965, but recent court rulings have chipped away at some protections. Seeking to retain, and expand protections, Delaware legislators approved a statewide voting rights act.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed legislation Thursday that ensures key protections from the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 will be retained in the state, regardless of what may happen in the future.
In doing so, Delaware became the second state to write prohibitions against voter discrimination, voter suppression and vote dilution into state law following a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in April that overturned parts of Section 2 of that pivotal civil rights legislation.
In the case Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court ruled that considering race in Congressional redistricting was an illegal gerrymander. It further required that plaintiffs prove a state “intentionally” sought to gerrymander districts to diminish opportunities for minority voters, a high bar that experts believe could impact up to a dozen Congressional districts that have a majority of minority voters – typically in Republican-led states.
The NAACP, which advocated for the federal legislation more than 60 years ago, condemned the decision, calling it a “betrayal of Black people.”
Rep. Larry Lambert (D-Claymont) was the prime sponsor for HB 444. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS
Meanwhile, Rep. Larry Lambert (D-Claymont) had already been working with advocates on what would become House Bill 444, or the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, named after the late civil rights icon.
Lambert filed the bill just a month after the Callais decision, and pushed it through the General Assembly in the waning days of the legislative session.
He said the Callais ruling was not the impetus for his bill, but it did convince him to not wait for the 2027 legislative session.
What does HB 444 do?
While codifying protected rights already held by the national Voting Rights Act, the new state legislation also crucially specifies that intent does not have to be proved for future violations of electoral discrimination. It also empowers the state attorney general, along with individuals and organizations, to bring complaints against offending agencies or jurisdictions.
The bill creates a “democracy canon,” which instructs courts and officials that, when election laws are ambiguous, they should interpret them in favor of protecting voting access.
HB 444 also dramatically expands requirements for language assistance in local elections, tasking the Department of Elections to provide materials, and even potentially translators, for any language spoken by more than 2%, or 1,000 people, of voting age.
While now signed, House Bill 444 does not take effect until July 1, 2027, to allow for implementation.
House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, who is the first Black woman to preside over Delaware’s lower chamber, noted that the protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are so recent that many residents remember the time before them.
“It’s only been 61 years since the federal government actually put a system in place that allowed Black Americans to register to vote,” she said in comments at the bill signing, held at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Wilmington. “So many sacrifices were made, and yet here we are in 2026 watching the Trump administration work to strip us of everything that our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, our parents, our grandparents, and our great grandparents work hard for.”
Republicans split over backing bill
While the legislation was unanimously approved by the State Senate – Sen. Bryant Richardson (R-Seaford) drew praise Thursday for notably being the sole Republican co-sponsor of the legislation – the House of Representatives was less receptive. Just two Republicans, Rich Collins and Danny Short, voted in favor of the bill.
No House Republican critiqued the bill during its committee and floor hearings, but the caucus expressed their concerns in a statement ahead of the vote.
“Among the concerns is that the measure defines voter suppression so broadly that almost any election rule — such as voter ID, signature checks, or standard polling hours — could be challenged if statistical voting differences occur between designated minority groups and the general population,” a caucus spokesman wrote.
In addition, the caucus sought to turn the tables on the debate by arguing that Delaware Democrats were actually suppressing Republican votes through the decennial redistricting. Efforts to move the redistricting power from the majority party to an independent commission have not advanced.
However, unlike race or ethnicity, political affiliation has never been a protected class for redistricting law.
Andrew Bernstein, of the ACLU of Delaware, said the next fight for voting rights would be for felons who have been historically disenfranchised. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS
Advocates turn to felon enfranchisement
Andrew Bernstein, the voting rights counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware who assisted Lambert on the bill, said there is more work to be done to extend voting rights.
He pointed to House Bill 180, a Constitutional amendment that would give convicted felons the right to vote following the completion of their sentence or upon their pardon.
Currently, those convicted of felony murder, manslaughter, bribery or abuse of public office, and sexual offenses are disenfranchised for life under state law. Individuals convicted of other felonies only regain the right to vote after finishing any parole, probation or sentence modification, even after leaving prison.
“That is a remnant of Jim Crow. It disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities as our criminal legal system maintains racial bias. We were hardened to see the first leg of a constitutional amendment limit disenfranchising passed this year, but we must remain committed to that cause and ensure that the second leg of that amendment passes next session,” Bernstein said.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Scientists have made the first viruses designed by artificial intelligence in a milestone that raises hopes for new medicines but also concerns over how to ensure the technology remains safe. The viruses are specific kinds known as bacteriophages, which only infect bacteria and are used around the world to treat patients with persistent infections. In lab tests, a cocktail of the AI-designed viruses killed E coli bugs that were resistant to natural bacteriophages.
Dr Brian Hie, a chemical engineer at Stanford University in California, used genome language models, the genetic equivalent of the large language models behind AI chatbots, to design functioning genomes for bacteriophages. The viruses were then made in the laboratory and pitted against E coli in a dish. The ability to "rapidly design" genomes and tune them for specific bugs while overcoming resistance could "transform phage therapy" and "expand biotechnological toolkits," the researchers wrote in the journal Science.
But beyond the potential benefits, the scientists said the work raised "important biosafety, biocontainment and biosecurity considerations" and urged others who were designing whole genomes to "consult both safety and security professionals throughout the project." In an accompanying article, Prof Tom Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, reinforced the warning, writing: "Although this is promising for life sciences applications, it also raises urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions. The ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not." Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, said the work was impressive, but revealed how hard it would be to make more complex genomes. "This is literally the smallest and easiest genome to make," he said. An AI trained on the genetic code of dangerous bugs could be used to design more harmful viruses, Ellis said, but controlling access to genetic data and having restrictions on making genomes that look dangerous would help. "Governments are working hard to do this already," he added. "But honestly," he said, "the threat from full AI design and writing of a genome of a virus or bacteria is very overblown when we consider that just taking existing pathogens and making gain-of-function changes to their genomes is so much easier and much more likely to be a real pathogenic threat."
Dr Filippa Lentzos, a reader in science and international security at King's College London, said the most important point to intervene at the moment was when DNA was being manufactured. "It's important to see the bigger governance picture and not focus regulation solely on the AI model," she said. "A layered approach makes more sense: safeguards around model development and access, responsible research review, synthesis screening, and established laboratory biosafety and biosecurity."
Two-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary for his Tennessee House seat, the Associated Press projects, despite securing an endorsement from President Trump.
Some of you may have seen this on fb, but posting here with more details for more feedback. GT that’s 1.5 weeks old with 102 miles on it started making clicking noise at low speed today. Noise seems to go away when I start going a bit faster. Most people were saying the bearings are shot. But I can’t understand how that happened so soon. The board is dirty in the video, I had just gotten inside from a trail ride. I wipe it off after my rides. 90% of my riding is some on mtb trails.
Nominees to face off in November in redistricted seat central to Trump’s bid to retain slim Republican majority
Tennessee primary voters picked a pair of Memphis-area lawmakers to square off in a dramatically reconfigured US House seat central to Donald Trump’s plan to try to hold on to a slim Republican majority in the midterm congressional elections.
Republicans chose state senator Brent Taylor, who was endorsed by Trump, to be their nominee in the revamped ninth congressional district. Democrats picked state representative Justin Pearson, who gained national prominence three years ago when he was expelled from the Tennessee house for protesting in support of gun control measures.
Ruling comes as part of second phase of landmark trial that found social media company enabled harm against users
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay $567m into a fund aimed at redressing adverse mental health impacts from the social media giant’s platforms.
The Thursday ruling comes as a part of the second phase of a landmark trial the social media giant lost in March. At the time, a jury found that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms, and imposed the maximum penalty: a $375m fine.
One quick note on the contempt resolution: Senator Rand Paul may try to send it straight to the Department of Justice, since advancing it in the Senate would require 60 votes. Republicans hold just 53 seats, making it almost certain to fall short of that threshold.
Republicans on a Senate committee voted to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress on Thursday. This comes after a bitter hearing last week, where the retired public health official invoked the fifth amendment for fear of self-incrimination and possible prosecution by Republican lawmakers on the homeland security and governmental affairs committee – who have routinely vilified Fauci for his handling of the Covid-19 response.
For more than a decade, president has been fixated on trying to undermine a key constitutional right
With a pair of executive orders on Thursday, Donald Trump has tried – once again – to undermine the guarantee of birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the US constitution and reaffirmed by the supreme court just five weeks ago.
The orders attempt to broaden the categories of children who would be ineligible for automatic US citizenship and ban so-called “birth tourism”, which the president claimed is practiced by “hundreds of thousands” of people.
The alleged threats were made in the case of a Black teen who was found dead off the Mississippi coast after celebrating the Fourth of July with friends.
A New Mexico court ordered (PDF) Meta to create a $567 million fund to address harms linked to youth mental health and child sexual exploitation after finding its platforms constituted a public nuisance. "In sum, the Court finds that New Mexico is in the midst of a teen mental health crisis affecting public health and public safety in and throughout the state, and that Meta's platforms are a significant contributing cause to the crisis," wrote Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid in the decision. The fund comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties, though the judge declined to mandate changes to features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, citing potential First Amendment and Section 230 concerns. Tech Policy Press reports: The decision follows the second phase of in the State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., which consisted of a bench trial. Its central question was whether Meta's platforms amounted to a public nuisance in New Mexico, and, if the court found that they did, what remedy would be needed to address it. In March, a Santa Fe jury found Meta liable for violations of New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act, awarding $375 million in civil penalties. The jury deliberated less than a day following that nearly seven-week trial. The $567 million abatement fund would be in addition to the civil penalties, according to today's decision.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in December 2023, alleging the company made false public statements about the safety of its platforms while knowing internally that its products facilitated child sexual exploitation. The court denied Meta's Section 230 defense in May 2024. In today's decision, the court again asserted that "Section 230 does not preclude the State's public nuisance claim," but the decision attempted to thread the needle on issues that the court determined might have run "afoul" of the statute, or of the First Amendment, such as issuing remedies around any particular product feature.
As you make your summer travel plans this year, or perhaps you’ve already hit the road or you’re on your way to the airport, one thing to keep in mind – without putting too much of a damper on your trip – is to stay financially vigilant when finalizing your vacation plans.
The travel and events sector is especially susceptible to fraud and scams as people are looking for deals in locations that might be unfamiliar, with bad actors savvier than ever when it comes to separating travelers from their money. Once travelers figure out their plans, they’re ready to hand over the funds to make their dream vacations happen — and scammers are more than happy to take it. Tanyika Rickard, local Chase Community Manager, offers these tips to help you avoid the latest and most common travel scams so you can relax and enjoy your trip.
Tanyika Rickard, local Chase Community Manager
Vacation rental scams
So you’ve found a great house on a vacation rental website and email the property through the website. You might have received a call back from the “owner,” who asked you to send your deposit through Zelle or another peer-to-peer app. The “owner” will often pressure you into sending a deposit to hold the property, saying there’s a lot of demand for the location, and may ask to move the conversation from the official website to a private messaging app.
As your trip gets closer, you might reach out to confirm the details, or assume all is well and travel to the property at the start of your trip. That’s when you discover the location is already booked, not available to rent, or doesn’t exist at all.
The listing you saw could have been fake, or a fake phone number was posted to a real listing, and the true owner has no idea about your reservation. Either way, you’re stuck without lodging and your payment, with little chance of getting your money back.
Most major property rental sites offer fraud guarantees, but only if you pay and communicate with the owners through the site. To avoid lodging scams, try to see properties in person if possible, read reviews from other travelers, and pay through the official platform. Sending deposits through wire transfers or P2P apps is like sending cash — once you send it, you may not be able to get it back.
“Free” trips
Unless you’ve won a legitimate contest or sweepstakes — and even those should be examined — there’s no such thing as a free vacation. If you get a call, text, email or other notification that you’ve won a free vacation, it may be a scam, especially if you don’t remember entering a contest.
Watch out for automated calls or texts offering free vacations or “vacation deals.” There may not be a vacation package available at all, or you’ll be asked to pay processing fees, taxes and other costs to claim your “free” trip, which might include substandard accommodations.
If you did enter a contest and are told you’re the winner, you won’t be asked to send money to claim your prize. The Federal Trade Commission is a good resource for information on recognizing legitimate versus fraudulent contests.
Flight scams
If you hear about a charter flight or other private flight deal to a destination, sometimes including a tour or hotel stay, be extra careful. Too many would-be travelers find out after paying their money that the flight, and sometimes the entire trip, is nonexistent.
The U.S. Department of Transportation maintains updated lists of approved charter flights so you can make sure the company you’re considering is legitimate.
Concert/event ticket scams
The event ticket industry is ripe for scammers. You might find an amazing deal for a sold-out show on social media, send money to the seller and never hear from them again. Not only do you not have concert tickets, there’s also no way to get your money back.
While some social media sellers might be legitimate, the best sources for ticket deals are verified resale sites that handle transactions and guarantee authenticity. If something goes wrong, there’s a digital “paper trail” that can help you get your money back.
Reminders
While even the most prepared consumers can fall victim to a well-executed scam, remember these tips to protect your vacation plans.
Zelleand other P2P payment apps should be reserved for family, friends and businesses you know and trust. Treat your transactions like cash — once scammers get the money, you may not get it back.
Scammers are advertising on social media and social marketplaces. Whenever possible, shop through official websites and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true before sending any money.
Scammers can make caller ID, emails and texts display as messages from your bank or other businesses. If you are ever unsure, end the conversation and reach out to the company directly through their official website or call the number on the back of your card
Step 1: Power on and connect to your board using VESC Tool on your phone. Ensure you are connected to/CANned into your controller.
Step 2: On the main START page, scroll down until you see “Wireless Bridge to Computer (TCP)”. Click “Activate Bridge” and ensure two IPs show up.
Step 3: Fire up the desktop version of VESC Tool, head to the “Connection” tab in the sidebar and then the “TCP” tab up top. Input the IP address from your phone that does NOT say “Connected Client” next to it into the Address bar on your desktop tool. Ensure “Port” matches on both devices, then click the connect button (2nd button to the right of “Port”).
Step 4: After connecting, head to “Welcome and Wizards” on the sidebar to ensure you are connected successfully. After a successful confirmation, click the Settings cog and disable the refloat package.
Step 5: Next, Head to the “Terminal” tab in the side bar under “VESC Dev Tools”. Ensure your motor is free to move and type in
hall_analyze 10
or
hall_analyze 20
Adjusting this number tells the VESC how many phase amps to use to turn the motor. 10-20 is commonly used.
Note: Upon sending the command, there is a chance the terminal will not populate with extra data. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. Here are some example outputs after 3 runs I ran on my board.
Step 6: Disregard what the terminal tells you and head over to the “Experimental Plot” under “Data Analysis” in the sidebar. This is where the magic happens.
Count how many “levels” your VESC detects. The magic number you are looking for is 6. If you see anything less than 6, it is likely one of your hall sensors are not working. This can be due to many reasons, common reasons including a bad connection in the chain or a dead sensor. If you get 7 states due to your halls falling to level 0, like in my example plot, that can still be okay. The main thing you want to see are 6 relatively full and flat levels.
Part 2: “Forcing” Hall sensors to detect after a successful plot
If you are getting 6 levels consistently, lets proceed to forcing a hall sensor detection (in case motor detections do not get them.)
Step 1: Head over to Motor Settings > FOC > Hall sensors on your desktop client. Ensure I = 10-20 (same current setting behavior as in the terminal) and then hit the play button. If you get a successful detection, you will have 8 numbers populate the zeros. This may take a few or even many attempts (it took me 17 tries). After your 8 numbers populate, hit apply.
Step 2: Head over to the “General” tab up top, select “Hall Sensors” in the “Sensor Mode” drop down, then click write.
Congrats! You have validated and forced enabled your hall sensors. Don’t forget to re-enable your refloat package. Happy floating!
Orders come after supreme court rejected president’s first bid to restrict guarantee enshrined in US constitution
Donald Trump has made a second attempt to restrict the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, just weeks after the US supreme court rejected his initial, more sweeping bid to deny automatic citizenship to the children born to undocumented immigrants and temporary foreign residents.
Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders that seek to broaden the categories of children ineligible for automatic US citizenship and ban so-called “birth tourism”. The directives are expected to face legal challenges.
Just curious because I used to always ride my GT down to like 2%, sometimes at haptic warning speeds without even thinking about it. Yes, I know how stupid that was now. With that said, when do you XL owners start to proceed with a little more caution as the battery drains? I know terrain matters and I'm curious about trail and street examples.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets after cracks were found in parts of some older model Boeing planes.
DURHAM, North Carolina — The Justice Department says Duke University School of Law unlawfully discriminated against white and Asian applicants in three recent admissions cycles, accusing the school of continuing race-conscious practices after the Supreme Court sharply restricted their use.
The Civil Rights Division said Duke’s 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes were shaped by policies intended to preserve racial diversity. According to the department, Black applicants in 2025 were about 3.5 times more likely to be admitted than similarly qualified Asian applicants with comparable academic credentials.
The DOJ also said denied white and Asian applicants had higher median LSAT scores than admitted Black applicants in 2024 and 2025. Investigators pointed to internal emails and instructions to flag diversity essays, first-generation status and Pell Grant eligibility, arguing those factors could function as racial proxies.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said universities cannot circumvent the Supreme Court’s 2023 admissions ruling by using diversity essays to identify preferred racial groups.
Duke said it is reviewing the findings and remains committed to complying with federal law while maintaining its academic mission.
The department is seeking a voluntary resolution requiring Duke to change its admissions practices. If negotiations fail, DOJ says it is prepared to sue.
The case is the latest Trump administration challenge to university admissions policies following similar findings against several medical schools.
While officials say proposed revisions will encourage more enrollment, advocates say it will undermine the program
The Trump administration has said it plans to overhaul Head Start, tossing out many of the regulations that are the hallmark of the early education program for the nation’s neediest children.
Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the federally funded preschool program, said on Thursday the proposed changes would encourage more local decision-making, but the proposal has sparked alarm across the Head Start community, where advocates say it threatens the backbone of the antipoverty initiative.
Settlement ends years-long legal battle over collapse of 18-story hotel that was under construction in New Orleans
A judge approved a $106m settlement on Thursday that ends a years-long legal battle over the deadly 2019 collapse of a Hard Rock Hotel that was under construction in New Orleans.
The 18-story hotel project partially collapsed in October 2019 , killing three people and damaging nearby property. A grand jury ultimately decided against indicting anyone in the deadly collapse, but lawsuits were filed, including one brought by the city of New Orleans in August 2020 naming the building owners, their partners and contractors.
i see a lot of boards with what seems like more clearance underneath compared to my stock bumpers. also on the flight fin site i’m seeing vids of people like LEAPING with these things. mine is very heavy.
i’m mainly off road / trail and i’m getting annoyed with my tail dragging on declines. do the 3rd party bumpers align more flush with the board?
also how can i take the weight down because my plan is definitely some fins and getting into trickier type stuff.
Google's $15 billion data-center project in Visakhapatnam is facing protests and legal challenges over fears that it will worsen local water shortages and disturb wildlife near the Kambalakonda sanctuary. Google says the campus will use advanced air cooling and comply with Indian law, while state officials deny that residential or rural water supplies will be tapped. Reuters reports: The southern state of Andhra Pradesh, governed by an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has hailed the project as historic and transformational, has denied allegations that the project was fast-tracked without weighing risks to water supplies and wildlife. But the growing opposition could become an early test for Google's biggest-ever India investment, which is facing several legal challenges over its impact on water supplies and proximity to a wildlife sanctuary that is home to leopards and pangolins.
In recent weeks, activists and children have marched in Visakhapatnam city, holding banners saying "We cannot drink DATA" and painting handcuffs on the Google logo, social media posts show. On Sunday, Reuters attended a public gathering where activists chalked out plans for holding door-to-door awareness campaigns and beach protests in coming days. "Development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people," Raja Rama Mohan Roy, founder of non-profit Green Visakha said at the event where he presented statistics on Visakhapatnam's stressed water supply and demand.
The government says the city receives 410 million liters of water a day from its reservoirs and rivers, against a requirement of 480 million. Rationing of water supplies is common in the city with a population of 2.5 million people. [...] The state's top court on Monday asked the government to defend against allegations leveled by activist group Jal Biradari (Water Community), which says the project will strain water availability by putting stress on a nearby reservoir. The Andhra Pradesh High Court will next hear the public interest litigation on August 24.
President attacks ‘terrible mistake’ of US attorney, who said in court filing damage stemmed from botched renovation
Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Jeanine Pirro after the US attorney for the District of Columbia publicly challenged his claims that vandals had damaged the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
“She said there was no vandalism. There was tremendous vandalism,” Trump told NBC News on Thursday. “So, she made a terrible mistake. I don’t understand why she did such a stupid thing.”
Police said a man charged with starting a wildfire confessed to the crime, describing how he planned it for weeks and created a device to ignite a blaze that destroyed hundreds of buildings.
Around 20% battery, going around 20 mph (guessing) in the bike lane, without any haptic feedback. I know I was not at top speed. Suddenly, I lose power, the nose hit the pavement, and I went flying, hit the concrete and slid for a good way on my front.
I ride in NYC and always wear helmet, crash sleeves, and wrist guards. If I hadn’t been, my arms and hands would have been shredded or worse.
I didn’t get any app notifications, though I didn’t have the app open. I see that you do get a notification on the app if a sensor has not been operating for more than 5 seconds.
I got back on, tested it a little bit, and rode the rest of the way home quite slowly.
Obviously there is an issue. Should I just change the sensors? Even worth it to talk to the company about it?
That one point of failure can kill someone and eventually will, if it hasn’t already.
There’s been a small flurry of articles from a variety of sources, all talking about more or less the same thing: Microsoft is trying to explain why Windows 11 is as difficult to develop as it is, in turn justifying why it’s become such a mess over the years. I’m picking this one from Windows Central, which is an interview with Microsoft’s CVP of Design and Research for Windows and Devices, Marcus Ash. Taking the long, still ongoing transition from the Control Panel to the Settings application as an example, Ash explains why this is such a long and difficult process.
Unsurprisingly, Ash says that the reason this has taken so long is that Microsoft prides itself on compatibility with legacy tooling and workflows, so it can’t just rush in and modernize everything without first ensuring the modern replacements maintain functionality with what came before.
This isn’t really news to anyone. One of Windows’ prized strong points is its often excellent backwards compatibility. This doesn’t just apply to individual applications, but also to things like software makers adding settings panels to Control Panel, or complex business applications expecting certain entry points into the Control Panel to exist – and much, much more, all over the operating system. I’m exaggerating, but you can’t so much as move a single pixel in the taskbar without breaking some component of some obscure corporate middleware suite from 1999 that somehow still functions as the beating heart of like 187 Fortune 500 companies.
Sometimes I wonder if Microsoft is going about this the wrong way entirely. Of course, I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I feel like Microsoft has so man tools at its disposal to deal with this issue that it’s not really using to their fullest potential. Specifically, Windows itself has a number of incredibly capable tools in its toolbox to make sure any application ever written for Windows and even DOS, regardless of how many bits it requires, can run. Windows has advanced and highly capable tools for virtualisation and containerisation, and on top of that, Windows NT has a very capable personalities system that feels underutilised, too.
Couldn’t these tools be harnessed to effectively isolate the entire backwards compatibility problem from the actual Windows operating system people use, and turn them into optional components installed and activated when required by an older application? Isolating backwards compatibility this way would then leave the Windows team much less shackled and more free to improve Windows at every level without having to worry so much about maintaining backwards compatibility. If the components an older application needs are virtualised, containerised, or part of a Windows NT personality and thus frozen in time, the Windows team would be free to work on the “current” version of said component without breaking the application in question.
I feel like Microsoft has tried to use these technologies to address backwards compatibility in the past, but in true Microsoft fashion, it always seems to do so halfheartedly, without any real coherent vision behind it. Again, I wish to reiterate I’m by no means qualified enough to make any definitive statements about this, but it sure does feel like Microsoft is underutilising a lot of the tools it already has at its disposal.
Optimized fares will be based on the best route from pickup to drop-off, with the full price shown before you book and no surprises if the robotaxi takes a longer way around.
Expansion of immigration enforcement at US airports puts employees at odds with agents seeking 2,000 daily arrests
A dramatic increase in immigration enforcement at US airports has reportedly placed the airline industry at odds with the Trump administration as workers decline to help federal officials arrest their targets – many of whom have pending applications for visas, asylum or green cards.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – both part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – have expanded their collaboration to make as many as three dozen daily arrests at US airports last month, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Arizona bankers the administration won't allow "risks posed by the extension of financial services to illegal aliens."
Shift in monitoring methods has led to revenue boost for Geo Group, a private prison firm, that also makes the device
The US is tracking nearly 54,000 immigrants through GPS-enabled ankle monitors as part of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) electronic surveillance program, according to private prison corporation The Geo Group. Early last year, just 17,000 immigrants were wearing the devices..
The Geo Group owns BI Inc, the company that runs ICE’s intensive supervision appearance program (ISAP), and reported the numbers in its earnings call on Thursday.
alternative_right shares a report from The Hill: A federal judge in Mississippi ruled Wednesday that "tower dump" warrants are unconstitutional, declining to reverse a lower court decision refusing the government's request to obtain the search warrants in a series of violent crime investigations. A "tower dump" involves cellphone companies providing law enforcement with access to the time and location data of all mobile devices connected to specific cell towers during a designated time window.
Law enforcement had sought approval for several of these search warrants as part of criminal investigations into gang-related activity in the Jackson, Miss., area last year, arguing the data could help identify all those potentially involved, particularly in incidents with unknown suspects. A magistrate judge denied the applications, holding that "tower dumps" are impermissible general warrants. The district judge agreed. The order repeatedly referenced the Supreme Court's recent decision in Chatrie v United States, in which the majority held that geofence warrants require constitutional privacy protections.
"With this information, the Government asserts that it will be able to identify all potential suspects," Judge Carlton Reeves wrote in a 30-page order (PDF). "Even so, law enforcement would also have access to the cellular records of countless individuals, the vast majority of whom were merely passing by a location at the 'wrong' time."
"That is an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment," the judge concluded.
A flesh-eating bacterium found in warm coastal waters is responsible for at least five deaths so far this year in Louisiana, state health officials reported Thursday.
I'm looking to get a pint x for my kid. Short of a really long test ride is there anyway to know if a used board has a good battery? I'd love to save $400 on the board but if the battery isn't good that savings goes out the window. I'm not new to these but I know how to take care of my batteries and bought my pint and XRC new so I know their history.
Weeks before Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate primary election, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton unleashed a new attack on his Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, trying to link him to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Why would you even take a meeting with a lobbyist on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein?” Moulton said during the Aug. 3 debate. Moulton said Markey had done “a favor for one of Epstein’s pals” but didn’t explain the reference.
Markey fired back that he had never met Epstein and accused Moulton of “character assassination.”
Two days later, Moulton followed up with an Instagram slideshow post that included a graphic showing Markey and two men, one of them Epstein. “Senator Ed Markey’s role in the Epstein Files,” the post’s opening slide read. “DOJ Epstein files reveal Senator Ed Markey was part of Epstein lobbying effort.”
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty on state charges for soliciting prostitution from girls and in 2019 died by suicide in a Manhattan jail as he faced federal charges of recruiting dozens of underage girls for sex acts.
The claim against Markey is obviously incendiary and potentially devastating. So let’s get to the bottom of it — step by step.
Epstein files show a lobbyist claimed to have contacted Markey on behalf of Karim Wade
Moulton’s Instagram slides show that Moulton was referring to an email in the Justice Department’s Epstein files about Markey’s 2015 interaction regarding a person named Karim Wade.
Wade is the son of the former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, who served from 2000 to 2012. In 2015, Karim Wade was jailed in Senegal for corruption. Emails show Epstein offered to pay for U.S. lobbying on Wade’s behalf for his release from detention.
A December 2015 email said Bob Crowe, a partner with the lobbying firm Nelson Mullins, had contacted the State Department regarding Wade’s case. The email, written by Crowe’s colleague to a Wade ally, said, “We are engaging Congress and had an initial briefing with Senator Ed Markey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Africa.”
Crowe, who was copied on that message, forwarded the email to Epstein, Justice Department documents show.
The email doesn’t show Markey knew of Epstein’s involvement in Wade’s case. Nor does it include any details about the briefing Markey was said to have received. Was it Markey himself? Was it his staff? Was it an email? A phone call? A visit? The email doesn’t say. The lobbying firm Nelson Mullins did not return our request to learn more.
Whatever happened, we know that in June 2016 the Senegalese government released Wade from prison. And shortly before his release, Crowe sent an email to Epstein that said, “I was told by the congressional delegation that they put pressure on (Senegal President) Macky Sall and they are going to release (Wade).”
The email included no names of who was in that congressional delegation, and provided no further details what the pressure was.
Markey said he wasn’t briefed on Wade’s case
The federal government released millions of files related to the Epstein case, including these emails, under pressure, in 2025. And that’s how we — and Moulton — know about any of this.
Being in the Epstein files is not in itself evidence of wrongdoing — many politicians’ names are in the records. Markey called on President Donald Trump to release the Epstein files in 2025.
“I was not briefed on that case,” Markey said. “I never had a briefing.”
PolitiFact asked Markey campaign spokesperson Jonathan Ng if the December 2015 email that said Markey had been briefed on the Wade case was inaccurate.
“Neither Sen. Markey nor his staff were briefed by any lobbyists nor had any meetings related to Jeffrey Epstein and the case of Karim Wade,” Ng said in an email.
PolitiFact asked Moulton’s campaign for evidence showing Markey knew Epstein was involved in Wade’s case.
“Nowhere in our post do we claim that Markey knew that Epstein was involved in Wade’s case,” Moulton spokesperson Taylor Hebble responded in an email.
Other citations in Moulton’s Instagram posts
Although Moulton’s Instagram post included news organizations’ logos, none of the organizations (PolitiFact, Al Jazeera and the Miami Herald) endorsed Moulton’s accusation.
PolitiFact covered the Aug. 3 Moulton-Markey debate as part of its partnership with WCVB-TV, including fact-checking Moulton’s Epstein allegation.
The Miami Herald wrote a 2026 story about Epstein’s efforts to amass power and women in Africa. The Herald found Epstein paid at least $500,000 to a Senegalese lawyer representing Wade and $100,000 to Nelson Mullins. The article did not mention Markey.
Al Jazeera published a 2016 article about Wade’s prison release after receiving a presidential pardon. The article did not include Markey or Epstein.
Moulton’s post also cited a 2016 press release from Markey’s office after Markey led a congressional delegation to Senegal to meet with Sall to discuss security cooperation. It didn’t mention Wade or Epstein.
Our ruling
Moulton’s Instagram post said, “DOJ Epstein files reveal Senator Ed Markey was part of Epstein lobbying effort.”
There’s some sleight of hand here. The phrase “DOJ Epstein files” might lead you to believe these documents are somehow created or vetted or investigated by the federal government. In reality, they’re part of a massive release of Epstein emails. Epstein’s emails contain lots of very serious, sensitive material, and lots of inconsequential stuff.
The phrase “Epstein lobbying effort” in isolation may leave you thinking Moulton is talking about child sex trafficking. He’s not.
A 2015 email included in files released by the Justice Department says a lobbyist briefed Markey on a corruption case in Senegal. That’s the element of truth this claim rests on. But there’s no primary evidence the briefing took place, and Markey denies it happened.
Further, nothing in the email showed that Markey knew Epstein was involved with the case. There was no joint effort between Markey and Epstein.
Moulton has no more evidence than we do, and his words brazenly stretch the facts to the most menacing interpretation.
Once upon a time in the mysterious lands of Mexico, starting in Fall 1996 and through Spring 1997, I coded a windowed operating system in 32-bit machine code, fit it into a floppy, and jumped in excitement as it boot up.
Of course, I knew it was a great thing because you couldn’t boot Windows 3.1 or GEM from a floppy disk, but I was very far from knowing how so cool it was. Unfortunately, not a thing I could give away for everyone to see, as it was written for a homebrew computer based on the Am29000 processor.
Let’s go back to my memories, some notes, and the ride of discovering again what I forgotten.
Trying to summarise this absolute gem of an article and all of the amazing effort and skill involved would be a huge disservice to Óscar Toledo Gutiérrez. I enjoyed this so much. Be sure to try out his custom emulator of a custom computer to run his custom operating system.
Cities in Washington and Oregon seeing some of world’s worst air quality indices as smoke from fires cloaks region
Wildfires raging in the US Pacific north-west are blanketing the region with thick smoke, delivering some of the world’s worst air quality even as firefighters made progress against larger blazes in Washington state.
As of Thursday afternoon, Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, hovered at the top of Swiss company IQAir’s list ranking the most polluted cities globally.
I ride a onewheel and was tired that no game exists for us – so I spent the summer building one. Looking for Android beta testers 🏔️
Fellow float enthusiasts – solo dev from the Austrian Alps here, and a rider. Every runner game out there is skateboards and trains, so I built the game I wanted: an endless carving runner where you ride a one-wheel board through alpine terrain. It has the stuff only we care about: battery management with regen on downhills, overheating when you push too hard, and yes – pushback before the nosedive. Carving clean S-lines is literally faster than riding straight.
Two worlds are playable (alpine meadow + snow). I'd love 20–30 riders to test the feel before launch: does the carving feel like floating to you? Opt-in link in the comments, takes one tap. Feedback brutally honest please – you're the people this is for. I'll also run a vote here on which world gets built next.
Announcing a pause on more than $1 billion in Medicaid funding to Minnesota and California last month, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz accused state officials of being too lax about fraud, citing among other things the results of a provider verification process in Minnesota and the rapid growth of a California home care program. But he left out important context in both cases.
Oz speaks ahead of Vice President JD Vance on July 8 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
Oz said at the July 21 press conference that Minnesota disenrolled 3,000 healthcare providers “who historically could send bills willy-nilly,” calling into question whether their previous claims were legitimate. Many of those providers, however, have said they were disenrolled in error as the state rushed to meet a federally imposed deadline. Most providers have appealed, and hundreds have been reinstated. The agency that runs Minnesota’s Medicaid program has said the verification process “was not a fraud determination.”
Oz also claimed spending on a California Medicaid program that provides in-home care to seniors and people with disabilities is growing at a rate that “doesn’t make sense.” State officials and California policy experts say there are other reasons for that growth, including an aging population, minimum-wage increases and policies meant to keep more people out of nursing homes.
Last month’s announcement, at which Oz was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal officials, was the latest salvo in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to pressure states over what it says is widespread fraud in Medicaid. The public insurance program, jointly funded by the federal government and the states, provides health coverage to more than 66 million low-income people.
Minnesota and California, both of which are run by Democratic governors, have become a particular focus of that effort. Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services paused$351 million in federal Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota and $1.3 billion in reimbursements to California, which officials said was the largest deferral in CMS’ history. Those are in addition to the $1 billion in deferrals announced in July.
More broadly, the administration has sought to make fraud in federal programs a central issue, appointing Vice President JD Vance to lead a White House task force on fraud and framing cuts to healthcare programs in last year’s budget reconciliation bill in terms of “eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Fraud exists in Medicaid, as it does in Medicare and other federal health programs, though experts say it’s hard to put a precise number on it. The latest government estimates suggest that “improper payments” as a whole account for about 6% of Medicaid spending, though CMS itself has said much of that involves documentation issues or administrative errors unrelated to fraud.
During the press conference on July 21, Oz said CMS’ reviews of Medicaid spending in Minnesota and California had identified statistical “outliers” and “anomalies” that the states had not accounted for, but he did not present evidence of widespread fraud.
Those reviews “turned up the same, recurring theme again and again, every single quarter,” he said. “Claims in these same high-risk categories that the states have not yet been able to document fully and acceptably to the federal government, claims that are unresolved and claims that smell like fraud. And if it smells like fraud, we’re not paying for it anymore.”
A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Human Services disputed Oz’s characterization of the state’s revalidation process, noting that only a few hundred providers have actually been terminated to date because most others appealed, and said CMS has given the state few details about other spending it flagged as questionable.
“[W]e firmly believe that the actions we have taken — and will continue to take — are tangible measures that will help ensure program integrity while keeping Minnesotans who rely on these programs at the forefront,” the spokesperson told us in an email.
Anthony Cava, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, said federal officials are “penalizing California for responsible, federally encouraged growth in home‑based care, which saves taxpayers approximately $100,000 per person annually by keeping people safely at home rather than in institutions.”
We asked CMS and HHS several questions about the evidence behind Oz’s claims, but have not received a response to our queries. Here’s a closer look at some of those claims, as well as what we know about fraud in Medicaid generally.
Provider Disenrollment Not the Whole Story in Minnesota
Oz, in the July 21 press conference, said the majority of the $199 million that CMS deferred from Minnesota last month was tied to claims by thousands of providers that were later disenrolled when the state sought to check their credentials.
“Minnesota, in particular, was asked to audit all the people providing services in these high [fraud] risk areas,” Oz said. “And Minnesota itself disenrolled roughly 3,000 providers — 3,000 providers who historically could send bills willy-nilly and be fine. They themselves have disenrolled them for failed background checks, failed site visits and other issues.
“This raises questions about the claims tied to these same providers in the quarter before they were removed. … We looked back to see how much they billed us last quarter, and unfortunately it was a lot.”
There have been valid concerns about fraud in certain Medicaid programs in Minnesota, and it’s true that the state recently informed thousands of businesses and nonprofits that they would be terminated from Medicaid because they failed to complete a revalidation process. But there’s a lot more to the story than Oz revealed at the press conference.
State officials told the Minnesota Star Tribune that they faced immense pressure from the federal government to complete that process in a matter of months, ahead of a May 31 deadline, even though reviewing paperwork and conducting site visits for that many providers would normally take years. The state subsequently notified 3,411 providers that they would be terminated from Medicaid because they had not met the requirements in time.
The move caused an outcry among providers, many of whom described a rushed and error-prone process in interviewswithlocalnewsoutlets. Somesaid they submitted the necessary documents, but the state never got around to reviewing their paperwork or conducting a site visit before terminating them.
More than 2,700 of those providers have since appealed, and 748 of them had been revalidated as of July 23, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Those with pending appeals have been allowed to continue billing Medicaid.
That means just 550 providers had actually been disenrolled as of July 23. The spokesperson said that includes 426 providers that did not appeal and 124 that were terminated for other reasons, including changes in ownership, expired licenses or exiting the program voluntarily.
The Department of Human Services has also been clear that a provider being disenrolled, in itself, is not a determination they were involved in fraud. Almost three-quarters of the initial 3,411 disenrollments were due to incomplete or inaccurate paperwork, with most others due to “failed site visits.” Only two failed background checks.
The department says only 59 of the more than 5,000 entities reviewed were flagged for further investigation, due to issues like not disclosing people with an ownership stake or misrepresenting who worked at the business.
We asked CMS whether it has other reasons to doubt those 3,411 providers’ past claims, but did not get a response.
Oz said CMS also used “fraud detection analytics” to flag hundreds of providers that were “of a character that historically defrauded the government,” which accounts for another $42 million or so of the deferral. Around $3 million more, he said, is tied to “specific documentation gaps,” such as allegedly billing for services provided after a beneficiary’s death.
CMS did not respond to our questions about those statements, either. The Department of Human Services spokesperson said CMS has not explained to state officials how it came up with those figures.
“As of this writing, CMS has not shared analytics it uses to identify billing patterns or any specific concerns it has related to issues of fraud, waste, or abuse,” the spokesperson told us in an Aug. 4 email.
Analysts Say Policy, Demographic Changes Driving California’s Home Care Spending
As for California, Oz said about three-quarters of the $867 million being deferred is tied to the state’s In-Home Supportive Services program.
IHSS covers in-home assistance, including help with bathing, dressing and other personal care, for older adults and people with disabilities who might otherwise require care in a nursing home or other facility. Every state Medicaid program offers something similar, in order to allow more people to stay in their homes while reducing the need for more costly institutional care.
At the July press conference, Oz suggested California’s home care program is growing at a suspiciously fast rate. That alone accounted for $391 million of the deferred funds, he said.
“Over the past two federal fiscal years, California’s spending in this program — this is a critical statistic — comparing state to state, California’s spending in these in-home programs went up 24%,” he said. “The rest of the country’s average is about 12%. So California increased spending at twice the rate of the average of the rest of the entire nation. That doesn’t make sense.”
Oz said CMS deferred an additional $250 million after flagging certain IHSS providers as “high risk” based on billing patterns, and another $5 million or so tied to other red flags, mainly IHSS providers who allegedly billed for home-care services when their patients were in the hospital.
This isn’t the first time Oz has singled out the state’s IHSS program. Announcing a previous funding deferral during a press conference at the White House in May, Oz also brought up the growth of California’s program.
“People in New Mexico, which is a blue state, are paying extra taxes so that California can get away with something that they can’t defend,” he said.
There have been documented cases of fraud in the IHSS program, but they represent a small fraction of the program’s total budget.
In the 2023-2024 state fiscal year, for instance, counties referred a total of $3.1 million for administrative action or prosecution after investigating complaints of fraud, according to the California Department of Social Services’ most recent program integrity report. (Counties help administer the program in California.) Total spending on IHSS that year topped $22 billion.
Jason Montiel, a spokesperson for the department, told us that counties received about 7,000 complaints of potential fraud that year and referred a little over half of them for revenue recovery. “For context, statewide, there are currently over 850,000 IHSS service recipients and over 765,000 IHSS providers,” he told us in an email.
California’s Department of Health Care Services referred 15 credible allegations of fraud involving IHSS to state prosecutors in state fiscal year 2024-25 and 12 in 2025-26, California State Medicaid Director Tyler Sadwith wrote in a Feb. 17 letter to CMS officials.
Sadwith wrote that such cases can include caregivers billing for services at times their patients were in a hospital or other institution and “check splitting involving collusion between IHSS provider and beneficiary/member.” IHSS cases “generally involve lower dollar amounts” relative to other types of Medicaid fraud investigations, he added, “with typical suspected fraudulent amounts averaging around $30,000 per investigation.”
Some IHSS caregivers in California have indeed been prosecuted for allegedly claiming to have provided services to patients who were hospitalized, incarcerated or out of the country. The U.S. Department of Justice has included a handful of such cases, all brought by state prosecutors, in annualnewsreleases touting healthcare fraud “takedowns” over the past three years.
But California state officials, as well as policy experts we spoke to, rejected the idea that fraud is widespread in IHSS or the reason for the program’s recent growth.
We asked CMS for the source of Oz’s statistic about home care spending growth in California relative to other states, and we haven’t received a response. Still, he’s generally correct that spending has increased. The program is expected to cost around $33 billion in the 2026-27 fiscal year, a 10% increase from the prior year, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
A recent analysis from that office — which is a nonpartisan body advising the state Legislature — identifies three main drivers of rising costs. First, more people qualify for the program due to the state’s aging population, an increase in the share of Californians that have a disability and policy changes that have expanded eligibility. Second, the average recipient is also receiving more hours of care. Finally, the cost per hour of care has also gone up, driven in part by increases in the state minimum wage.
California Medicaid officials have cited those factors in responding to questions about the program’s growth from CMS.
“Caseload increases reflect California’s Medicaid expansion and its aging population,” Sadwith, the state Medicaid director, wrote in the Feb. 17 letter to CMS. “Higher approved service hours correspond to increased acuity and functional need. Rising expenditures also reflect legislatively mandated minimum wage increases, which have helped to recruit and maintain the workforce necessary to meet CMS’s and California’s longstanding goals of transitioning toward home and community.”
Sadwith added that California has sought to broaden access to in-home care as part of a strategy to reduce the number of people in nursing homes — a longstanding goal of federal Medicaid policy, because it both saves money and allows more people to age at home, which most want. He cited data from the nonpartisan health policy research group KFF showing that 96% of California’s Medicaid spending on long-term care in federal fiscal year 2024 went to home and personal care rather than institutional care, compared to 69% nationally.
“CMS highlights the increase in IHSS expenditures … as a cause for concern, suggesting this figure signals excess or abuse,” he wrote. “In reality, it reflects the expansion of access to services that CMS itself has encouraged states to pursue for decades.”
Two outside policy experts who follow Medi-Cal, as it’s called in the state, similarly told us that state-level policy changes, demographics and other factors likely explain the growth.
“We’ve changed, for example, asset limits in terms of being eligible for these types of services,” said Shannon McConville, a senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California. “There’s also been some expansions in the program in terms of immigration status.”
(Federal Medicaid dollars can’t be spent on care for immigrants living in the country illegally, as well as some immigrants with legal status, other than emergency care; California has used its own funds to expand coverage to those groups.)
“I have not seen any evidence that indicates fraud as a driver of these spending trends,” Laurel Lucia, the deputy executive director of programs at the University of California Berkeley Labor Center, which has published research on IHSS, told us by email.
Rather, she said, “IHSS spending has grown rapidly in recent years due to the increased need for home care among seniors and individuals with disabilities, and increased home care worker wages.”
Lucia noted that the average hourly wage for IHSS providers rose more than 50% between 2018 and 2024. “This growth largely mirrored the growth in the statewide minimum wage, a unique factor given that California has one of the highest state minimum wages in the country,” she said.
California’s minimum wage rose from $10.50 or $11 per hour (depending on employer size) in 2018 to $16 per hour in 2024. A law mandating higher minimum wages for certain healthcare workers, including employees of licensed home healthcare agencies, took effect in late 2024.
Those higher wages reduce turnover among caregivers, “which is critical to continuity of care for the seniors and people with disabilities who rely on IHSS,” she added.
We asked CMS what evidence it has that fraud is driving increased spending on home care in California and why it rejected state officials’ explanation for that growth, but have not gotten a response.
Andy Schneider, a research professor of the practice at Georgetown University, told us it’s not unreasonable for an administration to say home care in general could pose some “unique program integrity risks” and work with states on better anti-fraud measures. For instance, it may be easier for dishonest providers to submit false timesheets for care that takes place outside a hospital or other institution; a number of such cases are prosecuted everyyear in states across the country.
But that doesn’t prove that fraud accounts for a major share of program spending.
“CMS asked in January for a lot of information, and I think they got it in this [Feb. 17] letter [from state officials], and they evidently don’t agree with the answer,” said Schneider, who served as a senior adviser to CMS under former President Barack Obama. “But it’s not clear to me what more California can tell them. And there’s no regulatory prohibition against spending more money, at a faster rate, than other states on a particular service, if you’ve made it a policy decision that you want to make it possible for as many people with disabilities and as many elderly people who want to stay out of institutions to do so.”
Estimates of Medicaid Fraud Are Murky
As for fraud in Medicaid overall, some degree of it clearly exists, as it does in other government programs. But there’s “no comprehensive or reliable measure” of its prevalence, as analysts with KFF put it last year.
“Measuring fraud is difficult, in part, because it can only be determined with certainty after the fact and if it is identified,” they wrote.
The federal government does estimate the rate of “improper payments” for certain programs, including Medicaid. The most recent estimate for Medicaid is 6.12%. But that’s not an estimate of fraud.
While improper payments can include fraud, they also include incorrect payments due to administrative errors and payments that weren’t properly documented. According to CMS, 77% of improper payments in fiscal year 2025 stemmed from insufficient documentation, “which is generally not indicative of fraud or abuse.”
The federal government also compiles reports on fraud prosecutions. In fiscal year 2025, state Medicaid Fraud Control Units reported recovering a total of $2 billion from civil and criminal cases involving either fraud or abuse and neglect. (For context, combined state and federal Medicaid spending is more than $900 billion per year.) Separately, federal agencies recovered $3.4 billion from fraud cases involving Medicaid, Medicare and other healthcare programs in fiscal year 2023, the most recent for which data are available.
Of course, that counts only cases that prosecutors know about and think they can prove in court, so it’s likely an underestimate.
“I can’t give you a quantitative answer” about the extent of fraud in Medicaid, Schneider told us. “I don’t think anybody can.”
One thing we can glean from those reports is that most documented Medicaid fraud is committed by providers — for instance, billing for nonexistent or unnecessary services — and not by beneficiaries, as Schneider wrote in an analysis for the Georgetown Center for Children and Families last year. Fraud by beneficiaries, he wrote, accounts for a “negligible” portion of both convictions and recovered funds reported by state fraud-control units.
States and the federal government share responsibility for policing fraud, and ensuring program integrity more broadly, with CMS and other federal agencies overseeing states’ administration of the program.
As part of its routine oversight, CMS reviews states’ expenditures and claims for federal reimbursement every quarter. In a program as large and complex as Medicaid, Schneider said it’s normal to have disputes over which claims are allowable or how much the federal government owes. In those cases, CMS will often defer payment until state and federal officials sort out the issue.
But Schneider said the Trump administration is using the deferral process in unprecedented ways.
“You don’t see the agency holding a press conference with the vice president in the White House to announce a large deferral — and in the case of the first California deferral, a historic deferral in size — against one or two particular states,” he said. “It’s just not the way CMS has interacted with states in the past. They’re trying to make the program work. It’s not a gotcha.”
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Westminster council has recommended banning ‘vertical drinking’ or ordering at the bar in new draft licensing policy
No 10 has vowed to confiscate powers from local councils which try to restrict customers from standing up while drinking in pubs or ordering at the bar.
It comes after the Guardian revealed on Thursday that Westminster council in central London recommended not allowing “vertical drinking” or ordering at the bar in its new draft licensing policy.
The result is Xibalba 64 – a Wolfenstein 3D-like FPS. Modretro agreed to publish the game as a physical launch title for their M64 (a modern N64 clone), complete with cartridge, packaging and manual!
The article details the development process, from setting up the correct tooling to actually getting the game to play on a real Nintendo 64, and everything in between – including optimising the game to get it to run at a steady 60fps. The biggest issue is that the Nintendo 64 is quite a complex and quirky console, and in order to develop for it, you needed access to Nintendo’s officially sanctioned platform library, libultra. These days, though, there’s an open source alternative, libdragon, enabling homebrew development.
It’s awesome that, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, people can still develop top-notch games for something like the Nintendo 64. If we had left it up to Nintendo, we’d be seeing nothing of the sort today.
Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich used Claude to build a gloriously impractical setup that runs Doom in the background and pastes each rendered frame into Microsoft Paint through the Windows clipboard. The project is referred to as "DoomPaint" or "MS Paint Doom" on GitHub. The Register reports: To be clear, Microsoft Paint isn't doing anything other than serving as a place to paste from the game. [...] ViZDoom runs the Doom .wad file and renders it headlessly. Each frame is passed through the Windows clipboard and pasted onto Paint's canvas. A low-level keyboard hook captures and swallows game inputs while Paint is in the foreground, and sound effects come from the game engine.
A glance at the code shows Russinovich was more than happy to use Claude to whip it up. In a LinkedIn post, he said: "I've been using Fable 5 on serious research projects and find it a noticeable improvement over Opus 4.8." Using Microsoft Paint as a display for Doom is not, however, a serious research project, as Russinovich acknowledged. "I've also been having fun with it on frivolous ones," he added, so here we are. "Paint renders the game but does not compute it," said Russinovich. "Paint computes nothing. Paint has never computed anything. That's the joke."
El presidente Donald Trump dice que ingresos petroleros están llegando hacia Estados Unidos y Venezuela desde que EE.UU. arrestó al entonces líder Nicolás Maduro en enero y lo llevó a la ciudad de Nueva York para ser juzgado por cargos de drogas y corrupción.
Durante una entrevista en Fox News el 4 de agosto, Trump dijo que los votantes en las elecciones de medio término “quieren ver ganar”, y puso a Venezuela como ejemplo. “La gente estaba muy opuesta a lo que hice en Venezuela”, él dijo. “Duró un día. Y ahora, ellos, mira, estamos ganando cientos de miles de millones de dólares, y ellos también”.
Pero la cifra de Trump es más alta que otros datos disponibles. Las mejores estimaciones muestran $13,000 millones en ingresos petroleros venezolanos desde el derrocamiento de Maduro, y no está claro cuánto de eso fue a Estados Unidos y cuánto a Venezuela.
Cuando PolitiFact le preguntó a la Casa Blanca por datos para respaldar la cifra de Trump, la oficina de prensa nos remitió a sus comentarios.
Sin embargo, “la cifra de cientos de miles de millones no es ni remotamente creíble”, dijo Phil Gunson, analista senior del International Crisis Group, una organización sin fines de lucro que estudia conflictos mortales. Gunson tiene su sede en la capital venezolana de Caracas.
La estimación de Trump supera varias veces todo el producto interno bruto de Venezuela. El PIB es el valor total de los bienes y servicios producidos durante un periodo de tiempo en un país.
¡Sigue el canal de WhatsApp de PolitiFact en Español para estar al día de lo que es cierto, falso, engañoso o fuera de contexto! #whatsapp#canales#verificacion#factcheck
¿Cuál es el papel de EE.UU. en el mercado petrolero de Venezuela?
Tras el arresto de Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, entonces vicepresidenta, asumió como presidenta interina; Estados Unidos la reconoció como jefa de estado en marzo. La administración Trump dijo que controlaría la industria petrolera de Venezuela, que tiene muchas reservas pero ha luchado durante la última década para asegurar la inversión de capital necesaria para llevar ese petróleo al mercado.
Una orden ejecutiva emitida días después del derrocamiento de Maduro dice que los ingresos petroleros serían propiedad del gobierno venezolano, pero se mantendrían en cuentas del gobierno de EE.UU. en “capacidad de custodia y gobierno”. El Departamento de Energía de EE.UU. dijo que los fondos serían “distribuidos en beneficio del pueblo estadounidense y del pueblo venezolano”.
Ningún gobierno ha producido una cantidad única, fácil de localizar y actualizada a la fecha de cuántos ingresos petroleros se han generado, ni quién ha recibido el dinero. Por lo tanto, verificar lo que Trump dice depende en reunir estimaciones dispersas de ingresos y gastos.
Un análisis del Financial Times del 22 de julio estimó que EE.UU. ha recaudado alrededor de $13,000 millones en ingresos petroleros venezolanos. El Financial Times analizó datos sobre envíos de petróleo crudo desde Venezuela desde enero compilados por la plataforma de datos de transporte Kpler, combinados con estimaciones de precios para varios grados de petróleo crudo venezolano suministrados por Argus Media, una agencia de precios.
Trump se mostró escéptico sobre la cifra de $13,000 millones de ingresos petroleros cuando un periodista hizo referencia a la estimación en el Air Force One en julio, diciendo, “Creo que (es) incluso más que eso”.
Para que la afirmación de Trump de “cientos de miles de millones de dólares” sea correcta, tanto EE.UU. como Venezuela tendrían que estar recibiendo más del producto interno bruto de Venezuela, la suma de toda la actividad económica dentro del país de casi 29 millones de personas.
El PIB de Venezuela es de unos $111,000 millones, según el Fondo Monetario Internacional. El Financial Times estimó que los ingresos petroleros representan aproximadamente una cuarta parte del PIB de Venezuela.
Analistas le dijeron a PolitiFact que desconocían las estimaciones de ingresos petroleros que ascendían a cientos de miles de millones para ambos países.
“Incluso con la suposición más generosa, nunca llegarías allí”, dijo Dany Bahar, fellow visitante de asuntos públicos e internacionales de la Universidad de Brown.
Y persisten las dudas sobre cuánto de los ingresos petroleros irán a Venezuela.
El Departamento de Estado le dijo al Congreso en abril que había gastado $3,000 millones en costos operativos, incluyendo en suministros de la industria petrolera y en salarios de los trabajadores gubernamentales. Un sitio del gobierno venezolano que rastrea los ingresos por petróleo vendido en EE.UU. muestra $300 millones en ingresos enviados a Venezuela hasta marzo. (EE.UU. también ha enviado a Venezuela $386 millones de ayuda debido a los dos grandes terremotos del 24 de junio).
David Smilde, asociado senior del Centro de Investigación de Políticas Interamericanas de la Universidad de Tulane, describió la cifra del 4 de agosto de Trump como “imposible” y dijo que la cantidad creíble más reciente que ha visto son los $13,000 millones del Financial Times.
Gunson dijo que no está claro “a dónde fue todo ese dinero, cuánto se envió a Venezuela y en qué se gastó”. Él dijo que la transparencia no era una prioridad en Venezuela incluso antes del derrocamiento de Maduro; el país no ha publicado un presupuesto nacional en más de una década.
Smilde dijo que hay “una opacidad increíble en la que las ventas de petróleo de Venezuela están siendo dirigidas”.
“Mi entendimiento es que han habido bastantes ingresos regresando a Venezuela, pero dado el déficit presupuestario del gobierno y toda la necesidad, no tiene el impacto que la gente espera”, dijo Smilde.
Nuestro veredicto
Trump dijo que en Venezuela, “Estamos ganando cientos de miles de millones de dólares (en ingresos petroleros), y ellos también”.
Los expertos y los análisis publicados sitúan la cifra más alta y creíble de ingresos petroleros en $13,000 millones desde que EE.UU. asumió el control de la industria petrolera venezolana.
Cientos de miles de millones de dólares para cada una de las partes — tanto para Estados Unidos como para Venezuela — equivaldría a varias veces el producto interior bruto reportado de Venezuela.
Calificamos la afirmación como Falsa.
Ellen Hine, productora de audiencias senior, contribuyó a este informe.
Nota del editor: PolitiFact tradujo esta historia del inglés al español usando un servicio de traducción automática. Los periodistas de PolitiFact con fluidez en ambos idiomas editaron la traducción para mayor claridad y precisión.
OpenAI researchers say multiple AI agents secretly created an internal message board to share hacking techniques, eventually finding ways around restrictions, exploiting a zero-day, and helping two models breach Hugging Face without human prompting. "This is a pivotal moment both for our company as well as the AI industry as a whole," Michael Dalton, one of the AI-maker's researchers, said during a presentation at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Politico reports: Dalton and Eric Wallace, another OpenAI researcher, said Wednesday the AI giant recently learned that multiple agents it was testing simultaneously began communicating over an internal message board in early May. There, different models shared advice about how to accomplish difficult hacking challenges they were struggling to surmount, including workarounds that required internet access. Two OpenAI models ultimately strung together a series of sophisticated techniques to gain access to the internet and worm their way inside Hugging Face in mid-July. OpenAI has said the models were focused on completing a hacking evaluation they were prompted to solve, and that correct answers could be found on the AI developer platform.
The OpenAI researchers told conference attendees that since early May, the models created a message board inside OpenAI's Artifactory internal file system. Without the company's knowledge, the models spent months independently exchanging information and techniques to help each other complete difficult tasks. Wallace said that when models get stuck, they often "try to game or cheat the task in order to get their reward." "The beginning of this incident kind of traces back to this point where one agent realized it could communicate by uploading a note," he added. By late May, one model found a way to abuse Artifactory's internet access to retrieve files from various websites -- effectively giving the models indirect access to the internet. In June, the models were able to find and exploit a previously unknown zero-day vulnerability to gain administrative privileges on Artifactory, install remote software and expand their activity within the system.
These efforts eventually overloaded Artifactory, causing a system-wide outage in early July that alerted OpenAI's engineers to the ploy. After investigating, the company revoked the model's credentials, removed the message board and worked with Artifactory to fix any gaps before resuming training. But the models found another way to communicate inside Artifactory just days later and continued exchanging techniques to target additional vulnerabilities within OpenAI's infrastructure and external systems, including Hugging Face.
Exclusive: Academics call for inquiry, saying university must be held accountable for ‘grotesque racism unleashed’
The University of Cambridge’s leaders deserve blame for the “grotesque racism unleashed” by Jason Arday’s appointment as professor, according to academics calling for the university to hold an independent inquiry.
The Guardian understands that senior dons at Cambridge are circulating a joint letter calling for an inquiry into the processes and circumstances around Arday being given the position, with many suggesting the university wanted a “quick fix” to improve the diversity of its staff.
This week, the Supreme Court announced its argument schedule for October 2026, with a dispute over who can sue over the effects of climate change as the first case of its new term.
In Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, the justices are presented with several questions involving the federal government’s power to preempt environmental lawsuits from local governments filed in state court. In Article VI, Clause 2, the Supremacy Clause states that “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States … shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
In this case, Boulder County and the city of Boulder in Colorado sued Suncor Energy, Suncor Energy Sales, and Exxon Mobile in 2018. Boulder claimed a state court could compel energy companies to share “a portion of the financial burden their communities must bear in coping with an altered climate brought about in part by petitioners’ tortious conduct.” Critics of Boulder’s strategy labeled the cost-sharing burden as an indirect carbon tax.
A state trial court agreed with Boulder that it could seek a remedy within the state’s legal system. The Colorado state Supreme Court upheld the trial court decision, noting that the lawsuit centered on “deceptive conduct and ‘upstream production activities,’ and it was not a direct attempt to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.”
Suncor appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which accepted one question presented by Suncor: “Whether federal law precludes state-law claims seeking relief for injuries allegedly caused by the effects of interstate and international greenhouse-gas emissions on the global climate.”
In addition, the justices added a second question for oral argument: “whether this Court has statutory and Article III jurisdiction to hear this case.”
The basis of the conflict
In its petition to the Court, Suncor noted that “energy companies that produce and sell fossil fuels are facing numerous lawsuits in state courts across the nation seeking billions of dollars in damages for injuries allegedly caused by the contribution of greenhouse-gas emissions to global climate change.”
Suncor stated that the Boulder lawsuit is similar to actions filed by “state and local governments nationwide” in state courts over global climate change. It disagreed with Boulder’s argument that the federal Clean Air Act had displaced preexisting federal common law in such cases, allowing a situation where “state tort law presumptively could regulate interstate emissions.”
“There are few, if any, more consequential questions pending in the lower courts concerning the relationship between state and federal law,” Suncor stated. It asked the Court to “address whether the state-law claims asserted by dozens of states and municipalities can even proceed—and to do so before the energy industry is threatened with potentially enormous judgments.”
Initially, Boulder waived its right to reply to Suncor’s appeal, but the Supreme Court asked on Sept. 9, 2025, for a reply. Boulder filed its first reply brief on Nov. 10, 2025. It claimed that the justices had already denied review of similar questions presented by Suncor in other cases, including Sunoco LP v. City & County of Honolulu (2025). “In the recent Honolulu case, granting interlocutory review would require the Court to wade into a thicket of preliminary questions that promise nothing but rabbit holes and dead ends,” Boulder claimed.
Boulder also noted that the Supreme Court denied Suncor’s appeal within the federal court system in 2023, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissenting, before the case headed to the state court system. It argued the Supreme Court lacked the authority to review an interlocutory decision from the Colorado Supreme Court, and even if the Supreme Court accepted other arguments in the case, the justices “could not reach the merits without first resolving complex questions of Article III jurisdiction.”
Boulder also rejected various other arguments that would allow federal precedents to preempt the powers of state courts. “States have always had the authority to provide remedies for in-state injuries arising from out-of-state conduct, subject to Due Process limitations on personal jurisdiction and the restrictions of other specific constitutional provisions (e.g., the Commerce Clause).”
“Whether to displace that state law, and how best to balance the inevitable competing interests, is a policy question for Congress, not one to which the Constitution provides an implicit answer for courts to divine on their own,” Boulder concluded.
Recent claims from the parties involved
In a brief from Deputy Solicitor General Sarah M. Harris, the United States supported Suncor’s case. “Can one city wield one State’s law to dictate how the rest of the world must address a global problem with global effects? The Constitution supplies the answer: Absolutely not,” Harris argued. She also noted that 60 states and localities have filed nearly identical lawsuits against fossil-fuel producers.
“In our constitutional system, States are separate, coequal sovereigns within a unitary federal system. Each State retains powers to regulate matters within its own borders. However, no one State can superimpose its own regulatory preferences on the rest—least of all to address a global problem that exists almost entirely outside its borders and affects the world at large,” she concluded. Harris believed Congress in passing the Clean Air Act preempted Boulder’s claims that state courts controlled this case.
In a brief from May 2026, Suncor repeated several basic arguments. First, it asserted that the use of “state tort law to address the effects of global climate change is incompatible with the structure of the Constitution.” Suncor cited court Supreme Court precedents holding that using “a single State’s law to resolve an inherently interstate dispute contradicts the basic scheme of the Constitution.”
Suncor also believed the Clean Air Act closed out any argument that state-tort laws applied to climate change cases. “The Act establishes a comprehensive statutory scheme for the regulation of air quality across the United States. Respondents’ state-law claims undermine that scheme by subverting the primacy of federal regulation and aggrandizing the limited and defined role afforded to the States.”
In a brief filed on Monday, Boulder repeated its arguments that Suncor and the United States wrongly interpreted the Clean Air Act. “Nothing in the Clean Air Act preempts [our] claims. The statute regulates point-source emissions, not the upstream production, sale, or marketing of products that later produce them. It certainly does not charge the EPA with regulating deceptive marketing of fossil fuels.”
Boulder also claimed that Suncor failed to establish that the Supreme Court had Article III jurisdiction in the case. “This case should begin and end with jurisdiction,” it said. “Article III and the final judgment rule guard against needless state-federal friction by delaying this Court’s review until a final judgment injures a party.” It added that the case was “far from final judgment” in the state legal system. “The Colorado Supreme Court has not yet even decided whether respondents state a claim under state law,” it added.
One measure of Suncor v. Boulder’s importance is that since the justices accepted the case on February 23, 2026, more than 70 “friend of the court” or amicus briefs have been filed. Among those filing briefs were House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senator Ted Cruz, numerous legal scholars, interest groups, tribal nations, states and local governments.
Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center.
The Republican US senator Mitch McConnell has been discharged from a rehabilitation center following the fall that left him hospitalized, he announced on Thursday.
A case against Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Lindell will continue after a judge decided Thursday there is probable cause to believe he violated campaign laws by giving away pillows promoting his candidacy at a July Fourth parade.
Astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, preparing the installment of new rollout solar arrays which will provide extra energy to support the station, according to Nasa
More than $5m in recent weeks have been spent in ads targeting Aisha Wahab and in support of Melissa Hernandez
Super Pacs tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) have spent millions in a California congressional race to keep a progressive Democrat from winning Eric Swalwell’s former seat.
Aisha Wahab, a state senator who has been endorsed by the California Democratic party, is widely considered the frontrunner in the special election for the district covering a swathe of the East Bay.
Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which was set up in January to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, has finally issued its first construction contract in the devastated territory: a project to build a rudimentary 150-person military outpost to house Moroccan troops, a source familiar with the matter told the Guardian.
The contract, which has not yet been finalised, was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm that has previously carried out work with the US government in countries such as Iraq.
Japanese officials have repeatedly asked the Trump administration to stop using characters from franchises such as Mario, Pokemon, and Naruto in unauthorized government memes and pro-war videos, warning that the posts could damage the intellectual property involved. IGN reports: Official US government social media accounts, including The White House's X account, have posted various memes and videos using characters from popular Japanese anime and games over the past year. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly called on the US government to cease uploading such posts, stating that "It's inappropriate even for public institutions to reproduce copyrighted materials without the rightsholders' consent." This concern was voiced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi in a parliamentary session back in April, when he made direct reference to a pro-war video that used Nintendo's Wii Sports.
However, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun this week, the Japanese Ministry called on the Trump administration to stop using IPs like Naruto, Pokemon and Mario at least twice more this June through the US Embassy in Japan. Japan requested that the US administration take into account the potential damage to these IPs when used without permission in US policy and pro-war related content.
[...] It's not just the Japanese government and related parties who have spoken out against these posts. They have also sparked backlash from Japanese anime fans. Notably, self-proclaimed manga and anime fan Nana Suzuki kicked off the "Protect Japanese Manga" petition on Change.org, which has received international news coverage (from the New York Times, BBC and others). The organizer claims to have submitted their petition to the Japanese Cabinet Office back in March, as well as alerting Japanese politicians to the US government's unauthorized use of Japanese IPs, potentially drawing more official attention to the issue.
Renewed backlash was triggered in June, when President Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting himself as Naruto, the protagonist of the popular manga and anime of the same name, on Truth Social. This prompted the petition organizer to reopen the petition "as an urgent effort to convey our protest and concern regarding this matter to the rights holders and to work in solidarity to lobby the Japanese government." The Naruto clip also prompted renewed discussion of this issue in Japan's media and government. As reported in the Hokkaido Shimbun and others, Cabinet Minister Kimi Onoda was asked about it in a June 12th press conference. She emphasized that "obtaining permission from the copyright holder is the underlying principle for fair use," and stated that this position had been conveyed to the US government multiple times through diplomatic channels.
The AI memory wall has emerged as the biggest bottleneck in executing AI inference workloads. This week at the Future of Memory and Storage Summit, Samsung threw the kitchen sink at the problem, unveiling not only a new type of high-bandwidth memory called zHBM but two new NAND offerings for solid state disks (SSDs), including a speedy new type of NAND dubbed zNAND and the 10th generation of its BV-NAND technology.
As the focus of the AI boom evolved from training foundation models to actually running them, the core underlying infrastructure requirements also changed. AI training workloads are largely compute bound and benefit from having large number of powerful processors (i.e. GPUs) that can crunch through huge amounts of data in parallel. Hence the huge run on GPUs and other AI accelerators in the early days of the AI boom.
But AI inference workloads have different infrastructure requirements. They generally are not compute bound, and instead are limited by the amount of data that can be moved from local memory into the processors.
Samsung executive Jin-Yub Lee delivered his keynote address at FMS 2026 (Image courtesy Samsung)
Having big parallel compute can help in the first stage of the AI inference process, dubbed the prefill stage, when the AI model processes the initial user prompt. But the second stage of AI inference, dubbed the decode stage, is largely memory bandwidth-bound, since the model must generate the tokens sequentially.
This is because the data used to generate the output tokens is stored in the key-value (KV) cache, which ideally resides in HBM or DRAM (or less ideally, the local SSD storage when the HBM or DRAM fills up). The quicker the model can pull the right KV from the cache, the quicker the user can see the generated cat video–or see the prediction for how a certain ligand might fit into a certain pocket on a protein, as the case may be.
The entire computer industry is aware of this problem and many companies are working on solutions. Nvidia and the storage vendors are trying to build a workaround with the Nvidia DMX architecture, which infuses as much intelligence into the backend storage to make KV cache calls as fast as they possibly can. Others are trying to innovate at the silicon level.
You can put Samsung in the latter camp. The South Korean chip giant this week unveiled some of its proposed solutions for the AI memory wall, which includes more dense three-dimensional packaging of memories, including the DRAM used in HBM as well as the slower NAND used in SSDs.
zHBM
The new zHBM offering offers a new memory architecture that vertically stacks HBM directly above AI accelerators, instead of positioning the HBM stack next to the processor, as is currently the case. Samsung wants to do this to minimize the distance that data travels between the AI processor and memory, thereby delivering higher bandwidth as well as improved power efficiency.
Specifically, Samsung says zHBM will deliver 4x to 8x boost in performance compared to HBM5. HBM5 is currently in development, with a plan for deliveries in 2029 with 4TB per second of memory bandwidth, according to a chart from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. That would mean that zHBM would have anywhere from 16 TBps to 32 TBps of memory bandwidth per stack.
Samsung said zHBM would also deliver a 3x improvement on power efficiency compared to HBM5, and a 50% improvement in thermal resistance. HBM5 is expected to draw 100 watts per HBM, according to KAIST. zHBM will use a new hybrid copper bonding (HCB) technique that Samsung is developing, which the company says will help zHBM yield 10x the memory density of HBM5.
It’s unclear if that 10x density improvement will result in a 10x capacity improvement as well (or something marginally less), as the real-estate on top of the chip itself is limited. In any case, perhaps new architectures that mix zHBM on top of the chip along with HBM alongside it may enable more memory to be brought to bear on the KV cache dilemma.
zNAND-O
Samsung will also be using a 3D packaging technology with its new zNAND-O technology, whereby multiple V-NAND chips are stacked through TSVs (through-silicon via), delivering storage that is very dense and very fast.
Instead of using external interconnects, where data is passed on the edge of the NAND, Samsung proposes placing the data path in the middle of the chip using TSVs, which are microscopic holes etched through the silicon substate that are filled with a conductive material, like copper.
Samsung says zNAND-O will deliver storage with properties that are conducive to AI inference workloads, including very small latencies (less than 3 micro-seconds), bandwidth in the realm of 200 GBps to 400 GBps, which can increase to 1 TBps or more using 3D stacking.
zNAND-O could be used for devices like smartphones to improve the performance of AI models when not connected to the Internet.
V10 BV-NAND
Samsung is also bringing 3D packaging to bear with its 10th generation of BV-NAND technology. With V10, Samsung is now packaging up to 400 layers of memory cells, compared to the 200 layers that were supported in V9.
According to Samsung, this corresponds with a 58% increase in bit density on the NAND itself. The data write speed also increase by 45%, according to Samsung, and I/O speeds increase by 33%. Samsung says a new bonding technique made this possible. All told, it will result in SSDs that can store more data in the same amount of space.
Samsung says that the three HBM and NAND announcements made at the conference share one common theme: the use of a three-dimensional “z-axis” strategy that shortens the distance between memory and the processor, which minimizes data movement while maximizing storage capacity and performance within a limited footprint.
Two Samsung executives, Jinyeop Lee, executive vice president of flash product and technology, and Kyungryun Kim, vice president of DRAM product and technology, presented these advances at FMS in a keynote titled “Driving the Wave of AI Revolution: 3D Innovation in Memory & Storage Architecture.”
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6, 2026 — Domino Data Lab today announced its selection as a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission Consortium. In joining, Domino contributes to the united efforts of the DOE, its national laboratories, academic institutions, and fellow technology leaders to double American scientific productivity over the next decade through artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC).
While the 17 national laboratories house exascale supercomputers and vast scientific datasets, research teams face significant friction collaborating across fragmented compute environments, toolsets, and varying security baselines.
Domino closes this gap between environments with one platform spanning on-premises HPC, commercial and government clouds, and air-gapped systems alike. The platform lets research teams build, validate, and deploy models without vendor lock-in. As a member of the Consortium’s AI Model Development & Validation Working Group, Domino brings that capability directly into Genesis Mission work to validate and govern models across labs.
“The Genesis Mission succeeds when America accelerates novel science and research,” said Thomas Robinson, COO of Domino Data Lab. “Domino brings a platform with a track record of giving commercial research labs both rapid scientific insight and the governance, reproducibility, and auditability regulated science requires. Joining the Genesis Mission Consortium means applying that discipline at the scale of the national laboratories to help double the productivity and impact of America’s science and engineering.”
Overcoming Infrastructure Silos Across DOE’s Genesis Mission Priorities
As a Consortium member, Domino offers the DOE expertise in balancing AI innovation and risk mitigation across its core priorities:
Accelerating science — Domino removes the infrastructure, workflow, and governance overhead that slows scientific discovery by automating:
Experiment intake, sorting, and analysis, flagging failures and interesting signals early so researchers spend their time interpreting results rather than manually screening for experiment failures and biological signals.
Analysis pipelines that continuously update program-level insights as new experiments are processed.
Energy dominance — Domino accelerates materials discovery for the energy sector by:
Using AI-powered inverse design to define target material properties upfront and identify matching compositions, skipping heavy experimentation for materials like battery cathodes.
Tracking candidates via a system of record that makes a single lab’s result buildable across others.
Strategic deterrence — Domino connects physics-based AI, HPC, and institutional data to shrink materials qualification from months to days without sacrificing oversight by:
Screening thousands of candidates against known constraints and using AI to identify, for example, ideal titanium alloys, directing heavy experimentation only to the most promising candidates.
Automatically logging every decision in a complete audit trail that stakeholders can easily review, preserved for reproducibility.
Allowing scientists to plug into data science/machine learning workflows seamlessly by connecting to databases like Grand Unified File Index (GUFI) and searching through petabytes of their own data.
Building on a Proven Record in Highly Regulated Environments
Domino’s participation in the Genesis Mission Consortium builds on an established dual-use track record. The platform is used today across defense, federal civilian and intelligence community agencies, and by many of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies. This history provides multidisciplinary research and engineering teams with a proven way to rapidly train, govern, and deploy models in high-stakes environments while maintaining full auditability, lineage, and reproducibility.
To learn more about Domino Data Lab’s support for the Genesis Mission and view live scientific workflow demonstrations, visit explore.domino.ai/doe.
About Domino Data Lab
Domino Data Lab partners with the world’s most regulated enterprises as they build, scale, and govern AI-powered applications. From statistical computing to agentic AI, organizations use Domino’s AI platform to develop new therapies, protect citizens, and secure financial markets — under the most complex regulatory requirements. Founded in 2013, Domino is backed by Sequoia Capital, Coatue Management, NVIDIA, Snowflake, UBS, and other leading investors. Learn more at domino.ai.
Agreement with RWE is fifth deal Trump team has made with energy companies, offering payouts to give up projects
The German energy company RWE has reached a $1.22bn deal with the US government to relinquish its offshore wind leases and instead redirect funds towards fossil fuel investments.
The agreement marks the fifth deal the Donald Trump administration has struck with energy companies, offering payouts in exchange for abandoning renewable energy projects and redirecting investment towards fossil fuels.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 6, 2026 — Super Micro Computer, Inc. today announced the seventh annual Supermicro Open Storage Summit, a virtual event presented with theCUBE that will run from August 11 through September 3. The 12-session technical series brings together leading experts across the AI storage ecosystem to examine the data infrastructure required to deploy enterprise AI at scale.
Supermicro Open Storage Summit 2026
“Enterprise AI success depends on a data infrastructure that can scale with growing model complexity and inference demands,” said Michael McNerney, senior vice president, Marketing and Network Security Supermicro. “The Open Storage Summit brings together industry leaders from across our ecosystem to share practical expertise on building high-performance, cost-efficient AI infrastructure. Combined with Supermicro’s DCBBS architecture, these insights help organizations accelerate AI deployment from pilot projects to production at scale.”
“Enterprise AI is forcing organizations to rethink infrastructure from the data outward,” said Rob Strechay, Principal Analyst at theCUBE. “As enterprises look to become token producers rather than perpetual token consumers, storage becomes a strategic platform, not simply for capacity, but for feeding GPUs, managing context, accelerating inference, and enabling trusted AI at scale. That’s why the conversations happening at the Open Storage Summit are so important.”
The summit will explore AI inference, agentic AI, hybrid cloud storage, AI data platforms, context memory, unstructured data management, neocloud infrastructure, and cloud storage services. Industry leaders from Supermicro and ecosystem partners—including AMD, DDN, Hammerspace, IBM, Intel, KIOXIA, MinIO, Nutanix, Scality, Solidigm, VAST Data, Western Digital, and others—will share practical recommendations for designing high-performance, cost-efficient AI environments. Practitioners from Crusoe and Iron Mountain will also discuss real-world AI and cloud storage deployments.
See the Supermicro Open Storage Summit event page for the full agenda and to register.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a global leader in Application-Optimized Total IT Solutions. Founded and operating in San Jose, California, Supermicro is committed to delivering first-to-market innovation for Enterprise, Cloud, AI, and 5G Telco/Edge IT Infrastructure. We are a Total IT Solutions provider with server, AI, storage, IoT, switch systems, software, and support services. Supermicro’s motherboard, power, and chassis design expertise further enables our development and production, enabling next-generation innovation from cloud to edge for our global customers. Our products are designed and manufactured in-house (in the US, Asia, and the Netherlands), leveraging global operations for scale and efficiency and optimized to improve TCO and reduce environmental impact (Green Computing). The award-winning portfolio of Server Building Block Solutions allows customers to optimize for their exact workload and application by selecting from a broad family of systems built from our flexible and reusable building blocks that support a comprehensive set of form factors, processors, memory, GPUs, storage, networking, power, and cooling solutions (air-conditioned, free air cooling or liquid cooling).
RPI will lead one Phase I project and support a second, advancing AI applications in critical materials and particle accelerator research
Aug. 6, 2026 — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researchers will contribute to two projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Phase I awards under the inaugural Genesis Mission, a national initiative designed to accelerate scientific discovery through artificial intelligence. RPI will lead one project, in collaboration with Ames National Laboratory, focused on developing next-generation permanent magnets, while contributing to a second project led by Brookhaven National Laboratory that will apply AI to improve the operation of particle accelerators.
Credit: DOE
The RPI-led project, AI-Guided Manufacturing of High-Performance Heavy Rare-Earth-Free Magnets for Critical Materials Security (AIM-MAG), will be led by Jie Lian, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering and materials science and engineering at RPI. Lian’s team will combine AI, materials science, and advanced manufacturing to accelerate the discovery and development of high-performance, heavy rare-earth-free permanent magnets.
By integrating scientific literature, existing materials databases, computational modeling, and experimental data into an AI-powered knowledge platform, the researchers aim to uncover relationships between composition, processing, microstructure, and magnetic performance. These insights will guide the design and scalable manufacturing of next-generation permanent magnets with enhanced performance and reduced reliance on critical rare-earth elements. The full research team includes RPI professors Liping Huang and Yunfeng Shi, as well as collaborators from Ames National Laboratory and GE Vernova.
“Some of today’s most important scientific challenges are too complex for any one institution or discipline to solve alone,” said Lian. “Being part of the Genesis Mission gives us the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers across the country and explore new approaches to designing the next generation of critical materials. By developing heavy rare-earth-free permanent magnets, our research aims to strengthen domestic manufacturing, enhance energy security, and build a more resilient U.S. critical materials supply chain.”
RPI also is a partner on a second Genesis Mission Phase I project led by Brookhaven National Laboratory, AI-Driven, Self-Learning Digital Twins for Robust Operation of Particle Accelerators. The project will combine physics-based accelerator models with machine learning to create AI-enabled digital twins that can improve understanding of accelerator operations, account for uncertainty, and support real-time decisions. Yinan Wang, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, leads RPI’s contribution alongside collaborators from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Cornell University, RadiaSoft, and Cosylab.
“The Genesis Mission creates an opportunity to rethink how scientists interact with complex systems such as particle accelerators,” said Wang. “I am excited to collaborate with researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory and our other partners on developing new approaches to understanding and operating these advanced scientific facilities.”
As part of the Genesis Mission, both projects join a national effort bringing together researchers from universities, national laboratories, industry, and government to develop and demonstrate AI-enabled scientific workflows that accelerate discovery across energy, manufacturing, and national security.
“RPI’s selection for two Phase I Genesis Mission projects reflects the university’s commitment to research that connects computational and AI advances to disciplines that fuel emerging technologies, and advance scientific understanding and innovation,” said Robert Hull, Vice President for Research at RPI.
Introducing Apache Fluss, a lakehouse-native streaming storage for real-time analytics and AI, and Apache Pony Mail, a web-based mail archive browser built to scale to millions of archived messages
WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 6, 2026 — The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), the global home of open source software the world relies on, today announced that Apache Fluss and Apache Pony Mail have become Top-Level Projects (TLPs).
Apache Fluss is an open source, lakehouse-native streaming storage system designed for real-time analytics and AI. It provides a real-time data layer for lakehouse, bringing streaming data, continuously updated tables, and historical lakehouse data together through a common table abstraction. Fluss integrates with compute engines including Apache Flink and Apache Spark and with open lakehouse formats including Apache Paimon, Apache Iceberg, Apache Hudi and Lance.
“Apache Fluss’s graduation reflects a mature community shaped by open, collaborative governance at the ASF,” said Feng Wang, head of Open Data Platform at Alibaba Cloud. “Deployed and proven at scale in Alibaba’s core e-commerce production workloads, Fluss’s Lakestream architecture unifies streams with Lakehouse data, making the Lakehouse real-time while reducing data duplication and pipeline complexity. This led us to open source and donate Fluss to the ASF. I look forward to Fluss becoming the open data foundation for the real-time Lakehouse, advancing analytics and AI across the open data ecosystem.”
Apache Pony Mail is a web-based mail archive browser built to scale to millions of archived messages with hundreds of requests per second. It allows users to browse, search, and interact with mailing lists including creating replies to mailing list threads. Pony Mail works in both public, private and mixed-mode, allowing you to have one unified place for all your communication, both public and private.
About the Apache Incubator
Open source projects need healthy communities to thrive. The ASF provides projects with services and mentorship for building resilient and durable communities throughout their lifecycle. The Apache Incubator hosts incoming projects (called podlings) that want to enter the ASF and adopt The Apache Way.
About The Apache Software Foundation
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is the global home for open source software, powering some of the world’s most ubiquitous software projects, including Apache Airflow, Apache Camel, Apache Cassandra, Apache Groovy, Apache HTTP Server, and Apache Kafka. Established in 1999, the ASF is at the forefront of open source innovation, setting industry standards to advance software for the public good. Learn more at https://apache.org.
The ASF’s annual Community Over Code event is where open source technologists convene to share best practices and use cases, forge critical relationships, and learn about advancements in their field: https://communityovercode.org.
The Senate is searching for a deal to speed up consideration of a number of priorities, including a measure to fund the government and Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general.
Court rules architecture firm not responsible for fatal incident but project managers and engineers found guilty of safety breaches
The architecture firm founded by Norman Foster has been cleared over the death of a man killed by a window that fell 90 metres from a newly constructed London penthouse.
Foster + Partners (F+P), the practice behind some of the world’s most recognisable buildings such as the Gherkin and revamps of the British Museum and Germany’s Reichstag, were not held to be responsible for the death of Mick Ferris, a 53-year-old coach driver, in 2018.
Homes of people believed to be asylum seekers attacked during two nights of violence in Thetford
Two men have been arrested after police were injured as they intervened to protect men believed to be asylum seekers from angry mobs trying to break into their homes.
The arrests followed two nights of unrest in Thetford, Norfolk, involving more than 100 people protesting against plans to house asylum seekers in former military barracks near the market town.
Stella Gollovena, 47, has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
A woman has appeared in court accused of stabbing four men in the back with a pair of scissors in one of London’s busiest tourist districts.
Stella Gollovena, 47, is accused of attacking Patrick De Barr, Thomas Harding, Adrian Lovett and Mantas Jankus during the attack in Covent Garden on Wednesday lunchtime.
Aug. 6, 2026 — Dark energy — the invisible force accelerating the expansion of the universe — remains one of the deepest mysteries in modern science. Unlocking its nature requires not only powerful telescopes but the ability to transform vast streams of astronomical images into precise measurements of how the universe evolves.
The Dark Energy Survey (DES) has released results from its landmark six-year campaign to probe this cosmic force in a paper, a summary of 18 supporting papers. DES is the largest, most comprehensive survey of its kind. Powered by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted high in the Chilean Andes, DES scientists captured nearly 300,000 images, revealing 669 million galaxies, thousands of galaxy clusters and more than 3,000 supernovas between 2013 and 2019.
The correlations used by DES scientists to map the distribution of matter in the universe. The DES analysis uses shape measurements of source galaxies, shown in yellow, and the positions of lens galaxies, shown in red. Image credit: Jessie Muir/Dark Energy Survey.
As a key partner in this global DES collaboration, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory transformed the survey’s enormous imaging data set into scientific insight.
Argonne developed software systems that process massive amounts of data and leveraged high performance computing, applying sophisticated cosmological modeling to measure how matter clusters and how cosmic structures evolve.
“Argonne is delivering essential advances in theoretical modeling and simulation that connect the galaxies we observe to the underlying dark matter shaping the universe,” said Matthew Becker, an Argonne physicist and DES collaborator. “If we want to understand how galaxies and larger structures formed, we must understand dark energy.”
The DES collaboration spans more than 400 astrophysicists from 35 institutions in seven countries.
Led by DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the collaboration also includes scientists from U.S. universities, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, and DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
A Unified Stream of Images Powers the DES
The DES collaboration converges on a single, unifying resource: the data.
Every cosmological result — from galaxy clustering to weak gravitational lensing — traces back to the millions of images collected by DECam, a wide‑field astronomical camera built specifically for the DES.
While Fermilab was primarily responsible for designing, engineering and assembling DECam, Argonne contributed roughly 20% of the mechanical engineering and design of the camera, including the camera control systems.
The shutter uses an Argonne‑built control system. The lab also designed the cooling system that stabilizes the charge-couple devices (CCDs), the camera’s core imaging sensors.
The CCDs allow DECam to capture faint, distant galaxies with the sharp, stable images required for weak gravitational-lensing science. This type of science, also known as weak lensing, measures how gravity from invisible matter slightly bends light from distant galaxies, distorting their shapes.
Argonne performed detailed CCD characterization at its Advanced Photon Source (APS), the world’s brightest synchrotron X-ray light source, to test for the uniformity of the CCDs. The APS is a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne.
DECam was installed on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at the NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile in 2012 and surveyed about one-eighth of the sky in five colors over six years.
What Dark Energy Is and Why It Matters
Although scientists now know dark energy makes up most of the universe — roughly 70% — they didn’t identify dark energy until the late 1990s, when astronomers discovered that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.
Until then, scientists believed the expansion was gradually slowing under the pull of gravity. Because it is impossible to image this mysterious force, scientists called this acceleration “dark energy.”
“We detect dark energy only through its impact on the universe’s expansion and on how cosmic structures grow,” Becker said. “Its accelerated expansion acts like a brake on structure formation, making gravitational collapse less efficient.”
Example of a field in the constellation Lepus showing stars (small colored dots) and galaxies (larger fuzzy objects) about 300 million light-years away. This is just a tiny part of one DECam image. DES analysis measures the faintest galaxies visible in this picture. Image credit: Erin Sheldon/Dark Energy Survey.
To build a national strategy for studying this phenomenon, DOE, NSF and NASA formed the Dark Energy Task Force about 20 years ago, issuing its recommendations in 2006.
The task force recommended four key observational probes: sound waves from the early universe (baryon acoustic oscillations); exploding stars that serve as cosmic distance markers (type 1a — read as “type one-A” — supernovas); galaxy clusters — the largest structures in the universe; and weak lensing.
Each probe measures a different aspect of how the universe expands and how cosmic structure grows. DES is the first survey to use all four probes in a single coordinated program.
Argonne led the DES weak lensing analysis, which measures the tiny stretching of galaxy shapes caused by light traveling through the cosmic web — the vast network of matter that stretches across the universe. Because this signal is far weaker than distortions introduced by the telescope or atmosphere, weak lensing is among the most challenging measurements in cosmology.
In a major advancement, Becker co-developed a new method called metadetection that measures how galaxy shapes are subtly stretched by gravity, which fundamentally sharpened the survey’s weak lensing results.
“Metadetection uses the actual survey data to simulate what the universe would look like if the weak-lensing shear signal in the image changed,” Becker said. “From these simulations, we are then able to estimate the true shear signal in the data.”
By measuring how galaxy shapes change in these alternate, data-driven scenarios, metadetection removes long-standing instrumental biases, yielding the most precise weak-lensing measurements DES has produced.
Tracing the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe
The DES results demonstrate the power of combining multiple cosmological probes within a single survey, setting a methodological benchmark for next‑generation experiments.
By uniting four probes with advanced data processing, precise measurements of light and sophisticated modeling, DES narrowed the range of possible behaviors for dark energy more tightly than almost any previous experiment.
The results show that dark energy behaves like a steady, unchanging force — what physicists call a “cosmological constant” — and that the universe’s expansion history matches the standard cosmological model, in which the universe is roughly 70% dark energy, 25% dark matter and 5% ordinary matter.
Dark matter is the invisible mass that outweighs normal matter and acts like invisible scaffolding that holds galaxies together. Ordinary matter is the atomic material that makes up stars, planets, gas, dust and everything we can directly observe.
Guiding the Next Generation of Dark Energy Research
Results from the DES are now guiding the decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), conducted by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will record millions of images of the Southern Hemisphere sky over 10 years. The observatory is funded by the NSF and DOE’s Office of Science.
Argonne scientists are key contributors to the Dark Energy Science Collaboration, the international team that will analyze data from the LSST, which began full operations in June.
“Our team is helping to build the systems and analysis tools that turn sky images into the measurements needed to study dark energy while advancing the theoretical modeling that links the galaxies we observe to the underlying dark matter,” Becker said.
Combined with Argonne’s state‑of‑the‑art cosmological simulations — made possible through the use of supercomputers at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility — these advances will be essential for ensuring robust dark‑energy studies with the LSST and extracting the most information from its data.
Together, this work is ensuring Argonne’s leadership role in the next generation of dark energy research.
The DES is jointly supported by the DOE Office of Science and the NSF.
The creator documented her battle with rare bile duct cancer, inspiring more than a million followers online
Sydney Towle, a TikTok creator who shared her battle with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, with over a million online followers, has died at age 26, her family announced on Thursday.
Towle gained fame for her posts about her life as a spirited young woman who encouraged her TikTok followers to rethink how a cancer patient might look and live.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 today to eliminate the National Television Ownership Rule, claiming authority to repeal a limit that was set by Congress over 20 years ago. The rule prohibits any single broadcast station owner from reaching more than 39 percent of all TV households in the US. Under Chairman Brendan Carr, the FCC is replacing the rule with a "case-by-case review" of each proposed merger.
"This will empower the FCC to approve deals that promote the public interest while allowing the agency to reject any deals that do not meet that standard," Carr's office said in a press release today. Without the 39 percent rule, broadcasters will be better able to compete against streaming companies that don't face similar limits, Carr's office said.
The change, if not stopped by courts, will make it easier for Carr to allow broadcast mergers that result in more favorable news coverage for President Trump. Carr has consistently threatened to revoke licenses from broadcasters who have drawn Trump's ire, including by ordering an early license review of all ABC-owned stations. Carr said local broadcast TV stations are becoming "undifferentiated passthroughs of national programming produced in Hollywood and New York," and he justified repealing the ownership rule by arguing it will help the stations invest in local news. "It's worth noting that Republicans with deep firsthand knowledge of this issue also agree the commission cannot do what it is attempting today," said Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who voted against the decision today. "Former FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly has been unequivocal that the FCC lacks authority to change the cap. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who negotiated the 39 percent compromise, has stressed that Congress intentionally wrote the cap into law to prevent FCC revision. And Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz has said he is 'skeptical a change can be made absent an act of Congress.' Their consensus reinforces a simple point: Congress set the cap, and only Congress can change it."
Gomez, in addition to arguing that "Congress deliberately enshrined the cap in statute and removed it from the Commission's review process," said removing the cap will hurt local broadcasters. "Digital giants compete for their most valuable programming and advertising, while consolidation pressures at the national level threaten the local reporting and public-safety functions on which communities rely," Gomez said. "But eliminating the cap does not free local broadcasters from that strain. It just changes who is doing the squeezing. A handful of station-group giants does not represent the wishes of local broadcasters. They are large national companies that own local stations and increasingly dictate what airs on them without much local input. Trading a squeeze from Big Tech for a squeeze from Big Media does nothing to protect the communities this cap was designed to serve."
Researchers say breakthrough offers hope for new medicines but also raises urgent biosecurity questions
Scientists have made the first viruses designed by artificial intelligence in a milestone that raises hopes for new medicines but also concerns over how to ensure the technology remains safe.
The viruses are specific kinds known as bacteriophages, which only infect bacteria and are used around the world to treat patients with persistent infections. In lab tests, a cocktail of the AI-designed viruses killed E coli bugs that were resistant to natural bacteriophages.
Donald Trump has lashed out at reports that the US is running short of key munitions in its war with Iran, threatening long prison sentences for officials who leak information about the military’s weapons stocks.
The US president claimed on Thursday that the US had “massive amounts” of ammunition and said more was being manufactured and shipped to the region, as his frustration over the conflict spilled into a public attack on the media.
Judge issues temporary pause while he considers Trump’s request to revise his libel lawsuit against BBC
A federal judge has temporarily halted an order requiring Donald Trump to turn over detailed financial information about his business empire to the BBC as part of an ongoing libel lawsuit.
US district judge Roy Altman issued the temporary pause while he considers Trump’s request to revise and narrow parts of his lawsuit against the BBC over a 2024 documentary that aired in the UK.
Projects will accelerate innovation in critical scientific and engineering challenges
Aug. 6, 2026 — Researchers at the University of Minnesota have had three projects selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s inaugural Genesis Mission program, underscoring the University’s leadership in applying AI and advanced computing to address critical scientific and engineering challenges in energy, technology and national security.
“We believe the University of Minnesota has a real opportunity — and a responsibility — to help shape how AI advances discovery and benefits society,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter. “These Genesis Mission awards are a testament to the strength of our collaborative research community and the extraordinary work of our faculty. We’re not just driving new understanding in a rapidly changing world, we’re preparing our students and researchers to lead with integrity and positioning Minnesota for the future.”
The University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering secured the three Genesis Mission Phase I awards. A highly competitive initiative that drew the largest response to a funding opportunity in the Department of Energy’s history, the program awarded 278 grants to researchers at 168 universities, 87 national laboratories, 19 companies and four nonprofit organizations. Phase I funding supports researchers as they develop and test research workflows that integrate AI with scientific discovery.
“The Genesis Mission brings together the scientific expertise, engineering capability and advanced computing needed to accelerate discovery,” said Andrew Alleyne, dean of the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. “University of Minnesota researchers are well positioned to contribute to this work. Integrating AI throughout the research process can help our teams evaluate ideas faster and move promising solutions forward in areas including energy systems, advanced materials and intelligent technologies.”
Using AI to Unlock Next-Generation Semiconductor Devices
Uwe Kortshagen, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is leading a project aimed at transforming semiconductor manufacturing. Today’s chip fabrication processes require extreme precision but remain difficult to adapt to new materials. Kortshagen’s team will develop an AI-driven discovery engine to rapidly evaluate manufacturing approaches, identify sources of error and accelerate the development of next-generation semiconductor materials.
A New Frontier for ‘Digital Twins’
Qizhi He, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering, will lead a project aimed at transforming geothermal energy extraction. Using generative AI, the research team will develop a real-time “digital twin” of underground environments that can rapidly process sensor data and provide more accurate insights than current models. The technology will help energy operators make faster, better-informed decisions, improving efficiency while reducing costs.
Optimizing Critical Mineral Extraction
Peter Kang, associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, is developing new approaches to recover critical minerals more efficiently and sustainably. His research focuses on “in situ” recovery, a process that extracts minerals by circulating fluids underground rather than through traditional mining. By combining lab experiments with next-generation AI, Kang and his team will better predict how fluids move through fractured rock and dissolve minerals, helping optimize recovery and improve extraction efficiency.
Advancing AI Leadership at the University of Minnesota
The three Genesis Mission awards highlight the University of Minnesota’s growing leadership in applying AI to solve complex challenges. This recognition builds on the University’s long history of technological innovation, from early supercomputing advances to the development of the Gopher protocol, a precursor to today’s internet.
“The Genesis Mission’s recognition of our faculty underscores the University of Minnesota’s position as a leader in AI-driven scientific discovery,” said Galin Jones, the University’s vice provost for AI. “By applying AI to complex challenges in energy, natural resources and physical systems, these researchers are demonstrating how AI can accelerate discovery and deliver real-world impact. Their work highlights the power of combining advanced statistical modeling, differentiable physics and machine learning to drive innovation and sustainability.”
In support of its AI leadership, the University recently launched the AI Hub, a University-wide initiative to advance responsible AI innovation, education and workforce development across Minnesota. The AI Hub brings together researchers, students, industry and community partners to accelerate discovery and public impact. Through initiatives such as new AI-focused curriculum and the College of Science and Engineering’s AI Makerspace, the University is expanding opportunities for faculty, staff and students to develop the skills and hands-on experience needed to succeed in an AI-driven workforce.
About the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, with campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester and the Twin Cities, is driven by a singular vision of excellence. We are proud of our mission of accessible world-class education, groundbreaking research, and community-engaged outreach, and we are unified in our drive to serve Minnesota, the nation and the world. Visit system.umn.edu.
The 2-1 vote along party lines repealed ‘national cap’ that served as a key check on consolidation of the TV industry
In a historic vote on Thursday morning, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to overturn a key check against the consolidation of the television industry, throwing out a rule that prevented any one company from owning stations that collectively reach more than 39% of all US TV households.
The vote is a win for television conglomerates that aim to expand their reach across the country, particularly conservative-leaning companies like Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar.
Longtime Slashdot reader mccalli writes: Times Magazine has started serving adverts with "brand messages" to AI crawlers, which are not part of its main page. The aim seems to be to influence chatbots to talk about the brand offerings in a positive light that can't be traced back to the actual page. Notably, they've excluded Google chatbots from this, likely because Google penalizes companies that show different search offerings to its bots versus actual human visitors. "Maybe it's more important to influence the agent than even the human, because with a human you influence one person. When you influence ChatGPT, you're influencing potentially all of ChatGPT," said Jonah Goodhart, co-founder and CEO of ad tech platform Mobian. "If ChatGPT changes what it says about [a brand], it's massive and it's more than any one campaign could ever do. The big idea here is LLMs and AI want trusted information about brands. We're serving that up to them in a very straightforward, easy way."
The ad strategy was uncovered by Germany-based freelance software developer Vincent Schmalbach, who detailed his findings in a blog post.
Digiday and The Register both reported on the story.
President Donald Trump says oil revenues are flowing to the U.S. and Venezuela since the U.S. arrested then-leader Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to New York City for trial on drug and corruption charges.
During an Aug. 4 Fox News interview, Trump said voters in the midterm elections “want to see winning,” and he offered Venezuela as an example. “People were so opposed to what I did in Venezuela,” he said. “It lasted one day. And now, they, look, we’re making hundreds of billions of dollars, and so are they.”
But Trump’s figure is higher than other available data. The best estimates show $13 billion in Venezuelan oil revenue since Maduro’s ouster, and it’s unclear how much of that went to the United States and how much to Venezuela.
When PolitiFact asked the White House for data to support Trump’s figure, the press office referred us back to his comments.
“The hundreds of billions figure is not remotely credible,” said Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit that studies deadly conflicts. Gunson is based in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
Trump’s estimate exceeds the entire gross domestic product of Venezuela several times over.
What is the U.S. role in Venezuela’s oil market?
After Maduro’s arrest, Delcy Rodríguez, vice president at the time, took over as interim president; the U.S. recognized her as head of state in March. The Trump administration said it would control Venezuela’s oil industry, which has a lot of reserves but has struggled over the last decade to secure the capital investment needed to bring that oil to market.
An executive order issued days after Maduro’s ouster said oil revenue would be the Venezuelan government property but held in U.S. government accounts in a “custodial and governmental capacity.” The U.S. Energy Department said the funds would be “disbursed for the benefit of the American people and the Venezuelan people.”
Neither government has produced a single, easy-to-locate and up-to-date dollar amount of how much oil revenue has been generated, nor who has received the money. So fact-checking Trump relies on piecing together scattered estimates of revenues and expenditures.
A July 22 Financial Times analysis estimated that the U.S. has collected about $13 billion in Venezuelan oil revenue. The Financial Times looked at data on crude oil shipments from Venezuela since January compiled by the freight data platform Kpler, combined with price estimates for several grades of Venezuelan crude oil supplied by Argus Media, a pricing agency.
Trump was skeptical of the $13 billion figure for oil revenue when a reporter referenced the estimate on Air Force One in July, saying “I think (it’s) even more than that.”
For Trump’s claim of “hundreds of billions of dollars” to be right, both the U.S. and Venezuela would each have to be receiving more than Venezuela’s current gross domestic product — the sum of all economic activity within the country of nearly 29 million people.
Venezuela’s GDP is about $111 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund. The Financial Times estimated that oil revenues account for about a quarter of Venezuela’s GDP.
Analysts told PolitiFact they were unaware of oil revenue estimates that reached into the hundreds of billions for either country.
“Even with the most generous assumption you’d never get there,” said Dany Bahar, a Brown University visiting fellow in international and public affairs.
And questions persist about how much of the oil revenue is going to Venezuela.
The State Department told Congress in April it had spent $3 billion for operating costs, such as oil industry supplies and government worker salaries. A Venezuelan government site that tracks revenue for U.S.-sold oil shows $300 million in revenue sent to Venezuela through March. (The U.S. has also sent Venezuela $386 million for disaster relief after two major earthquakes on June 24.)
David Smilde, a senior associate at Tulane University’s Center for Inter-American Policy Research, described Trump’s Aug. 4 figure as “not possible” and said the most recent credible amount he’s seen is the Financial Times’ $13 billion.
Gunson said it’s unclear “where all that money went, how much was sent to Venezuela and what it was spent on.” He said transparency was not a priority in Venezuela even before Maduro’s ouster; the country has not published a national budget in more than a decade.
Smilde said there is “incredible opaqueness with which Venezuela’s oil sales are being routed.”
“My sense is that there has been quite a bit of revenue returning to Venezuela, but given the government’s budget deficit and all of the need, it does not have the impact people expect,” Smilde said.
Our ruling
Trump said that in Venezuela, “We’re making hundreds of billions of dollars (in oil revenue), and so are they.”
Experts and published analyses place the highest credible figure for oil revenue at $13 billion since the U.S. took over Venezuela’s oil industry.
Hundreds of billions of dollars for each of the U.S. and Venezuela would be several times the smaller country’s reported gross domestic product.
We rate the statement False.
Senior Audience Engagement Producer Ellen Hine contributed to this report.
Cases have passed 4,000 and health watchdog plans to go door to door to find patients in major response escalation
The virus causing a massive outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be mutating, health officials fear, as confirmed cases pass 4,000.
Africa’s public health watchdog said the time for incremental action was over as they announced plans to scale up every aspect of the response and go “door to door” looking for patients.
Emma Atkinson, 38, was seven months pregnant when she fell from window of flat in Leeds tower block, inquest told
A pregnant woman who died from a nine-storey fall had her baby safely delivered 30 minutes after her death, an inquest has heard.
Emma Atkinson, 38, was seven months pregnant when she fell from the window of her father’s flat in Shakespeare Towers in the Burmantofts area of Leeds, on 22 October 2024.
A Minnesota woman says she fainted, spiked a 102-degree fever, and was hospitalized with sepsis three days after eating a chicken burrito bowl at a Chipotle in Roseville, and genetic testing connected her case to a multistate outbreak, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions during testimony before the committee last week.
wiredmikey shares a report from SecurityWeek: Meta is the latest major AI developer to admit that its models broke loose during cybersecurity testing and hacked external systems. The tech giant said in a statement to the media on Wednesday that the incident occurred during independent evaluations conducted by Israeli AI security startup Irregular. The tested AI models were inadvertently allowed to access the internet due to a misconfiguration, which led them to exploit a vulnerability in an unnamed third-party service. It's unclear if it was a known flaw or a zero-day.
The Information [gated] learned that the Meta AI attacks involved the company's advanced Muse Spark 1.1 model, which breached an unnamed organization's systems and made unauthorized changes to its internal environment. Meta said it learned of the AI models going rogue after being notified by Irregular. The company is conducting an investigation and it has promised to issue a "full retrospective" once it has all the facts. A spokesperson for Irregular said the incident was the "exact same evaluation-environment issue that was already disclosed by Anthropic last week" and that it did "not involve a "sandbox escape or a sophisticated cyber action."
It contrasts with OpenAI, whose AI agent independently exploited a novel vulnerability to reach the internet during cyber testing. Not only did it breach Hugging Face but it also hacked multiple third-party accounts and services as part of the attack.
Family says celebrity blogger remains under medical care after viewers alerted authorities over disturbing TikTok broadcast
Perez Hilton is “able to communicate”, according to a new statement released by his family, one day after the celebrity blogger appeared to self-harm during a disturbing TikTok livestream that prompted his hospitalization.
In a message posted to Hilton’s blog on Wednesday evening, his family thanked supporters for the outpouring of concern.
Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains advised not to travel, with cancellations and other services delayed
Trains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.
Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains have been advised not to travel, with widespread cancellations and other services delayed by more than an hour already.
Andy Burnham’s government is “urgently” identifying any grooming gang perpetrators who may still be eligible for early prison release after concerns were raised about a potential loophole in the system.
The prime minister has “personally intervened” after men convicted of assaulting children in Bradford were expected to be freed from prison early despite a promise earlier this week that they would remain behind bars.
A spokesperson for the Greens says figures had ‘quadrupled’ in the last year since Polanski became leader
A Reform government will introduce national licensing for vape shops, which Zia Yusuf says will see a decrease of 70% in the businesses on British high streets.
“We will also end financial disincentive,” he says. Reform will establish a central prosecution fund for local authorities to pursue businesses employing illegal workers.
Corporate CEOs have been making a fortune by hiring illegal workers and undermining British youngsters.
Reform will jail them and stop illegal working for good - we will stand up for British workers.
A Republican-controlled US Senate committee voted to hold Dr Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after the veteran public health official repeatedly pleaded the fifth amendment to parry a hostile inquisition into his stewardship of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fauci, the former director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Niaid), who led the agency for 38 years before retiring in 2022, gave the same response to dozens of questions while refusing to give clarifying answers during a tense hearing last week, citing his constitutional protections.
The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia in an effort to force them to hand over their unredacted voter rolls containing voters' sensitive information.
Jason Arday, who joined Cambridge in 2023 at the age of 37, became one of Britain's most high-profile academics after sharing an extraordinary life story.
A catastrophe with multiple casualties was possibly narrowly averted by the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport, German officials said, as they examined whether a foreign state could be behind the plot.
One of the Ukrainian aircraft next to where the bomb drone was found was loaded with military ammunition, according to a classified police report quoted by the public broadcasters WDR and NDR and the Süddeutsche newspaper.
RALEIGH, North Carolina — Brittany Boltinhouse has been stripped of her Miss North Carolina USA 2026 title after alleged racist social media posts resurfaced weeks before the national competition.
A Blaize Productions, which operates the state pageant, announced Wednesday that it ended Boltinhouse’s reign after reviewing newly surfaced information and consulting with the Miss USA Organization. Officials did not publicly identify the posts that prompted the decision.
However, NCBeat reported that posts attributed to Boltinhouse repeatedly used a racial slur between 2017 and 2019 under the username “Sosa the Stallion.” Boltinhouse, 27, was crowned June 28 and had been scheduled to represent North Carolina at the Miss USA pageant in Miami on Aug. 27.
Miss USA Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia or language that denies another person’s dignity. He said the material reflected conduct occurring over an extended period rather than one isolated incident.
Brodeur said Boltinhouse had accepted accountability and planned to release a statement. He added that an apology could begin personal growth but would not reverse the harm or change the organization’s decision.
First runner-up Myla Hadley has assumed the title and will represent North Carolina at Miss USA. Hadley said she understood the responsibility involved and was prepared for the unexpectedly shortened transition.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Republican-led Senate committee voted Thursday to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right during testimony about the federal COVID-19 response.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved Chairman Rand Paul’s resolution in an 8-7 party-line vote. Fauci declined to answer more than 100 questions during the July 29 hearing, saying Paul’s repeated demands for his prosecution gave him legitimate reason to fear criminal exposure.
Paul argues that former President Joe Biden’s preemptive pardon eliminated Fauci’s Fifth Amendment protection for conduct covered by it. Fauci’s attorneys counter that the pardon does not cover later conduct, state charges or new allegations arising from his testimony. Legal experts say courts have not definitively resolved whether a pardoned witness may still invoke the constitutional protection before Congress.
Republicans accuse Fauci of withholding information about pandemic policies and the origins of the coronavirus. Fauci denies wrongdoing, and his attorney called the contempt vote a politically motivated effort to punish him for exercising a constitutional right.
Contempt referrals ordinarily require approval from the full Senate, where 60 votes would likely be needed. Paul has suggested sending the resolution directly to the Justice Department, where U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro would decide whether to pursue charges. Democrats argue that bypassing the Senate would weaken congressional procedure and turn oversight into partisan retaliation.
Brandon Relph, who founded first company at 13, joins strategy team in ‘much-needed step’ for the broadcaster
A 26-year-old business prodigy and self-styled gen Z whisperer has been drafted in by the BBC as it battles to reach young audiences increasingly choosing content creators on YouTube and TikTok over traditional broadcasters.
Brandon Relph, who founded his first company aged 13, and has been praised by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, has joined the BBC’s strategy team to help counter the existential threat of falling audiences among young people.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Mexican broadcaster TelevisaUnivision (TU) has obtained (PDF) one of the broadest anti-piracy injunctions ever issued by a U.S. federal court. After initially targeting five pirate IPTV streaming operations, the case expanded to cover well over 500 domain names, requiring intermediaries including Cloudflare, GitHub, and a Mexican bank to comply. In addition, the injunction also covers pirate services and content that hasn't been created yet. [...] The case was relatively targeted, naming the IPTV services Thunder TV, Sunset TV, Pop TV, Kaelus TV, and Tele Latino, as well as their alleged operators. The broadcaster argued that these pirate IPTV services threatened its business. TU holds the World Cup rights for sixteen Latin American territories, and its license with FIFA requires it to keep the Mexican broadcast signal from reaching the United States. The pirate services, it argued, put it in breach of that contract, exposing it to "termination and forfeiture of hundreds of millions of dollars in payments." To stop this immediate threat, the company requested a temporary restraining order, hoping to shut down the IPTV services effective immediately.
[...] Judge Kathleen Williams granted the temporary restraining order (PDF) on June 5, one day after the case was filed, without hearing from any of the defendants. The initial order prohibited the defendants from infringing TU's own copyrighted works, which include telenovelas and other programming, and from using its trademarks, including all content linked to its licensed World Cup broadcast. Importantly, the order also targeted third parties acting "in active concert," including ISPs, hosts, CDNs, domain registrars, registries, app stores, ad networks, social platforms, search engines, and payment processors. These were ordered, on TU's request and with notice, to disable the listed domains and IP addresses and unmask whoever was behind them. [...]
While the injunction is noteworthy for many reasons, the most striking feature is that it's specifically written to include things that don't yet exist. That starts with the content it protects. The order isn't limited to TU's current catalog or the World Cup rights, it covers the infringement of "any copyrighted works or broadcasts that Plaintiffs may in the future produce, license, or acquire rights to transmit." In other words, it covers future copyrights that did not exist when the order was signed. The same applies to the pirate services themselves. The injunction defines its target as the named IPTV operations "and any comparable system," whether "currently in existence or developed in the future," and it applies "regardless of the branding, domain name, or technical configuration used."
As Australia prepares for the H5 bird flu to potentially rip through hundreds of species, residents of the Limestone Coast are already seeing the impacts
It has only been three weeks since H5 bird flu was detected on South Australia’s Limestone Coast and already encounters with sick or dead birds are becoming commonplace.
Maureen Christie, who lives in the seaside town of Carpenter Rocks, has been observing and protecting birds in the region for decades. She is now witnessing many stricken and suffering.
After his fall from grace, media’s former enfant terrible is now sober and helping others with his addiction recovery newsletter and podcast, The Small Bow
Every other Tuesday, AJ Daulerio wakes up at 5.30am and meditates for five to 20 minutes before beginning his multistep daily journaling protocol: reading a selection from a poetry anthology, then a passage from one of his daily wisdom readers (his go-to is a heavily annotated copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom); writing his Fear of the Day and gratitude list, then sharing his spiritual takeaway in a note to his three kids.
After a banana and coffee, Daulerio trains Brazilian jujitsu before hitting a 9.45am meditation at Besant Lodge – a community center just below the Hollywood sign that once served as a meeting place for mid-century mystics – immediately followed by him leading a recovery meeting of his own through Zoom.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy says she will not intervene in £85bn deal after securing guarantees on Channel 5
The UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said she will not intervene in Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, removing one of the remaining obstacles to the blockbuster deal.
However, Paramount has made significant concessions to secure the UK government’s backing for the $110bn (£85bn) takeover, which will create a global media powerhouse and effectively bolster the influence of Paramount’s chief executive, David Ellison.
This post was contributed by Martin Schuetz and Ruben Andrist from the Amazon Advanced Solutions Lab, and Romina Yalovetzky and Atithi Acharya from Global Technology Applied Research at JPMorganChase.
Aug. 6, 2026 — Quantum researchers at JPMorganChase and the Amazon Advanced Solutions Lab are working together to explore how quantum technologies may help address complex optimization problems in finance and beyond. This sustained, multi-project research program has enabled shared methodologies and co-designed algorithms and experiments, deepening understanding of how quantum and classical resources can work together in practice.
The researchers developed a novel hybrid (quantum-classical) approach for solving large-scale graph optimization problems, validated and tested through experiments on Amazon Braket. They used quantum devices as co-processors to augment advanced classical solvers, benchmark results on systems available today on Amazon Braket, and shape future experiments.
This post will share some highlights from the collaboration. You’ll learn how the researchers: 1. Built a decomposition pipeline that reduces portfolio optimization problems by ~80%, making them small enough for near-term quantum hardware. 2. Developed a compilation toolkit that has the potential to shrink qubit requirements by orders of magnitude for real-world graph problems. 3. Created qReduMIS, a hybrid algorithm where quantum devices serve as co-processors to classical solvers – achieving above ~89% average success rates on hard problem instances using QuEra’s Aquila device on Amazon Braket.
A Suite of Tools for Near-Term Quantum Hardware
Combinatorial optimization problems are ubiquitous across different areas in industry and science, with prominent examples in areas like transportation and logistics, telecommunications, manufacturing, and finance. Analog neutral-atom quantum machines based on Rydberg atoms provide a novel platform to design and implement quantum optimization algorithms, with scientists in both industry and academia searching for the most promising types of problems for which an early quantum advantage could be demonstrated.
In previous work the researchers studied the computational hardness of certain optimization problems, inspired by real-world use cases in finance (see the blog post here). With a deeper understanding for problem hardness and quantum speedups, the collaboration has then produced three additional research papers that together provide a comprehensive toolkit for solving large-scale optimization problems on near-term Rydberg quantum hardware. An overview of the results are provided here – for more details see the original publications in Refs. [1-3].
Decomposition Pipeline for Portfolio Optimization [1]
Figure 1. Schematic overview of our decomposition pipeline for solving large optimization problems. The objective is denoted by H, and the constraint set is denoted by Ω. Decompose: We first preprocess the correlation matrix using Random Matrix Theory (RMT). The resulting problem is then partitioned into a series of subproblems using community detection methods. Solve: Each subproblem is solved (in parallel). Aggregate: The subproblems are aggregated and post-processed for feasibility checks into the final solution x*. Finally, we check the final objective value, while ensuring feasibility.
The first paper [1] addresses the challenge of solving industrially relevant constrained optimization problems, such as portfolio optimization and rebalancing, which are often intractable or difficult to solve exactly. The researchers propose and benchmark a decomposition pipeline that can break large-scale problems down into smaller, more manageable subproblems, with implications for both classical and quantum computation. See Figure 1 for a schematic illustration.
The researchers’ empirical results show that their pipeline consistently reduces the size of real-world portfolio optimization problems by approximately 80%, while maintaining solution quality within a minimal error. The researchers further report on a 3x reduction in time-to-solution for large-scale portfolio optimization problems with up to 1500 variables. The pipeline decomposes the optimization problem into constrained subproblems, which are then solved separately and aggregated to give a final result. By leveraging the underlying structure present in financial data and using random matrix theory to clean correlation matrices, researchers can use modified community detection algorithms to identify subproblems.
Moreover, by decomposing large problems into several smaller subproblems, the pipeline allows researchers to embed these smaller subproblems onto near-term quantum devices with hundreds of qubits, thus enabling the use of near-term quantum devices as solvers, and providing a path toward practical utility of quantum computers in portfolio optimization.
Quantum Compilation Toolkit for Rydberg Atom Arrays [2]
Figure 2. Schematic illustration of our compilation for solving the Maximum Independent Set (MIS) problem on large graphs using Rydberg atom arrays. The process begins with an arbitrary input graph (e.g., the Cora citation graph with ~2700 nodes and ~5300 edges) generically incompatible with the connectivity constraints of Rydberg quantum hardware. Through deterministic reduction algorithms, the graph is reduced (exactly, without approximation) to a smaller kernel—reducing Cora to just 9 nodes and 12 edges. A compatibility checker then verifies whether the reduced graph meets hardware constraints based on properties like maximum degree and triangle count. Finally, our embedding algorithms map the logical graph onto physical Rydberg hardware with limited connectivity (e.g., a lattice with union-jack connectivity). The embedding is optimized to minimize overhead, and quantum wires with ancilla atoms are used to introduce missing connections. For Cora, this yields a hardware-native embedding with just 9 nodes, 11 edges, and 8 ancilla atoms in a quantum wire.
The second paper [2] proposes and implements a comprehensive quantum compilation toolkit for solving the maximum independent set (MIS) problem on quantum hardware based on Rydberg atom arrays. The end-to-end pipeline involves three core components to efficiently map generic MIS instances onto Rydberg arrays with unit-disk connectivity, with modules for graph reduction, hardware compatibility checks, and graph embedding; see Figure 2 for illustration.
The first module (reducer) provides hardware-agnostic and deterministic reduction logic that iteratively reduces the problem size via (exact) lazy clique removals. Real-world networks can typically be reduced by orders of magnitude on subsecond timescales, thus significantly cutting down the eventual load for quantum devices. For example, consider the real-world Cora citation graph with approximately 2,700 nodes. To embed this graph on Rydberg hardware using previous methods would require approximately 29 million qubits, far beyond the capabilities of near-term quantum hardware. Leveraging exact graph reduction techniques together with an optimized embedding scheme, the researchers show that this graph can in fact be encoded with tens of qubits, thus reducing the required qubit overhead by orders of magnitude and enabling the use of near-term quantum devices.
The second module (compatibility checker) implements a hardware compatibility checker that quickly determines whether a given input graph may be compatible with the restrictions imposed by Rydberg quantum hardware. The third module (embedder) describes hardware-efficient graph embedding routines to generate approximate encodings with controllable overhead and optimized ancilla placements.
qReduMIS: A Quantum-Informed Reduction Algorithm [3]
Figure 3. The hybrid qReduMIS framework consists of three layers: (i) application, (ii) algorithm, and (iii) hardware. The application layer is illustrated using a portfolio selection problem (PSP) that can be formulated as a MIS problem on an asset graph. For a given graph G, the qReduMIS algorithm solves the MIS problem by combining exact polynomial-time reduction logic with quantum measurement data to identify and remove frozen vertices with high or low likelihood of being part of large independent sets, thereby unblocking the kernelization process. The framework is hardware-agnostic and compatible with both digital and analog quantum devices, including Rydberg atom arrays implementing analog Hamiltonian simulation (AHS) programs.
The third paper [3] introduces qReduMIS, a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm for the maximum independent set (MIS) problem. Here, the researchers use a quantum computer as a co-processor that feeds information back into classical reduction logic. Specifically, quantum measurement data identifies frozen vertices that are highly likely (or unlikely) to appear in large independent sets. Removing these vertices unblocks further classical kernelization, creating a recursive loop where quantum and classical resources reinforce each other. See Figure 3 for a schematic illustration of the qReduMIS framework.
Figure 4. Success probability PMIS as a function of the hardness parameter H, for QAA (red squares), classical SA (bright blue diamonds), qReduMIS (blue circles), and a random-informed baseline (black triangles). Error bars refer to 90% confidence intervals as extracted via bootstrapping; for SA error bars are estimated via repeated Bernoulli experiments. The inset provides selected results for those nine instances (with a non-zero kernel) that are not solved by classical reduction alone.
Researchers systematically assess the performance of qReduMIS based on experiments with up to 231 qubits run on QuEra’s Aquila quantum device available through Amazon Braket. The results are displayed in Figure 4. For quantum annealing algorithms (QAA) the success rate PMIS is strongly suppressed for hard instances, dropping to small PMIS ≳ 0 for most (hard) instances with hardness H ≳ 10. While more performant than QAA, researchers observe a similar performance drop for classical simulated annealing (SA) [4]. Conversely, qReduMIS solves most instances to optimality with PMIS = 1 and maintains a non-zero success rate with average PMIS ≳ 89% throughout the testbed. Overall, these results illustrate the benefits of introducing kernelization techniques over both classical and quantum Markov-chain Monte Carlo-based methods.
The experiments show that qReduMIS can help address fundamental performance limitations faced by a broad set of (quantum) solvers including Rydberg quantum devices, given by the exponential performance suppression in the conductance-like hardness parameter for hard MIS problem instances.
Looking Ahead
Together, these three papers provide a comprehensive suite of tools that extends the class of problems that can be tackled with near-term Rydberg atom arrays and help push the art of the possible for Rydberg quantum devices (as available on Amazon Braket through the QuEra Aquila device). These results should help identify the most promising directions for applications of Rydberg devices and direct the community’s ongoing efforts towards quantum advantage, hopefully inspiring many interesting future experiments.
References
[1] A. Acharya, R. Yalovetzky, P. Minssen, S. Chakrabarti, R. Shaydulin, R. Raymond, Y. Sun, D. Herman, R. S. Andrist, G. Salton, M. J. A. Schuetz, H. G. Katzgraber, and M. Pistoia, Decomposition Pipeline for Large-Scale Portfolio Optimization with Applications to Near-Term Quantum Computing, Phys. Rev. Research 7, 023142 (2025); arXiv:2409.10301.
[2] M. J. A. Schuetz, R. S. Andrist, G. Salton, R. Yalovetzky, R. Raymond, Y. Sun, A. Acharya, S. Chakrabarti, M. Pistoia, and H. G. Katzgraber, Quantum Compilation Toolkit for Rydberg Atom Arrays with Implications for Problem Hardness and Quantum Speedups, Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033107 (2025); arXiv:2412.14976.
[3] M. J. A. Schuetz, R. Yalovetzky, R. S. Andrist, G. Salton, Y. Sun, R. Raymond, S. Chakrabarti, A. Acharya, R. Shaydulin, M. Pistoia, and H. G. Katzgraber, qReduMIS: A Quantum-Informed Reduction Algorithm for the Maximum Independent Set Problem, arXiv:2503.12551.
[4] R. S. Andrist, M. J. A. Schuetz, P. Minssen, R. Yalovetzky, S. Chakrabarti, D. Herman, N. Kumar, G. Salton, R. Shaydulin, Y. Sun, M. Pistoia, and H. G. Katzgraber, Hardness of the Maximum Independent Set Problem on Unit-Disk Graphs and Prospects for Quantum Speedups, Phys. Rev. Research 5, 043277 (2023);arXiv:2307.09442.
Source: Martin Schuetz, Atithi Acharya, Romina Yalovetzky, and Ruben Andrist; Amazon and JPMorganChase; AWS
Christopher Wright, 73, who shot Richard Dyson and dismembered his remains, given 35-year minimum term
A man who killed his lodger and concealed his dismembered body in a barrel filled with concrete for more than five years has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years.
Christopher Wright, a 73-year-old farmer from South Yorkshire, was convicted in July in Sheffield crown court of murdering Richard Dyson, 55, in 2019. Dyson had been living in his car on Wright’s farm in Hoyland and had been doing jobs for the then 67-year-old when the pair had a falling out.
Dhaka accuses India of giving platform to a ‘convicted genocider’ by allowing Sheikh Hasina to address journalists
Bangladesh has lashed out at India for allowing the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to address journalists in New Delhi, plunging already strained bilateral relations to a fresh low.
Dhaka accused India of giving a platform to a fugitive it labelled a “convicted genocider” and of undermining efforts to repair ties, after Hasina vowed to return to Bangladesh in December despite facing a death sentence on charges of “crimes against humanity”.
David Owori, who played for the national team, died in hospital after he tried to stop robbers taking his phone
The Ugandan football community is in mourning after the death of a player who was fatally injured during a robbery in the capital, Kampala, on Tuesday night.
David Owori, who captained Sports Club Villa, a Uganda Premier League club, and represented the national team, was attacked after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone and other belongings near his home in Makindye division.
Juan Jesús Vivas has been briefing EU lawmakers on the ‘humanitarian emergency’ and says updated death toll now lies at least 100 people
The commission also got repeatedly asked about last week’s events in Ceuta and media reports that social media accounts seen calls for another attempt to overwhelm the border on 15 August.
A spokesperson said the commission was aware of various threats to the EU’s external border, and “that’s why we need to step up our work.”
“I can point you to the solar eclipse next week on the 12th, which will have an impact on energy production.
We have established a operational group that is dedicated to the preparation of this and … my understanding is that they have a meeting tomorrow, Friday, where they are preparing for possible impacts.
CLEVELAND, Aug. 6, 2026 — Eaton today announced it was awarded a $7 million, 24‑month contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to apply quantum computing, machine learning and advanced visualization to improve resilience and protection at the power grid. The effort will advance new quantum-enabled algorithms and hybrid quantum‑classical methods, developed with partners Infleqtion and Penn State, to help better detect, visualize and respond to multiple, concurrent physical and cyber threats on the grid.
Addressing the Contingency Problem
Today, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requires transmission systems to withstand two sequential failures (N‑2). This project aims to analyze and prepare for multiple, concurrent and unpredictable threat combinations.
Eaton will address a key security challenge in electrical grid management known as the contingency problem, which involves evaluating countless grid configurations to identify potential vulnerabilities. Eaton will combine its longtime, proven expertise in intelligent power management with the significant computational power of quantum computing for grid resilience.
“We’re facing unprecedented risks to electric reliability and security from extreme weather, wildfires, physical and cyber threats and need tools that consider many failures at once,” said Sid Suryanarayanan, senior chief engineer, strategic partnerships and innovation at Eaton. “This AFRL‑funded project pairs Eaton’s grid expertise with quantum and machine learning methods to bring faster awareness and more actionable control to critical energy systems.”
Partnering with World-Class Experts
Eaton research will combine specialized quantum hardware from Infleqtion, advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) supported by Pennsylvania State University to deliver solutions that enhance infrastructure planning, daily operations and emergency preparedness.
The project includes the development of new quantum algorithms, optimizing circuits for hybrid computation, conducting experiments on multiple quantum hardware platforms, and correcting and mitigating errors. Results will be shared in a proof-of-concept demonstration showcasing how current quantum hardware combined with new algorithms and machine learning approaches can solve real-world grid challenges.
“At Eaton, we’re delivering next generation solutions for intelligent power management that benefit critical infrastructure through our world-class engineering capabilities and our comprehensive approach to research and development,” said Dr. Christopher A. Herbst, vice president, strategic partnerships and innovation at Eaton. “This research will enhance infrastructure planning, daily operations and emergency preparedness, bringing unprecedented awareness, anticipation and response to strengthen infrastructure.”
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About Eaton
Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.
Explore Antarctica as a flightless bird – and dodge some earthly monsters – in this surreal adaptation of HP Lovecraft
While watching the 2006 animated film Happy Feet with his daughter, Origame Digital founder Naphtali Faulkner noticed something interesting. “[In the movie], they see the digger fall into the ocean, and it has an almost eldritch quality,” he says. Over time, and with plenty of iteration, Faulkner’s inspirations coalesced, from HP Lovecraft to the 1982 version of The Thing and the works of David Lynch. “I’m a big fan of horror that sits in your head rather than in your stomach,” says Faulkner.
In Penguin Colony, players body-switch between species of flightless birds, piecing together cryptic cosmic clues as they tail a Nazi expedition to Antarctica. In the process, Origame Digital draws on Lovecraft’s novella At the Mountains of Madness. “I’d always wanted to do a creature that’s a manifestation of colonial thought, energy and power, and the idea of it resting and then regrowing,” says Faulkner. “I was looking through the history of Lovecraft and him being a gigantic racist, and this idea of the Nazis sort of came out,” he adds.
Half of border agents are Latino, and they are part of a long history of Hispanic support for – and enforcement of – harsh immigration policies
Since Trump’s return to power, more than 60 people have died at the hands of or in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including two Latino immigrants in one week: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine. Many Latinos have come to feel that their brown skin makes them targets, and they are not wrong.
But there is another dimension of this story that we often fail to consider: many of those in charge of anti-immigrant operations also have brown skin, Hispanic names and links to the communities they terrorize. When the identities of the agents who killed Alex Pretti in January were revealed as those of two Hispanic men, many people reacted with shock. The irony seemed obvious, but it reflected a mistaken assumption: that Latinos are naturally opposed to restrictionist immigration policies. History suggests otherwise.
The mFlusiva vaccine for older people is first made with mRNA platform key to ending coronavirus pandemic
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new kind of flu vaccine for older people, the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the Covid-19 pandemic, Moderna, the manufacturer, said.
The shot, named mFlusiva, is intended for adults aged 50 or older. Other brands of flu shots already have begun arriving in pharmacies ahead of fall vaccination season, and Moderna said late on Wednesday that it expected some of its new version to be available soon at select retailers.
Players stayed in country after Asian Cup in March
Duo condemned as traitors in Iran for not singing anthem
Two former Iranian footballers said on Thursday they were proud to have been granted Australian citizenship after being called traitors at home for refusing to sing the national anthem before a game.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were members of a group of seven from Iran’s delegation who asked for Australia’s protection after the protest during the women’s Asian Cup in March.
"They are picking up law-abiding citizens. They're destroying families, jobs," said a Texas man who regrets his vote for President Trump after his fiancée, an immigrant from Venezuela, was detained by ICE.
Thursday's vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress follows years of tension with GOP Sen. Rand Paul, hinging on the origins of the coronavirus and a controversial type of research.
Voters in the red district are concerned with congressman’s alleged behavior and political future ahead of the midterms
David Griffith was a registered Republican for years.
But on Sunday evening, he watched the Ohio congressman Max Miller stumble through an 18-minute statement in which the lawmaker attempted to defend himself against allegations of domestic abuse against his ex-wife and infant child.
Pia Dandiya, a first-time candidate, says voters care more about costs than district lines as she seeks a key open seat
What is a sanguine new congressional candidate to do when the district they thought they were running in gets torn apart by a governor’s best efforts to gerrymander his state at the president’s behest?
For Pia Dandiya, a first-time candidate for the Democratic party in Florida, the answer was simple: pick up some maps, hit the road, and embrace the challenge of conquering a different part of the state.
Aug. 6, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Energy has named North Carolina State University to lead three Genesis Mission projects aimed at using artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite discovery in the fields of high-performance computing, cybersecurity and astrophysics.
DOE’s Genesis Mission is focused on accelerating scientific productivity in the United States. Initial project recipients were announced by DOE July 22.
“NC State has a deep bench of research experience in AI development, application and integration,” says Krista Walton, vice chancellor for research and innovation at NC State. “By leading three Genesis Mission awards, NC State is helping the nation develop the tools needed to thrive in the post-AI era while applying the technology safely to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.”
The three Genesis Mission projects being led by NC State are Phase I projects. These projects all have budgets under $1 million and are designed to be conducted in less than one year. Successful Phase I projects will be eligible for larger Phase II awards in future funding cycles.
Michela Becchi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State, is the principal investigator (PI) on a project that seeks to make next-generation computing hardware more accessible to scientific researchers. The project will develop an AI-powered programming framework that helps generate, debug, and optimize code for emerging AI accelerators—specialized processors originally designed for artificial intelligence that have the potential to benefit demanding scientific and engineering applications beyond AI. Becchi’s collaborators are Sheng Di and Bogdan Nicolae of Argonne National Laboratory.
Xiaorui Liu, an assistant professor of computer science at NC State, is the lead PI on a project focused on defending agentic AI against adversarial attacks. The project will focus on automated scientific AI workflows, with the goal of detecting and preventing attacks that can corrupt results, produce false conclusions, or leak data. The project is being done in collaboration with Fnu Suya and Mahshid Ahmadi of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Hui Liu of Michigan State University, and Xinxia Peng of Depict Bio.
Gail McLaughlin, Distinguished University Professor of Physics at NC State, is the PI on a project that will embed AI techniques within large-scale simulations of neutron star mergers and supernovae to model physical processes that are too complex for traditional simulations. The project will deliver new insights into the cosmic origin of the elements and the role of neutrinos in astrophysical explosions. The project is being conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Pennsylvania State University; the University of Notre Dame; the University of California, Berkeley; and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
NC State is also partnering on two additional Genesis Mission projects, both of which relate to nuclear energy. One Phase I project is led by Texas A&M and focuses on using AI to assess and document reactor safety to support human review processes. NC State’s lead on that project is Xu Wu, an associate professor of nuclear engineering.
The second award – dubbed the Prometheus project – is the only Phase II project awarded in this initial round of the Genesis Mission initiative and is receiving $60 million in funding over three years. The Prometheus project is led by Idaho National Laboratory and focuses on accelerating the deployment of nuclear power infrastructure. NC State researchers collaborating on the Prometheus project include Xu; Abhinav Gupta, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering; and Kevin Han, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and Edward I. Weisiger Distinguished Scholar.
Source: Matt Shipman, North Carolina State University
A US Senate committee says it obtained a backup copy of Anthony Fauci’s iPhone as it weighed whether to hold the veteran government health official in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer Republicans’ questions amid a hostile inquisition last week.
The phone was used by Fauci during his time as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, including his time fronting the first Trump administration’s response to the Covid pandemic in 2020.
President hails operation to rescue captives held in dense forests of Kainji Lake national park in north-central region
Nigerian security forces have rescued more than 300 abducted people in what the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hailed as the largest single-day hostage recovery in the country’s history.
The release was announced on Wednesday after a joint operation, conducted by the military, police and counter-terrorism units, freed victims held captive in the dense forests of the Kainji Lake national park in the north-central region.
Cyberattacks on U.S. water systems that officials suspect may be linked to Iran-backed hackers have been reported in at least a dozen states, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
Iran and Oman are close to agreeing on new arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz, but not for a full reopening of the vital waterway, Iran's state news agency says.
Exclusive: Louisiana firm awarded tender to build rudimentary outpost to house Moroccan troops
Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which was set up in January to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, has finally issued its first construction contract in the devastated territory: a project to build a rudimentary 150-person military outpost to house Moroccan troops, a source familiar with the matter told the Guardian.
The contract, which has not yet been finalised, was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm that has previously carried out work with the US government in countries such as Iraq.
Danish teenagers will have to make an oral defence of their written essays to combat AI cheating, the government has announced.
Pupils aged 16 to 19 at upper secondary school (known in Denmark as gymnasiet) will also be encouraged to do written assignments at school under controlled conditions, including monitoring of their computer screens, rather than at home.
Programme aiming to stop people turning to terrorism sees 39% rise in referrals in year to September 2025 – the highest number on record
A record number of people have been referred to the government’s anti-terror programme, with a 39% rise over the last year, including a 20% rise in referrals for extreme rightwing ideology, according to official data released on Thursday.
A total of 10,293 referrals – up from 7,408 – were made to the Prevent programme in the year to September 2025, which is the highest number since records began 11 years ago.
Tarun Tejpal, ex-editor of Tehelka magazine, was initially acquitted in 2021 in case that drew nationwide attention
An Indian court has sentenced a high-profile former editor of an investigative news magazine to 10 years in prison after convicting him of raping a junior colleague, overturning his acquittal in a case that drew nationwide attention.
Tarun Tejpal, 63, the founder and former editor of Tehelka magazine, was accused of raping a journalist in the lift of a five-star hotel in the western coastal state of Goa during an event in November 2013. He was arrested and spent seven months in jail until the supreme court granted him bail.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is taking her first major step onto the national stage, endorsing 13 Democrats — as the moderate signals she may jump into the debate over her party's future.
Plans involve dredging and expanding the docks to allow larger cruise ships to visit with up to 200,000 passengers annually
Janavi Kramer had just enjoyed a swim with friends and was sitting on a bench taking in a wonderful Cornish view – headlands plunging into deep water, bobbing boats, a bustling harbour town.
“We’re lucky to have this space,” said Kramer, who is an artist and scientific illustrator. “We use it for work, recreation and pleasure and it’s so scary to think that this could all be harmed. I worry about what we may be living with soon and what we’ll be leaving for future generations.”
We’re seeing America wake up to the tyranny that’s engulfed us
With the victory of progressive Abdul El-Sayed over representative Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary, prepare yourself to hear enormous quantities of bullshit about the Democratic party now being “taken over” by the “left” or by “democratic socialists”.
Or as the reliably establishment New York Times put it: “Can an insurgent candidate, with unabashedly liberal positions, win a general election in a moderate state?”
The left is increasingly winning within the Democratic party. But it still needs to prove that it can build general-election coalitions capable of beating Republicans
The ideological struggle within the Democratic party continued on Tuesday night with primaries in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia and Washington. The results showed an increasingly intense conflict within the party, with high Democratic primary turnout and bruising ideological battles up and down the ballot.
The Democratic electorate is shifting, becoming more progressive and more willing to challenge party leadership, but not as quickly or uniformly as many assumed.
Experts say growing trend on sites such as Polymarket and Kalshi could motivate people to start fires to win money
A group of US lawmakers is sounding the alarm over prediction market platforms that allow users to bet on wildfires, as experts warn the emerging trend could raise the risk of arson.
Democratic senators from six states sent a letter this week to the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an independent government agency regulating platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, urging it to rein in the practice.
Republicans are trying to scapegoat the infectious disease expert, even as they have gutted healthcare amid outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and Ebola
Katie Miller, an erstwhile Trump administration official and wife of Stephen Miller, once relied on Dr Anthony Fauci to get through Covid. Now, she’s calling for his imprisonment – a reversal that illuminates the politicization of Fauci and of public health writ large, a trend that could have major repercussions for America’s preparedness for future crises.
A US Senate committee will vote on Thursday morning over whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after the physician and former public health official invoked his fifth amendment rights during a Senate hearing last week focused on Fauci’s actions during the Covid pandemic.
The FDA has approved the first mRNA flu vaccine in the United States after a clinical trial found it was about 27% more effective than a standard flu shot. Manufactured by Moderna and marketed as mFlusiva, the vaccine is expected to be available this fall for adults ages 50 to 64 and those 65 and older, though approval for the older group is conditional on Moderna conducting an additional clinical trial, NBC News reports. From the report: Many scientists and public health experts have touted the idea of an mRNA-based flu vaccine, which uses the same messenger RNA platform as the Covid vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. That's because mRNA vaccines can be manufactured much faster than traditional vaccines, allowing scientists to better match circulating influenza strains. Moderna said it takes two to three months from picking the strain to rolling out its flu shot, compared with about six months for traditional flu shots.
When asked to detail what would make a better life in three to five years, 60% of US adults said greater financial security
Americans may seem increasingly divided on beliefs and values, but in a new survey of more than 30,000 adults from across the country spanning generations and economic classes, a majority of Americans agree there’s a significant barrier to achieving a better life: the rising cost of living.
When asked to describe what a better life in three to five years would look like, 60% of Americans said they wanted greater financial security, according to a survey that was conducted by the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the WK Kellogg Foundation in mid-April.
Palmer Luckey has donated $5.9m to Republicans and bundled more, while reaping billions in Pentagon contracts
Wealthy Republicans on the west coast received an emailed invitation in July to an upcoming fundraiser titled “Keep the Senate”. The email, obtained by the Guardian, described the event as a “private roundtable and dinner with the National Republican Senatorial Committee” where donors can pledge $50,000 for seats at the head table, and mingle with legislative heavy hitters from Capitol Hill including the Senator majority leader, John Thune, and Mike Rogers, who is running for Senate in Michigan with Donald Trump’s endorsement.
One of the organizers listed on the invite was the defense industry tycoon Palmer Luckey, the 33-year-old co-founder of sprawling weapons manufacturer Anduril Industries.
Ex-Tesco boss known as ‘Drastic Dave’ for his cost-cutting zeal pledges more of the same at flagging Guinness owner
Shares in Diageo have bounced after the Guinness owner’s chief executive, “Drastic Dave” Lewis, passed the first big test of his plan to revive the flagging fortunes of the UK-based drinks company.
Lewis, a former Tesco boss known in the City for his cost-cutting zeal, promised to deliver $1bn of savings over two years through a “significant” restructuring aimed at making the company more agile.
Firm lifts outlook, saying it is well placed to benefit from PM’s focus on new homes despite cost pressures from Iran war
The UK housebuilder Persimmon has lifted its outlook for the full year, saying it is “well-placed” to benefit from the prime minister Andy Burnham’s policy agenda, despite growing costs linked to the Iran war.
Despite rising cost pressures, the company now plans to complete 12,500 new homes by year-end, which would be at the upper reach of its previous guidance.
As senior military leaders privately warned that the war with Iran was straining U.S. forces, depleting key missile defenses, and leaving the military without sufficient naval resources to continue protecting Israel, the Pentagon turned to Christian scripture in its official social media messaging.
On Saturday, two Defense Department accounts on X posted images overlaid with the words “SEND ME.” The agency’s Rapid Response account published the phrase on a picture of a service member watching a helicopter above an aircraft carrier. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell quoted Isaiah 6:8 in a post and included the all-caps phrase on an image of a soldier silhouetted in the dark. The Department of War’s official account amplified both posts.
Isaiah 6:8 is a verse that appears in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament in which the prophet Isaiah answers a divine call. When God asks, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah replies, “Here am I. Send me.” The passage is widely used in many Christian traditions as an expression of accepting God’s call to a divine mission. The verses that follow describe God sending Isaiah to proclaim a message of judgment that culminates in cities “without inhabitant,” houses emptied of people, and the land left “utterly desolate” before eventual restoration.
Jemar Tisby, a historian of religion, said Isaiah 6:8 functions in American evangelical culture “almost entirely as a standalone missions text,” commonly invoked at missions conferences, ordinations, and altar calls as a declaration of willingness to serve. “The most important context of Isaiah 6, the part most people miss, is that the devastation falls on God’s covenant people,” Tisby said. “The nation doing the sending, not a foreign enemy, is in view here.”
It’s unclear what, exactly, the biblical quotation was intended to convey. The Pentagon declined to answer The Intercept’s questions about whether the posts reflected an expression of faith or proselytizing, a message about the war with Iran, or a coordinated communications strategy. “Nothing to offer you on this,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
The posts followed months of controversy over the role of religion in the Defense Department under Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In March, The Intercept reported that the appointment of Christian activist Erika Kirk, wife of Charlie Kirk, to the Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors alarmed former military leaders and constitutional advocates, who warned it could push the academy toward an overtly ideological vision of military leadership.
That same month, reporting later entered into the congressional record detailed complaints from more than 100 service members who alleged commanders described the war with Iran as “part of God’s divine plan” and encouraged troops to view the conflict through a biblical lens. Saturday’s posts placed similar biblical language on the Defense Department’s own official social media accounts.
Tisby said he viewed the Pentagon’s recent messaging as part of a broader pattern.
“Given Hegseth’s religious influences, tied to Douglas Wilson, and taken with the fact that Hegseth instituted worship services at the Pentagon, this reads as part of a larger effort to incorporate a narrow vision of Christianity into the military and the federal government writ large,” Tisby said.
Tisby compared the Pentagon’s recent messaging to a controversy during the George W. Bush administration, when the Pentagon used the exact same biblical passage, Isaiah 6:8, on intelligence briefings prepared for then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during the Iraq War. The use of the verse became public in 2009 and prompted criticism from religious scholars, who argued it had been removed from its broader biblical context. “In the Rumsfeld era, there was a public outcry about the misattribution of Bible verses in military contexts, and the administration pulled back,” he said. “Now, this administration is leaning into the framing.”
The messages marked a notable institutional shift. Previous controversies centered on statements by individual commanders or political appointees. This time, multiple official Defense Department accounts amplified the same biblical passage, and the Pentagon declined to explain why.
That does not necessarily mean the Pentagon’s post violated the Constitution. The First Amendment generally prohibits the government from promoting or favoring a religion through its official actions. At the same time, courts have long allowed some traditional references to religion, including the national motto, “In God We Trust.”
Nelson Tebbe, the Jane M.G. Foster Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, whose scholarship focuses on constitutional law and religion, said the Pentagon’s post was different from those long-standing examples because it relied on a specific biblical passage rather than a general religious phrase and therefore could have a more direct impact on members of the military.
“Minor endorsements of religion by the government are common,” Tebbe said, pointing to phrases such as “God save this honorable Court,” commonly invoked in the Supreme Court. “This particular example involving the Pentagon spokesperson is less minor or incidental.”
Even so, Tebbe said recent Supreme Court decisions have made it unlikely that a court would strike down the Pentagon’s post.
“Recently, the Supreme Court has weakened the Establishment Clause, particularly the doctrine that used to prohibit government endorsements of religion in its own speech,” he said. “I would say that the chance of the Supreme Court invalidating this kind of practice is vanishingly small.”
Legal scholars say that constitutional question is separate from the practical consequences of the Pentagon’s messaging during an active conflict.
“More problematic, if also predictable, to me is the conflation of divine and military calling and service,” said Jonathan Ebel, a professor of religion at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies religion and the American military.
“Besides delegitimizing the U.S. military through such overtly Christian rhetoric and alienating non-Christian service members, such blatant Bible thumping in this context implies a religious war against Iran, foolishly confirming Iranian propaganda that the ‘Great Satan’ wants to wage war on Islam,” said Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force judge advocate and military law professor.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s leaders have referred to the United States as the “Great Satan,” portraying Washington as both a geopolitical rival and a religious enemy. Iranian officials have repeatedly framed conflicts with the United States and Israel as part of a struggle against Islam, making official biblical messaging from the Pentagon particularly vulnerable to exploitation as propaganda, VanLandingham said.
“Religious war is a slippery slope to total war.”
VanLandingham said the Pentagon’s messaging risked replacing military professionalism with religious symbolism at a moment when the armed forces should remain grounded in constitutional principles, rather than religious conviction.
“Religious war is a slippery slope to total war,” she said. “The U.S. military fights based on honor and fidelity to the law, not to Old Testament biblical passages.”
Update: August 6, 2026, 10:18 a.m. ET This article was updated to include comment fromJemar Tisby, a historian of religion, andJonathan Ebel, a professor of religion.
The images crossing all our screens certainly feel war-like – emergency aircraft and black smoke fill the skies, frantic civilians seeking shelter, historic towns lying in ruins, charred forests and burned-out vehicles, exhausted and sweat-soaked emergency responders.
Letter says lifting of sanctions sent ‘clear message’ settlers can use deadly force in West Bank without consequences
Senior Democrats have accused Donald Trump’s administration of giving a green light to violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, warning that its policies created “a climate of impunity and unbridled violence” that endangers both Palestinians and US citizens.
In a letter seen by the Guardian, a group of 19 Democratic senators and representatives call for the restoration of sanctions against extremist settlers and demand independent US investigations into the deaths of nine US citizens killed in the West Bank since 2022.
Gavin Cain, Andrew Tuggle and Jackson Castro were at golf team tryouts when they heard screams from nearby lake
A trio of Virginia teenagers recently showed up to golf team tryouts, jumped into a nearby lake to rescue three people – including a preschooler who couldn’t swim – after their kayaks capsized, and then earned spots on the squad, according to officials who are hailing their actions as “heroic”.
In events that authorities say demonstrate the kind of leadership that young people are capable of, Andrew Tuggle, 15, and 17-year-olds Gavin Cain and Jackson Castro showed up to the Culpeper Country Club links on the afternoon of 27 July to compete for places on Eastern View high school’s golf team, the local police department said in a statement.
Why Should Delaware Care? Delaware’s state employee health plan is one of the most expensive items each year in its multi-billion-dollar budget. A state board examined its relationship with pharmaceutical benefit managers, which essentially are middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies, in an attempt to bring down drug costs to taxpayers and policy holders.
Officials released a report last week saying their hands are largely tied when it comes to forcing pharmacy middlemen into offering better prescription drug prices for state employees.
The report comes after lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution last year compelling the State Employees Benefits Committee (SEBC) to examine its relationship with pharmaceutical benefit managers (PBMs) — companies that negotiate drug prices between drug manufacturers and pharmacies — and take a more aggressive stance against them.
For much of the last decade, PBMs have been under the microscope nationwide as to their role in drug pricing, particularly because four companies — OptumRx, CVS Health, Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics — own two-thirds of the market. They are also vertically integrated with insurers like UnitedHealthcare and pharmacies like CVS.
Lawmakers said the SEBC, which oversees the health insurance plan for state employees and retirees, should require PBMs to bid at lower prices for drugs, more readily share their data with the state, as well as hand over pricing contracts signed with pharmaceutical companies.
But the SEBC responded with an 18-page report last week, challenging its ability to enforce the lawmakers’ most assertive transparency and contract requirements. Board members also argued in their report that pushing too hard on the PBMs could cause the state to lose access to rebates on drugs they already purchase.
“Efforts to increase transparency must be balanced with these legal and market realities, which may limit the scope of feasible disclosure,” the report said.
More broadly, the report also signals a blow to lawmakers’ work throughout the 2026 legislative session to bring down healthcare costs at a time when Delawareans are already feeling a pinch.
The primary sponsor of last year’s resolution, Sen. Ray Seigfried (D-Claymont), rebuffed the SEBC’s report, saying it does not go far enough.
“The report reflects in tone and tenor the unwillingness to look beyond the current process, and it fails to address hidden cost-driving prescription drug spending for Delaware taxpayers,” Seigfried, a former ChristianaCare executive, said in an interview on Wednesday.
In the report commissioned by the legislature, the SEBC was tasked with implementing nine strategies meant to rein in PBMs and costs incurred to the state by increasing drug prices.
The report, however, said the SEBC would be unable to implement some of the changes immediately because of ongoing negotiations to contract with a new PBM.
As for the resolution’s most demanding provisions, the SEBC said it is limited in the amount of information it can compel PBMs to share. For example, one of the requirements says the SEBC “should own and control all necessary pharmaceutical data for transparency and cost containment.”
But in its report, the SEBC said contractual limitations allow the PBMs to maintain “proprietary rights” to that data, leaving the state to only be able to access “summary-level” information. The lack of comprehensive data, they write, would limit the state’s ability to determine the true cost of drugs to the state.
Seigfried, however, said the state and federal government should do more to change those contracting and transparency rules.
“PBMs have been hiding behind all of these things for decades, and I think it’s time that we grab control over this whole thing,” he said.
Another strategy from the report said the state should explore an “interstate compact” to better gain leverage and circumvent PBMs entirely by negotiating pieces directly with drug manufacturers. But the report offers a qualifier to that suggestion, saying it may cost the state its already negotiated savings through rebates.
“In addition, manufacturers may impose conditions that reduce the anticipated savings, particularly if the compact lacks sufficient scale,” the report said.
As for rebates, Seigfried claimed PBMs will often have multiple different types of agreements with differing rebate levels. And because of the limited information surrounding contracts, he said the state does not know how impactful its rebates actually are.
State Sen. Ray Seigfried (D-Claymont), a former hospital executive, was on the forefront of efforts to rein in healthcare spending this past legislative session. | PHOTO COURTESY OF SENATE DEMOCRATS
In January, the Delaware Department of Justice sued a handful of PBMs, as well as insulin and GLP-1 manufacturers, for what the office said was a scheme to “distort the market for diabetic treatments to their benefit at the expense of Delaware diabetics.”
The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ office in the Delaware Court of Chancery, targeted both pharmaceutical manufacturers like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, as well as the pharmaceutical middlemen.
In response to the lawsuit, PBMs argued they act as a “key counterweight” to an also concentrated and powerful pharmaceutical market that would otherwise have “monopoly power to set and raise drug prices.”
Weight-loss drugcost raised this year
Earlier this year, as members of the SEBC tried to contain the growing cost of paying for pharmaceuticals, they implemented a $200 copay on one of its most utilized drugs, GLP-1s.
Delaware state employees who for years enjoyed a relatively cheap price for blockbuster GLP-1 drugs saw their copays rise nearly seven-fold. The new copays did not apply to employees using the drugs for diabetes.
Under the state’s new coverage guidelines, state employees using drugs for weight-loss purposes will now have to pay a $200 copay for a 30-day supply. Before the change, a monthly supply was $32.
Those sums impacted more than 100,000 state employees, retirees, and their family members who are covered by the Delaware General Health Insurance Plan.
The change came as state officials have had to reconcile the rising cost of covering GLP-1 medications with supporting an increased number of state employees who use the drug for its weight-loss properties.
Delaware passed the elevated copay for weight-loss prescriptions with a plan to broadcast the change and promote cost-saving programs run by Novo Nordisk, the Danish manufacturer that makes two of the world’s most popular GLP-1s utilized by state employees.
Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound that were originally intended to treat type 2 diabetes have exploded in popularity in America as they have proven to aid weight loss, which results in both short-term and long-term health benefits.
But the drugs are expensive – a 30-day supply of Ozempic retails for about $1,000 without manufacturer rebates – and were among the largest pharmaceutical expenditures for the state insurance plan.
Get Involved The State Employee Benefits Committee is set to next meet at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at the Delaware Department of Human Resources offices, located at 841 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 100 in Dover. More information, including about virtual attendance can be found here.
Prosecutors went after “ghost” school operators but rarely pursued students who enrolled just to collect housing subsidies, a Post investigation found.
Why Should Delaware Care? The canceled extradition of Bruce Tigani Jr. highlights an apparent communication breakdown between state governments in Delaware and Louisiana. Extraditions are routine but require coordination between governor’s office between states.
The criminal extradition of a Wilmington man accused of threatening the life of a Louisiana lawmaker remains in limbo, three months after an attempt to send him to the Bayou State fell apart.
On Tuesday, an official from Gov. Matt Meyer’s office said a renewed extradition request sent in mid-May by Louisiana’s governor is “currently under legal review.”
It is not immediately clear why the review is stretching on for several months.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s office did not reply to a request to comment for this story.
The target of the extradition is Bruce Tigani Jr., a 37-year-old man from a prominent Delaware family. He faces charges in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, that stem from a string of threats investigators say he made against State Rep. Michael Echols, a northern Louisiana Republican.
Last year, an anonymous account on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, made several statements asserting that Echols’ life would be “over,” according to an affidavit from the investigating officer.
“Get ready … piece by piece then all at once remember? Little pieces for the fishies,” one of the threats stated, according to an affidavit.
Police later pointed at Tigani as the person behind the account, and suggested he made the threats in response to Echols’ past criticisms of the real estate company, Medical Properties Trust Inc., which leases property to a local hospital in Echols’ district.
Louisiana authorities charged Tigani in January with threatening a public official, and Delaware officials later scheduled a court hearing for May 1 to consider Louisiana’s request for an extradition.
But on the day of the hearing, neither Tigani nor prosecutors from the Delaware Department of Justice made a formal appearance at the New Castle-area Justice of the Peace Court. After a few moments of apparent confusion, a court staffer told Spotlight Delaware that the judge summarily dismissed the extradition because neither party appeared, and neither requested the hearing be rescheduled.
Later that day, Delaware officials announced why the case had been dismissed — though the explanations differed.
A spokeswoman for the Delaware DOJ said Meyer denied Louisiana’s extradition request because Landry had not signed the necessary warrant – rendering it deficient.
But Meyer’s chief legal counsel Wilson Davis said in a letter to the Delaware judge overseeing the case that the Louisiana governor had not even “received an extradition demand for Mr. Tigani.”
The district attorney’s office in Ouachita Parish did not respond to calls seeking comment for this story.
Echols, who currently is running for Congress, said his local district attorney’s office continues to work the case, despite the stalled extradition.
“I know our DA is working on several other angles,” he said. “Our goal is to still achieve justice. It’s just the wheel of justice moves slowly.”
Republican Louisiana Rep. Michael Echols | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOUISIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Echols also questioned whether Tigani’s family connections in Delaware could have influenced the extradition process. Tigani’s late mother previously worked for the Delaware Department of Justice, which Echols said raises concerns.
The Delaware DOJ flatly rejected the suggestion.
“We’ve prosecuted sitting employees of this office when they’ve broken the law, let alone their relatives,” DOJ spokesman Mat Marshall said. “He can say what he wants, but I’d suggest submitting proper paperwork to start.”
Marshall also confirmed that Tigani is not currently in custody in Delaware.
Retired-Delaware Attorney General Jane Brady, who reviewed the situation at Spotlight Delaware’s request, described the case as highly unusual. She said governors typically approve extradition requests from other states.
Also unusual, she said, is that Meyer’s legal review of the latest extradition request has stretched for nearly three months.
“There could be legitimate reasons,” she said of the review. “But it is unusual.”
Washington-Rabat ties under scrutiny as questions swirl over what led to deadly influx into tiny Spanish territory
The cosy relationship between Washington and Rabat has long been flaunted by both sides, from Morocco’s announcement this year that it would be the first African state to join Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to the congratulatory message recently sent by Trump to mark King Mohammed VI’s 27 years in power.
The latest example landed this week. As Spain grappled with the aftermath of the sudden influx – and swift return – of more than 70,000 people into Ceuta, Morocco’s monarch confirmed he had named a $1bn highway flanking the disputed territory of Western Sahara after Trump.
There’s been something in the air in D.C. this summer — namely wildfire smoke and frustration over Canada’s inability to keep it on its side of the border.
Meta says safeguards are in place to prevent surreptitious filming, but some UK venues now prohibit them from being worn at all
When Meta used superstar Kylie Jenner to promote its sleek new line of “spy glasses”, the social media company hoped the devices would reach the same broad acceptance that tablets and smartwatches have found before them.
But those plans have hit a snag in the UK, where venues from elite restaurants to popular pub chains have banned the £359 glasses in order to preserve the privacy of customers and staff.
After Elvis Brooks spent 42 years in prison, a court threw out his conviction for murder. But he has struggled to get compensation from Louisiana for his wrongful conviction. Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
Elvis Brooks thought he had an airtight case when he applied for compensation from the state of Louisiana after he was wrongfully convicted in a fatal bar shooting that kept him in prison for more than four decades.
The 69-year-old New Orleans native has never wavered in his claims of innocence, insisting since his 1977 arrest that the cops had the wrong guy. But it would take nearly 45 years and a prosecutor admitting he failed to turn over key fingerprint evidence before the courts threw out Brooks’ conviction.
That decision made Brooks eligible for up to $480,000 under a program created by Louisiana lawmakers to pay those wrongfully convicted in a state with one of the highest rates of overturned guilty verdicts. But Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, the top prosecutor in the state, has vigorously fought Brooks’ compensation claim, asserting in court filings that he is still guilty and therefore should not receive any money at all.
And it isn’t just Brooks: Since taking office two years ago, Murrill has opposed all but one of 23 compensation claims brought by people whose convictions have been vacated by the courts. These include cases in which the men were exonerated through DNA or blood evidence and others in which police are accused of fabricating evidence. Once, Murrill even threatened to block an exoneree’s ability to obtain a license to practice law if he didn’t drop his claim.
Civil rights attorneys say Brooks’ case is one of the most egregious examples of a wrongful conviction in recent years. Murrill has been pushing the court since September 2024 to reject his compensation claim and also to reinstate a manslaughter charge against him. The case is pending before a district court judge in New Orleans; attorneys are scheduled to appear for the next hearing Monday.
When Brooks heard what Murrill was trying to do, five months after he’d filed his claim, he said he was flooded with anger and disbelief. Once again, he said, the state was trying to rip away his good name and falsely brand him a killer.
“She knows people are innocent but she doesn’t care,” Brooks said of Murrill during a recent interview, his voice rising with frustration. “She wouldn’t want nobody to do this to one of her loved ones.”
Some states that have more recently created compensation funds have experienced startup problems. In Michigan, narrow criteria and confusion over eligibility have prevented exonerees from getting paid. But in Louisiana, conservative politicians who oppose the very existence of a compensation fund and therefore fight nearly every claim have proven to be the biggest obstacle.
Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who served as attorney general for eight years, during which time he hired Murrill as the state’s solicitor general, opposed 10 of 12 compensation claims during his tenure. Both have staked their political careers on a tough-on-crime agenda. By contrast, Murrill’s more moderate Republican predecessor, Buddy Caldwell, who served as attorney general from 2008 to 2015, opposed just 33% of all claims.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has taken a hard line against compensating the wrongfully convicted in Louisiana, maintaining they haven’t proven their innocence.Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
Murrill’s hard-line tactics, particularly in Brooks’ case, stand out among her peers in other states, said Jeffrey Gutman, a professor emeritus at the George Washington University Law School and a national expert on compensation funds.
“I can’t think of an attorney general who has been quite as aggressive in trying to prevent people from getting compensation,” Gutman said.
Murrill, through her spokesperson, declined interview requests and did not answer questions regarding her opposition to the compensation fund. Both she and Landry have made their views on the fund clear during recent legislative sessions. Murrill told lawmakers last year that defending the state against these claims consumes an enormous amount of time and resources and that the fund should be abolished altogether. And in June, Landry vetoed a bill passed unanimously by the Republican-controlled Legislature that would have increased the amount paid to the wrongfully convicted. In his veto statement, Landry painted many of the exonerees as “convicted criminals” whose only interest is money.
Murrill’s opposition doesn’t necessarily mean that Brooks and other exonerees won’t eventually be compensated. The claims are ultimately decided by one of a number of district court judges, whose approach to this issue may vary. But it ensures that a process the law says should take no more than five months could instead drag on for years, exacting financial hardship and emotional pain on people who have already endured decades of both, said Herbert Larson, an attorney representing exonerees and a senior professor at the Tulane University Law School.
“If they’ve got DNA evidence that points at somebody else, if they’ve got fingerprints that point at somebody else, if it looks like sloppy police work, then we should pay the money and not spend the next two years litigating it,” Larson said. “That’s not a very effective use of time and money on the part of the attorney general.”
Brooks filed his application in 2024, but more than two years later, his case has yet to be heard by a district court judge. After having 42 years of his life stolen — missing his son’s childhood and losing his parents and three siblings while he was behind bars — Brooks said he shouldn’t continue to suffer at the hands of the state.
“It’s miserable and it’s frustrating, the games they play,” he said. “But if they think I’m going to give up, wave the white flag, they got me wrong.”
Conflicting Evidence and a One-Day Trial
On most days, Brooks can be found riding his bicycle down to Tricou and Douglas streets in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, where he was raised, or through the French Quarter, where as teens, he and his friends would go to meet girls.
But there is one place he avoids: a vacant lot at the intersection of Dauphine and Alabo streets. That’s where the Welcome Inn once stood, and where a murder took place that would change his life.
In July 1977, a man named Cecil Lloyd was seated at the bar in the local dive when he was shot to death during an armed robbery. Less than three weeks later, police arrested 19-year-old Brooks.
There was no physical evidence tying him to the killing, and a dozen people testified that Brooks was at a family party at the time of the shooting. But three white witnesses said they saw the perpetrators in the dimly lit room and picked Brooks, who is Black, out of a photographic lineup. Although studies have shown that witnesses often have difficulty correctly identifying suspects of another race, and despite the fact that the three witnesses gave conflicting descriptions, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder after a one-day trial.
What the jurors weren’t told is that fingerprints lifted from beer cans held by the robbers did not match Brooks’, or that police suspected the same men had robbed several people less than a block away just before the Welcome Inn robbery, according to prosecutor records discovered by Brooks’ attorneys 40 years later. The victims of the earlier crime were shown a photo of Brooks and ruled him out as a suspect.
After his conviction, Brooks was sent to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola at a time when the maximum-security prison was considered one of the most violent in the country. Three years after Brooks arrived, his brother Errol, who was serving a 99-year sentence there for armed robbery, was stabbed to death.
“Angola was a madhouse,” Brooks said. “A hellhole.”
A man was shot and killed in 1977 at the Welcome Inn bar, which used to sit on this corner in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. Brooks was convicted for the murder in a one-day trial, despite evidence he was elsewhere at the time.Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
While Brooks served his life sentence, the criminal justice system was being revolutionized through the introduction of DNA evidence and, with it, proof that innocent people had been convicted. This led to a deeper look into other factors contributing to wrongful convictions, including prosecutorial misconduct and mistaken eyewitness identifications, especially those made by witnesses with different racial backgrounds from the suspects.
As a result, the number of exonerations nationwide increased from 25 in 1989 to 259 in 2022, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project operated by universities in Michigan and California. By 2025, Orleans Parish, where Brooks was convicted, had the highest rate of exonerations among U.S. counties with more than 300,000 residents, according to the registry.
Many states reacted to the rise in exonerations by creating funds to compensate those who were wrongly convicted. Louisiana established its fund in 2005 and today is one of 39 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that compensate the wrongfully incarcerated. But it is far from a rubber-stamp process.
“It’s miserable and it’s frustrating, the games they play. But if they think I’m going to give up, wave the white flag, they got me wrong.”
Elvis Brooks, exoneree
To be eligible, a person has to have been imprisoned as a result of a conviction that was later vacated by a court. Applicants, like in all states with these funds, must then prove their innocence. Having a conviction thrown out is not enough to do so: A court can vacate someone’s conviction for a number of reasons, including an ineffective attorney or significant errors committed by the judge or prosecution. But that only means there were problems with the original trial. It is up to the person applying for compensation to present evidence that they did not commit the crime.
In many states, innocence in the compensation process is proven by a “preponderance of evidence,” which attorneys understand to mean that there is more than a 50% chance that the person is innocent. This is the standard used in civil cases. The threshold is higher in Louisiana and some other states, where applicants are required to prove they are innocent by “clear and convincing” evidence. This is supposed to leave little doubt in the judge’s eyes that they did not commit the crime.
That’s the hurdle Brooks must clear to receive any money from the state.
Exonerated but Not Paid
Brooks filed for compensation in April 2024, just a few months after Murrill and Landry took office. He didn’t know much about the process, he said, except that it was meant to help people like himself get back on their feet after a wrongful conviction. Brooks assumed it wouldn’t take long at all, maybe a few months. But like nearly all the others, his request was met with fierce opposition from the attorney general’s office.
Murrill, seen by many as a future candidate for governor, has earned the reputation as a fighter unapologetic about the methods she is willing to use to enact a conservative agenda, both in the political world and the courtroom.
Verite News and ProPublica interviewed the attorneys of 17 of the people whose compensation claims Murrill opposed. The majority expressed shock at her tactics. When Landry was attorney general, his office regularly spoke with defense attorneys and assured them that the attorney general would not stand in the way of compensation in the rare times the office agreed that a former prisoner was innocent, according to two of the attorneys. Landry did not respond to a request for comment.
Those conversations no longer happen under Murrill, the attorneys said. In nearly every case, Murrill’s office has insisted that the exoneree either is guilty or has failed to sufficiently prove his innocence.
Of the 23 people who have had active claims under Murrill, four so far have been awarded compensation. The rest are pending. Of the successful claims, two of the men were cleared by DNA evidence, while blood serum evidence was used to prove innocence in the third. Yet Murrill opposed all three, delaying their compensation for nearly two years. (In the fourth case, Murrill dropped her opposition to Patrick Brown’s claim after the victim testified that the exoneree was innocent).
Malcolm Alexander was exonerated through DNA evidence in 2018 after 38 years in prison. Jeff Landry, who was the attorney general then and is now the governor, opposed his compensation claim, but a court later ruled in his favor.Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
Jarvis Ballard is one of the four. He spent 23 years in prison before his 1999 rape conviction was vacated after his DNA was not detected in any of the blood or semen samples found at the scene. In addition, the victim reported two men committed the crime; however, three men, including Ballard, were prosecuted and convicted. The other two men testified that Ballard was not involved.
The St. Bernard Parish district attorney’s office admitted in a 2021 statement that the office had made a mistake in prosecuting him. “DNA evidence, witnesses recanting their prior statements and polygraph testing all supported the ‘actual innocence’ claims of Jarvis Ballard,” district attorney Perry Nicosia wrote.
In another case, Darrill Henry was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for a double homicide. Nine years later, New Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Dennis Waldron threw out his conviction after DNA evidence found under the fingernails of one of the victims cleared him, saying there was “clear and convincing evidence that he is indeed factually innocent of the crime.”
And in a third case, Sullivan Walter was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 1986 for burglary and rape, among other charges. He was only 17 at the time but was tried as an adult. His conviction was overturned in 2022 when blood evidence ruled him out as the perpetrator.
“This is horrible,” Criminal District Judge Darryl Derbigny said to Walter as he ordered his release from prison, according to news reports. “I’m at a loss of words to express the sorrow and the anger I have at the treatment you’ve been dealt by the system.”
But in all three cases, Murrill told the courts that despite the DNA or blood evidence, the men did not sufficiently prove their innocence.
“They’re taking a position that is inconsistent with what many prosecutors argue every day in seeking conviction,” Zac Crawford, staff attorney at Innocence & Justice Louisiana, a nonprofit law firm specializing in wrongful convictions, said about Murrill’s office. “Prosecutors frequently use DNA testing to match someone to a crime as a means of getting a guilty verdict, and they are not willing to concede that that same evidence also proves innocence.”
Murrill hasn’t confined her fight against compensation claims to the courts, having used threats to prevent at least one exoneree, Calvin Duncan, from even pursuing a claim. After serving 28 years of a life sentence for murder, he accepted a plea deal to secure his release in 2011. Ten years later, a district court judge ruled that he was factually innocent and threw out his conviction, citing the suppression of exonerating evidence by police, among other factors.
When Duncan filed for compensation in 2023, Murrill issued a threat, Duncan said during a recent legislative hearing: drop the claim or she would charge him with perjury for falsely saying he was exonerated. At the time, Duncan was pursuing a law license. He said Murrill added a second warning: If he didn’t drop the claim, she would report him to the bar association to prevent him from getting his license.
Duncan said he reluctantly agreed to withdraw his compensation application, with the understanding that Murrill would then drop the matter. But she didn’t keep her word, Duncan told legislators. During Duncan’s campaign last year for New Orleans criminal court clerk, Murrill sent him a letter threatening “further action from this office” if he didn’t stop referring to himself as being exonerated. “You have not proven you were actually innocent,” she told him.
She then used his plea deal against him, saying, “You knowingly and voluntarily pled guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery.”
Duncan, who declined to comment, won his election but was stripped of his office after legislators, with Landry’s support, eliminated his position. His campaign manager said Duncan has paused his pursuit of a law license in part because of his race for court clerk and Murrill’s persistent threats.
Malcolm Alexander spent nearly 38 years in prison before being exonerated through DNA evidence in 2018. Despite the opposition of Landry, then attorney general, Alexander was later awarded compensation, though he said these claims aren’t all about money. Even more important is that when a judge awards an exoneree compensation, it comes with a definitive ruling that the person is, in fact, innocent.
So while Murrill’s desire to deprive exonerees of money is terrible, Alexander said, her efforts to prevent them from having their names officially cleared are truly reprehensible.
“It Wasn’t Right From Day One”
Brooks was 60 years old and had been in Angola prison for nearly two-thirds of his life when his legal team discovered a wealth of new evidence that appeared to conclusively prove his innocence. Among these items were fingerprints lifted from beer cans held by the shooters during the Welcome Inn bar robbery and fatal shooting. And those fingerprints did not match Brooks’.
In January 2019, Brooks’ legal team filed a motion to overturn his murder conviction. Leon Cannizzaro, the New Orleans district attorney at the time, objected, telling the court that his office did not purposefully withhold any evidence.
Brooks said he was ready to wage a lengthy legal battle to prove he was not a murderer. But five months later, Cannizzaro approached Brooks with an unexpected offer: If he agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter, his life sentence would be reduced to 42 years and he would be allowed to walk out of Angola prison. Brooks agonized over the decision. The idea of standing up in court and saying he had killed someone was unimaginable. But he also didn’t want to die an old man on a rusted prison cot. So he took the deal.
Two years later, as Brooks was struggling to adjust to life outside of prison and still strapped with a felony record, his legal team found a memo in a pile of records they had requested from the district attorney’s office that detailed a 2019 internal meeting with one of the prosecutors at Brooks’ murder trial. He admitted that they didn’t turn over the fingerprint evidence and that it would have been helpful to Brooks’ case, according to the memo.
The meeting had occurred just two weeks before Cannizzaro offered Brooks the plea deal. If Brooks had known about the prosecutor’s admission, he said, he never would have accepted the plea.
“It wasn’t right from day one,” Brooks said.
Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for AmericaBrooks on his bike in New Orleans this yearA photo of Brooks’ parents and his great-niece hangs in the apartment at a senior center he moved into since his release from prison.Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
In 2022, when presented with this new information, the district court agreed. It ruled that the district attorney withheld crucial evidence when offering the plea deal and threw it out along with Brooks’ conviction. Current New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams declined to retry the case, clearing the way for Brooks to file his compensation claim two years later.
Cannizzaro could not be reached for comment. In a statement issued after Brooks’ 2019 release from prison, the former district attorney said he offered Brooks the plea deal because his office believed he was “rehabilitated and will not go out and reoffend.” Cannizzaro rejected the idea that Brooks was wrongfully convicted, saying at the time that if he were innocent, Brooks and his attorneys would have turned down the deal. “Notably, they did not,” he said.
Murrill is now using that discredited plea deal against Brooks, just as she did in Duncan’s case, in an attempt to quash his compensation claim. In a September 2024 motion, Murrill claimed that by vacating Brooks’ manslaughter conviction while he was a free man and not a prisoner, the court essentially pardoned him. And under the state constitution, only the governor has the power to issue pardons. As a result, she has asked that the court reinstate the manslaughter charge against Brooks.
Murrill did not, however, address the fact that the court vacated the deal because prosecutors intentionally withheld key information, according to court records.
In her motion, Murrill said she only learned the plea deal had been thrown out when Brooks filed his claim. And that, said attorney Harry Daniels, who represents Brooks, is when she started the effort to reinstate charges against him. “It’s only when he started demanding what he’s entitled to for being wrongfully convicted that this even became an issue,” Daniels said.
Brooks has described applying for compensation as torturous, a barricade that is constantly preventing him from being able to move forward. And life has been difficult: His only source of income is his $994-a-month Social Security payment, enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in a low-income senior center.
There are moments, though, he said, when he allows himself to dream about what he would do with the money. The first would be to buy a bigger headstone for his family gravesite, where his parents, four siblings and a nephew are buried in a single plot in the Green Street Cemetery. All but one died while he was wrongfully imprisoned. There is room on the headstone for only three of the seven names.
“I want to put all our names on there,” he said. “Give them some respect, especially my momma.”
Seven of Brooks’ family members are buried in a single plot in the Green Street Cemetery, but there is room on the headstone for only three names. If he receives compensation money, he plans to use some of it to buy a bigger headstone.Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America
Outside the Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, where police shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, a shrine of stuffed animals sits between the garden center and the pharmacy. There are teddy bears, elephants, and kangaroos with babies in their pouches. There is a Bluey plush toy — Kohen’s favorite cartoon — along with matchbox cars, a green plastic tractor, and an array of artificial flowers.
A banner frames the display, featuring a celestial image of baby Kohen wearing gingham overalls. A handwritten sign reads, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.”
In the parking lot, a cop pulled a gun on a gray Ford Fusion on a Sunday afternoon and fired while Kohen’s mother held him in the passenger’s seat. A bullet struck the child on his right side, tearing through his small body and exiting his left. The driver, who was also hit, sped to a hospital, but it was too late. At 19 months old, Kohen was dead.
The killing sparked anguish and rage in Senatobia, a small city some 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. At protests and press conferences, people demanded answers, while officials stayed mostly silent. It took several days for the mayor to deliver a scripted video statement that did not even include the child’s name.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation announced a probe into the case. Speaking before an agitated crowd, state Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said this could take months, refusing to say when — or even whether — his agency would provide further updates.
Until then, the official narrative would be a version of a familiar tale told by those who kill under color of law: On June 14, Senatobia police got a shoplifting call from Walmart over baby clothes and a pack of Pampers diapers. According to an MBI press release, officers tried to stop “two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store.” The suspects “drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one.” That’s when an officer fired.
Police offered nothing to back the story. A witness video captured mostly chaos as the car drove off, while a woman who asked not to be named told a local TV station she saw police chasing the car before hearing gunshots. Nevertheless, the police narrative took off. On Facebook pages like “Senatobia Happenings UNCENSORED,” commenters blamed Kohen’s mother for his death.
The accusations escalated after famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump took the family’s case, with critics accusing him of stoking racial grievances for profit. When Crump released a video of Kohen’s mother, Vel’lesiya Wiley, telling her side of the story — saying she “raised my baby up” to warn officers that Kohen was with her — a wave of racist vitriol followed. Some demanded to know why Kohen wasn’t in a car seat. Others said she’d used him as a “human shield.”
The comments were shockingly cruel. They also ignored what Black residents of Senatobia, which is about 40 percent Black, had long insisted: Police treated them with contempt and brutality.
A year earlier, at the same Walmart where Kohen was killed, a police officer forced a woman from her car in front of her children for parking in a handicapped spot — part of a string of violent incidents that made national news. In the summer of 2025, Senatobia’s board of aldermen finally voted to dismiss the police chief.
By then, the department had already hired the officer who would later be identified in the local press as involved in killing Kohen Wiley – a police sergeant who’d been previously sued for misconduct while working at two different law enforcement agencies. Just two days before Kohen was killed, a Black officer filed a complaint against him for making a racist remark.
To racial justice activist Patrick Lumumba, the decision to hire such a man was emblematic of the city’s disregard for Senatobia’s Black community. “You think they didn’t know about his past?” he asked. “But who was he gonna hurt? If he hurt anybody it wasn’t gonna be white people.”
On the last Saturday in June, as the family laid Kohen to rest, the Senatobia Walmart was relatively quiet. A police car was parked across the shopping plaza, where protesters had gathered the day before. At an empty restaurant where a TV played “Leave It to Beaver,” a young white employee said no one had come in all day, blaming the “rioters” for keeping customers away.
At the memorial site, a white woman retrieved a bouquet of dried flowers blown away by the wind. She defended the protests, adding that they had been peaceful. For all the speculation and rumor, she said, no one really knew what had happened. But nothing could justify shooting a 1-year-old boy.
“The whole thing is very, very sad,” she said. “No mother should have to bury her child.” She did not wish to share her name. “I don’t want to stir any trouble.”
A memorial for 1-year-old Kohen Wiley sits outside the Walmart in Senatobia, Miss., on July 7, 2026, facing the parking lot where he was fatally shot by police.Photo: Liliana Segura/The Intercept
“Outside Agitators”
Senatobia, the seat of Tate County, sits on the northern tip of the Mississippi Delta, a mostly rural region famous as the birthplace of the blues. Downtown, historical markers boast connections to Black musicians like pioneering country singer O.B. McClinton. “Being in the small contingent of African-American performers in country music was never a cinch,” his marker reads, “but McClinton often dealt with the subject good-naturedly in shows and songs.”
Easier to miss are the places that once saw violent attacks on the civil rights movement. Just north of town, on Highway 51, a marker commemorating the site where James Meredith was ambushed and shot during a solo march from Memphis to Jackson has been knocked from its post; it currently sits on the ground. After Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resumed the 1966 march alongside other civil rights leaders, they passed through Senatobia, in the same spot where the Walmart now stands.
The activists were widely depicted as radical outsiders — “Hard Core Civil Rights Militants,” as one headline read. But the march included locals; many offered their homes to the visitors at great personal risk. “Most people would sleep in the backyard of people’s homes because they were scared they would bomb the home,” recalled independent publisher Gloria Zuurveen, a Senatobia native whose aunt hosted activists. “But she said, ‘No, y’all ain’t sleeping in my backyard. Come on in this house.’”
The claim that protesters were “outside agitators” was a common refrain — a persistent way to dismiss any movement. When local pastor Michael Cathey, Senatobia’s first Black alderman, led boycotts of its public schools and businesses in 1987 — part of a wave of similar actions across Mississippi — some suggested they’d been orchestrated by the NAACP. “I’d like to see local people solve local problems without outside assistance,” the mayor told reporters.
In reality, “the whole community took a stand,” Cathey recalled. “The school buses ran empty. Nobody went to the store.”
“The city government is hiding behind the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.”
Cathey has been outspoken about the killing of Kohen Wiley. His congregation, the West Gilmore Church of Christ, hosted the viewing for the toddler in June. “The city government is hiding behind the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation,” Cathey said. Their excuse is that they must wait on the state. “But that’s not true. The city can speak to the matter. … They need to be working to make sure we have transparency. But it’s not happening.”
Cathey said that the case had attracted many activists from outside Senatobia, making the protests easier for officials to ignore. But a bigger problem, Cathey and others said, is the refusal of elected leaders to represent their constituents.
Cathey served as an alderman for over 30 years, leaving office in 2017. In the decade since Donald Trump’s rise, he said, local conservatives have increasingly modeled themselves after MAGA politicians, shedding any pretense of concern for Senatobia’s Black community. Unlike the civil rights era, in which the federal government forced states like Mississippi to expand hard-fought legal rights, Trump is doing the opposite: weaponizing his office to turn back the clock on equal rights.
“What we see Trump doing on a national level, we have that same attitude locally,” he said. “And I don’t see it just being a Mississippi problem. It’s a national problem.”
Law and Order
Not that long ago, the South seemed poised toward progress.
In Mississippi, lawmakers did what once seemed impossible: Vote to replace the state flag, eliminating its Confederate iconography. Senatobia Republican Trey Lamar pushed the effort, calling it “something I knew in my heart for a long time was the right thing to do.”
Such symbolic gestures, however, did not translate to systemic change. Before long, Mississippi politicians were disenfranchising Black residents in sweeping new ways. Lamar became the chief sponsor of legislation to create a new, state-controlled court system in the majority-Black capital city of Jackson, usurping the power of the city’s elected judges and handing it to white state lawmakers. The measure was about crime control, Lamar insisted. It had nothing to do with race.
But “law and order” has long been a code for racial politics. In Senatobia, where a “Back the Blue and Trump” parade was held in 2020, the mayor and board of aldermen started making changes of their own. The city’s Black police chief, a 26-year department veteran, was replaced with a white man who had only recently joined the force.
The new chief, Richard Chandler, was given free rein to transform the department. Some moves seemed sensible enough. Senatobia police officers were paid as little as $13.75 per hour when Chandler arrived, and he successfully argued for better wages. But other decisions raised red flags. Despite the department’s small size — some 30 officers in a town of roughly 8,500 — Chandler formed a SWAT team and assigned a dozen officers to the unit. One was a 22-year-old recent recruit who described herself as “an adrenaline junkie,” as she told reporters. “I want to kick down doors and go in there and arrest the bad guy.”
“There was no consideration to how it affected the citizenry. It was just about making money.”
The stated goal was modernization; the city built a new police station, bought a fleet of new vehicles, and hired a grant writer to seek federal funds. Chandler also pushed aldermen to pass new ordinances aimed at increasing revenue. Between 2021 to 2025, according to city meeting records, the board voted to add financial penalties to punish misdemeanor drug charges, loitering, and “nuisance level gatherings.”
The fines, ranging from $25 to $1,000, would inevitably target those who could least afford it. “There was no consideration to how it affected the citizenry,” said Cathey, who attended many of the meetings. “It was just about making money.”
It wasn’t long before a string of shocking incidents were caught on video. In February 2022, police violently arrested a man named Rodney Rucker, who was warming up his car outside a local motel before an early shift at McDonald’s. Camera footage showed police accusing him of having white powder under his nose and, when he refused to leave his vehicle, smashing his window and breaking his phone. No drugs were found in the car.
In 2023, Senatobia police followed a teenager into the home of a local barber named Mark Lesure, ostensibly because the young man matched the description of a criminal suspect. Video showed Chandler choking Lesure before being accidentally tased by his own officer.
Senatobia police made national news that same year for jailing a 10-year-old boy for public urination, a move Chandler conceded was “an error in judgement.” But he defended the violent arrest of two sisters, 13 and 14, outside a public housing complex in 2024. According to the girls and their mother, Chandler personally ordered one of the girls to “get your Black ass out of the road” before forcing her to the ground.
Finally, on Mother’s Day 2025 — in the same Walmart parking lot where Kohen Wiley would be shot dead — a female officer forced a woman named Breshari Faulkner out of her car in front of her frightened young children for sitting in a handicapped parking space.
By then many people in Senatobia were fed up — including some members of law enforcement. One retired police officer echoed what many said for years: Chandler drove out officers who lived in the community and brought in cops who would prey on the community. A number were hired after being dismissed from other departments. “They want people like that,” he said. “They can get them to do any kind of dirty work they want.”
In the summer of 2025, over angry objections by the mayor, Senatobia’s board of aldermen voted to remove Chandler. It was supposed to restore trust, one alderman said. But as Lumumba, who recently founded the Senatobia Committee for Accountability and Transparency, said, “We removed Chandler. But the culture remained.”
Kohen Wiley’s parents, Vel’lesiya Wiley and Daveon Williams, gather with activists led by Marquell Bridges of the Building Bridges Coalition at a park in Sardis, Miss., after burying their son on June 27, 2026.Photo: Liliana Segura/The Intercept
A History of Violence
City officials have not identified the man who shot Kohen Wiley. But it’s considered an open secret in Senatobia. A Memphis news station obtained records from the MBI that identified the officer who responded to the shoplifting call at Walmart: Senatobia Police Sgt. Hunter Foster, who has been on paid leave since mid-June.
Foster, now 33, was hired by the Senatobia Police Department in March 2025 and quickly promoted to sergeant. Two days before Kohen’s death, a fellow officer filed an internal complaint against him. According to Mississippi Today, Foster entered the booking room at the station, saw School Resource OfficerDexter Smith, and said, “‘Who is this Black motherfucker back there?’”
“The room went silent,” Smith wrote in his complaint. “I have never had any one-on-one conversation with Sergeant Foster, nor do we have any outside relationship to be on a level for him to speak to me in that manner.”
Smith quit a month after filing the complaint. In his resignation email, he cited a lack of “meaningful response or resolution,” according to Mississippi Today.
Before coming to Senatobia, Sgt. Hunter Foster had been named in two federal lawsuits.
Several red flags might have prevented Foster from being hired to begin with. Before coming to Senatobia, he’d been named in two federal lawsuits, both of which were dismissed under the doctrine of qualified immunity.
In 2022, he was accused of providing a false narrative following the arrest of two men outside a Waffle House in neighboring Southaven. In a police report, Foster accused a driver of “almost running over” another responding officer, a description unsupported by video evidence.
After moving to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department, Foster was sued for participating in the brutal assault of a 29-year-old Black woman during a traffic stop. According to the 2024 complaint, the deputies tased her, “pulled her hair, kicked her multiple times in her stomach and ribs, called her a prostitute, stomped on her face breaking her jaw in three places and knocked out multiple teeth.”
A use of force report cited injuries on the woman — including “abrasion, puncture, lacerations, (and) swelling” — and confirmed that she was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. In an affidavit, Foster said his “only involvement” was to pin her down in order to handcuff her, while providing no video footage to confirm his account. According to Foster, he tried to activate his body-worn camera only to later “realize it had never activated.”
Foster did not respond to messages from The Intercept.
Racial justice activist Patrick Lumumba speaks to reporters outside Senatobia City Hall following the board of aldermen meeting on July 7, 2026.Photo: Liliana Segura/The Intercept
“Y’all Gonna Kill Somebody”
On July 1, Ben Crump returned to Senatobia to release a report from D.C. Medical Examiner Roger Mitchell, who was brought onto the case to conduct an external examination of Kohen Wiley’s body and assess photos from the scene. A photo of the sedan showed the passenger’s side window shattered and a bullet hole in the windshield.
The findings undercut the claim that police had fired in self-defense. On Kohen’s right side, where the bullet entered, were small cuts known as “pseudo stippling,” an injury pattern commonly found on victims shot through glass. According to Mitchell, the markings suggested the bullet had been fired through tempered glass — like that found on a car’s passenger window — rather than through a windshield’s laminated glass.
But the only way to learn what really happened, Crump said, was to see the body camera footage and surveillance video that the MBI still had not released.
“If it was your 1-year-old baby, what would your response be?”
The following week a crowd filled a room inside Senatobia City Hall. Lumumba, the local activist, had been given time to speak at the bimonthly board of alderman meeting, along with two women from the Building Bridges Coalition. He gave the aldermen copies of Kohen’s obituary. “Kohen brought joy to everyone he met,” it read. “He loved playtime with his mom, playing with his toys, and cutting the grass with his toy lawnmower.”
Lumumba reminded the aldermen of the history of police violence in Senatobia. He and his neighbors had urged the city to act. “We told y’all, ‘Y’all gonna kill somebody,’” he said. Now, police had gone too far. “This ain’t going away.”
Shatoya House reminded the officials that protesters are not “the enemy.” Yet that’s how they’d been treated. Police had deployed tear gas on one demonstration outside Walmart. And on the day the commissioner of public safety came to town, snipers had watched from the rooftops.
House also felt compelled to respond to an accusation about the activists. Many critics seemed convinced they were bigoted against white people. “I am not racist,” House said. “If it was your 1-year-old baby, what would your response be?”
When the speakers were done, no one said anything. With a placid air, Mayor Greg Graves simply moved on to the next agenda item.
“We must not be good enough for them to talk back to us,” one woman said loudly. Only one alderman had addressed them directly — to confirm that Foster was still collecting a paycheck. “Do the rest of y’all care?”
“No, they don’t care,” another replied.
A white lieutenant interrupted with a warning. “All right, that’s it,” he snapped.
“Let the mayor run the city,” the woman snapped back. “You a police officer, bro.”
He gave her a hard stare and nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I am,” he said. “Yes, ma’am, I am.”
Neither Graves nor individual aldermen responded to emails from The Intercept. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford said any questions should go to the MBI. “I can’t say anything or do anything until they do what they’re gonna do,” he said. In an email, the MBI wrote, “This remains an open and ongoing investigation, no further comment will be made.”
Activists are still showing up at city hall. At a meeting in late July, Lumumba introduced Kohen’s mother and grandmother to the aldermen, who again had nothing to say. Outside the most recent meeting on August 4, Lumumba passed out postcards urging people to join the cause. He was joined outside by community members wearing shirts that read, “Your baby is our baby.”
Elsewhere in town, others seem anxious for it all to go away. Last month, an anonymous woman posted in the Senatobia UNCENSORED group. Her family was moving to Senatobia but, based on what she’d seen on the page, she worried it was a mistake. “I’ve never seen so much drama and hatred,” she said. “Please tell me it’s a good place.”
Several people sought to reassure her. “I have rarely experienced any racism or hate,” one white woman wrote. The original poster thanked her. “This eases my heart.”
“You are so welcome,” the white woman replied. “I promise it’s peaceful here.”
“There will be some turmoil when the MBI releases their findings,” she added. “But it will be outside agitators. And it will be temporary.”
Nyla Aquino’s rise at the University of Georgia reveals the tensions facing Black athletes as the SEC thrives while DEI programs and voting rights come under attack
It’s a February Friday night at the University of Georgia, but Stegeman Coliseum is alive.
Situated in the center of the sprawling southern campus in Athens, the towering arena has hosted Georgia Bulldogs basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams for more than six decades. On 22 February 1964, Stegeman Coliseum hosted its first athletic event and, concurrently, its first win.
Coffee chain has faced backlash over marketing promotion tied to anniversary of Gwangju massacre
South Korean police have raided the headquarters of Starbucks Korea as part of an investigation into a marketing campaign accused of trivialising the country’s 1980s pro-democracy movement.
Investigators searched the building in southern Seoul on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday. No further details were released, although South Korean media reported that officers also searched the homes of the Starbucks Korea executives.
Being a woman who loves video games has often felt lonely, like being on a hostile planet – but Metroid’s female space hunter has been with me all the way
It’s 1986, and you’re playing a brand-new game. (You’re in Japan in this scenario, by the way; the game in question, Metroid, won’t come to North America and Europe until later.) Anyway, this new game has you in its grip. You are a lone astronaut exploring a hostile alien planet full of ancient, mysterious structures. This astronaut looks human enough – but this distinctly alien place is full of objects that power up their spacesuit’s capabilities. Each new ability allows you to explore a new area, and as you do, you realise that the entirety of the planetary base you’re exploringis one, massive, interconnected maze. Whoa.
Hours later, you finally defeat Mother Brain and set off a timed self-destruct sequence. Upon your escape, you’re treated to an endgame screen: the little astronaut faces you as text on screen implores you to “pray for peace in space”.
Longtime Slashdot readers schwit1 and fjo3 shared a report about BMW displaying a Spider-Man promotion on connected vehicle screens in more than 70 markets. According to reports, drivers had to play or dismiss the ad before they could use the infotainment system. Futurism reports: BMW, showing that it was about as in-touch as its drivers are familiar with turn signals, teased the promotion as a "special surprise." According to The Autopian's coverage and the heaps of complaints online, the ad appears on the center console screen when you start up the car. When the ad's done playing -- a cheap looking animation that doesn't come close to warranting all this hubbub -- it even has the gall to ask you to scan a QR code.
While it does give you the option to play or skip the "festive animation," it's still an annoying extra step drivers have to take before pulling up the map they need or the music they want to listen to. It's also a breach of trust: drivers keep their cars connected so they receive critical software updates, not unexpectedly see ads when they're trying to hit the road. Few owners were pleased. Enthusiasts in the r/BMW subreddit had a veritable meltdown when someone posted footage of the ad playing on their infotainment system.
Federal authorities arrested a man who appeared to be monitoring security-planning activities at Trump National Golf Club in LA County ahead of the president's Southern California visit.
LANSING, Michigan — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Abdul El-Sayed on Wednesday, quickly backing the progressive Democratic Senate nominee after supporting his more moderate primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens.
Whitmer congratulated El-Sayed and other Democratic nominees while urging the party to unite for November. Stevens also conceded and offered El-Sayed her support after losing by fewer than 15,000 votes in a primary shaped by ideological divisions and record outside spending.
El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, overcame more than $60 million in opposition spending. His campaign emphasized Medicare for All, campaign-finance reform, economic populism and ending unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel. He received strong support from younger voters, progressives and Michigan’s Arab American communities.
The nominee will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who ran unopposed. Rogers immediately labeled El-Sayed an extremist and invoked his Muslim faith while attacking his political movement—rhetoric likely to intensify an already divisive battleground campaign.
Michigan’s open seat is considered essential to Democratic hopes of regaining Senate control. El-Sayed must now consolidate Stevens supporters while expanding beyond the progressive coalition that carried him through the primary.
Whitmer described the campaign’s intensity as healthy but said Democrats must now “come together, get to work and win in November.” The endorsement reflects the rapid party consolidation behind El-Sayed despite establishment reservations about his candidacy.
Investigation by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty and Legal Agenda shows Israel deliberately attacked Amal Khalil and colleague Zeinab Faraj knowing they were civilians
An Israeli strike that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and injured her colleague Zeinab Faraj in April was a war crime, three rights organisations said on Thursday.
Investigations from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and Legal Agenda showed that Israel deliberately and directly attacked Khalil and Faraj, with apparent knowledge that they were civilians. The organisations called for the attacks to be investigated as war crimes, while HRW called for states to halt arm sales to Israel and put targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for ongoing crimes.
Just wondering is there any negative to adding lifesavers to my Onewheel XR+? I was reading it can change the tire shape and make it more round, is that a good thing? I'm changing my wheel for the first time to an Enduro and I'm debating if I should add lifesavers, the cost isn't an issue, I'm just worried it will affect the ride negatively.
While some users say the wearables have changed their lives, critics voice fears over safety and privacy
With more than 7m pairs reportedly sold in 2025, Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses are fast becoming one of the world’s most popular gadgets.
While supporters say they are transforming photography and accessibility, critics have raised concerns about nonconsensual filming, privacy and data collection.
Tech giant Meta revealed Wednesday that one of its artificial intelligence models hacked another organization during testing, the third time in recent weeks that an AI model has improperly accessed a third-party company.
I’m buying my board from a local store, and i’m ordering rail guards but obviously still want to go ride yet really dont want to scratch up my brand new $2500 baby. it’s gonna take 2+ weeks for my rails to arrive, what to do until then?
I saw somewhere online someone using duct tape as rail guards, will that even work? anyone have any better ideas? im going to he super careful until they get here regardless!
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Scientists have captured images of the sun's surface in the finest detail yet, revealing a strange and dynamic facade. It's dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. But researchers were able to peek at its scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
Scientists originally took the images for a different reason: to fine-tune and test the limits of the telescope. But when they looked at the results, they realized they'd photographed the sun's bright outer shell at higher resolution than ever before. What's more, they saw strange feathery patterns rippling across the surface. "That reminds me of famous paintings, like the swirling skies in Van Gogh's Starry Night," said solar physicist Ruizhu Chen with Stanford University, who was not involved with the new research.
Researchers saw ripples of instability on the sun's surface caused by bits of magnetized plasma moving past each other at different speeds -- similar to waves that stir when a gust of wind blows over water. It's a well-known phenomenon that guides how fluids move. This has been glimpsed on Earth and other planets like Jupiter and Saturn, but "it has not been observed ever at that level on the solar surface," according to study co-author Friedrich Woger with the National Solar Observatory. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
After Ukraine failed to shoot down a single ballistic missile fired by Russia on Wednesday, the president urged allies to increase supplies of Patriot interceptors
Nato is working to get Ukraine the air defences it “urgently needs”, its secretary general has said, after Kyiv failed to shoot down a single Russian missile in an attack on Wednesday, and as Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was seeking to significantly boost missile production ahead of winter.
Speaking at a National Security and Defense Council meeting on winter resilience, the Ukrainian president did not rule out the idea that stalling missile supplies from western allies were “aimed at making Ukraine, so to speak, more willing to compromise” in peace talks with Russia.
Jeanine John Taele faces new weapons charges as details of ‘suspicious’ behavior ahead of president’s visit emerge
A California man who was arrested at Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf course ahead of a presidential visit is facing more charges, as authorities released new details about the investigation.
Authorities say federal agents first observed 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele near the golf grounds in Rancho Palos Verdes on 31 July, wearing an earpiece and capturing photographs and videos of security agents assessing the property.
Company is the third to report such an incident after Anthropic and OpenAI reported breaches during training
Meta said on Wednesday that one of its AI models hacked another company during cybersecurity testing, after an error by its testing partner gave the model unintended internet access.
The incident adds to a growing list of cases in which AI agents from major developers breached systems at other companies during testing, after Anthropic said last week that some of its models hacked three companies, and OpenAI disclosed that an AI agent breached the startup Hugging Face.
MAINE — Tucker Carlson unveiled a 10-point political manifesto Wednesday that could serve as the foundation for a third-party movement challenging both the Republican establishment and President Donald Trump.
The former Fox News host stopped short of announcing a party or 2028 presidential campaign. He described the platform as a shared vision for “whatever comes next,” weeks after saying he intended to help build an alternative to the two major parties. Carlson recently hosted dissident MAGA figures at his Maine home, where some reportedly encouraged him to run for president.
Carlson’s 10 principles were:
Fair: Laws should apply equally to presidents, federal agents and wealthy elites. He cited Jeffrey Epstein as a symbol of an insulated ruling class.
Sovereign: The United States should reject foreign influence, corporate control and predatory debt. Carlson accused Israel of pushing America into war with Iran.
Productive: The country should rebuild manufacturing, farming and skilled trades instead of relying on finance, speculation, surveillance and weapons production.
Beautiful: Carlson condemned brutalist architecture, graffiti, public drug use and urban decay, alleging that powerful planners deliberately degraded American communities.
Healthy: He embraced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s food agenda, promoted sobriety and criticized widespread reliance on Xanax, Adderall and antidepressants.
Honest: Government officials should face punishment for deceiving the public, while most classified records concerning events such as the Kennedy assassination and September 11 should be released.
Optimistic: Carlson presented marriage and parenthood as foundations for long-term social stability, arguing that aging and childless elites disregard future generations.
Wise: Schools should emphasize practical knowledge and what Carlson called permanent truths about human nature, including differences between men and women.
Decent: The United States should apologize and provide restitution for civilian deaths, reverse Trump’s “Department of War” name change and stop supporting allies Carlson accuses of genocide.
United: Carlson proposed halting immigration while the effects of artificial intelligence become clearer, ending public benefits for undocumented immigrants and requiring English on federal documents and ballots.
The manifesto combines economic populism, noninterventionist foreign policy, social conservatism and hard-line immigration restrictions. Carlson’s breakaway faction includes former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Thomas Massie and former Trump counterterrorism official Joe Kent. Its members accuse Trump of abandoning “America First” through the Iran war, his handling of the Epstein files and continued support for Israel. The White House dismissed the group as politically irrelevant, while Trump remains the dominant figure within the Republican Party.
1 year with my GT started off rough with an out of round tire but changed it out with new one Fm sent for free. Almost 1300 miles in and love the thing, hopefully many more to come. Float on my friends.
Researchers were able to peek at the sun's scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
SeaWorld San Antonio welcomed seven more beluga whales on Tuesday, the latest development in the international effort to relocate dozens of the mammals from shuttered Canadian theme park Marineland.
AI models are engaging in unauthorized actions — in the most recent case, creating fake identities and attempting to persuade real people to approve malicious code.
At least 345 people — the majority in Colorado and Minnesota — have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — President Donald Trump dismissed unfavorable economic polling as “fake” Wednesday while claiming the United States has “the greatest economy we’ve ever had by far.”
Trump made the remarks during a Las Vegas speech promoting Republican tax policies. His sweeping claim is unsupported by current economic data. Real gross domestic product grew at a modest 1.5% annualized rate during the second quarter, while inflation, elevated interest rates, housing shortages and energy costs continue pressuring households. The economy is not among the worst in American history, but it remains weak and unaffordable for many people despite strong financial markets.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey found Trump’s overall approval at 35%. Respondents preferred Democrats over Republicans on managing the economy by 37% to 36%, marking the Democrats’ first advantage on the issue in nearly a decade. Only 22% approved of Trump’s handling of household living costs in an earlier survey.
Trump rejected the findings without providing evidence that the surveys were fraudulent. He also claimed his actual polling numbers were the strongest of his career and credited tax cuts, foreign investment and border enforcement.
The divide between headline market performance and household finances helps explain the political problem. Rising stock values benefit investors, but many voters judge the economy through grocery bills, gasoline prices, rent, mortgage rates and healthcare costs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s proposed fleet of nuclear-powered battleships could cost approximately $275 billion to develop and purchase, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis.
The nonpartisan agency estimates that the first of 15 planned vessels, the USS Defiant, would cost roughly $23.4 billion. Each additional ship could average about $18 billion, with the full program extending through 2056. The first vessel may require at least eight years to construct.
Trump unveiled the battleships in December as the centerpiece of his planned “Golden Fleet,” promising vessels larger, faster and substantially more powerful than previous American warships. The Navy later selected nuclear propulsion instead of the originally proposed gas-turbine engines, increasing the program’s cost and technical complexity.
The administration wants construction to begin quickly, but lawmakers from both parties have questioned the Navy’s request for $1 billion in advance procurement funding before completing the design, cost analysis and operational requirements.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, who requested the CBO review, called the proposal a potential military “boondoggle.” Sen. Jack Reed separately questioned whether massive surface ships fit modern warfare, which increasingly emphasizes distributed forces, submarines, drones and long-range missiles.
The Navy also faces persistent shipyard capacity problems and delays across existing destroyer and submarine programs, raising further doubts about the fleet’s proposed schedule.
Cyclospora cases have been reported in at least 47 states total this year, and investigators have continued to probe how many could be linked to a common contaminated source.
The massive food warehouse fire in Los Angeles in June followed a long run of fires at properties tied to one of the world's largest cold storage companies, a CBS News investigation has found.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the Everglades, and the challenge is part of initiative to remove them
The winner of this year’s annual Florida Python Challenge hunted down and eliminated 96 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades national park, as part of an initiative to remove hundreds of the snakes from the area every year.
The challenge invites hunters to participate in 10 days of capturing and humanely euthanizing as many of the invasive snakes as possible across eight designated hunting locations, with the winner taking home a cash prize of $10,000. The event is hosted by Florida fish, wildlife and conservation (FWC), the south Florida water management district, the National Park Service and others.
The trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three children in January 2023, continued on Wednesday with a forensic toxicologist testifying to the variety and concentration of medications found in the defendant’s blood.
Justin Brower,a forensic toxicologist with NMS Laboratories, testified that his lab examined the levels of four psychiatric medications detected in Clancy’s blood after she allegedly strangled her children and attempted to take her own life.
News Corp has reported a slight slide in digital subscriptions at its Australian mastheads, erasing recent gains, among otherwise robust financials at the Rupert Murdoch-backed global conglomerate.
Digital subscribers at News Corp Australia – a division that includes the Australian, the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun, among others – fell from 1,166,000 to 1,162,000 during the financial year, according to the company’s internal data published in its full year results on Thursday morning.
Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from Electrek: Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov laid out the clearest technical case yet for why cameras alone can't take a self-driving system to full autonomy, arguing that "weak sensing" hits a safety ceiling long before it reaches superhuman performance. [...] Dolgov made the comments in a talk at Y Combinator's Startup School, walking through the lessons Waymo has learned building its driver over close to two decades. He put the sensor question on the table plainly: "there's been a long-standing debate about what kind of sensors do you actually need for autonomous driving."
His answer draws the line that camera-only advocates tend to skip right past. "Humans of course can drive with just eyes, so there's that proof of existence," he said. "If the goal were to just approximately match human performance or to build an assist product, that's a very reasonable way to go." Then the catch. If you're targeting full autonomy and strongly superhuman performance, he said, "you find that weak sensing just leads to a safety curve that flattens out way too early." Dolgov said that cameras, lidar, and radar are complementary rather than redundant: "These different sensing modalities, they're not backups to each other," and combining them produces a view "vastly superior to what you get with any one sensor." He said multiple sensor types also protect against physical failures, such as a leaf or branch blocking a camera, while helping Waymo climb the "exponential ladder of nines" required for fully driverless safety.
Dolgov warned that camera-only systems may improve quickly before plateauing "way before the performance that is required by your product." He also pushed back on the cost argument against lidar, calling it "a number that has a fairly short shelf life" as hardware costs continue to fall.
Over the course of Donald Trump’s second term, Democratic voters have expressed dissatisfaction with their party over what many view as an inability to stand up to the president and his broader movement. That dissatisfaction with the establishment has manifested in primaries in coastal cities across the country, where the progressive movement appears to be ascendant. On Tuesday, that test played out in Midwestern states, Michigan and Missouri.
Within roughly two hours of polls closing, The Associated Press called the closely watched rematch between Cori Bush and Rep. Wesley Bell for the incumbent. In 2024, AIPAC and other outside groups spent more than $18 million to oust Bush from her Missouri district, and her defeat, along with New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s, has served as a warning sign for Democrats not to be too progressive or too pro-Palestine.
But by Wednesday morning, Abdul El-Sayed, who ran on Medicare for All and ending military aid to Israel for its continued genocide in Gaza, narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens by less than 20,000 votes. According to AdImpact, the Michigan Democratic Senate primary saw $98 million in ad spending and reservations. At least $60 million was spent boosting Stevens or attacking El-Sayed, with more than $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC, United Democracy Project — its largest spend in a single race ever, nearly double the then-record-breaking amount spent on Bowman’s 2024 primary race.
This week on The Intercept Briefing, host Jessica Washington and colleagues Akela Lacy and Jonah Valdez discuss what results from Tuesday’s primaries signal for progressives and the broader left in the Democratic Party, especially in swing states and outside of coastal cities.
For more, listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.
Transcript
Jessica Washington: Welcome to the Intercept Briefing. I’m Jessica Washington, politics reporter at The Intercept.
Akela Lacy: And I’m Akela Lacy, senior politics reporter.
Jonah Valdez: And I’m Jonah Valdez. I cover politics and U.S. foreign policy.
JW: We’re in your feed a bit early this week to talk about two major primaries we’ve been reporting on at The Intercept.
Over the nearly two years on this podcast, we’ve been covering voters’ dissatisfaction with Democrats over what many view as an inability to stand up to President Donald Trump and his broader movement. That dissatisfaction has manifested in primaries in cities across the country, from New York to Colorado and California, where the progressive movement appears to be ascendant.
That test came to the Midwest on Tuesday in Michigan and Missouri. In Missouri, former squad member Cori Bush lost her rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell, who received the bulk of outside spending, primarily from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. In 2024, AIPAC and other groups poured a collective $18 million into the race to defeat her.
In Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in a win for progressives after AIPAC-aligned super PACs and others poured close to $100 million into the race, according to AdImpact. This week on The Intercept Briefing, you’ll hear what the results from Tuesday’s primaries signal for progressives and the broader left in the Democratic Party, especially in swing states and outside of coastal cities.
Jonah, Akela, I really want to get your reactions to El-Sayed winning the Democratic Michigan Senate primary.
JV: Well, it was a long night, and AP called it pretty early — at least here where I am on the West Coast. And I think my initial reaction is, a win’s a win. I think results were a lot closer than what the polls had showed leading up to it.
I think it’s worth noting that Abdul El-Sayed was massively outspent in this race. Overall, nearly $100 million in the Senate primary. It’s the most expensive Democratic primary ever, but the majority of which was spent in outside spending to either attack El-Sayed or boost the campaign of Stevens.
Yet El-Sayed pulls off this very close win with a vote total, I think it’s worth noting, that’s greater than the more moderate Elissa Slotkin got in her primary in 2024. More similar to closer margins we saw in the presidential primary between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
JW: For our listeners at home, Elissa Slotkin is the senator who beat Mike Rogers in 2024. Mike Rogers is the presumptive Republican nominee who El-Sayed will be facing in the November election.
JV: And you’re already seeing online, all this talk from moderates as far as where El-Sayed may have failed, as if to show progressive policies still don’t do well, or, all this talk of how can El-Sayed moderate more in the general.
But I think if Dems are serious about getting a Senate majority, I think it’s more so on moderates to appeal to what the majority of voters in Michigan decided today. And that’s that it’s the politics of the El-Sayed campaign.
“If Dems are serious about getting a Senate majority, I think it’s more so on moderates to appeal to what the majority of voters in Michigan decided today.”
AL: My reaction, obviously NBC projected overnight that El-Sayed would win, and so his campaign claimed victory overnight, and everyone was waiting well into the morning for the final results.
But in that interim period, you basically saw the shift in conversation go from everyone having that election-night anticipation to everyone churning out takes about why the polling that showed El-Sayed up by double digits in the final weeks of the race had been so far off. Making conjectures about counties where Stevens outperformed him and extrapolating that to the November general election, making claims that El-Sayed is going to have to make up a lot of ground with Black or working-class voters in counties that Stevens performed better in.
But I think that immediate pivot is really telling in a lot of ways because this was the most expensive [Democratic] Senate primary in history, and we saw the most spending ever from not just the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, but all of these other corporate PACs to boost Haley Stevens.
She came into this race in the first spot with backing from the Democratic Party and lost. And I think to ignore the massive failure on the part of the party in that vein and to instead put those failures on El-Sayed is a really backwards reading of what happened last night.
“To ignore the massive failure on the part of the party in that vein and to instead put those failures on El-Sayed is a really backwards reading of what happened last night.”
JW: Akela, to your point about the money, and Jonah, I want to bring you into this, did the money make a difference? It was the most expensive Democratic [Senate] primary in history, and did the spending here change the outcome? Obviously, El-Sayed won anyway, but, did this have an impact?
AL: I think it would be folly to argue that it didn’t have an impact. It’s still very early. We don’t have all of the information, but there’s anecdotal reports of voters saying that they thought that Obama endorsed Haley Stevens. I actually haven’t seen anyone talking about individual responses to the AIPAC attacks, but that narrative out there that Abdul El-Sayed is the biggest threat to the U.S.–Israel relationship or to American Jews or Jewish voters in Michigan, that’s been out there this entire race.
And so I think that certainly had an effect. But I’ve also seen some people saying, “Oh, you can’t just make the argument that voters who voted for Haley Stevens or who were swayed by these ads are stupid.” I don’t think anyone’s saying they’re stupid. But it’s unrealistic to try to make an argument that this money had no effect in this race.
JV: Yeah, it absolutely made a difference. Speaking with people in Michigan throughout the summer and really starting, early July, just like a flood of attack ads against El-Sayed. They were pretty much omnipresent if you were watching TV. Mind you, this was around the World Cup, so people were seeing this on primetime television immediately after a game ended.
Someone I spoke to said the second ad right after is an attack ad calling Abdul El-Sayed, I think, hateful toward women, and other ones painted him as a terrorist sympathizer trying to tie him to Hasan Piker and comments he made. Painting this whole vision that he is too radical for Michigan. It is the outside spending propping that up, but on top of that, like trying to make this ideological argument.
JW: And just for anyone who doesn’t know Hasan Piker is the popular Twitch streamer who’s been campaigning with progressives and who Republicans and Democrats have been weaponizing against progressives implying with, I would argue, pretty Islamophobic attacks that these candidates are anti-American and that they believe everything that Piker believes.
JV: I think it’s worth remembering that there was a point in this race when it was essentially a three-way tie between El-Sayed, Stevens, and Mallory McMorrow, who would eventually drop out. The conventional thinking at the time was that the more that voters see of Stevens, the more it would consolidate around McMorrow and El-Sayed, that Stevens would back off and would drop off in the polls because of AIPAC being such a big issue in the race.
Around the same time as polls were reflecting that, that’s when AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, dropped in tens and tens of millions of dollars. This is the correlated result that you get.
Stevens also has this history with AIPAC as far as the why they spent for her. AIPAC and corporate groups saw Stevens as a candidate that aligns with their policy positions. Stevens of course in 2019 took that freshman trip sponsored by AIPAC to Israel. And worth mentioning in 2022 she received millions in support in her race against former congressman Andy Levin, who was attacked over his support for a Palestinian state.
On the other side of that coin, of course, is AIPAC saw a candidate in El-Sayed who opposes their positions on Israel.
JW: Akela, I want to turn to you for a second. I know that the United Democracy Project, a super PAC backed by AIPAC, as you both have mentioned, spent a ton of money in this race. I know that came up in your conversation with El-Sayed last week. Now that you’ve had some time to reflect on that conversation, were there any takeaways for you about how he was thinking about money and politics, and specifically the massive amount of money that was spent on his election?
AL: The core of El-Sayed’s argument this entire race was that he was the antithesis to big money in politics. Not just spending on a race, but talking about money in politics being the reason that we don’t have policies like Medicare for All, that we can’t change sort of the status quo on U.S. military support for Israel, that being a driving factor for why many voters ended up supporting somebody like Donald Trump.
Looking back on the way that El-Sayed messaged on these things, he was right. The question was, like, how much do voters actually care about that thing? And I think the breakdown came between voters who support a candidate like Stevens and don’t necessarily care about the money coming in to support her.
People talk a lot about the enthusiasm gap — that supporters of El-Sayed were much more enthusiastically supportive of him in a positive way than supporters of Stevens who might have been supporting her because they were familiar with her, they felt like she was more of a predictable candidate, or because they didn’t want to vote for somebody like El-Sayed.
“That enthusiasm gap is why you see that kind of money coming into the race.”
That enthusiasm gap is why you see that kind of money coming into the race. He made the point over and over again: “If your candidate is so electable, why do you have to spend $60 million to put them in office?” Part of that is his campaign strategy, but I think it’s a pretty unimpeachable argument, right? If they didn’t need that kind of boost to put their candidate in office — and obviously it didn’t work — why would you make that kind of investment?
Coming out of this, there’s all kinds of people trying to spin this to say, “Oh, the money advantage has changed this cycle.” We’ve seen other candidates who had the money advantage lose, but I think that sort of discounts exactly how much money went into this race. I think there was almost $100 million spent in total on the Michigan Senate race. Which is crazy! Just on its face. If you’re on the opposite side of that spending, the obvious question is, “OK, if your candidate is so good, then why do you have to do all of this to help them win?”
The takeaway that a lot of people have from this, whether they’re supportive of El-Sayed or whether they’re upset about Haley Stevens, is that, I don’t think the era of big money in politics is over, but obviously the ground is shifting.
JW: Jonah, I want to come back to the Islamophobia in the race that you reported on. Obviously, we saw these attacks both from Democrats and Republicans, and as we head into November, we can only imagine that these attacks are going to intensify and I would argue become more Islamophobic as Republicans pick up some of these attacks that Democrats had dropped in the primary.
What do you think is going to happen in the general election, and how are you anticipating Islamophobia to show up in this race?
JV: We’re already seeing it this morning. The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, they released their first ads this morning, and of course, they refer to Abdul El-Sayed by his full name, they are tying him again to Hasan Piker, using phrasing that El-Sayed is too radical. These are all out of the playbook from the primary that the Michigan GOP had rolled out that Mike Rogers had rolled out.
And on top of that, I’m glad you noted that it’s not just the Republicans who have been weaponizing Islamophobia, it’s also the Democratic establishment and AIPAC through its, again, super PAC, [United Democracy Project], just pouring and pouring all these ads that are again painting Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim and Arab, as a sympathizer to terrorism. That, on top of these unfounded claims of his hatred toward women. Speaking to several leading experts in Islamophobia, they were identifying these as pretty troubling anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tropes that have been around in American politics for years now.
One person mentioned that it reminded them of the early attacks on Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008, and that leaked photo that Hillary Clinton’s campaign at the time put out showing him in traditional Somalian elder attire. And so, I think we could expect these kinds of attacks to only accelerate, especially at a time when Islamophobia is pretty common in GOP rhetoric right now.
We saw it leading up to the campaign of Zohran Mamdani in New York for his mayoral seat. We see it very regularly from representatives in the House like Randy Fine, who folks like him in his part of the world essentially believe that no Muslims should serve in Congress at all.
“Republicans are still betting that these old tactics can still work before a broader electorate.”
They’re drawing these hard, very bigoted lines. They’re successful politically in a lot of spaces. Republicans are still betting that these old tactics can still work before a broader electorate. Today’s victory, though, in spite of all of the attack ads in the primary, kind of shows that those older tactics may not be as effective as they were, say, a decade ago or 20 years ago.
What we’re seeing this morning with these new ads, is a preview of what’s to come. It’s only going to get worse as the GOP plays to its MAGA base. But El-Sayed has shown that he has the capacity to overcome this, and I think that boils down to just how far the electorate has evolved on this and just aren’t as susceptible to such blatant racism.
JW: One thing I’ve been wondering is whether or not, as we head into November, establishment Democrats are going to protect El-Sayed and actually stand up against these Islamophobic attacks.
We’ve seen Democrats dance around these attacks on Ilhan Omar, sometimes defending against them, but often adding fuel to the fire. So I think come November or before November even, it’ll be interesting to see if Democrats actually intervene and do something about these kinds of racist, Islamophobic attacks.
AL: It’s a good question, Jessie, and already this morning we’ve seen Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who run the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorse El-Sayed. We saw the Senate Majority PAC come in and endorse him. Even Haley Stevens endorsed him. But lest we forget, four days ago, Haley Stevens was saying that El-Sayed blamed all of his problems on Jewish voters with the backing of many of these people in the party.
So yeah, I think the question of whether they will specifically address the Islamophobic attacks is a totally different question from whether they are going to consolidate around him, which they are, because they obviously need the seat.
[Break]
JW: Obviously, this was a really interesting race, and we’ve all been watching it, but I want to talk about some other races that happened last night as well.
So Akela, I know you’ve been watching House District 7 in Michigan, where William Lawrence, founder of the Sunrise Movement, won the Democratic primary. Akela, can you tell us a little bit about him and the dynamics of that race?
AL: Will Lawrence — many people may remember him because of the late-breaking oppo story about him saying that the left had been defanged by Black members of Congress. But prior to that, Will Lawrence had run a pretty textbook progressive campaign from the left, but he really was one of the first candidates this cycle who we saw center their campaign around the issue of data centers.
And I think in some of the analysis that we’ve seen coming out of his win, which was one of the early calls last night is that that is a winning argument particularly for progressive campaigns, but also in states where communities are fighting data centers.
We’ve seen this, I don’t want to say people are treating the data-center issue as like a panacea, but we have seen that come up in a lot of campaigns and a lot of analysis, suggesting that’s potentially a through line where progressives can overcome some of the obstacles that they might have faced around other “controversial policies,” and that data centers is, like, this reasonable policy that progressives are adopting that’s helping to boost their campaigns.
I think that’s a narrative that’s really coming out of Will Lawrence’s race. I will also mention that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee backed Lawrence shortly after he won, which is a pretty big deal.
JV: And just to add with Lawrence, he is in the 7th Michigan district, which is considered a purple district, and it’s currently held by a Republican incumbent. So I think moving ahead to the general, I think similar to El-Sayed’s race against Mike Rogers, is that, a lot of people will be looking at this as a test of how these anti-corporate, anti-data center, and unabashedly pro-Palestinian politics play in a general election in a district that is very much considered a swing district.
“A lot of people will be looking at this as a test of how these anti-corporate, anti-data center, and unabashedly pro-Palestinian politics play in a general election in a district that is very much considered a swing district.”
JW: Yeah. No, I can definitely see that.
I want to turn to another state, Missouri. Within roughly two hours of polls closing, The Associated Press called the closely watched — for me at least, probably a little bit less for the rest of the news ecosystem — but the closely watched rematch between Cori Bush and Rep. Wesley Bell in Bell’s favor.
So in 2024, AIPAC and other groups had spent more than $18 million to oust her from her Missouri district. Akela, we’ve both spoken to members of Congress who have seen her defeat as a warning sign to not be so progressive, to not be so pro-Palestine. We’ve been chatting in the newsroom in our politics meetings about whether or not this race says anything about progressives and the progressive movement right now, or does it just say something about Bush and her campaign?
AL: I don’t think that this race says anything about the viability of pro-Palestine candidates. To make that argument, you would have to close your eyes to all of the last three months, basically. I think this was a race about Cori Bush and Wesley Bell. And for all the criticisms of Wesley Bell, people like him in this district.
Turnout in the city of St. Louis, Cori Bush’s base, was pretty high. It was 30 percent. That was around the levels that we saw when she won reelection in 2022, and that was not enough to counteract the support that Wesley Bell got from St. Louis County, where more older Black voters who support him tend to live.
What I heard from supporters of Bush was that some people thought she was going to lose, but they didn’t think it would be by this much. A lot of people thought she was going to win; they were obviously wrong. I don’t think you can make the argument that the AIPAC money in this race is the only reason that she lost.
“I don’t think you can make the argument that the AIPAC money in this race is the only reason that she lost.”
There was a pretty effective campaign to saddle her with baggage from these stories about what happened to the tornado relief money that she raised, and her husband being probed over a pandemic loan fraud, and all of these things we talked about and she chalked up to political attacks.
But I think people in the district were not necessarily swayed by those issue, but it left a bad taste in their mouth. And it’s the kind of thing where I’m not sure that Wesley Bell would’ve won if a different candidate was was challenging him, just given the frustration both with incumbents and with AIPAC money.
Bush’s campaign also suffered because she didn’t have the marquee progressive support that we’ve seen boost candidates in other races, like rallies with Bernie Sanders and AOC. Bernie Sanders endorsed her, but nobody came to campaign with her. Justice Democrats endorsed her, but they didn’t spend money on the race.
The money that was spent in favor of Bush was just around $200,000 — that means that progressive groups didn’t take this race seriously. And for one reason or another, it’s kind of a chicken or the egg thing. Had they taken it seriously, could she have won, or did they not take it seriously because they didn’t think she was going to win?
At the end of the day, this was more of a race about Cori Bush and Wesley Bell than it was a bigger test of all these other issues. And Wesley Bell is the kind of person who has, aside from taking AIPAC money, you can’t really say a lot else about him because he doesn’t really do a lot — and I think that works in his favor, for better or for worse.
JW: And Jonah, I wanted to get your thoughts as well. If you’ve spoken to Cori Bush, she is unlike any other politician. She very much speaks and feels like an organizer. Just watching her navigate the political system and struggle to navigate the political system has been really interesting. But Jonah, I wanted to see if you had any thoughts about this race as well?
JV: I think it’s worth noting that she was very much ahead of the curve on a lot of the politics that we’re seeing succeed in this midterm primary elections. And, I think to Akela’s point, seeing the success, like the massive success across the U.S. on, the same platform that she’s running on, and something that she’s ran on since she was first elected, and was among the early politicians to call the genocide in Gaza a genocide.
“She was very much ahead of the curve on a lot of the politics that we’re seeing succeed in this midterm primary elections.”
As yours and Akela’s reporting had noted in 2024, was very early with the ceasefire resolution, as we know there’s still no ceasefire in Gaza. These are things that she was very much ahead in the curve on and is still very much a leader in that space. Her losing in this election doesn’t necessarily mean that those values don’t do well before the electorate.
JW: Akela, to your point, I’ve seen some analysis suggesting that a lot of progressive attention was spent on Michigan. Do you think that played a role in why there wasn’t as much spending or attention or any on-the-ground mobilization from progressive groups? Was all of their focus on Michigan?
AL: I wouldn’t say there was no on-the-ground mobilization. [Democratic Socialists of America], the St. Louis DSA endorsed her, and the St. Louis chapter was canvassing for her, and they had a pretty well-run canvassing operation to what I understand. But that’s not enough. I think they potentially miscalculated because of the boost that DSA gave to other candidates in New York and Colorado, I think they assumed that would be enough to put her over the edge.
But yeah, in conversations with progressive strategists who work on these races, the reason that they didn’t put as many resources into this race is absolutely because they put all of them into Michigan. The caveat here is that even while groups like Justice Democrats or the new pro-Palestine PAC, American Priorities, are spending more than they ever have on these races — in part because of how much money corporate PACs and the pro-Israel lobby have spent against their candidates in previous cycles — is that there’s still only a handful of these groups.
They simply do not have the capacity to triage every race in a cycle or even every race in a week. People were like, “I wish another group bucked up and came in and put more money in this race for her.” But it wasn’t going to be [Justice Democrats] because they had Donavan McKinney. It wasn’t going to be American Priorities, probably because they didn’t want to sully their positive track record so far by making a massive investment in a race where the candidate already had a lot of problems.
All of these calculations went into the fact that the focus on Michigan probably affected this race, but again, I don’t think you can say, one way or the other, if all these groups came in and spent a bunch of money for her that it would’ve changed the outcome. We just don’t have enough information right now to say that.
JW: I want to talk about democratic socialist Francesca Hong, who is currently having clips about her takes on Thanksgiving and raising a biracial child taken, I would argue, a little bit out of context.
But I do want to talk about that race because she’s a democratic socialist who is currently leading in the polls for governor in Wisconsin against the more moderate candidate, David Crowley, and that race is coming up next week. Akela, can you just briefly talk about the dynamics at play here?
AL: Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker in Wisconsin who has been leading the polls in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. This is a situation where, I mean, why is CNN asking this woman about a tweet about canceling Thanksgiving? That’s my question. I don’t care what she thinks about Thanksgiving. That’s not a policy that the governor of Wisconsin has power over.
The fact that this is what this race has come down to at this point is a reflection of how much these outlets and mainstream forces are working to tear down and poke holes in what is clearly a substantive movement against the Democratic establishment. I’m not saying Francesca Hong is perfect, but I think these interviews and these clips of her making these comments are less about her than they are about how much fear she strikes in the heart of the establishment apparatus.
These clips “are less about her than they are about how much fear she strikes in the heart of the establishment apparatus.”
I’ve talked to a lot of people in Wisconsin, people who are supporting Hong’s campaign and see this race as a real opportunity again to put this question of can progressive politics win in the Midwest? This is what Perry Bacon Jr. wrote about the New Republic earlier this week. I thought this was a really great piece, and we’ve talked about this, Jessie. Pointing to people like Tammy Duckworth and Barack Obama and Sherrod Brown who were progressives prior to their races in the Midwest, and then won those races, whether or not they fashioned themselves as a progressive or not.
The polling that has shown her ahead — a lot of people have questions about that now, given how blown out of proportion the polling was for El-Sayed. But I think, pairing that question with the criticisms of “Oh, she’s talking about her proximity to whiteness and marrying a white guy and having a biracial child and talking about canceling Thanksgiving.” There’s a reason they’re not talking about her actual policy platform.
“ There’s a reason they’re not talking about her actual policy platform.”
It’s frustrating because like what happens when you have real “working-class” candidates or candidates who are running on policies to help the working class elevated to this level of national attention, you don’t get the polished Abdul El-Sayed soundbite answers that we were seeing in the Michigan race. People take that and run with it in a way that is pretty hollow in a lot of cases, and that’s what we’re seeing with Francesca Hong.
JW: I’d have to agree. What I think about — and I am a former debate kid, so this is no shade to debate people — but there is an extent to which our politics just feels like how good are you at giving a speech and essentially being a good debate kid, and has nothing to do with your policies.
I also don’t understand why we’re focusing on her attitudes about her child and how she’s planning on raising them, or how she thinks about Thanksgiving and whether or not it should exist. It’s not like she said anything completely out of left field.
But as we begin to pivot from primaries to midterm elections, what do you make of progressive’s chances in places outside of the coast in November? I know that we already talked about Perry Bacon’s piece, which, by the way, people should read. It’s called “Can Progressive Candidates Win in Swing States? They Already Have.” But what are you thinking about progressives’ chances? Jonah, I want to actually take this question to you and see what you’re thinking.
JV: Yeah, as Michigan has shown us and as possibly looking ahead to Wisconsin next week, the margins are still very close and these races are very embattled and bitter.
But I think the success that we’re seeing with Abdul El-Sayed, with Will Lawrence, who we talked about, and as well as Donavan McKinney, who we haven’t talked about yet. These are folks who are running on very progressive, unabashedly pro-Palestine campaigns. And I think it’s worth mentioning Donavan McKinney was also endorsed by the Detroit Metro DSA chapter as well and mobilizing for him.
DSA also mobilized very heavily for El-Sayed, even though he himself is not a member of DSA and has called himself a capitalist and someone who wants to regulate capitalism and not necessarily stands for socialist policies. But I think that’s proving the theory right that it’s not just confined to the coasts, and this is less of an ideological battle when it comes to voters.
A lot of experts and analysts will say that people don’t vote based on ideological lines. They vote on their pocketbooks. The adage of, it’s the economy. And these progressive platforms are playing directly to that on top of people’s dissatisfaction with the establishment.
I think to Akela’s point, right-wing media, corporate liberal media like CNN, can play up all of these culture war questions constantly of Thanksgiving, holidays. For the case of El-Sayed, it was a question of why he felt the need to have sympathy for some of his Muslim constituents in Dearborn or would-be constituents in Dearborn. It’s questions like this that have nothing to do with actual legitimate policy questions. In that case, it’s like there was zero questioning, we’re talking about Iran and the killing of Iran’s leader. There were zero questions about should we be in this war with Iran? Should we have killed how many civilians we’ve killed in that war? Or backing Israel’s war in Lebanon and continued war in Gaza. These are the kind of policy questions that a lot of Americans are fed up with. Polling also shows total dissatisfaction with military spending, as opposed to spending it on healthcare and education.
Progressives, regardless of the coasts or in the Midwest, are continuing to hammer that in, of, your taxpayer dollars can be spent and should be spent in way more effective ways that meet your needs and not the needs of the greater American empire, if you will.
JW: Yeah, and just for everyone listening you referred to state Rep Donavan McKinney, who defeated U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, the incumbent candidate in Michigan’s 13th District on Tuesday night.
And that’s honestly all of the time that we have here. But thank you all so much for joining me on The Intercept Briefing, staying up late, waking up early, putting in the real work.
AL: Thank you, Jessie.
JV: Thank you.
JW: We want to hear from you. Tell us what you’re following or want to see more coverage of. Email us at podcast@theintercept.com or leave us a voicemail at 530-POD-CAST, that’s 530-763-2278
That does it for this episode. This episode was produced by Laura Flynn. Ben Muessig is our editor-in-chief. Maia Hibbett is our managing editor. Fei Liu is our product and design manager. Nara Shin is our copy editor. Legal review by David Bralow.
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Tribblix, the Illumos distribution focused on giving you a classic UNIX-style experience, has been updated with the release of Milestone 41. According to the release notes, it contains the latest security fixes from Illumos, but beyond that it’s just a number of small point releases for certain components. Still, it’s a new release, and Tribblix rocks, so here we are.
The 20-year-old’s third calf is being monitored by officials as survival rates for the species are challenging, the zoo said
The Toronto Zoo has announced the birth of a female pygmy hippo calf.
Kindia, the zoo’s 20-year-old pygmy hippo, started showing signs of labor at around 8.15am last Sunday, it said. Around four hours later, the calf’s feet emerged and after 1.5 hours of active labor, Kindia successfully gave birth to the baby pygmy hippo.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened a civil investigation into former federal health official Anthony Fauci, seeking records concerning COVID-19 guidance, grants and potential financial or professional benefits.
Uthmeier’s office issued a subpoena requesting documents dating to January 2020. The inquiry covers awards Fauci sought or received, communications with vaccine manufacturers, interactions with Florida businesses and media outlets, and efforts that may have produced personal financial benefits.
The Republican attorney general said the investigation will examine whether Fauci personally profited from recommendations that affected Florida residents and businesses. His office suggested the conduct could implicate state laws involving fraud, deceptive trade practices or public nuisance, but it has not announced evidence establishing a violation.
The probe follows Republican senators’ release of writings attributed to Fauci from the pandemic period. Fauci recently invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a contentious Senate hearing led by Sen. Rand Paul, who has repeatedly accused him of misleading Congress. Fauci has denied wrongdoing and characterized the scrutiny as politically motivated.
Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a preemptive federal pardon covering government service, but that would not necessarily prevent a state civil investigation.
Uthmeier, appointed attorney general by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025, faces voters for the first time in November. No court has found Fauci liable for misconduct related to Florida’s pandemic response.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Routine cybersecurity testing of frontier AI models sparked a series of unexpected security incidents -- the most serious case arising when Anthropic's Mythos 5 model attempted to insert malicious code into an open source software application and created fake identities to deceive the human developers maintaining the project. The security incidents occurred during a cyber evaluation of seven leading AI models' capabilities by the AI Security Institute (AISI), a research organization within the UK government, in late July. The researchers discovered (PDF) 19 instances in which "AI agents took unsanctioned action on the live Internet, including cases that targeted real people and organizations," according to an AISI blog post published on August 4.
Almost all the "autonomous, unsanctioned" actions came from Anthropic's Mythos 5 model, with two such actions coming from OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol. [...] The most serious case involved Mythos making multiple attempts to execute a supply chain attack on the open source project repository hosted on the developer platform GitHub, including using social engineering techniques to try to convince the repository's human maintainers to merge malicious code into the repository.
After first opening a pull request to merge the malicious code into the repository, Mythos created fake online "sock puppet" personas that claimed to have independently reviewed and verified the code as not containing malware. The AI agent also sent five emails to two human maintainers of the repository, including some emails containing malware and others attempting to persuade a maintainer to accept the pull request. Mythos even opened a GitHub Issue on a second repository -- also owned by a maintainer of the first repository -- that contained a prompt injection with malicious instructions targeting "issue-triage AI coding agents." This line of attack came from Mythos reasoning that the repository maintainer could be an AI coding agent such as Claude Code.
When the helicopter that transports President Trump crosses the Potomac, Reagan Washington National Airport is required to impose a ground stop on air traffic.
New Jersey’s governor announced that “a software error” in the state’s motor vehicle registration system resulted in 6,600 noncitizens being improperly added to the state’s voter registration list. The state’s preliminary investigation found that up to 400 votes were cast by noncitizens, far fewer than the “thousands of votes” claimed by President Donald Trump.
Trump has seized on the incident as validation of his longtime but unsupported claims about massive numbers of noncitizens voting.
“Well, you saw what happened, they caught thousands of votes in New Jersey where illegal aliens were allowed to vote,” Trump said on July 22, a day after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, made the announcement. “Thousands and thousands of votes. They voted in favor of the transgender mutilization of your children and in favor of — in favor of men playing in women’s sports. Isn’t that lovely? They voted against lower energy prices, lower car prices, and bigger paychecks for everyone. They voted against every one of these things.”
Trump again cited the New Jersey case during a speech on July 27 when making a push for the SAVE America Act, which includes a photo ID requirement for voting and proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Election experts have said the bill’s specific requirements would make it difficult for some legitimate voters to cast a vote. (New Jersey does not require photo ID at polling places, in most cases, but some form of identification is required if a voter does not provide valid ID at the time of registration.) Despite the president’s advocacy, the SAVE America Act has stalled in the Senate.
“You read recently in New Jersey, where tremendous numbers of people were found out that they were on the voter rolls totally illegally, and that’s all over the country,” Trump said. “That’s nothing compared to what’s going on in California and Minnesota and so many other states.”
Trump’s claim about rampant noncitizen voting around the country is unsupported. As we have written, experts have found that voting in federal elections by noncitizens is relatively rare. The conservative Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database has documented a little over 100 cases of noncitizens who have been convicted of illegally voting or registering to vote since 1982. But let’s look at New Jersey, specifically, where Trump said “tremendous numbers” of noncitizens were found — “totally illegally” — on voter rolls.
The July 21 announcement by Sherrill represents a significant batch of noncitizen registration and voting. But the number of votes was too small to change the outcome of any federal election in New Jersey.
To put the numbers in some perspective, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris beat Trump in New Jersey’s 2024 presidential race by more than 252,000 votes. Even if all 400 noncitizens voted one way — and Sherrill noted “they were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and the majority unaffiliated, and were scattered across the state” — it would not have been enough to swing the presidential election. “We have no evidence at this time that any elections were swayed,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill said that the noncitizens were inadvertently registered “through no fault of their own.”
We should note that Trump also called the noncitizens who voted in New Jersey “illegal aliens.” We don’t know the legal status of those who were improperly registered to vote, nor of those who voted. But about half of noncitizens living in the U.S. are estimated to be “unauthorized,” according to the Immigration Research Initiative. In other words, about half of noncitizens in the U.S. are lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or temporary legal visa holders, such as workers and students. In addition, “among people who are unauthorized are a very significant number who the government has given some protection from deportation,” the Immigration Research Initiative notes. For example, many have pending asylum cases or have been extended Temporary Protected Status or humanitarian parole.
How Noncitizens Got on Voter Rolls
In her press conference on July 21, Sherrill said that she recently discovered that between June 2023 and June 2024 “a serious software error” in the state’s motor vehicle registration system led to 6,600 noncitizens being put on the state’s voter rolls.
“When New Jerseyans applied for a driver’s license or identification at the MVC [Motor Vehicle Commission], they were asked if they wanted to register to vote,” Sherrill said. “In the case of this error, some individuals indicated that they weren’t citizens and weren’t eligible to vote, but the software registered them anyway.”
A voter casts their ballot at the Babbio Center on Nov. 5, 2024, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images.
The contractor, IDEMIA, based in France, said its software performed according to state specifications.
“All 6,600 individuals indicated ‘Yes’ to wanting to register to vote and ‘No’ to being a US Citizen,” Lisa Shoemaker, IDEMIA’s senior vice president of global corporate relations, said in a statement reported by Politico. “This information was recorded correctly and always available to the MVC via the database that MVC utilized to gather voter information and transmit to the Division of Elections. At no point was a noncitizen ever marked as a citizen in the database.”
Shoemaker said that in June 2024 the MVC told IDEMIA to change its software so that people who indicated they were not citizens were not given the option to register to vote.
Sherrill said the state is replacing the vendor. And she tapped an independent law firm, CSG Law, to investigate the issue. The state’s Division of Elections — now more than two years after the issue was discovered by the MVC — “is working to ensure anyone who is illegally registered is removed from the voter rolls.”
“This entire situation is unacceptable,” Sherrill said, placing blame on IDEMIA, which she said “released software with such a glaring error,” as well as the MVC because it “took a year to get this issue fixed.” She also blamed the previous administration of Democrat Phil Murphy. “It’s unacceptable that no one in the previous administration brought this to light, demanded accountability, or took action when it happened years ago,” Sherrill said.
Murphy’s spokesperson said Murphy had no knowledge of the issue until Sherrill announced it on July 21.
Sherrill said the incident does not substantiate the president’s longstanding, but unsupported claims about massive noncitizen voting.
“Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity,” Sherrill said. “For the past 10 years, he’s cried wolf and peddled bizarre conspiracy theories about fraud with no evidence.”
David Becker, the executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a nonpartisan nonprofit, agreed that the revelation about noncitizen voting in New Jersey is concerning, but he said it was important to contextualize it.
“You know, we’re going to hear from supporters of the president saying, ‘See, the Democrats said this never happened, and it happened.’ I don’t know anyone credible who says it’s never happened,” Becker said in a press conference on July 23. “It just happens exceedingly rarely, and there’s no evidence it’s changing any elections whatsoever.”
Said Becker: “6,600 records in New Jersey is 0.1% of the total active voter registration list. It’s not very much at all, and 400 voters … that is 0.009% of the total number of votes cast in 2024 in New Jersey in the November 2024 election.”
“There’s no evidence that this affected any election whatsoever,” Becker said. “It’s an incredibly small amount, and it’s also spread out amongst parties: Republicans, Democrats, no party. That was very clear from the press conference. This does not support President Trump’s claims about noncitizen voting. It largely does comport with his Department of Homeland Security’s conclusion that it’s extremely rare.”
Trump Says Number Registered Is Higher
Meanwhile, Trump said that the number of noncitizens registered to vote in New Jersey is much higher than the figure identified by Sherrill.
In a post on Truth Social after Sherrill’s announcement, Trump stated, “35,152 is the new number just released by Homeland Security of non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey. These are just the ones that got caught. The real numbers will prove to be many times this amount.”
During his primetime address to the nation on July 16, Trump claimed that a Department of Homeland Security investigation “identified approximately 278,000 noncitizens who are registered to vote in federal elections.”
A DHS document released by the White House claimed that a review of “public data files” in four states that have refused to share the private voter data with the government — California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada — found over 250,000 noncitizens illegally registered to vote. According to a DHS press release issued on July 17, that included 35,152 in New Jersey.
Sherrill said the state received a letter from DHS about that claim.
“We have asked them for any evidence of this, where they got that number, who this is,” Sherrill said. “We’ve received nothing back yet.”
Sherrill said if DHS “provides us any credible information, we will of course investigate it as we do with every piece of information that we have.” But Sherrill said she thinks the figure is part of Trump’s “ongoing misinformation” about election fraud. Officials in California, Nevada and Pennsylvania also responded to the DHS letter demanding more transparency about how DHS derived its figures.
“That number has no credibility whatsoever until DHS shares their methodology on that number,” Becker said.
“What they’re also saying is that they matched the data they had from the states, which was only the public voter file, with no unique identifiers, no personally identifiable information, to some other data source, possibly commercial, and made conclusions about citizenship status on that,” Becker said in a press conference. “There’s no way that anyone can make a confident match on that. There’s too many challenges. There are data entry errors. There’s fuzzy name matching. There’s junior and senior problems. There’s so many problems that it is almost designed to create a huge number of false positives.”
New Jersey Refusing to Share Names
Calling the voting by 400 noncitizens “unacceptable and illegal,” Harmeet Dhillon, a federal assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, wrote to Sherrill demanding that New Jersey provide prosecutors with the name, address, date of birth and nationalities of the 6,600 noncitizens added to the state voter rolls as well as the names of those who voted (including when and where they voted).
On a podcast, Dhillon said those who voted could face deportation or criminal charges.
Sherrill said she won’t provide the information requested by DOJ.
“We now have certain people that, through no fault of their own, have been registered to vote,” Sherrill said at her July 21 press conference.
“It may imperil their immigration status,” she said. “It may imperil different things. We are working very hard to protect them, but that is the responsibility of the people that worked for the MVC that knew that this was going on and did nothing to remedy it — that’s wrong. It would be really the utmost in hypocrisy for the state to charge them when it’s our fault. However, I would not put it past the federal government. So we are working very hard on ways in which we can protect people here in the state of New Jersey. We are not in the practice of releasing personally identifying information to the federal government right now, given that the Trump administration continues to weaponize it against people.”
When Sherrill sent Dhillon a formal letter indicating that New Jersey would not provide the identifying information requested, Dhillon responded via X, “DOJ will get this information through all legal means!”
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In one month, from May to June, overall inflation in the U.S. dropped at the “fastest rate in more than six years,” as President Donald Trump said in late July remarks. But he has repeatedly cited the statistic while wrongly suggesting that the inflation rate is now “way down” from when he took office. It’s not.
Photo by alvaro gonzalez via Getty Images.
The big one-month drop came after several months of increases in the inflation rate that were largely due to high oil and gasoline prices caused by the war with Iran. When the U.S. and Iran were honoring a ceasefire agreement in June, those energy prices declined, helping to lower the rate of inflation.
“Energy prices are volatile,” Joseph E. Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told us in an email. “Any one-month change needs to be viewed in connection with other recent months, which have shown large increases.”
And the fact that oil and gasoline prices have risen again due to rekindled U.S. fighting with Iran could result in the rate of inflation increasing once again. As of Aug. 5, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland projected a minimal monthly increase in the inflation rate for July – not another monthly rate decrease.
In addition, the annualized rate of inflation in June still was higher than it was when Trump became president in January 2025.
Trump has referred to the latest official inflation figures multiple times while talking up the American economy in recent speeches and remarks.
“And it was just announced that inflation is dropping at the fastest rate in more than six years,” he said at a campaign-style rally in Michigan on July 27. “We’re dropping it. You know, I inherited this mess.”
On July 23, at the Environmental Protection Agency, he said, “You know, we inherited the worst inflation in the history of America from the Biden administration. And as you know, last week, it was announced that inflation is way down. It’s down more than it’s been in over six years.”
And the day before that, in Georgia, he said, “Inflation is way down. We’re coming way down. And last week, it was announced just last week that inflation dropped by the largest amount in more than six years, because we’re doing it right. We’re running the country properly.”
But some of what he claimed was false or misleading.
The president’s claims followed the release of data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on July 14. After a 0.9% monthly increase in March, a 0.6% increase in April and a 0.5% increase in May, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers — on a seasonally adjusted basis — decreased by 0.4% in June, the BLS said.
“This decline in the all items index was the largest 1-month decrease since April 2020 when it fell 0.8 percent,” the bureau noted in a news release about the latest numbers.
So, that portion of what Trump said is accurate. But it’s only part of the story.
The BLS press release also said, “Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.5 percent before seasonal adjustment.” And the 3.5% annualized inflation rate in June, although down from 4.2% year-over-year in May, was still higher than the 3.0% annual rate in January 2025 when Trump took office.
The annual rate reached 9.1% in June 2022 under then-President Joe Biden — which still was not the “worst inflation in the history of America” — but had come down significantly by the time Trump was sworn in. The annual rate was down to 2.4% for the 12 months ending in February, right before the war with Iran began.
On the last day of February, the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, beginning the now monthslong conflict. The U.S.-Israeli attack led to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway in the Middle East for the export of crude oil and other goods – which caused a spike in oil and gasoline prices that contributed to threeconsecutiveincreases in the CPI, from March to May.
Oil and gasoline prices then came down when tensions between the warring nations began to ease in late May, leading to the U.S. and Iran signing a temporary agreement in June to suspend the fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz while the countries negotiated a long-term peace deal.
At the beginning of June, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the U.S. benchmark, was as high as almost $100 a barrel, according to the Energy Information Administration. At the same time, the average U.S. price for regular grade gasoline, which is heavily influenced by oil prices, was about $4.31 per gallon, EIA data show. (Gasoline had climbed to $4.50 a gallon on average in mid-May.)
But by the end of June, WTI crude was down to roughly $71 a barrel and a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. averaged $3.83. The decline in energy prices was the primary reason for the drop in the inflation rate that Trump praised.
“The index for energy fell 5.7 percent in June after rising 3.9 percent in May, 3.8 percent in April, and 10.9 percent in March,” the BLS said in its most recent CPI report. “The energy index was the largest contributor to the monthly all items decrease, more than offsetting increases in other indexes including those for shelter and food.”
Energy prices, however, are also the reason that the decline in the month-to-month inflation rate may not last long.
After the U.S. and Iran were not able to complete a peace deal, the attacks between the two countries resumed in July, and Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was again closed. The U.S. then said it would reimpose a blockade on Iran’s own use of the strait.
As a result, oil and gasoline prices have risen. WTI crude was as high as $93 a barrel on July 23 – before dropping to about $86 on July 31, according to the most recent EIA data. Average gasoline prices, meanwhile, were up to about $4.08 for the week ending Aug. 3.
When oil and gasoline prices went up in March, April and May, the inflation rate increased. That could happen again.
“Setting aside the volatility caused by oil and energy prices, underlying inflation is moving right around 3%, so that’s not going to provide material comfort to households or investors,” Joe Brusuelas, chief economist for market consulting firm RSM US, told CNN for a July 30 story. “The improvement in June will be partially or completely reversed by the upward volatility in July.”
Gagnon, the Peterson Institute senior fellow, said energy price volatility is a reason that the Federal Reserve and many economists look to so-called “core” inflation, which measures the change in prices excluding energy and food items.
From May to June, the BLS said there was no change in the price index for all items less food and energy. Year over year, core inflation was 2.6% in June — down from 2.9% in May and the 3.3% Trump inherited in January 2025.
In an Aug. 5 update, the Federal Bank of Cleveland’s inflation “nowcasting” model projected that core inflation increased about 0.2% in July and about 2.5% for the 12 months ending in July.
The July inflation report from the BLS is set to be released Aug. 12.
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Changes come after report says Trump unhappy with helipad’s appearance and lawn’s slope
The White House has confirmed that contractors are redoing a new helipad built on the South Lawn to accommodate a new supersized Marine One chopper recently added to the presidential transport fleet.
A White House official said the changes to the circular concrete landing pad were ordered as “we continue to make improvements as part of the ongoing project to best match the needs of the White House”.
President has sued the broadcaster for $10bn, claiming a documentary on 2021 Capitol attack led to financial harm
Donald Trump’s legal team is making an 11th-hour attempt to block a court order that would grant the BBC access to the president’s financial records, as part of his multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the British broadcaster.
Trump claims that the BBC’s 2024 documentary on the January 6 attacks have damaged the president’s business interests. In July, a Miami-based judge ruled that the president would have to start handing over detailed financial records to the BBC by 6 August. The records would reveal details into the hundreds of businesses owned by the US president’s family trust.
Filing by attorney general Raúl Torrez comes after DoJ appears to have ignored deadline for key Epstein ranch files
New Mexico filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice and the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, on Wednesday for “stonewalling” its criminal investigation into the activities of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at a remote ranch in the state.
Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, had said he was mulling the possibility of legal action if the justice department did not share with him by 31 July information about the alleged historical abuse of girls and young women at Epstein’s Zorro ranch about 30 miles south of Santa Fe.
I've been planning on riding this mult-use path since I heard about it. Up until last week they said it would be open to e-bikes, so I assumed we were golden. Just got the confirmation they banned our One wheels. So bummed out right now.
Michigan Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed arrives to a press conference in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue on Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit.Photo: Finn Gomez/Getty Images
Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic Party’s nominee for the Senate in Michigan after besting Rep. Haley Stevens by less than 1 percentage point. Not long after The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday morning, Stevens threw her “full support” behind El-Sayed. While the votes were still being counted on Tuesday night, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow — who had dropped out of the running in July — also endorsed her former opponent, acknowledging that despite a “brutal” primary race, what is most important now is to head into November as a “unified party.”
What remains to be seen is whether moderates and Democratic Party pundits will follow suit, get on board, and vote blue no matter who.
But centrists seem more interested in saving face than a Senate majority. Complaining that primary voters picked the candidate more likely to lose on Election Day has become a face-saving tactic for moderates as they’ve watched their preferred picks lose against upstart insurgent campaigns like El-Sayed’s.
Among them are The Atlantic’s Jon Chait, who’s never met a progressive candidate he won’t sneer at. In typical form, Chait concern-trolled last weekend over the potential that Democrats would lose Michigan’s Senate seat by picking the charismatic El-Sayed over Stevens.
“Is there a single el-Sayed supporter with enough self-awareness to admit they’re willing to accept a higher risk of defeat to elect a left-wing candidate?” Chait asked on X, citing polling showing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers with a slight but consistent leadin the Senate race just outside the margin of error
A more honest commentator might have pointed out that El-Sayed beat back an establishment campaign with tens of millions of dollars behind it: a staggering $62 million poured into the state to boost Stevens, half of it from AIPAC, giving her and her allies a 9-to-1 spending advantage over El-Sayed. But honesty has seldom been important for Chait’s left-bashing.
Making sure donors and power brokers are confident their interests are still being represented fuels how some party hacks are waging war against the left flank.
By Wednesday morning, Chait had once again reframed the race, this time as a key battle in an existential war for liberalism. He groused variously about the streamer Hasan Piker, who campaigned for El-Sayed; democratic socialism; and James Carville.
“The left has played down every success by the establishment while forcing it to own every failure,” he wrote in The Atlantic. “This dynamic points to a broader asymmetry between the two factions. The mainstream liberals of the Democratic Party have focused their energies on defeating Republicans. The left-wing faction has focused on defeating them.”
Chait certainly understands that this is how power is accumulated in the Democratic Party but is upset that, for once, it’s not benefiting his wing.
He wasn’t alone. Matt Yglesias — the ubiquitous blogger whose self-styled branding as a sensible, middle-of-the road liberal belies his support for Israel and antipathy for trans people — had warned about El-Sayed’s ability to win in the general for months.
In a post on X citing one outlier poll showing Rogers with a 10-point lead on El-Sayed — the rest of the polls show a very tight race — Yglesias whined he was “kinda dooming on this situation.”
By early this morning, the blogger was downplaying the Michigan results, saying the Democratic nominee “should be good enough” to beat the Republican this year, even though El-Sayed “seems like a distinctly bad candidate” who is likely to “underperform the fundamentals.”
This is the kind of frustration that sets in when you realize that lurching to the right is putting you out of step with the party as whole, but you still want to be sure to appeal to the people who pay the bills.
Making sure donors and power brokers are confident their interests are still being represented fuels how some party hacks are waging war against the left flank. Center for American Progress president and CEO Neera Tanden’s war on El-Sayed, waged on X, her platform of choice, was prosecuted in shockingly bad faith, even considering the source. Tanden implied that El-Sayed is a toxic misogynist, said his campaign had a “serious sexism” problem, and went all-in on every single attack line that came out of the Stevens campaign and the special interests that funded it.
“If I was the El-Sayed campaign, I probably wouldn’t want to be associated with Platner advisors’ previous push for [Graham] Platner as a future President given that it sounds grotesque today,” Tanden said on July 9. She continued forebodingly: “But then again, his campaign has all the same advisors so maybe he will be next.”
El-Sayed’s detractors have powerful friends. The biggest money targeting El-Sayed comes from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which has already spent over $100 million on midterm races around the country, including more than $30 million directly boosting Stevens against El-Sayed.
That massive spending comes as no surprise for two reasons: First, El-Sayed has been a critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the country’s conduct in general. Second, he’s of Egyptian descent, which is almost certainly a motivator for AIPAC, which didn’t throw much of any cash against Graham Platner, a white man in Maine, during his Senate campaign — despite Platner taking equally strong stances against Israel.
Instead, AIPAC bundled $538,000 in donations for incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, and groups linked to its powerful super PAC pushed at least $750,000 into a state PAC opposing Platner. It’s a far cry from $60 million, but perhaps in the general election, Troy Jackson, who took over from Platner, will face larger financial attacks.
Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, arrives to speak during a primary election night watch party in Detroit early on Aug. 5, 2026.Photo: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In the waning days of the campaign, Stevens leaned into her support from AIPAC, all but overtly accusing El-Sayed of being an antisemite. Many of her supporters, including Angie Smith, a school board secretary in suburban Detroit whose backing Stevens continued to celebrate, have engaged in the kind of blatant, ugly Islamophobia that’s been simmering for a decade but was at its height during the Bush and Obama presidencies. Smith went viral for saying in an interview: “Don’t come out speaking only Arabic. Don’t come out with your Arabic music on.”
Stevens herself spent the last week of the race emphasizing her Michigan roots, a clear comment on El-Sayed’s “otherness,” and hit her opponent with broadside dog-whistle attacks, tweeting at her opponent: “Everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans.”
The real issue is the ongoing struggle for control of the Democratic Party.
But while Israel and racism were undeniably motivating factors for some of El-Sayed’s Democratic naysayers, and will surely continue to be, the real issue is the ongoing struggle for control of the Democratic Party between the increasingly out-of-touch, more conservative establishment and the increasingly progressive, pissed-off base.
Over and over again in this primary cycle, progressive insurgents have defeated centrist picks — incumbent and otherwise — and even disasters like Platner haven’t stemmed the rising tide around the country.
Yet even in the context of a progressive insurgency, El-Sayed’s win is notable. He not only faced down AIPAC, but also nearly the entire weight of the entrenched Democratic establishment — and won. Stevens touted her backing by party leaders like South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, and a host of local, state, and national leaders. Meanwhile, El-Sayed had the support of progressive party leaders, with Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among many others, in his corner.
Now that El-Sayed is the party’s nominee, Stevens’s supporters, both in Michigan and nationally, will have to decide if they want a progressive Muslim in the Senate for six years or to risk continued GOP control. If they’re really worried about the outcome and truly committed to Democratic success in November, they’ll set aside whatever issues they have with El-Sayed and go all-in on his candidacy.
Any attempt to rationalize another way forward means that they’re more concerned with maintaining control over the levers of power of the party and disciplining their own voters. What they fail to realize is that you can’t enforce the iron law of institutions when there’s nothing to rule over.
Meta has launched Muse Code, its first AI coding agent that's positioned as a lower-cost rival to Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex. It offers pay-as-you-go pricing and an optional zero-data-retention feature for enterprise users. CNBC reports: Muse Code is the latest major release from AI chief Alexandr Wang, who leads Meta Superintelligence Labs and oversees foundation model development. Wang joined in June of last year as the centerpiece of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's effort to revamp his company's flailing artificial intelligence strategy. "You can install it with one command and then use it to take on complete software engineering tasks across a wide variety of use cases, planning changes, writing code, validating the results," Wang said in an interview on Wednesday.
[...] The new tool, like Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex assistants, makes it easier for people to build apps within a single user interface while managing fleets of AI-powered digital agents that can help underpin the software development process. Muse Code, available in a preview version, works alongside the company's latest AI model, Muse Spark 1.2. Wang declined to share user statistics related to the company's Muse Spark AI models, but said "adoption has been exciting and strong." The latest Muse Spark model was developed and trained alongside Muse Code, which Wang said improves the overall coding performance.
The MLB trade deadline may have passed, but we’re still seeing big moves in the budding sport of AI for science. Today’s news: The legendary coder Jeff Dean is leaving Google. His new team: Discovery Loop, a startup focused on leveraging AI for science and engineering. And he’s bringing three other former Google sluggers along for the ride.
Discovery Loop’s mission statement is pretty simple: It wants to automate loops of discovery to supercharge scientific discovery and engineering tasks, thereby making the world a better place.
“Our mission is straightforward,” the new company states. “We are building AI solutions that can automatically solve important problems in machine learning, science, and engineering. By advancing the pace at which we conduct engineering and scientific discovery, we can bring the benefits of science and technology to the world much faster. Ultimately, our goal is to build AI systems that act as a deeply positive, empowering force for humanity, delivering technology solutions that improve people’s lives on a global scale.”
While the scientific method is powerful, it is currently bottlenecked, the company says on its website. Repetition is a foundational method for science, but executing repetitive scientific loops are difficult to scale using today’s methods.
“You propose an experiment, implement and run it, examine the results, then iterate to refine your approach,” the company writes. “Historically, scientific progress has relied on these sequential human iterations. In many domains, this process remains incredibly slow and labor-intensive.”
Thet company says it plans to build systems that can automate entire experimental loops. The company says it plans to use frontier AI models and large-scale computational infrastructure (i.e. HPC) to “rapidly propose, run, and learn from evaluations.”
“This approach allows for the parallel execution of thousands of experiments, drastically compressing iteration time and driving up the quantity and quality of scientific and engineering output,” the company writes.
This sounds a lot like the goal of Genesis Mission, the Department of Energy endeavor to transform scientific discovery and engineering by harnessing the power of AI. Just as the DOE is building or renting access on large HPC systems to build and run AI models–and perhaps more importantly, figure out how to harness existing modeling and simulation codes and the data it generates to accelerate AI development–the Discovery Loop looks to leverage the tech and knowledge of these four computer scientists to do something similar.
The Discovery Loop was co-founded by four former Googlers, all of them heavy hitters who have already accomplished big things at Google, long a source of transformative technologies in big data and AI.
That includes Dean himself, the former chief scientist at Google and Sanjay Ghemawat, a Senior Fellow at Google who worked with Dean on iconic Google products like MapReduce, Google File System, Bigtable, and Spanner. The other two co-founders are Oriol Vinyals, former VP of research and deep learning lead at Google DeepMind and the technical lead on the Gemini AI models, and Quoc Le, a Google Fellow and a founding member of the Google Brain project.
“The four of us have worked together for 14 to 30 years, and have helped build some of the world’s most used products, infrastructure and AI models, and we’re excited to turn our attention to this ambitious endeavor,” Dean wrote in a post on X.
Collectively, the Discovery Loop co-founders represent three of the most-cited researchers in artificial intelligence, the new company says, and two of the most-cited researchers in distributed systems.
Jeff Dean has had a hand in many of Google’s technological creations
“Between us, we have pioneered massive scale computing and led the creation of critical infrastructure, products, and foundational AI advances that the world relies on, including multiple generations of Google Search, Google Ads, Google News, Google Translate, Google File System, MapReduce, BigTable, Spanner, TensorFlow, Pathways, TPUs, AlphaChip, AlphaStar, AlphaCode, AlphaFold, Gemini, model distillation, mixture-of-experts model architectures, word2vec, sequence-to-sequence models, chain of thought reasoning, neural architecture search, and multiple generations of Large Language Models (LLMs) among others,” the AI for science dream team stated.
“Our relative advantage isn’t just our technical ability; it is the unprecedented scale of the systems we have previously built,” the company said. “We possess true full-stack depth that spans chips, hardware infrastructure, software infrastructure, ML models, and products.”
Separately, Dean bid farewell to his Google colleagues in an X post. Dean, who was Google employee number 30, has spent 27 years at the Mountain View, California tech giant, and has touched many aspects of the company.
“As a kid, I dreamed of helping build software that would be used by many people, and Google now has thirteen products used by more than a billion people (amazing!),” Dean wrote. “It still brings me joy every time I see people out in the world using our products to find information, handle email, translate documents, watch videos, learn new things, navigate and understand the physical world, browse the web, use their phone, run large-scale computations on our infrastructure, ride in an autonomous vehicle, or perform complex tasks with the help of our AI systems.”
This isn’t the spring of Dean’s career, and the season is marching toward its completion. But the 58-year-old, who may be the Chuck Norris of tech, is such a force of nature in computing that it will be eminently enjoyable to watch what he and his colleagues accomplish at Discovery Loop.
Germany’s interior minister has warned that the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport marks “a new level of danger” for the country, as authorities examine whether the thwarted attack could have been planned by a foreign power.
The discovery of a small drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport, a leading shipping and military hub, set off alarm and caused flight diversions on Wednesday morning. German police deployed a bomb disposal robot to defuse and destroy the explosive device.
RICHLAND, Wash., Aug. 5, 2026 — A quiet revolution is taking place in the halls and laboratories at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Labs that once contained handheld equipment are being rapidly replaced with robotic handlers and data collection interfaces that integrate artificial intelligence and next-generation data collection systems.
At the heart of it all, PNNL’s Center for Robotics and Autonomy is laser-focused on integrating automation and assured AI into the Laboratory’s scientific experiments.
Leaders from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Center for Robotics and Autonomy pose in the Autonomy Studio on the PNNL-Richland campus. From left to right: Russ Burtner, Brian Higgins, Bob Runkle, and Lauren Phillips. (Photo by Eddie Pablo III | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
CRA’s director, Bob Runkle, is forthright in stating the Center’s ambitious goal: “At PNNL, autonomy will touch every experiment in five years, and the Center for Robotics and Autonomy will make that happen.”
“The science of tomorrow won’t look like the science of today,” he said.
Why So Fast?
“We are in a race to maintain a competitive advantage in scientific discovery in the service of our national interests,” said Runkle. “We can’t afford not to move as fast as we can to put the best tools in the hands of our scientists.”
After all, he added, “the goal is for our researchers to be able to explore questions and envision solutions that were previously out of reach.”
Autonomous systems simply remove bottlenecks, allowing researchers with expertise in scientific disciplines to focus on what matters: identifying the highest priority research questions, understanding how to frame them, and recognizing when a research outcome makes meaningful progress. The goal is for autonomous systems to make the pace of discovery limited only by the rate of the physical or biological process being studied.
“We aim to further scientific knowledge at the speed of nature,” he added, “For example, imagine if we could understand novel materials in real time as they form for the first time?”
How Do We Trust Robots?
While speed is essential to discover solutions in science, energy and national security, the CRA is being built on a foundation of validation and verification — two principles that have always underwritten the work done at PNNL since its early days in nuclear treaty verification. The CRA is assuring that as machines take on more of the experimental workload, scientists can focus even more on confirming that the scientific output remains trustworthy and reliable.
“Everything in science must be reproducible,” Runkle said.
This means building in checkpoints where human scientists confirm that an AI agent’s actions or conclusions are sound before work proceeds.
ARCADIA: A Discovery Platform Built with Human Needs in Mind
At the center of PNNL’s approach is ARCADIA — Agentic Robotics and Curated AI Data for Intelligent Autonomy — a software platform that integrates AI agents, robotics and data systems into a single discovery ecosystem. Rather than building isolated autonomous labs for individual projects, PNNL is investing in ARCADIA as shared infrastructure meant to support autonomous science across the Lab.
Runkle is careful to describe the role of autonomy as complementary to, rather than a replacement for, human scientific judgment.
“We need people to imagine the science we should be doing and to define the interesting questions,” he said. “That’s a judgment call. That’s subjective and it should stay that way.”
PNNL’s Malachi Schram, who is leading development of the platform, described the intent behind ARCADIA.
“There is a lot of AI agentic work that’s going on across the Lab, and we would like to learn what everybody is doing so everyone benefits from this revolution,” he said. Schram emphasized that the goal is not to duplicate effort across the Laboratory but to create a collaborative and common platform that integrates prior and ongoing work to provide researchers the ability to go from ideas to physical execution.
ARCADIA takes advantage of a multi-agent tool called SciLink that helps automate the scientific process by assisting with everything from hypothesis generation and experimental design to simulation and analysis. But the real power comes from integration with an AI-ready data store that keeps information flowing seamlessly between instruments, researchers and autonomous systems.
Why Are Autonomous Labs Realistic in 2026 and Beyond?
People have been using robots for decades. That’s not new. But as recently as five years ago, programming a robot to move lab equipment required painstaking computer programming for every movement, every task, every time. It would take a software engineer months or even years to get a whole system in place. Now, large language models that understand written and spoken direction can program precise movements in minutes. That’s the difference.
“I’m not a coder,” said Runkle. “But I can go into ARCADIA and, just using natural language, control the experiment. That’s the breakthrough. That’s what makes LLMs so powerful. You and I can interact with them in a natural way.”
At PNNL’s Autonomy Studio, researchers are designing digital twins, virtual labs that allow them to visualize and interact with robotic lab systems through an interface, rather than only through the physical hardware itself. This allows researchers to carefully design and calibrate experiments before deploying them in a real physical laboratory.
Investment, Industry Partners and Infrastructure
PNNL is backing CRA with sustained internal investment. The laboratory is committing more than $5 million annually through its Foundational Autonomy Investment to build the platforms, infrastructure and expertise required to scale autonomous science across the Laboratory. But no single entity could possibly do it all in isolation.
That’s why PNNL is collaborating with industry partners to help strengthen its technical foundation. Through a collaboration with Amazon Web Services, PNNL is deploying a data lakehouse containing AI-ready data from instruments across the Laboratory, accessible to AI agents and autonomous systems. A partnership with Microsoft, using Microsoft Discovery, is supporting the development of machine learning models that predict and optimize chemical processes, including identifying materials for energy storage and the design of microbes with specific functions. PNNL is also working with Edison Scientific to embed specialized agents directly into research workflows.
Similarly, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE user facility located on the PNNL-Richland campus, is applying similar design-and-build principles by partnering with Ginkgo Bioworks to build autonomous experimental platforms for microbial research. The two organizations have already built the Anaerobic Microbial Phenotyping Platform, which automates microbiology experiments. Together, PNNL and Ginkgo Bioworks are designing a custom Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability that will benefit a broad community of biology researchers with automation and AI-ready datasets.
Through ARCADIA, its partner network, and its emphasis on verification and reliability, the CRA represents an ambitious approach to autonomy, but one that is tied to the trustworthiness of the systems producing it.
“In five years, you’ll see autonomy deployed across PNNL,” said Runkle. “It may be a very small touch or a firm grasp, but either way we spread the efficiency across the Laboratory.”
Aug. 5, 2026 — Berkeley Lab researchers have developed a highly specialized AI assistant named AstraAI, specifically designed to help scientists write code for the world’s most powerful supercomputers. By studying the complex structure and rules of an existing scientific software project before suggesting any new code, AstraAI ensures that the code it generates integrates seamlessly with the project.
By analyzing a project’s unique code structure, Berkeley Lab’s AstraAI allows researchers to securely generate accurate scientific supercomputing code using a flexible mix of commercial and locally hosted AI models.
To demonstrate its capabilities, the team successfully deployed AstraAI on AMReX, a Department of Energy-supported software infrastructure for exascale supercomputing applications. This breakthrough makes it easier, faster, and more reliable to develop the software needed to tackle major scientific challenges, from modeling turbulence to next-generation materials science.
Developing scientific software for high-performance computing (HPC) is incredibly difficult and often takes decades, as it involves specialized programming conventions and complex structures where a single misplaced line can yield scientifically incorrect results. Commercial AI tools are trained on broad, open source data, which means they frequently fail in these niche setups. These models might generate perfectly good C++ or Python, but if that code does not tap into the custom internal tools required to juggle data across thousands of processors, it simply will not work. When that happens, the new code clashes with the overall system architecture, leading to structural errors, immediate crashes, or compilation failures.
AstraAI solves this problem by operating as a “context-aware” coder directly within the scientist’s terminal. Instead of sending a blind request to a generic AI, it builds a highly detailed prompt using two key techniques. First, through Retrieval-Augmented Generation, AstraAI instantly scans the project to find and extract relevant code examples. Second, using Abstract Syntax Tree analysis, it maps the structural blueprint of the existing code to identify how functions connect and what custom data structures are used.
By bundling the scientist’s request with these specific examples and structural rules, AstraAI gives the AI exactly what it needs to succeed. The framework acts as a flexible bridge, seamlessly connecting complex scientific codes with both massive commercial LLMs and open-source, locally hosted models. Crucially, by empowering those smaller local models to match verified benchmarks, AstraAI allows scientists to run the AI entirely on their own secure machine; this means they do not have to send sensitive, unreleased code over the internet, ensuring complete data privacy for specialized or proprietary projects.
Funding: Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research’s ModCon. This effort is an early example of how DOE’s Genesis Mission is transforming science.
User Facilities: This research used computing resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC).
Schwartz, president’s third pick to lead top US public health agency, confirmed in 51-44 Senate vote
Dr Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the US Senate as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a rare win for the Trump administration after a string of failed attempts to fill senior health posts.
Schwartz was confirmed by a 51-44 vote that broke largely along party lines, with Tim Kaine of Virginia the sole Democrat to support her nomination.
DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2026 — Multiverse Computing today announced a collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to bring highly efficient AI models to data centers worldwide. Multiverse Computing’s AI models will be specialized for Qualcomm Dragonfly AI200 and AI250 accelerators. The collaboration focuses on Qualcomm Technologies’ AI acceleration hardware and Multiverse Computing’s model optimization technology to enable data center operators to run large-scale AI workloads with higher performance and lower power consumption.
For data center operators, the direct benefit is more capacity on the same hardware. By optimizing AI models before they run on Qualcomm Dragonfly AI200 and AI250 accelerators, Multiverse Computing reduces the compute and memory footprint each model requires. That frees up headroom on existing deployments, letting operators serve more inference requests, run more models concurrently, or scale their AI services without adding new accelerators or expanding data center infrastructure.
The efficiency gains were demonstrated live at Mobile World Congress in March 2026, where Multiverse Computing and Qualcomm Technologies showcased a compressed open-source large language model running on a Qualcomm Cloud AI100 Ultra accelerator. In a real-time emergency medical reporting use case, the compressed model demo delivered up to 93% faster response times and up to 44% higher throughput than the uncompressed base model, while reducing memory usage by up to 45% and power consumption by up to 21%, with no loss in accuracy.
In a second demonstration, an on-premises Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) chatbot for querying confidential financial documents ran up to 35% faster and delivered up to 54% higher throughput, while cutting memory usage by up to 45% and power consumption by up to 14%, again with no loss in accuracy.
Applications running on the new Qualcomm Dragonfly AI200 and AI250 accelerators will be poised to deliver even better benchmark results.
“Qualcomm Technologies has built its leadership in segments such as mobile and IoT, where maximizing performance within strict power and efficiency constraints has always been essential,” said Victor Gaspar, Chief Sales Officer at Multiverse Computing. “Those same principles are now becoming critical in AI data centers. By combining Qualcomm Technologies’ highly efficient and performant AI accelerators with Multiverse Computing’s model compression and optimization technology, we can help customers achieve breakthrough improvements in performance, cost, and energy efficiency at scale.”
“As AI adoption accelerates across enterprise and cloud infrastructure, customers need solutions that deliver high performance with greater efficiency,” said Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology at Qualcomm Europe, Inc. “Qualcomm Technologies brings industry-leading AI acceleration, while Multiverse Computing works closely with customers, their AI models, and their specific use cases to optimize real-world deployments. Together, we can deliver highly efficient AI solutions tailored to the needs of modern data centers.”
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in the data center industry toward efficiency-first AI infrastructure, as operators look to scale AI deployments without a proportional increase in hardware, energy, and cost. By combining Qualcomm Technologies’ AI accelerators with Multiverse Computing’s optimized AI models, the two companies provide data center operators and enterprises with a practical path to scalable AI.
About Multiverse Computing
Multiverse Computing is a leader in sovereign and efficient AI. The company develops fast, efficient, and highly specialized AI models that enable organizations to deploy advanced artificial intelligence securely within their own infrastructure, ensuring full control over data, governance, and compliance. Serving sectors where privacy, reliability, and operational efficiency are critical, Multiverse helps enterprises unlock the value of AI while maintaining sovereignty over their most sensitive information. Headquartered in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, with offices in the United States, Canada, and across Europe, Multiverse serves more than 100 global customers, including Iberdrola, Bosch, and the Bank of Canada.
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 5, 2026 — CPC (Colder Products Company), part of PSG, a Dover company, and a leading manufacturer of connection technologies used in liquid cooling of electronics, has announced the launch of the Everis DC Series, a family of full-flow connectors designed to support the increasing thermal demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing infrastructure.
As the thermal design power (TDP) of modern compute platforms continues to rise, system engineers are turning to innovative liquid cooling solutions to manage higher heat loads. Created specifically for AI applications, the Everis DC in-line connector’s full-flow design contributes up to 90% less pressure drop compared to valved connectors of the same size, optimizing cooling efficiency in tight spaces.
“With a growing focus on power consumption, hyperscale customers want solutions that minimize the draw from pumps and coolant distribution units (CDUs),” said Patrick Gerst, General Manager of the CPC thermal business unit. “As a full-flow connector, the Everis DC facilitates more effective coolant flow, helping data center customers improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.”
Unlike traditional valved connectors, Everis DC Series fittings can be integrated directly into cold plates or manifolds for enhanced space utilization. Their lower height profile also supports compact 1U tray form factors commonly used in high-density server environments.
The Everis DC product family includes both in-line and elbow configurations. Its swivel design adds flexibility compared with traditional hard-plumbed options. The connectors are manufactured from 304 stainless steel for broad material compatibility and produced in cleanroom environments to support high-purity liquid cooling applications.
“As a trusted technology partner to leading chip manufacturers and cooling integrators, we continue to advance our liquid cooling solutions to meet the complex and rapidly evolving needs of the market,” continued Gerst. “Our goal is to help optimize cooling efficiency today and for next-generation compute platforms.”
Everis DC connectors expand CPC’s established portfolio of liquid cooling solutions, including the UQD and LQ connector families. These products reflect CPC’s commitment to quality, supported by extensive component testing and global engineering and manufacturing expertise.
CPC will showcase the Everis DC connector series at the Open Compute Project (OCP) APAC Summit, a premier event for open data center infrastructure, on August 11-12 in Taipei, Taiwan.
For more information about CPC’s liquid cooling portfolio, visit cpcworldwide.com/cool.
About CPC
CPC (Colder Products Company) is a leading provider of quick disconnect couplings, fittings and connectors for thermal management (liquid cooling of electronics), life sciences, biopharma, industrial and chemical handling markets. During its nearly 50-year history, CPC has built a portfolio of more than 10,000 connector products. CPC is a business unit of Pump Solutions Group (PSG), an operating company within Dover Corporation.
About PSG
PSG is the global pump, metering, connector, and dispensing-solution expert, enabling the safe and efficient transfer of critical and valuable fluids that require optimal performance and reliability in applications where it matters most. Additionally, PSG is a leading provider of flow meters designed to reduce waste and downtime while accurately measuring, monitoring and controlling the distribution of fluids. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, USA, PSG is comprised of several world-class brands, including Abaque, All-Flo, Almatec, Blackmer, CPC Biotech, Ebsray, em-tec, Griswold, Hydro, ipp, Malema, Mouvex, Neptune, Quantex, and Wilden. PSG products are manufactured on three continents – North America, Europe and Asia – in state-of-the-art facilities that practice lean manufacturing and are ISO-certified. PSG is part of the Pumps & Process Solutions segment of Dover Corporation. For additional information on PSG, please visit psgdover.com. PSG: Where Innovation Flows.
About Dover
Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of over $8 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 70 years, our team of approximately 24,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what’s possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under “DOV.” Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com.
A US federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by Alex Murdaugh seeking $600,000 in legal fees from the former court clerk whose misconduct led to his murder convictions being overturned on appeal.
Murdaugh sued Becky Hill in May, saying she violated his right to a fair trial over the deaths of his wife and son.
Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism and embellishment, has resigned after the university announced he was to face new investigations into his qualifications and career.
Arday, who had been dogged by a growing series of questions over his academic work and credentials, issued a statement on Wednesday night, saying the “relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love”.
Leading Democrats quickly papered over whatever qualms they had about progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed after his win in the Michigan Senate primary was confirmed on Wednesday, instead welcoming the former public health official as their champion against the Republican nominee, Mike Rogers.
The state is now key to Democrats’s hopes of retaking control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections. Winning in Michigan would put them on the path to snarling Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and blocking his judicial nominees for the final two years of his presidency, while defeat could undermine their prospects of gaining a majority in the chamber for years to come. Rogers lost a Senate race in Michigan two years ago by a slim margin to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.
State department informs Congress of planned closures in Canada, Grenada, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon
The US state department is to shut five foreign consulates and missions across Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean, drawing criticism that it is leaving a diplomatic vacuum at risk of being filled by China.
The US Congress has been served notice of the impending closures, which are being justified on cost grounds and follow a reassessment of the US’s bilateral relationships with a range of countries since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Former state health official Abdul El-Sayed faced Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan in a closely watched contest that represented the latest test of the party's divisions.
Security researchers found that Apple's iCloud Private Relay can expose users' real IP addresses because some passkey-related requests bypass Safari and its proxy protections at the operating-system level. "In short: any website that supports, or pretends to support, passkeys can see the user's real IP address despite having iCloud Private Relay on," security researcher Tommy Mysk, who discovered the issue along with Talal Haj Bakry, told 404 Media. The flaws also affect OnionBrowser, an iOS app for browsing the web through the Tor anonymity network. It does not, however, impact the official Tor Browser itself. From the report: The researchers developed a site that lets Private Relay users check if the issues impact them. In 404 Media's tests, the site did return the real IP address of a user that was supposed to be protected by Private Relay.
[...] In a quirk of how passkeys work -- a broadly secure alternative to usernames and passwords which use the WebAuthn standard -- a user's device makes a web request outside of the browser itself. Meaning, that request essentially bypasses Private Relay and exposes a user's real IP address, even though to them it may look like they are simply interacting with a website as normal.
"Because the fetch is issued by the operating system's credential service rather than by Safari, it never enters Private Relay's proxied path. The destination server sees the device's real IP address either way," the researchers write in their research. [...] "We have already informed them. They said the issue was âdire,' but they let us disclose the issue. They didn't provide any time when they will address this," Mysk said.
The NHS has been told it must become more resilient to increasingly frequent heatwaves supercharged by the climate crisis, as the UK government puts adaptation to extreme heat high on its agenda. But what other public services are already feeling the strain?
The NHS has been warned to prepare for potential annual summer crises caused by extreme heat with the same pressures as winter, as heatwaves caused by the climate crisis become routine in the UK.
The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said NHS staff were feeling A&E pressures that would normally be expected only during flu season – and said the government would use major investment in NHS infrastructure to tackle the health service’s resilience to high summer temperatures.
An AP investigation found dozens of active-duty troops’ parents and spouses detained despite protections
The Trump administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty US troops as it rolls back immigration protections for military families in the pursuit of its mass deportation agenda.
More than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained since Donald Trump returned to office, and at least six have been deported, an Associated Press investigation found. It is the first accounting of such detentions, which the government does not track.
Thames Valley’s top officer says he may join Police Federation in court if convicted pair are freed from jail
The chief constable of Thames Valley police has said he will consider joining legal action against the government if it fails to block the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.
The Police Federation is contemplating going to court in its attempts to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in prison.
The geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the straitof Hormuz have been agreed by Iran and Oman, and a joint announcement is being finalised, provided no third parties interfere, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday.
Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran and Oman would not, by itself, guarantee security in the strategic waterway.
Joint statement with Oman is being finalised, but Tehran says deal alone would not guarantee waterway’s security
Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the strait of Hormuz, and a joint announcement is being finalised provided certain third parties do not interfere, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday.
Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran and Oman would not, by itself, guarantee security in the strategic waterway.
University says it has ‘new information’ about academic career of Jason Arday, the youngest black professor in its history
Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism and embellishment, is to face investigation by the university after it said it received “new information” about his qualifications and career.
Cambridge initially defended Arday – the youngest black professor appointed in the university’s history, with a compelling life story of educational disadvantage – as “the victim of a vile campaign”. But as questions mounted over Arday’s own claims, the university’s leaders felt that Cambridge’s reputation was in danger.
Kansas Democrats nominated State Senator Cindy Holscher for governor after she defeated party-backed rival Ethan Corson. "The race became a test of what sort of candidate Democratic voters prefer in what is expected to be a challenging general election race: a more moderate candidate like Mr. Corson with endorsements from party leaders or an outspoken populist like Ms. Holscher, who spoke out against data centers and the political establishment," reports The New York Times. From the repot: Even in a national political environment that could favor Democrats, Republicans see the Kansas governorship as among their best opportunities for flipping a seat. President Trump carried Kansas by 16 percentage points in 2024, and Republicans hold supermajorities in the State Legislature. Voters in the Republican primary for governor nominated Ty Masterson, the president of the Kansas Senate and the recipient of Mr. Trump's endorsement, according to The A.P.
Ms. Holscher, who is from suburban Kansas City, sought out a lane to Mr. Corson's political left and made inroads with some of the state's progressive voters. She emphasized her role in unwinding former Gov. Sam Brownback's tax policies and called for a moratorium on data centers. She also spoke against a final deal to lure the Kansas City Chiefs across the state line from Missouri. Ms. Holscher presented an implicit critique of Ms. Kelly's stewardship of Kansas, referring to Mr. Corson as part of a political establishment that was too cozy with corporations and out of touch with the party's voters. "I'm the only Democrat in this race to call for a moratorium on data centers because we have to get these guardrails in place," said Holscher in an interview. "We are having our people and our resources exploited."
Obama-appointed judge seemed unmoved by Trump attorneys’ arguments in case also naming Murdoch
A federal judge in Florida seemed skeptical of arguments from Donald Trump’s legal team on Wednesday over whether the court should allow a $10bn defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal to move forward.
Trump sued the Journal and the News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch over a July 2025 article about a “bawdy” letter reportedly from Trump that was included in a 2003 birthday book for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has denied authoring or signing the letter, and his attorneys have argued that the Journal published the story despite having been told it was false.
U.S.-made systems are Kyiv’s only means to shoot down ballistic missiles, and Ukraine says it has run out of interceptors. Seventeen Ukrainians died overnight.
MTA to sell remaining machines – which weigh up to 1,050lbs – as it transitions to contactless fare system
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City has begun auctioning off its final MetroCard vending machines, offering New Yorkers the chance to own one of the transit system’s most recognizable fixtures as the agency continues its transition to Omny.
The auction opened on Wednesday morning and will run through 19 August, according to the MTA. The agency is offering a limited number of retired MetroCard Vending Machines (MVM) and MetroCard Express Machines (MEM), which have served subway riders for decades.
Google is reshuffling its AI leadership as Demis Hassabis steps away from day-to-day management of DeepMind to become chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist, while CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu takes operational control. Meanwhile, longtime chief scientist Jeff Dean and several prominent researchers are leaving to launch their own company. Axios reports: Hassabis will add the title of chief scientist for Google parent company Alphabet and also continue to lead Isomorphic Labs, the company's AI drug discovery spinoff. Koray Kavukcuoglu, the current chief technology officer of Google DeepMind will serve as senior VP of the unit, reporting to CEO Sundar Pichai.
Dean, a 27-year Google veteran is starting Discovery Loop, an independent publicity benefit corporation in which Google will be an investor and cloud provider. Joining him in that effort are Google senior fellow Sanjay Ghemawat as well as Oriol Vinyals, a DeepMind VP and Quoc Le, a Google Brain co-founder.
[...] In an interview with The New York Times, Dean indicated that leaving Google, a public company, gives him more leeway to focus on scientific discoveries associated with AI as well. "We might make decisions that are not necessarily in the company's purist financial interests," he told NYT. "I've been working towards AGI my whole life and now, like many of you, I feel it is close at hand," Hassabis wrote. "It's critical that we collectively get the next steps right to ensure this all goes well for humanity and we usher in an incredible new age of discovery and wonder."
"With this backdrop, I've decided that now is the right time for me to hand over my day-to-day operational responsibilities at GDM, so that I have the time and space to focus on the big picture and help influence what is to come to the best of my ability"
Data shows victims of torture and trafficking among those prosecuted for crossing Channel by irregular means
More than 1,100 people, including survivors of torture and trafficking, have been convicted of illegally arriving in the UK since 2022, according to freedom of information data.
The Home Office introduced the offence of illegal arrival in 2022 in a bid to deter those planning to come to the UK by small boat or by other irregular means such as lorries.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 5, 2026 – AMD, Super Micro Computer, Inc. and Spectro Cloud today announced AMD Instinct Coder, a jointly developed, turnkey enterprise AI coding solution designed to help organizations scale AI-assisted software development with more control over source code, model use and cost.
AMD, Super Micro Computer and Spectro Cloud have jointly developed the AMD Instinct Coder, an enterprise AI coding solution designed to help organizations scale AI-assisted software development. The initial configuration is expected to be based on the Supermicro AS-8126GS-TNMR system with two AMD EPYC processors, eight AMD Instinct GPUs and AMD Pensando networking technologies, together with Spectro Cloud PaletteAI and Inference Launchpad software. Credit: AMD, Spectro Cloud and Supermicro.
AI is now an integral part of enterprise software development, helping developers generate code, modernize applications, automate testing and accelerate delivery. However, as organizations scale these capabilities, they can face rapidly increasing costs for applications, automated agents and tokens. Enterprises also need to protect proprietary source code, apply consistent governance, and avoid the complexity of assembling and operating an on-premises AI infrastructure stack. AMD Instinct Coder addresses these requirements through a hybrid, local-first approach that gives organizations a complete enterprise AI software development platform.
“AI coding is moving from an individual developer tool to an enterprise platform decision,” said Dan McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Compute & Enterprise AI, AMD. “Organizations need control over where code is processed, which models are used and what that usage costs. AMD Instinct Coder combines high-performance AMD compute and an open software ecosystem with Supermicro and Spectro Cloud technologies, giving customers a simple way to run more workloads locally, use frontier models selectively and operate the infrastructure themselves.”
“Local-first AI inference only delivers value when enterprises can deploy and operate it simply, securely and at scale,” said Tenry Fu, co-founder and CEO of Spectro Cloud. “Through PaletteAI Inference Launchpad, Spectro Cloud provides the software and operating layer for AMD Instinct Coder – bringing policy-based routing, metering and governance to AI coding workloads. This helps customers run appropriate coding tasks locally, use frontier models selectively, and keep AI inference usage visible and controllable.”
“Supermicro is focused on helping enterprises, cloud providers and sovereign AI operators deploy production AI infrastructure faster, with the performance, reliability and operational simplicity required for demanding AI workloads,” said Vik Malyala, chief business officer at Supermicro. “Together with AMD and Spectro Cloud, we are delivering a turnkey, validated inference solution that combines Supermicro’s optimized AI systems, AMD Instinct accelerators and integrated inference software in a platform customers can deploy and operate with confidence.”
Leadership AMD AI technologies power the solution from host compute and AI acceleration to networking and optimized model deployment. The initial configuration is powered by eight AMD Instinct GPUs for memory-intensive AI inference. High-frequency AMD EPYC processors deliver a highly performant host node. AMD Pensando networking solutions bring high-bandwidth Ethernet connectivity.
Turning this local-first approach into day-to-day decisions falls to the software layer. Spectro Cloud Inference Launchpad routes requests according to enterprise policy, workload complexity, model capability, infrastructure availability and cost. Appropriate coding workloads can run on locally deployed models, while advanced reasoning and specialized tasks can continue to use frontier models when their capabilities are required.
Supermicro brings these technologies together in an integrated eight-accelerator AI system and provides system-level engineering, integration and qualification.
Together, the technologies replace complex do-it-yourself infrastructure projects with a packaged solution that customers can easily deploy and manage.
Availability
The initial configuration is expected to be based on the Supermicro AS-8126GS-TNMR system with two AMD EPYC processors, eight AMD Instinct GPUs and AMD Pensando networking technologies, together with Spectro Cloud PaletteAI and Inference Launchpad software.
About AMD
AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) drives innovation in high-performance and AI computing to solve the world’s most important challenges. Today, AMD technology powers billions of experiences across cloud and AI infrastructure, embedded systems, AI PCs and gaming. With a broad portfolio of AI-optimized CPUs, GPUs, networking and software, AMD delivers full-stack AI solutions that provide the performance and scalability needed for a new era of intelligent computing. Learn more at www.amd.com.
Sheikh Hasina plans a December comeback two years after being ousted in a bloody uprising led by students
Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return home by the end of the year, even though she faces a death sentence.
“They may put me in a cell. They may kill me. Anything may happen, but still I have to go,” said Hasina, two years after a student-led uprising toppled her government.
Two cutting-edge AI models have targeted real people and organisations in the latest safety scare to hit the technology. The UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) said the incident was unprecedented but could become more common as the technology becomes increasingly capable.
Though the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot. It is the first time that a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border.
César Gastélum was filming outside a fast-food outlet in Sinaloa state when he was killed by a motorbike driver
A popular Mexican influencer has been shot dead while doing a live stream on social media outside a restaurant in Sinaloa state, where lethal cartel violence has become widespread.
César Gastélum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for making comedy videos, was filming with two friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacán. The three were dressed in the bright orange jackets and backpacks of food delivery drivers.
Colombia has around 200 so-called "cocaine hippos" living in the wild, all of which descended from a colony brought to South America by slain cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.
As his war in Iran has imploded, his poll numbers have plummeted, the U.S. economy has cratered, and he finds himself in the grip of a steep cognitive decline, President Donald Trump has increasingly lashed out, calling for cataclysm, slaughter, and even genocide. As he tries desperately, if ham-handedly, to extricate himself from a losing war, the commander-in-chief of the world’s most destructive military offers up deranged rants, baying for blood and issuing orders that throw the concept of proportionality in warfare out the window.
Trump’s bloodthirsty rhetoric has been borne out in asymmetrical slaughter, with Iranian fatalities exceeding American deaths by multiple orders of magnitude. And this follows similarly lopsided casualty tolls in Trump’s conflicts in Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen, and on the high seas. This low-risk butchery masquerading as warfare harkens back to 19th-century extermination campaigns in which so-called inferior races were massacred in spectacles of slaughter — colonial violence that wiped out ethnic groups and set the stage for 20th-century genocide.
“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump recently announced on Truth Social. “This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”
This unhinged command for disproportionate retaliation — which may amount to a violation of international humanitarian law — was featured, mostly without further remark, in news reports with bland headlines, like “Trump pays respects to 4 US service members killed in the Middle East.” It was also, for example, tucked deep inside and presented without further comment in a New York Times article about impending testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee by Hegseth and Caine.
Trump’s order, and the matter-of-fact coverage from the Times, reminded me of a report by a different Times, almost exactly 199 years earlier: an article from Van Diemen’s Land, the Ireland-sized island to the southeast of Australia that we now know as Tasmania.
White settlers poured onto the island in the early 1800s, wiping out the kangaroos and replacing them with sheep. They treated the Indigenous people no differently. “Thousands were hunted down like wild beasts,” according to the local press. When one of the white people were killed by locals, the Colonial Times reported that other settlers exacted revenge on the Indigenous people that left “sixty of them killed and wounded.” The next year, when members of settler police and military forces were pelted with stones, they responded with gunfire and a bayonet charge that “killed seventy of them, dragging the women and children from the crevices of the rocks, and dashing out their brains.”
The slaughter in Tasmania was the inspiration for author H.G. Wells’s late 19th-century sci-fi classic “War of the Worlds,” in which Martians with superior technology, advanced firepower, and no compunction about annihilating humanity invade England, laying waste to London and driving out its population. “And before we judge of them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought,” the narrator says in the book’s open. “The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?”
“Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?”
When lawyer Raphael Lemkin formulated the idea of “genocide” after World War II, almost 50 years after Wells wrote “War of the Worlds,” he considered Tasmania a historical case study of his concept. It’s unclear if Trump ever read “War of the Worlds,” though he attended the New York City premiere of the 2005 Steven Spielberg film adaptation; I doubt he understood Wells’s allegory, presuming he knows what an allegory is.
The Tasmanian carnage was part of an age of slaughter and genocide carried out across the globe by European powers and the United States. Trump has long been in the thrall of the precepts of this era of colonial conquest: Might makes right; territorial acquisition through armed intervention; and colonial relationships with, and resource extraction from, conquered foes and weaker nations.
Trump often invokes and praises Andrew Jackson, his 19th-century predecessor in the White House, who owned slaves and implemented a policy of “Indian removal” that culminated in the Trail of Tears, the military’s forced displacement of Native Americans, during which thousands died. Trump advocated “furthering President Jackson’s legacy, expanding his vision, [and] honoring his memory” earlier this year, pronouncing that Old Hickory embodied the “best of the American Spirit.” Trump has even employed America’s contribution to the eradication of indigenous peoples as a punch line. He has made light, on social media, not only of the Trail of Tears but also the Army’s massacre of hundreds of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
Even the Army’s official history portrays Wounded Knee as a Tasmanian-scale slaughter in which an effort to disarm a group of Lakota religious revivalists resulted in an errant shot, possibly an accidental discharge, that “led immediately to heavy and indiscriminate firing from soldiers,” including the use of artillery, “despite the presence of numerous noncombatants.” In the end, up to 300 Lakota, including women and children, lay dead while “Army casualties totaled 25 killed and 39 wounded, some of whom likely were hit by friendly fire.”
Such disproportionate mass killings and exterminations were a hallmark of the 19th century. This “destruction of the ‘inferior races’ of four continents prepared the ground for the destruction of six million Jews in Europe,” as the author Sven Lindqvist observed, in his classic text “Exterminate All the Brutes.” We look back on these Holocaust-precipitating slaughters as beyond abhorrent. Or at least we did.
The death toll disparity at Wounded Knee doesn’t compare to the carnage of Trump’s war on Iran. The estimated 3,375 to 6,000 Iranian deaths dwarf the 19 U.S. deaths by 180 to 320 times, or more than two orders of magnitude. (The official U.S. Iran war death toll stands at 18, with the Pentagon omitting one widely reported loss.) The 60-to-1 Tasmanian toll of dead and wounded is a similar ratio as the estimated 39,806 total Iranian casualties compared to the official U.S. count of more than 700 troops who have been killed or wounded.
Trump has also repeatedly touted the lopsided nature of his punitive expedition in Venezuela, a short war in which the U.S. deposed and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro, creating a de facto U.S. colony run by a quisling. “To have a few injuries, but no death on our side, is really amazing,” Trump bragged after the invasion, later comparing the lack of U.S. fatalities to the substantial death tolls of the (much longer) Korean and Vietnam wars. The 100 or more Venezuelan and Cuban military personnel and civilians killed compared with a handful of U.S. injuries shares a lineage of battlefield massacres like the 1863 U.S. slaughter of 250 to 500 Shoshone — including at least 90 women, children and infants — at Bear River at a cost of 24 U.S. troops, and the up to 6,000 Zulus armed with shields and spears cut down by Gatling guns and artillery compared with 10 British troops killed at Ulundi in southern Africa in 1879.
Trump’s 2025 war against the Houthi government in Yemen — Operation Rough Rider — was similarly lopsided. The airstrike monitoring group Airwars tracked reports of at least 224 civilians in Yemen killed by U.S. airstrikes. This nearly doubled the civilian casualty toll in Yemen from U.S. attacks since 2002, meaning that almost as many civilians were reportedly killed in 52 days as the previous 23 years of airstrikes and commando raids combined. The Yemen Data Project put the death toll at 238 civilians, at a minimum, and another 467 civilians injured. The U.S. also killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, according to CENTCOM spokesperson Dave Eastburn, who referred to “credible open sources” citing 650 Houthi casualties. The U.S. did not suffer a single reported fatality during the campaign. And Trump’s relentless strikes in nearby Somalia have amounted to up to 420 deaths at a cost of zero American lives.
The Trump administration’s boat strike campaign in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, which has killed at least 221 people without the loss of even one U.S. life, is a still more egregious slaughter. In this case, only unarmed civilians are targeted, victims akin to the fleeing Tasmanian women and children who had their skulls bashed in.
“Kill Anything That Move,” by Nick TurseAvailable at Bookshop.org
There are, of course, myriad differences between Trump’s ongoing war on the world and 19th-century colonial extermination campaigns in Africa, America, Australia, and elsewhere. Trump doesn’t, for example, explicitly assert racial superiority as a reason for his military interventions even if he often lapses into racist rants and is making war in Somalia while deriding Somalis as “garbage.”
But Trump’s more than 20 military interventions, armed conflicts, and outright wars have heightened the increasing trend toward “riskless warfare,” a term coined more than a quarter century ago by Paul Kahn, the director of Yale Law School’s Schell Center for International Human Rights. “It is an image of warfare without the possibility of chivalry,” the prescient Kahn later observed. “At the heart is a violation of the fundamental principle that establishes the internal morality of warfare: self-defense within conditions of reciprocal imposition of risk. Without the imposition of mutual risk, warfare is not war at all.”
Earlier this decade, in a study of drone warfare, Neil Renic, a scholar of military ethics, refined the concept as “radical asymmetry,” in which “one side has, in a practical sense, overcome the type and degree of physical vulnerability that has long been regarded as an expected and unavoidable feature of war.” Renic sees the drift toward unilateral violence leading to the increasing “perception of the weaker party … from an opponent to be fought and overcome, to one that must be hunted and done away with,” contributing to “dehumanization” of the enemy which, “in some cases … has led to a more severe decline in the targeting practices of the United States, from the morally questionable to the morally indefensible.” This feature of modern warfare harkens back to the age of extermination, when Tasmanians and others were also hunted and done away with.
As Trump has reveled in asymmetrical body counts and called for more disproportionate deaths, he has increasingly fancied himself an alien destroyer like Wells’s Martians; even if he himself doesn’t quite realize it. In one bizarre AI-slop image he posted on Truth Social as the Iran war went south, Trump appears to be striding from a spaceship — on some platform high above Earth — as legions of weapons-toting alien warriors flank him. In another, a gigantic Trump is seated at a command console in a space station floating high above the world. On screens above him, we see huge explosions apparently going off simultaneously back on Earth. On still another, an indistinct country is seemingly being ravaged by lasers.
“Then in a moment the Heat Ray was brought to bear, and the town became a heap of fiery ruins,” wrote Wells in “War of the Worlds,” describing the Martians’ weapon of mass destruction. “The houses caved in as they dissolved at its touch and darted out flames; the trees changed to fire with a roar.” Wells referenced the “massacre of mankind” and “the rout of civilization.” As Trump has made disproportionate slaughter his signature accomplishment from Latin America to the Middle East to Africa, he has channeled his inner Martian. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” he wrote of Iran on Truth Social, promising the “entire country could be taken out” and warning he might bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”
Trump’s unhinged rhetoric is further driven home by the remaining imagery in the command-console post: a mushroom cloud from a monstrous nuclear blast with text on a screen announcing “target destroyed,” while a glowering Trump is poised to push a glowing red button that suggests he is about to incinerate the planet. Trump’s annihilationist fantasies are especially disturbing since he controls a nuclear arsenal that can destroy the world many times over. (“We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times,” was how Trump put it.)
Iranians, Latin Americans, Somalis, and Yemenis have all been in the crosshairs of America’s lopsided killing campaigns during his second term, but in this new age of slaughter, all of us are potentially targets in Trump’s war on the world.
HOUSTON, Texas — A small law firm with ties to the Trump administration is poised to receive up to $150 million to provide legal services for thousands of unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody.
The proposed one-year agreement with Burke Law Group would begin Aug. 15 and cover legal orientation, consultations and direct representation while children remain in Office of Refugee Resettlement care. The firm would provide only limited referrals and continuity planning after children leave federal custody.
Burke lists 26 employees across eight offices, but its website does not identify immigration law as a practice area. Its attorneys primarily advertise experience in administrative law, commercial litigation, securities disputes and white-collar defense. Founder Marcella Burke previously served as an appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department during President Donald Trump’s first administration.
The award follows the expiration of a nationwide contract involving nearly 100 nonprofit legal providers. Those organizations said the government had withheld payments for months and sought confidential information about young clients, forcing some programs to lay off employees or suspend services.
Advocates question whether one relatively small firm can replace an established national network serving more than 20,000 children. The administration says the agreement will restore legal assistance, but the firm’s capacity and immigration experience are likely to face continued scrutiny.
From Charles Barkley to Thierry Henry to John McEnroe, the path from the arena to the commentary box is well trodden, and plenty of politicians have made the transition from elected office to the TV studio. One man, however, insists on doing both at the same time.
Donald Trump is the US president, empowered to kill terrorists, grant pardons, sign and veto bills, and represent the nation on the world stage. But when issues become thorny, as they have of late, he is wont to embrace an alternative role as commentator-in-chief.
Cloudflare has open-sourced Cloudflare OS, an Apache 2.0-licensed platform that lets organizations build AI agents, apps, and workflows using curated company data and tools within isolated, governed environments. Despite the name, it is not a traditional operating system but a framework for securely managing organizational AI workloads. Phoronix reports: Cloudflare OS is already used internally at Cloudflare and is described in today's announcement as:
"Cloudflare OS starts with a conversation in your browser, like many other AI tools. What makes it different is that each conversation is grounded in the context and skills your organization has curated. Give your workspace a goal, and it can draw on that knowledge and work with the tools and data your organization already uses to achieve it.
Cloudflare OS combines three parts:
- An agent workspace grounded in context and skills your company curates, with an isolated runtime where agents can write and run code.
- A new security and governance framework for safe access to internal data and services.
- A platform for personal, modifiable apps that people can build, share, and continue changing.
What begins as a conversation can become a doc, an app, or a workflow that continues doing the work." You can learn more at os.cloudflare.app.
A former megachurch pastor who endured 15 years of conversion practices is set to become the first transgender member of Michigan’s state legislature after winning a Democratic primary election on Tuesday.
Joanna Whaley comfortably defeated Frank Liberati, a former state representative, and Gary Schlack in the primary for the second district of the Michigan statehouse, a Democratic stronghold.
Rules brought in soon after killing of dozens of protesters, news of which was reported only by overseas outlets
Pakistani authorities have imposed severe new restrictions on international media, including barring them from reporting in most of the country, in a move that has provoked a significant backlash from journalist organisations.
According to the new rules anyone, including Pakistani nationals, should seek permission first if they want to report from anywhere in Pakistan except three cities – Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, central London, police said.
The Metropolitan police said the men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds. They were taken to a major trauma centre after the lunchtime incident on Endell Street.
Ukraine shoots down most drones but no ballistic missiles in overnight attack that mainly targeted civilian facilities
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed allies for not delivering air defences fast enough after Ukraine failed to shoot down a single Russian missile in a deadly overnight attack that killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more.
Preliminary data from the Ukrainian air force showed its defences shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia overnight, but no ballistic missiles.
I am desperate here to make my setup work but cannot get a key for my OW XR. Does anyone have any direction for me. Feel free to DM me as well. Would love the ability to use Nosedive app on my iPhone and watch for long rides. Getting tired of the inability to do so without an airplane mode handshake every few minutes.
Hits on two towns among deadliest bombings since start of June ceasefire
An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon killed one person and injured 11, the Lebanese ministry of health said, in one of Israel’s deadliest bombings since the start of the June ceasefire.
Israel carried out an airstrike in the town of Tebnine, south Lebanon hitting a cemetery, the Lebanese health ministry said. It said the town of al-Mansouri, also in south Lebanon, was bombed too, forcing families to flee.
Assassination attempt demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to continue clandestine operations deep inside Russian territory
The head of a leading Russian drone manufacturer has been critically injured in a car bomb near Ekaterinburg, in what appears to be the latest in a series of assassination attempts targeting figures linked to the country’s war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Tkachuk, the founder of the private drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was rushed to intensive care on Wednesday after a bomb planted beneath his Mercedes exploded, according to Russian state media, citing emergency services. His bodyguard was killed in the explosion.
The candidate has crafted a progressive nationalism and shown his party how to turn Republicans’ financial advantage against them
Every now and then, a Senate race sets the direction for an entire party. In 1991, a state official named Harris Wofford – advised by a foul-mouthed Cajun named James Carville – upset his far better-known Republican opponent to win a special election in Pennsylvania. He did it by promising to expand access to healthcare – and thus created a template for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign the following year.
If Abdul El-Sayed can follow up his victory in last night’s Democratic Senate primary by winning the general election in Michigan this fall, he will have created a template of his own. Despite his closer-than-expected margin of victory, his campaign offers a model for how Democrats across the country can answer the political challenge posed by Donald Trump.
Francis Fukuyama on his new political memoir: ‘In the Realm of the Last Man’
2
September 2026 — 16:00 TO 18:30 BST
Anonymous (not verified)
Chatham House and Online
Join us for the launch of the Chatham House Book Club with Francis Fukuyama, one of the most influential political thinkers of the twenty-first century.
Join us for the launch of the Chatham House Book Club with Francis Fukuyama, one of the most influential political thinkers of the past three decades.
In this exclusive members’ event, Fukuyama discusses his new memoir, “In the Realm of the Last Man”, reflecting on the ideas and experiences that shaped his thinking on democracy and the international order. This conversation explores what the past 35 years can reveal about the future of Western democracy since Fukuyama authored his international bestseller “The End of History and the Last Man”.
Join fellow members for a thought-provoking discussion that goes beyond the headlines and marks the beginning of a new forum for ideas, books and debate. This event is followed by a reception.
This event discusses:
Why did Fukuyama revise some of his most influential ideas?
What lessons can be drawn from the major political shifts of the past 35 years?
How have events from the so-called ‘War on Terror’ to Russia’s war against Ukraine reshaped liberal democracy?
What explains growing challenges to democratic institutions across the West?
How can democratic societies rebuild public trust and political legitimacy?
What is the future of liberal democracy in an increasingly competitive world?
The Chatham House Book Club is a new space for members to explore the ideas shaping our world through thought-provoking books and engaging discussion with members and authors. A book excerpt will be shared with registered attendees ahead of the event, with books available to purchase at the event. You can pre-order In the Realm of the Last Man here: In the Realm of the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama | Waterstones
Each session will bring members face to face with authors to reflect on influential writing and thinkers across international affairs, politics, history and society. Whether you’re an avid reader or simply looking to engage with fresh perspectives, the Book Club offers an opportunity to connect with fellow members in conversation beyond the headlines.
Book club sessions are exclusive to Chatham House Members. Become and member and gain access to these events by registering here.
A leaked roadmap suggests T-Mobile plans to make its T-Life app the primary way customers manage their accounts by the end of 2026, "gradually moving one feature at a time into the app" and away from physical stores, reports Android Authority. That includes upgrades, new-line activations, and eventually new-account sign-ups. From the report: According to an image shared by a Reddit user, the carrier has mapped out the next phase of its app-first strategy. This clearly shows that the T-Life app is set to become the primary way customers manage nearly every aspect of their account by the end of 2026. The roadmap suggests T-Mobile isn't flipping the switch overnight. Instead, it's gradually moving one feature at a time into the app. The concierge experience has already made that transition, while phone upgrade transactions are currently being shifted over. Next on the list is support for adding new lines, followed by what appears to be the biggest change yet.
By the fourth quarter of 2026, the roadmap indicates that all new customer accounts will be handled entirely through T-Life. So, many of the tasks that traditionally required a trip to a T-Mobile store could soon be completed from your phone instead. [...] The roadmap also reinforces a direction T-Mobile has been moving toward for quite some time: making T-Life the center of the customer experience. If the timeline holds, the app may soon become a requirement for managing your account.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 5, 2026 — D-Wave Quantum Inc. today announced a major research breakthrough advancing the path to practical, fault-tolerant gate-model quantum computing. Published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature, the research demonstrates a fast, high-fidelity, two-qubit entangling gate that preserves the error-correction advantages of D-Wave’s superconducting dual-rail qubit architecture. The results address one of the industry’s most consequential challenges by reducing the immense quantum and classical hardware overhead typically required to detect and correct quantum errors as systems scale.
D-Wave’s dual-rail gate-model quantum processor.
The paper, “An entangling gate for dual-rail erasure qubits,” details a new two-qubit entangling gate, a fundamental building block of quantum computation, designed to support efficient quantum error correction. The research demonstrates approximately 99.9% fidelity during two-qubit operations, with fast gate times of about 500 nanoseconds, enabled by native hardware-level error detection. Leveraging these results, D-Wave simulations indicate its dual-rail architecture could reduce the logical error rate by as much as a factor of 10 for each increment in error correction, significantly reducing the physical qubit overhead required for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
“Gate-model quantum computing’s greatest remaining challenge is not simply building more qubits. It is building systems that can correct errors efficiently as they scale,” said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “Superconducting quantum computers are known for speed, but achieving the high fidelity needed for scalable, fault-tolerant systems has remained a challenge. This research demonstrates that our dual-rail architecture combines fast superconducting operations with high-fidelity performance while preserving native hardware-level error detection. We believe that this work confirms our path to commercial fault-tolerant quantum computing is practical and achievable.”
Removing a Major Barrier to Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing
Quantum information is inherently fragile and highly susceptible to errors, making efficient quantum error correction essential for the development of reliable, fault-tolerant gate-model quantum computers. In many gate-model architectures, correcting those errors requires large numbers of additional physical qubits and operations, creating substantial engineering complexity, cost, and performance constraints. D-Wave’s dual-rail architecture is designed to create a favorable error hierarchy in which the most common quantum errors are also the easiest to correct. The newly published research demonstrates that this favorable error hierarchy is preserved during two-qubit operations, with the technology maintaining both speed and high fidelity. The results establish an important foundation for scalable quantum error correction with substantially lower hardware overhead.
“The entangling gate demonstrated through this research is already integrated into our gate-model systems, where it is delivering comparable performance,” said Dr. Robert Schoelkopf, chief scientist at D-Wave. “We believe these results provide strong evidence that the core architectural principles underpinning our gate-model development roadmap can deliver the speed, fidelity and error-correction efficiency required for practical, fault-tolerant quantum computing.”
The research supports D-Wave’s recently announced gate-model development roadmap, which targets a 2032 completion of a 100-logical-qubit system capable of successfully performing more than 1 million operations. The roadmap brings together D-Wave’s superconducting dual-rail architecture and integrated cryogenic control technology to enable more efficient error detection and awareness as systems scale. D-Wave’s roadmap is targeting an error reduction rate, or Lambda, of 10. Lambda is a measure of how rapidly a quantum computer’s errors are reduced as more error-correction capability is added. A Lambda of 10 means the system becomes 10 times more reliable with each increment in error correction, making it possible to achieve low logical error rates required for fault-tolerant quantum computing with far fewer physical qubits.
“Building a fault-tolerant quantum computer requires systematically solving a series of difficult scientific and engineering challenges, with each success bringing us closer to a scalable system,” said Dr. Trevor Lanting, chief development officer at D-Wave. “This research demonstrates one of the foundational capabilities of our dual-rail architecture and brings us an important step closer to fault-tolerant gate-model quantum computing.”
The research further advances D-Wave’s dual-platform strategy of developing complementary annealing and gate-model quantum computing technologies to address the full range of computationally complex problems.
Read the paper, “An entangling gate for dual-rail erasure qubits,” in Nature here.
Learn more about D-Wave’s gate-model quantum computing here.
About D-Wave Quantum Inc.
D-Wave is a leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software, and services. It is the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, and the first and only to offer dual-platform quantum computing products and services, spanning both annealing and gate-model quantum computing technologies. D-Wave’s mission is to help customers realize the value of quantum today through enterprise-grade systems available on-premises and via its Leap quantum cloud service, which offers 99.9% availability and uptime. More than 100 organizations across commercial, government and research sectors trust D-Wave to address complex computational challenges using quantum computing. Learn more about realizing the value of quantum computing today and how D-Wave is shaping the quantum-driven industrial and societal advancements of tomorrow: www.dwavequantum.com.
Aug. 5, 2026 — Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Empire AI Beta is officially online, giving researchers at New York’s leading public and private universities access to the most powerful academic research computer in the country and marking a major milestone in New York’s effort to lead the nation in responsible artificial intelligence for the public good.
As convened by Governor Hochul and consortium partners, the Empire AI initiative is already serving as a national model for public-interest AI use. As the federal National Science Foundation has announced a major investment to support regional AI infrastructure and shared research capacity through their new State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs initiative, Empire AI is already powering world-class research and serving academics, students and communities across the state.
“New York State built Empire AI to show that artificial intelligence can be developed for the public good and with Empire AI Beta officially online, New York is giving our researchers the most powerful academic AI research computer in the country,” Governor Hochul said. “The National Science Foundation’s new hubs embrace the same core principle behind Empire AI — when government, universities, philanthropy and industry come together, they can deliver outstanding results.”
Empire AI Board Chairman Tom Secunda said, “Empire AI is showing the nation what dedicated partners across government, research institutions, and philanthropy can build together: a scientific asset no institution could create on its own, advancing the public good. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership and vision, New York is setting the standard for how the United States can build and maintain AI infrastructure by researchers and for researchers.”
Empire AI Research Computing Director Kiran Keshav said, “Turning on Beta is a major leap forward for Empire AI and for academic research across New York. Researchers who were once limited by access to computing power can now ask bigger questions, test more ambitious ideas and move faster from theory to discovery. From medical diagnostics and climate modeling to safer infrastructure and more trustworthy AI systems, this system will help New York’s researchers do work that would not otherwise be possible.”
Housed at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Empire AI Beta is a $40 million NVIDIA-powered supercomputer that dramatically expands the computing power available to academic researchers across New York State. The system delivers an 11-fold increase in AI training capacity, a 40-fold boost in AI inference and an 8-fold expansion in data storage compared to Empire AI Alpha, the consortium’s initial system launched in 2024. With over 300 research projects already queued up to use the system, Beta will accelerate work across fields including health care, climate science, advanced manufacturing, education, cybersecurity, public safety and other areas that directly benefit New Yorkers.
The launch of Beta represents the next major step in Empire AI’s phased buildout. Alpha, the consortium’s initial system made possible by philanthropic support from the Simons Foundation, has already supported more than 130 research projects and hundreds of researchers across New York. Beta now brings a transformative increase in capacity, while construction continues on Empire AI’s permanent, full-scale Gamma facility at the University at Buffalo, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Once complete, the Gamma facility will also be the most efficient high-powered computing center in the nation. By integrating into University at Buffalo’s buildout of a thermal energy network in a closed loop system, process heat from Empire AI will be used to heat buildings on campus, dramatically improving the school’s ability to meet net zero goals.
Empire AI member institutions include the State University of New York, the City University of New York, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Flatiron Institute at the Simons Foundation.
The Governor announced Empire AI in her 2024 State of the State to create a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence center at the State University at Buffalo to be used by New York’s leading institutions to promote responsible research and development, create jobs, and unlock AI opportunities focused on public good. With Empire AI Beta fully online, New York is already delivering on the computing power, institutional partnership and research capacity that NSF is looking to replicate.
Empire AI is backed by more than $500 million in public and private funding, and is made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. In May 2025, Governor Hochul secured funding to expand access for SUNY researchers at the State University of New York at Albany, State University of New York at Binghamton, State University of New York at Buffalo and State University of New York at Stony Brook, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They joined the seven founding members of Empire AI: SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Flatiron Institute.
In her 2026 State of the State agenda, Governor Hochul proposed the launch of Empire AI Beta, which will accelerate Empire AI’s performance to 11 times its former scale, making it the world’s most advanced academic supercomputer. Governor Hochul also announced a record-breaking gift to the State University of New York at Binghamton to create the first independent university AI research center in the United States, the Center for AI Responsibility and Research at Binghamton University. The $30 million philanthropic gift, the largest academic gift in the university’s history, is coupled with a $25 million research capital investment by SUNY.
The national portfolio of research teams will develop and demonstrate artificial intelligence-enabled scientific workflows designed to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security.
Dr. Hamid Pouya, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (left) and Dr. Ardeshir Moftakhari, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Aersopace Engineering.
The Genesis Mission is a national initiative focused on building the world’s most powerful integrated scientific discovery platform. By bringing together government, industry, academia and philanthropy, the initiative aims to combine AI, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments to accelerate innovation in energy, scientific research and national security.
OSU is among 168 universities selected through a highly competitive application process that generated the largest response to a funding opportunity in DOE history.
“This selection underscores OSU’s growing reputation as a leader in engineering research and innovation,” said Dr. Hanchen Huang, dean of CEAT. “The Genesis Mission aligns closely with our commitment to advancing technologies that strengthen America’s energy future while preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists. We are honored to contribute our expertise to this transformative national initiative.”
Established by the DOE, the Genesis Mission aims to double America’s scientific productivity by combining the department’s world-class research infrastructure with advanced AI, high-performance computing and leading scientific talent. The selected projects span strategic research areas including nuclear energy, critical mineral extraction, intelligent chip design and commercial fusion energy.
At OSU, Dr. Hamid Pouya, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and principal investigator, is leading GRID-OPS-AI in collaboration with co-principal investigator Dr. Ardeshir Moftakhari, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Their project, “GRID OPS AI: Scaling Grid Operations with Distributionally Robust, Physics Informed, Safe AI,” is designed to provide electric utilities with a trustworthy, AI-powered approach to operating an increasingly complex and unpredictable power grid while advancing the Genesis Mission’s goal of accelerating real-world scientific and engineering breakthroughs through advanced AI models and frameworks.
The project brings together OSU, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, with technology partner SkyHelm and additional utility data support from Oklahoma Gas & Electric.
“Today’s grid faces rising uncertainty, from variable renewable generation and extreme weather to rapidly growing electricity demand,” Pouya said. “Yet many critical operating decisions — how to reconfigure the system, dispatch resources or restore power after an outage — still rely heavily on operator experience and single-point forecasts that don’t fully account for what could happen next.”
GRID-OPS-AI is designed to close that gap by embedding AI directly into the decision-making process. The system learns from a utility’s historical and real-time data to generate fast, risk-aware recommendations that operators can understand, trust and act upon.
“GRID-OPS-AI brings together several advanced AI models into a single, powerful workflow,” Pouya said. “The AI learns how the grid behaves — and how uncertainty plays out — directly from a utility’s own real-world data, then uses that understanding to weigh the options and recommend smart decisions that account for what could happen next, not just a single best guess. It delivers those recommendations fast enough to be useful in the moment and explains each one in plain language an operator can quickly understand.
“Just as important, the system is built as decision support, not autopilot: every recommendation is transparent, and a human operator always stays in control.”
Pouya and Moftakhari will evaluate the technology in real-world utility settings by integrating it into SkyHelm’s Adaptively Controlled Electric System platform, already in use by Oklahoma Electric Cooperative. The project will compare the AI-enabled approach against current utility practices, measuring improvements in cost, speed, reliability and resilience.
“GRID-OPS-AI connects advanced AI and energy systems with real utility operations, helping operators make faster, more confident decisions under uncertainty, especially when reliability and resilience matter most,” Moftakhari said.
Earlier research supporting the project has already demonstrated promising results, and the team aims to further advance the technology by enabling reliable operating decisions many times faster than current methods. Their project represents nationally significant AI innovation while demonstrating practical solutions for strengthening the resilience and affordability of the nation’s electric grid.
As part of the initiative, researchers will gain access to the Genesis Mission Platform, which provides advanced AI models, AI agent frameworks, high-performance computing resources and scientific software through the DOE national laboratory system and industry partners. These resources will enable research teams to rapidly develop, test and refine AI-enabled scientific workflows that accelerate discovery.
“Our goal is to put AI to work for grid operators in a way they can truly trust — turning the flood of data utilities already collected into faster, clearer, risk-aware decisions,” Pouya said. “If we can help operators keep the lights on more reliably and at lower cost, especially during storms and other high-stress events, that translates directly into a more resilient grid and real value for the communities utilities serve. And we’re deliberately designing AI that supports operators rather than replaces them: transparent, explainable and always with a human in control.”
Pouya said receiving the award is both an honor and a responsibility. OSU President Jim Hess agreed.
“Being selected for the Genesis Mission is a tremendous honor, but it also carries a responsibility to deliver results that matter,” Dr. Hess said. “This recognition affirms that the ideas we have been developing have the potential to strengthen the way utilities operate the electric grid. Now, we have the opportunity to put that work to the test where it matters most — in real-world operations, using real data, alongside the people who keep our communities powered every day.
“I am especially proud that Oklahoma State University is leading this effort. It demonstrates that nationally significant AI innovation is happening right here in Oklahoma, driven by a land-grant commitment to solve practical problems, serve our communities and help build a stronger energy future for our state and nation.”
The award also reflects CEAT’s continued momentum in advanced energy research, AI and interdisciplinary collaboration. Faculty across the college are conducting nationally recognized research in advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, energy systems, computational engineering, data science and next-generation technologies that strengthen economic growth and national competitiveness.
“This Genesis Mission selection places OSU at the center of a nationally significant effort to transform engineering science while giving our students exceptional opportunities to develop technologies that directly benefit communities and strengthen America’s energy future,” Moftakhari said.
“None of this happens in isolation. This project works because of an exceptional team — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Oklahoma Gas & Electric and SkyHelm — who share a commitment to real, deployable results, not just research papers,” Pouya said. “I’m grateful to the Department of Energy for the opportunity, and excited to help build AI that strengthens the backbone of the American economy.”
Participation in the Genesis Mission further strengthens OSU’s role as a key contributor to the nation’s innovation ecosystem while providing students with opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research alongside leading scientists and engineers.
“From its inception, the Genesis Mission has the ambition of leveraging AI-based tools and approaches to dramatically increase the speed and impact of science and technological development,” OSU Vice President for Research Dr. Kenneth Sewell said. “A truly optimized electrical grid, which GRID-OPS-AI can help achieve, will benefit society in countless economic and national security ways.”
The Genesis Mission includes 278 research awards involving 342 institutions nationwide, including DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration national laboratories, universities, companies and nonprofit organizations. Together, these teams will develop AI-enabled scientific workflows with the potential to fundamentally transform research across the DOE’s mission areas.
German state prosecutors including units working on extremism and terrorism prevention take over investigation into Leipzig incident
For what it’s worth, DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer said the German logistics firm was studying the overnight incident which also involved an object clashing with one of its planes near Leipzig.
“We’ve got plans for cases like this, and we’ll try to make sure that the influence on our customers will be as low as possible,” Meyer said during a quarterly results call earlier this morning, Reuters reported.
William Lawrence, a prominent environmental organizer who foregrounded his support for a datacenter moratorium, has won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s seventh congressional district in a victory for progressives.
Lawrence was a co-founder of the youth-led climate justice organization the Sunrise Movement, the group that in 2018 mainstreamed calls for a Green New Deal to battle economic injustice while rapidly phasing out planet-warming fossil fuels. The 36-year-old defeated Bridget Brink, a former US ambassador to Ukraine and Slovakia, and Matt Maasdam, a former US Navy Seal and military aide to Barack Obama.
Lahore police official says all personnel were responsible for preventing and reporting any wrongdoing at station
The alleged rape of a 20-year-old woman with learning disabilities in a police station in Lahore, Pakistan, has prompted authorities to suspend all 78 police officers and staff at the precinct, in one of the country’s biggest ever disciplinary actions against its police force.
The woman alleges that an assistant sub-inspector apprehended her, took her to Ghaziabad police station and raped her in a room on the second floor. The woman’s family said she disappeared on the street, before returning home in tears and stating that she had been sexually assaulted at the station.
Advanced artificial intelligence models have stunned the UK’s AI Security Institute (AISI) by carrying out a hacking campaign against real people during a cybersecurity test.
The institute said the incident was unprecedented and involved sending targeted emails to software developers in an attempt to pass a cyber challenge.
Six additional states caught up in investigation after Michigan reported first two US deaths linked to disease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reportedly expanded the scope of the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to more states, including Arkansas and Missouri.
A spokesperson from Arkansas’s health department confirmed the outbreak expansion to their state in a statement to the Guardian: “Arkansas is one of the states the CDC is adding to the multi-state outbreak for cyclosporiasis.”
Cut-price fares may now be merely a facade for seemingly endless add-on fees after Jetstar’s new carry-on luggage charge meant the airline joined a growing number monetising basic services in the sky.
The new structure, announced by Qantas’s low-cost carrier on Wednesday, will mean from next year tickets will only include one “under seat bag”, such as a backpack, handbag or laptop bag.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Several US senators have written a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), inquiring about the agency's "plans to crack down on prediction markets" that offer "contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires." "Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities' suffering, all so the rich and powerful can profit," wrote (PDF) the group of senators, who represent Oregon, California, Nevada, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. The document specifically cites that Polymarket hosted bets in January 2025 on the wildfires in Los Angeles, and it mentions another website which specifically accepts "simulated bets" exclusively on California wildfires.
"There's also the heightened risk -- according to state and local fire officials -- that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful," the letter continues. "By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading." [...] Kalshi spokesperson Elisabeth Diana told Ars by email that the company does not allow such wildfire markets "because they create perverse incentives." But its primary rival, Polymarket, has taken a different approach. A spokesperson for Polymarket told Ars in an emailed statement that the company does not "profit from outcomes," adding that people "come to Polymarket for information." "While we are not blind to the risks, removing these markets does not prevent a tragedy but makes the most accurate information less accessible to the people who need it most," he wrote.
Africa Aware: DRC’s Ebola outbreak: Local systems, international responses and lessons for AfricaAudiothilton.drupal
Guests explore how the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC exposes tensions between ad hoc international health responses and local healthcare systems.
During the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), clinical breakthroughs with the potential to significantly reduce both the death toll and the duration of the outbreak were made. However, as our guests argued in research conducted for the Congo Research Group in 2020, the international response was organized through parallel health structures rather than the existing DRC health system. This approach contributed to undermined trust, outbreaks of violence and ultimately prolonged the outbreak.
Now, in 2026, similar questions are emerging about the measures being taken at the local, national, regional and international levels to contain what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record two months after it was officially declared.
In this episode, Dr Rachel Niehuus and Bienvenu Mukungilwa join the Africa Programme’s Dr Joshua Z. Walker and Lisa Musumba to explore how the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC once again exposes tensions between ad hoc international health responses and local healthcare systems – reinforcing the urgent need to strengthen national healthcare systems in the DRC and across Africa for more effective outbreak preparedness and response.
About Africa Aware
Africa Aware is a podcast from the Chatham House Africa Programme bringing together leading international experts to provide in-depth analysis and sharp insights on the political, economic and social issues shaping African countries, their international relations and the continent as a whole.
'Most people don’t want pervert glasses that can film us without our consent,' said a spokesperson from activist group Everyone Hates Elon. The group has launched a series of guerilla adverts deriding non-consensual filming by the glasses as well as an email campaign encouraging people to legally object to being filmed by Meta glasses under general data protection regulations, which over 20,000 people have signed.
Rights groups have warned that the glasses threaten the right to privacy, while countries such as Germany are reportedly considering a ban.
And while Meta’s safety guidelines say smart glasses should not be used for 'harassment, infringing on privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information', women have taken to social media to share their stories of being filmed by men without their consent.
Watch as Guardian columnist and Opinion editor Kirsty Major dives into why fears of surveillance and 'creepy men' mean Meta can never convince her to love the glasses – and read more about the glasses via the link in the bio
Despite record amounts of outside spending and attacks from the Democratic establishment, Abdul El-Sayed prevailed in a bitter primary race for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
Voters in the key swing state chose El-Sayed over the establishment’s choice of Rep. Haley Stevens, whose campaign received about $60 million in support from pro-corporate and pro-Israel super PACs, making the race the most expensive Democratic primary ever. El-Sayed won by a margin of around 1 percentage point, according to The Associated Press, which called the race in his favor Wednesday morning.
The victory of El-Sayed, a former public health official endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is the latest sign of the growing influence of the Democratic left. And it’s the most staggering illustration yet of the party establishment’s waning grip on power and the unpopularity of the pro-Israel lobby giant, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, amid shifting American sentiment on Israel and Palestine.
Through its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, AIPAC broke its own single-race spending record by funding $30 million in attack ads against El-Sayed. Ads that dominated airwaves, flooded streaming services, and stuffed mailboxes in the final month of the race misrepresented El-Sayed’s previous comments about Michelle Obama and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to allege misogyny, and attempted to paint El-Sayed as a terrorist sympathizer.
El-Sayed’s platform, boosted by an army of 12,000 door-knocking volunteers, centered on policies such as Medicare for All policy, addressing cost of living issues in the state, and removing corporate spending from politics. But it was the two candidates’ stances on Israel and Palestine that came to define the race. El-Sayed condemned Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and committed to ending U.S. military aid to Israel. His criticism of Israel also extended to its joint U.S. war on Iran, which he decried as military glut that could be spent instead on healthcare and education in his state.
Stevens opposed any conditioning of military aid to Israel. She has consistently voted in favor of weapons transfers since first assuming office in 2019, including last month when she sided with Republicans against an amendment in a Pentagon budget bill that would have cut military spending for Israel. When AIPAC began pouring money into the Stevens campaign, El-Sayed effectively turned those millions of dollars into a key campaign issue, pointing to Stevens as an illustration of the danger of lobby spending and corporate money in politics.
It’s not the first race in Michigan shaped by AIPAC money. Former Rep. Andy Levin — who was considered the most progressive Jewish member of the House because of his support for Palestinian statehood — lost his seat after redistricting forced a showdown with Stevens in 2022. In that race, Levin was also dramatically outspent by outside money, with AIPAC buying $4 million in ads to attack him and boost Stevens.
El-Sayed’s success, however, shows a major shift in politics since the start of Israel’s most recent war on Gaza. Cutting off military support to Israel has become a mainstream position among Democrats. And AIPAC has since become a politically toxic entity — “a four letter word in Democratic politics,” Levin told The Intercept.
“The kind of truth-telling about Israel and Palestine is tied into the truth-telling about the economy, and people wanting real solutions.”
“Most people still don’t vote on Israel and Palestine, they vote on their pocketbooks,” said Levin, who endorsed El-Sayed. “But if you’re not willing to say that Israel perpetrated a genocide in Gaza, Democratic primary voters are like, ‘OK, you’re bought and paid.’ The kind of truth-telling about Israel and Palestine is tied into the truth-telling about the economy, and people wanting real solutions.”
Leftists have claimed victories against establishment picks throughout this year’s midterm primaries, running on similar platforms addressing affordability and support for Palestine. But those wins have so far been in House races, mostly in metropolitan areas where leftist progressive politics have gained a foothold in recent years, such as New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Jersey, and California. In House races in Michigan, leftists also found success with wins for Donavan McKinney, a state representative who defeated the AIPAC-backed incumbent Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar, and Will Lawrence, a progressive climate activist who beat a pair of moderate Democratic opponents.
Both McKinney and Lawrence, a co-founder of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, had an endorsement from Sanders and a mutual endorsement from El-Sayed. And both ran on a similar platform of lowering the cost of living and opposing war — including Israel’s genocide in Gaza — and for Lawrence, opposing AI data centers. While McKinney is expected to win the general election in a solid blue district, Lawrence now faces a Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Barrett, in a purple district that had previously been held by Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin.
El-Sayed’s win is the first leftist victory in a Senate race this election cycle.
Unlike other leftist wins so far in the midterms outside of Michigan, El-Sayed faces a difficult challenge in the general election from a formidable Trump-endorsed opponent. Polls have shown El-Sayed neck-and-neck with Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary. In 2024, Rogers ran for Senate and lost to Slotkin by less than 20,000 votes. In Michigan, where voters swung for Trump by about 1 percentage point over Kamala Harris in 2024, the November election is expected to be the most significant midterm test for the left. An El-Sayed win in November is essential to the Democratic effort to regain control of the Senate.
Electability has been among the largest criticisms from Stevens and her supporters against El-Sayed. Conventional establishment thinking maintains that progressive policy is not popular among most Americans. To beat Republicans, the centrists say, Democrats need to run a more moderate candidate who can appeal to more conservative voters. Late last month, the Stevens campaign circulated a quote from Rogers, who called El-Sayed “radical” and claimed “I don’t think he likes America.” Stevens suggested Rogers would prefer to face El-Sayed because of his leftist platform.
Last week, Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., a Stevens surrogate, said El-Sayed was so polarizing that she could not back him against Rogers in the general election. “I will not stand beside someone who has allowed distinctly anti-American sentiment to enter our public dialogue,” she said, a reference to his campaign events in April where political streamer and commentator Hasan Piker stumped with El-Sayed at university campuses. Despite efforts by the Stevens campaign, AIPAC, and corporate media outlets to play up Piker’s comments faulting U.S. foreign policy for 9/11, there’s little evidence that criticism has resonated with voters.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee released its first attack ad against the “radical” El-Sayed on Wednesday, referring to him by his full name and referring to Piker’s 9/11 comments, a preview of the continued anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tactics that are expected to ratchet up in the general.
The progressive left has long argued that its platform will perform better in front of a broader electorate hungry for political and economic change. Michiganders have paved the way for El-Sayed to try and prove just that. His fate in the general election might reverberate into the 2028 campaign cycle, as the Democratic Party looks to decide what type of candidate to nominate for president.
Soon after NBC News made its call, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow — who dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in July — offered her endorsement to El-Sayed. On Wednesday, Stevens — along with Democratic minority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand — endorsed El-Sayed. Stevens said she had spoken with El-Sayed and was “proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election.”
“We’re gonna build a movement that reaches out to everybody — I know not everybody’s gonna agree with me on everything, that’s not how this works. But I know they agree with me on the need to beat Mike Rogers and the need to hold Donald Trump accountable, and the need to provide people healthcare, and the need to address the affordability crisis,” El-Sayed said at the Wednesday press conference, flanked by McMorrow and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. “I’m looking forward to unifying together,”
El-Sayed argues the same anti-corporate messaging that has appealed to his progressive base translates to all voters, transcending partisan political framing. A week before Tuesday’s primary, El-Sayed told The Intercept’s Akela Lacy, “Most people don’t walk around asking, ‘Where do I sit on the left–right spectrum?’ Most people are walking around asking, ‘What the hell’s going to happen if I get sick? What’s going to happen if I lose my home or I lose my job?’ … I think those are the things that unite most Michiganders … I’m looking to build a movement that pushes back on the bipartisan consensus that we ought to build a politics that is paid for by corporations.”
Levin said that voters want a candidate who is “authentic,” “brave,” and “speaks truth to power.” He pointed to Michigan’s historic embrace of progressive Democratic politics, such as the nominations of Jesse Jackson’s presidential candidacy in 1988 and Sanders’s in 2016.
It was in Michigan where Democrats in 2024 started the Uncommitted Movement as a protest against the Biden administration’s support of Israel during its genocidal war in Gaza. El-Sayed voted “uncommitted” in that primary. Stevens and her surrogates have attacked his “uncommitted” vote to try and show El-Sayed’s lack of loyalty to the party, despite his immediate endorsement of Harris one day after Biden dropped out of the running.
“People act like it means we all must run to the mushy middle. But that’s not what a swing is at all.”
Levin describes Michigan as the “ultimate swing state,” but cautioned that many political pundits misunderstand what that says about the state’s electorate.
“People act like it means we all must run to the mushy middle. But that’s not what a swing is at all. If a swing just sat in the middle, you would never get on it. It’d be boring. That’s not what it’s about,” Levin said. “We have to realize that ‘swing’ means that people go back and forth. And people in both parties right now — this is national — they are so sick of politics. They are so sick of the money in politics. They are so sick of the rich people and the corporations and the special interests [that] basically do whatever they want in American politics.”
Update: August 5, 2026, 1:22 p.m.ET This article was updated to include news of Donavan McKinney’s victory, a National Republican Senatorial Committee attack ad, Haley Stevens’s endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed, and remarks from El-Sayed’s victory speech.
Characters and memorable scenes from back catalogue made available to group of creator fans
The likes of Darth Vader, Spider-Man and Moana are about to become TikTok stars for the first time – at least now on an official basis – after Walt Disney struck a “first of its kind” deal with the booming short-video platform.
In an acknowledgment of the influence fan-made content now has in the entertainment industry, a select group of creators will be allowed to use characters and memorable scenes from Disney’s back catalogue.
Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to capture the party’s nomination ahead of November’s midterm elections.
El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday morning, moments after Stevens’s campaign said she had called El-Sayed to concede.
Big developers are discovering that the technical progress of photorealism doesn’t always translate into the creative spark that gives gamers joy – and keeps them playing
Last week, Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox, laid out her vision for the future of the console and interestingly, the two titles she picked out as potential areas of growth were Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga – games that don’t exactly scream next-generation entertainment. Neither relies on hyper-realistic visuals, which is the north star that games consoles and gaming PCs have been aiming at for the past 40 years. They are, instead, well-designed, well-loved franchises that you can play and enjoy on almost any PC, console or phone.
The fact is, the quest for visual hyperrealism is breaking the games industry. It’s becoming more and more expensive to put high-end graphics hardware into machines thanks to demand from the AI sector; at the same time, creating superrealistic visuals is an incredibly expensive and complex part of game development, leading to longer development periods. GTA VI, for example, has taken at least eight years to develop and is rumoured to have cost between $1bn and $2bn. By my back-of-an-envelope calculations, that’s around four times more than GTA V. Admittedly, the detail on everything, from the characters’ faces, to the cars, to the cityscapes, is astonishing. But will it be four times better than GTA V? Will it be four times more fun?
Much of the criticism of Ken Martin is deserved. But his actions are symptomatic of a party that fails to listen to the grassroots
Ken Martin is now a convenient scapegoat. As chair of the Democratic National Committee, he has stumbled into disrepute as a dubious fundraiser and bad-tempered boss who bungled an autopsy report on the 2024 election disaster. Much of the criticism is justified. But Martin is just a symptom of what deeply ails a party that does not live up to its name.
As the Democratic party’s governing body, the Democratic National Committee has long operated as a fortress for party elites who expect to get their way. Martin seemed to offer a bit of a departure when, as Minnesota party chair, he won the committee leadership election last year in part because of his close ties with other state party chairs. They remain among his strongest supporters. That’s one reason why Martin is very well-positioned to fend off any challenge to his hold on power when the full committee meets next week in Austin.
Federal lawsuit alleges children are being repatriateddespite many of them qualifying to remain in the US legally
The Trump administration is deliberately targeting children who came to the US unaccompanied by a parent or guardian as it pushes to quickly return them to the countries they fled – amid “drastic policy changes” in immigration courts, according to allegations in a federal lawsuit shared with the Guardian.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are trying to prevent imminent deportation to the places from where they escaped danger or harm.
When C.C. Opanowski of Hudson Falls, New York, was a teenager, she survived a terrifying attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle. Years later, he would kill Lori Leonard, a mother of two young sons in Chittenango, New York.
A CBS News investigation found troops had flagged military leaders about the lack of defenses and insufficient medical supplies ahead of the attack in Kuwait at the beginning of the war with Iran.
Wayve Uber wins first minicab licence for autonomous cabs from TfL but vehicles will have a safety driver (at first)
The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now.
The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch.
AI memory roadmap spans next-generation solutions from DRAM to enterprise storage, including HBM4E, HBM5, LPDDR5X-PIM and PM1763
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 5, 2026 — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in advanced memory technology, is showcasing its latest AI memory innovations at Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2026 in Santa Clara, California.
Credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock
With broad expertise spanning DRAM, NAND, enterprise storage and relevant advanced semiconductor technologies, Samsung presented its latest AI memory portfolio and technology roadmap, including a preview of its zHBM and zNAND-O concept models, the industry-first introduction of its V10 BV-NAND with 400-plus layers, and a comprehensive range of solutions designed to advance future AI infrastructure. Samsung is also featuring its AI cloud server-inspired booth at FMS 2026, where approximately 30 memory and storage technologies are on display.
At the opening keynote event, Samsung’s Memory Business executives Jin-Yub Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Flash Product & Technology, and Kyungryun Kim, Vice President and Project Leader of the DRAM Design Team, delivered their address on next-generation 3D structures in future memory solutions.
Titled “Driving the Wave of AI Revolution: 3D Innovations in Memory & Storage Architecture,” the keynote presented Samsung’s vision to maximize AI system performance and power efficiency while addressing the rapidly growing demands of high-performance computing (HPC) and AI infrastructure.
The company also unveiled V10 BV-NAND, an architecture enabled by a new wafer bonding technology — for the first time in the industry.
Samsung’s Vision for Next-Generation 3D Memory
At FMS 2026, Samsung unveiled the industry’s first concept models of zHBM and zNAND-O, presenting its vision for the next generation of 3D memory architectures.
Designed for advanced AI computing, zHBM presents a new memory architecture that vertically stacks HBM directly above AI accelerators, moving beyond conventional designs in which HBM is positioned alongside the processor.
By minimizing the distance that data travels between the AI processor and memory, zHBM is designed to deliver higher bandwidth and improved power efficiency, enabling the ultra-fast data processing required for large-scale AI training and inference.
A next-generation interface system incorporating zHBM is expected to deliver approximately eight times the performance of HBM5. With next-generation wafer bonding technology, zHBM can achieve more than 10 times the memory density of HBM5 while enhancing energy efficiency threefold and reducing thermal resistance by more than half, maximizing the stability and power efficiency of high-capacity, high-bandwidth systems.
zHBM also supports customer-specific designs, enabling customized IP to be integrated into the interlayer between the memory and AI accelerator to expand memory capacity and enhance accelerator performance. Building on close collaboration with customers, Samsung plans to further optimize the integration of AI processors and memory through zHBM to maximize AI system performance.
The company also introduced zNAND-O, a next-generation high-performance NAND solution built on its V-NAND technology and in development in four- and eight-layer versions. By combining high space efficiency, improved I/O performance, and low latency, zNAND-O is optimized for edge AI environments supporting real-time, data-intensive AI applications.
Industry-First V10 BV-NAND
Samsung unveiled V10 BV-NAND, featuring its new Bonding V-NAND architecture. The announcement comes 13 years after the company introduced the industry’s first V-NAND technology at the 2013 Flash Memory Summit, marking another milestone in the company’s NAND innovation.
With more than 400 layers, V10 BV-NAND delivers higher performance and power efficiency while significantly increasing storage density. By applying wafer bonding technology to stack memory cells, Samsung has increased memory density by approximately 58% over the previous generation (V9).
Beyond the increased layer count, V10 BV-NAND also improves read, write and I/O performance over the previous generation, supporting high-performance, high-capacity NAND for future AI systems and applications.
AI Memory Roadmap from HBM to PIM and Enterprise Storage
Samsung also presented its latest AI memory and storage portfolio — including HBM4E, HBM5, LPDDR5X-PIM and PM1763 — highlighting its roadmap for next-generation AI computing and data center infrastructure.
Following the industry’s first mass production of HBM4 using its 1c DRAM and 4-nanometer (nm) base die technologies in February, Samsung was the first to begin shipping HBM4E samples to global customers in May, reinforcing its leadership in next-generation HBM.
Along with its HBM4E samples and HBM5 model, the company showcased its LPDDR5X-PIM, the industry’s first LPDDR memory with processing-in-memory technology. The new solution is built to perform data processing within the memory itself to improve the efficiency of both data movement and power.
The exhibition also featured Samsung’s latest enterprise storage solutions — including PM1763 and BM1773 — designed to meet the growing storage demands of AI data centers.
One-Stop Turnkey Solutions
As the world’s only integrated device manufacturer (IDM) with industry-leading capabilities spanning memory, foundry and advanced packaging, Samsung presented its end-to-end strategy for next-generation AI infrastructure, which provides customers with one-stop turnkey solutions supporting the evolving needs of the AI era.
From product design through mass production, Samsung delivers integrated development and manufacturing services that help shorten development cycles while optimizing performance and power efficiency, enabling customers to quickly bring differentiated AI semiconductor solutions to market.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience.
The White House has declassified information claiming the FBI probed whether President Trump acted as a Russian asset when he fired James Comey, a theory an administration official said wasn't backed up by evidence.
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Aug. 5, 2026 — IonQ, a leading quantum platform company, has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sandia National Laboratories, to explore accelerated co-design of quantum information science technologies in support of U.S. national security innovation.
“Big breakthroughs often happen when government and industry work together, from the Manhattan Project to the Space Race,” said IonQ Chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi. “That’s why partnerships like the one between IonQ and Sandia National Laboratories matter so much. They could help shape the future of quantum technology—and play an important role in our economic and national security.”
“Sandia National Laboratories is committed to advancing quantum technologies that will underpin the future of national security and economic competitiveness,” said Toby Townsend, Associate Laboratories Director for Deterrence, Science and Energy. “Our partnership with IonQ leverages the strengths of both organizations to accelerate innovation in quantum computing and networking. Together, we aim to translate cutting-edge research into practical solutions that address critical government missions and help maintain U.S. leadership in this transformative field.”
IonQ and Sandia intend to explore a range of technical areas tied to quantum system co-design and mission-relevant use cases. The MOU supports broader research and innovation activities related to system optimization, device development, characterization and testing, and the advancement of quantum capabilities aligned with U.S. economic competitiveness and national security priorities.
“Sandia fabricated the ion traps that IonQ’s earliest quantum computers were built on, so this collaboration has a historic pedigree,” said Dr. Rick Muller, SVP and Chief Scientist, IonQ Federal. “What’s new is the scope. We’re putting our hardware and applications teams alongside Sandia’s expertise in trapped-ion fabrication and silicon photonics. These two areas most directly determine how fast quantum computers scale and how well they connect to one another.”
The Quantum Demonstration Facility is a research and commercialization hub at Sandia National Laboratories established to explore public-private collaboration models that can accelerate innovation in quantum technologies. It offers impartial third-party verification for pathways to utility-scale quantum computers, enhances research and development efforts and effectively communicates findings to U.S. government stakeholders.
IonQ’s participation expands the company’s footprint into New Mexico while supporting a growing ecosystem focused on the development and deployment of next-generation quantum systems.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) is the world’s leading quantum platform and foundry – delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems. Earlier systems have helped customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve a 20x performance increase over previous quantum solutions and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.
Aug. 5, 2026 — Nearly 100 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) students, mentors and staff joined colleagues from across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex recently for a hands-on clinic focused on using agentic artificial intelligence tools in real scientific and technical work.
Nearly 100 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory students, mentors and staff joined colleagues from across the Department of Energy complex on July 10 for a hands-on clinic focused on using agentic artificial intelligence tools in real scientific and technical work. Photo credit: Garry McLeod/LLNL.
Held in the Lab’s Research Library, the 2026 Cross-Laboratory AI Clinic combined shared presentations from DOE and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with local working sessions at LLNL. Participants could bring their own data or research problem or work through a challenge problem developed through LLNL’s Data Science Institute (DSI).
“We wanted to give students and staff an opportunity to get started using AI tools and learn about more advanced topics, like using coding agents,” said LLNL data scientist Jason Bernstein, director of the DSI Consulting Service and Open Data Initiative (ODI). “A lot of people are being told that they can use AI to solve their problems faster and more efficiently, but they don’t know how to accomplish this. We wanted to push people forward a little bit in their AI journey.”
The event brought together participants from eight DOE laboratories and sites: LLNL, ORNL, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the National Laboratory of the Rockies, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Most of the LLNL attendees worked on the DSI data challenge problem, while others brought their own data or problem, learning how they could apply the tools to their everyday work.
LLNL data scientist Jason Bernstein, director of the Data Science Institute Consulting Service and Open Data Initiative, opened the AI Clinic recently, providing an overview of AI tools and the event’s challenge problem. Photo credit: Garry McLeod/LLNL.
The day began with a shared program that included DOE remarks, a prompt-engineering presentation, an agentic AI demonstration and an industry panel including representatives from NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI, AMD and Anthropic. The afternoon shifted to local working sessions at each participating site, followed by reports-out from the labs and closing discussion.
DOE Associate Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Science Kristen Ellis, who addressed attendees remotely, tied the clinic to the broader goals of the Genesis Mission and the need to prepare a workforce capable of using AI in scientific research.
“We are at a crucial moment with the Genesis Mission and AI generally, and we’re going to need the talent through the national labs to help get involved in this AI revolution,” Ellis said.
Ellis added that technology alone will not be enough to achieve the mission’s goals and emphasized the value of building AI fluency among scientists and students.
“We’re going to need people,” Ellis said. “The scientist of the future is not someone who’s going to be replaced by AI, but the scientist who knows how to effectively collaborate with AI will have extraordinary advantages in speed, creativity and impact.”
At LLNL, organizers discussed the difference between conventional chatbots and coding agents. While a chatbot is primarily designed for conversation, a coding agent can inspect files, write and edit code, run programs and use external tools. That broader capability can make agents useful for automating scientific workflows, but it also requires careful review, secure handling of data and clear validation of results, they said.
For Kenneth Song, a master’s student in computer science at UC San Diego and an intern in LLNL’s Cybersecurity Summer Institute, the clinic was his first experience using tools like Open AI’s Codex.
LLNL data scientist and AI Clinic mentor Denvir Higgins (center) provides assistance to an attendee. Photo credit: Garry McLeod/LLNL.
“I’ve never really worked with agentic tools, so I thought this AI clinic would really be beneficial,” Song said. “I’m just experimenting with Codex and finding that to be pretty powerful too.”
The challenge problem gave participants a concrete scientific use case. Developed using data curated for DSI’s Data Science Challenge by Haichao Miao, a research scientist in LLNL’s Center for Applied Scientific Computing, the exercise asks participants to build autonomous AI tools for inspecting additively manufactured materials.
The dataset was derived from the AMD Lattices project led by Jenny Nicolino, a staff scientist in Physical and Life Sciences’ Materials Science Division. It consists of X-ray computed tomography scans of lattice structures, including 3D-printed octet lattices whose internal networks may contain bent, broken, missing or unusually thin struts. Participants explored workflows that could convert volumetric scan data into usable formats, separate lattice material from the background, recover the structure’s network of nodes and struts and compare the results with ground-truth.
Rather than simply asking a model for an answer, the exercise demonstrated how an AI agent could coordinate a broader pipeline involving code, image processing, visualization and quality checks.
Research scientist Magi Yassa, a group leader in LLNL’s Materials Engineering Division, said her work involves materials development for additive manufacturing, and that the clinic helped expand her sense of what agentic tools could handle.
“Understanding the power of these tools helps us [scientists] to think outside of the box, and how we can utilize all of that to our advantage,” Yassa said.
Yassa works with large collections of microscopy images generated during resin development and screening. In one project, she explained, her team produced more than 1,000 scanning electron microscope images, creating a volume of data that is difficult to evaluate manually. She said AI-assisted workflows could help classify images, identify useful printing conditions and narrow the range of results requiring closer human inspection.
Irabiel Romero, a University of California, Merced doctoral student and DSI intern working on power-grid optimization, said he attended to learn more about agents, skills and subagents and how they might be used in his own research.
AI Clinic participants brought their own data or research problem or worked through a challenge problem developed through LLNL’s Data Science Institute. Photo credit: Garry McLeod/LLNL.
“If you just hear about these tools secondhand, you might not know how they work or if they’re even going to be good for you,” Romero said. “The clinic provided examples, and those examples gave us detailed steps what to do. And then we were able to get help from people if we needed the help.”
Romero said agentic tools could eventually help him sort through large numbers of simulation files and identify conditions that require closer attention. Instead of manually opening every output, an agent could surface the files most relevant to a particular technical question.
The challenge problem and its associated dataset are on the ODI website, which makes distinctive LLNL datasets available to the broader data science community. The initiative supports curriculum development, raises awareness of the Lab’s data science efforts and creates opportunities for future collaboration.
The clinic was led by Bernstein; data scientist Mary Silva from LLNL’s Global Security Computing Applications Division; LLNL data scientist Denvir Higgins; LLNL GenAI Ops developer Tyler Alcorn; and DSI administrator Sira Neily. It was sponsored by LLNL’s Computing directorate, the Lab’s Academic Engagement Office and DSI.
Beyond the technical instruction, Bernstein said one of the most valuable outcomes was the peer-to-peer learning that emerged during the working session. That collaborative model is one LLNL hopes to build on through future clinics, more targeted training and continued support from DSI.
“It wasn’t just the mentors helping the participants; it was the participants helping other participants, which is really nice to see,” Bernstein said. “The best way to learn is to teach other people.”
Tuesday's Michigan Democratic Senate primary race remains unsettled, with progressive Abdul El-Sayed holding onto a narrow lead over moderate Haley Stevens with votes still being counted.
OK, so this happened on a GT-S Rally XL with about 150 miles on it. I was riding a paved trail with some pretty steep hills. At the time of the incident I had 22% battery. It should have been plenty to get me the last mile back to my truck.
I was going up the hill mildly slower then expected, so I gave it a bit more oomph, just a bit. I didn't notice any pushback, but I've never felt pushback before so there is a *chance* I ignored it, but I don't think so. No haptic buzz either.
All of a sudden it just nosedived, sending me flying into the road. Apparently I've lost my "good fall instincts" after years of not unicycling or skateboarding. I landed smack into the pavement with absolutely no roll, and busted up my hands, knee, and shoulder. It's worth noting that I'm not on the small side of riders. I'm definitely not at my fighting weight.
When I got up, I tried to more cautiously ride the board back to the truck, and I get a warning light. Check the app, and I'm at 1% battery.
I'm thinking it was an unbalanced charge situation, but I'm open to your thoughts. I had been charging to 90% up until this point, but I'm using the 100% charge option now, because regardless what Future Motion says, it doesn't balance the batteries when doing a 90% charge...
Now I'm trying to rebuild my confidence without getting overconfident, especially now that I'm getting used to cruising at higher speeds. It's a bit nerve-wracking to think of this happening again, but at 25 mph, rather than 10ish mph.
ENSCHEDE, Netherlands, Aug. 5, 2026 — QuiX Quantum has announced the commercial availability of Alquor 2.0, the next generation of its rack-mountable quantum photonic processor platform, available in 8-mode, 20-mode and 32-mode configurations, for advanced quantum optics, quantum communication, boson sampling, quantum information processing, and photonic quantum computing research. Alquor 2.0 is designed to reduce lab complexity and accelerate experimental progress.
Built on QuiX Quantum’s proven silicon nitride photonic technology and integrated into the company’s new Photonic Assembly Control Unit (PACU) architecture, Alquor 2.0 is designed to help research teams move from complex, manually aligned optical table configurations to a stable, programmable, and scalable integrated photonic platform. The technology behind Alquor 2.0 has been validated in several papers, from QuiX as well as from third parties.
With more than 20 systems deployed to date, Alquor has become one of the most established commercial programmable photonic processing platforms in quantum optics research. The new Alquor 2.0 extends this foundation with enhanced scalability, improved control electronics, stronger thermal stability, and configurations for 8-mode, 20-mode, and 32-mode research environments.
“Photonic quantum research should not be limited by the complexity of repeatedly configuring, aligning, and stabilizing optical table setups,” said Caterina Taballione, Commercial & Partnership Lead at QuiX Quantum. “Alquor 2.0 gives researchers a programmable and reproducible platform, so they can spend less time managing experimental infrastructure and more time advancing quantum science.”
For research teams, Alquor 2.0 is designed to reduce the operational burden of traditional optical table experiments. Instead of spending significant time on manual alignment, stabilization, and repeated configuration work, researchers can use a fully programmable processor that supports reproducible experiments and faster iteration cycles.
Alquor 2.0 is built on QuiX Quantum’s silicon nitride plat form, enabling ultra-low optical loss, room-temperature operation, and high fidelity. The new generation introduces current-driver-based control to reduce electrical crosstalk, improved thermal management through air cooling, and a cleaner software and firmware stack designed to improve performance and reproducibility.
The system is designed for modern laboratory, rack-mounted, and HPC-oriented environments. Its 3U 19-inch ruggedized form factor, Ethernet connectivity, and Python interface allow researchers to integrate Alquor 2.0 into existing automated workflows and scalable research infrastructure.
Key features of Alquor 2.0 include:
Available with 8-mode, 20-mode or 32-mode quantum photonic processors
Fully programmable multimode linear optical interferometer
Room-temperature operation based on silicon nitride photonic integration
Integrated into QuiX Quantum’s PACU architecture
Architecture capable of supporting up to 32 operational modes
Future-proof control design capable of managing up to 1,000 thermo-optic modulators
Current-driver architecture to reduce electrical crosstalk between phase shifters
32 high-speed RF connectors for external control systems and future fast-feed-forward capabilities
Air-cooled thermal management for higher operational reliability
Hot-swappable photonic assemblies with local calibration and characterization data
Python interface for integration into automated lab workflows
3U 19-inch rack-mountable chassis for laboratory, datacenter, and HPC-oriented environments
Alquor 2.0 supports a broad range of quantum photonic use cases, including quantum optics research, boson sampling, quantum random walks, quantum communication, quantum sensing, optical switching, and the development of photonic quantum computing architectures.
Validated Across the Global Research Community
Alquor’s impact extends well beyond QuiX Quantum’s own labs: independent research groups worldwide have used Alquor-based processors to produce some of the most closely watched results in photonic quantum information science. Recent examples include:
Simulating open and dissipative quantum systems — implemented leaking quantum walks with controllable absorbing boundaries on a 20-mode Alquor processor, a new approach to modeling non-Hermitian quantum dynamics on chip. ENEA, INFN Roma Tre (2026) arXiv:2601.13269. View paper
Simulating molecular chemistry with photonics — reconstructed molecular vibronic spectra using a Alquor processor under a linear-coupling approximation, connecting Gaussian boson sampling to real chemical systems. Paderborn University and HQS Quantum Simulations (2026) arXiv:2507.19442. View paper
Benchmarking sampling algorithms on a single platform — integrated a 12-mode Alquor processor into the Paderborn Quantum Sampler to directly compare Gaussian and non-Gaussian boson sampling in the same experimental run. Fraunhofer IOF, Menlo Systems and Paderborn University (2026) arXiv:2512.08433v1. View paper
Improving photon-source reliability for fault-tolerant photonic quantum computing — demonstrated photon distillation on a 20-mode Alquor processor, achieving below-threshold and net-gain reduction of photon-indistinguishability errors. Freie Universität Berlin, NASA Ames, University of Twente (2026) arXiv: 2601.05947. View paper
Accelerating Monte Carlo computational workloads — used a programmable 12-mode Alquor processor to demonstrate boson sampling as a hardware accelerator for Monte Carlo integration. University of Twente (2025) arXiv: 2509.25404. View paper
Running quantum search algorithms — implemented deterministic Grover search on 20- and 12-mode Alquor processors, achieving 99.77% average success probability. University of Queensland, University of Western Australia and Pawsey Supercomputing Centre (2025) arXiv: 2506.06435. View paper
Early Adopter Program for Research and Universities
To support early access for academic and public research institutions, QuiX Quantum is offering a 20% early adopter discount for eligible universities and research organizations ordering Alquor 2.0 8 mode by September 30, 2026.
The early adopter program is designed to help research teams accelerate access to integrated photonic quantum processing and reduce the transition effort from complex bulk-optics setups to programmable photonic systems.
About QuiX Quantum
QuiX Quantum is a European photonic quantum computing company founded in Enschede, the Netherlands, in 2019. The company develops integrated photonic quantum computing hardware and describes its approach as full-stack and fabless, with systems designed for modularity, scalability, and compatibility with data center and HPC environments. QuiX Quantum has offices in the Netherlands and Germany and is developing universal photonic quantum computing systems based on its silicon nitride photonic technology.
I’ve been debating on this helmet for a little while cause I have a helmet that is a full face but is a motorcycle helmet so I was wondering is this one good and another thing too the piece in front on the bottom for your chin does it stick out super far? Because that’s one of the things that I don’t like about most motocross or helmets like this style. What do yall think? -o-
I woke this morning to the news that an influencer had livestreamed an episode of extreme self-harm.
If you happen to be a parent in these times, you have to be quick on your feet. You can begin to descend into sorrow over what the world has become, but only moments later, you must transform into a vigilant protector of your children. It is a part of the parenting job you never realized you were signing up for. You become a police officer at 8 am, leaping into duty when you’ve barely had half your coffee.
“There’s news of a video of someone livestreaming self-harm. I’m going to ask you not to watch it.” is the text that went out this morning, probably while they’re still dozing.
Whether my children watch it is not under my control. They are hundreds of miles away at a cottage. They shouldn’t even have to receive a text like this, one that will undoubtedly spark the very curiosity I’m trying to discourage.
Flashbacks to telling my kids not to do things as toddlers, and then, of course, they do them.
Sleepy as I am this morning, I allow myself to fall backward into a rabbit hole of trust.
I have to trust that the work I did in the early years of their lives — the years when I sacrificed so many of the things I am now gathering back up with sleepy eyes and a faithful heart: my music, my career, my autonomy — somehow helped create little humans who can make decisions for themselves.
I hope that I have guided humans who are not so driven by curiosity and FOMO that they will watch something capable of changing them forever.
Last night, I played my London debut with my metal band, Ovary Axe. We performed for a handful of people in a watering hole called Supply & Demand, which serves pizza that is both delicious and deeply regretful upon eating.
One of the songs we played is called “Enjoying the Modern World.” In it, I lump together all the things I am sarcastically enjoying about modern life: pedophiles in power, the public listening to wealthy white men instead of survivors, gender inequality, injecting your face, celebrity pressures and pornography. Yup, it’s a real heartwarmer.
But what I am really trying to get at with “Enjoying the Modern World” is that one day, I hope to be genuinely enjoying it.
Being proud that I did the best raising with my kids under the circumstances. Admiring the beauty of the world, like when I stumbled upon a little picnic table hidden in a park yesterday. Running into an old high school friend last night who told me he was clean from drugs. Choosing not to watch something horrific, myself either.
Is it all about the lens we choose to look through?
Do we have to click the button down, the way we used to on a View-Master? When we are done with the scene in front of us, can we simply click to the next one?
In a world that seems determined to keep shocking us, I’m beginning to think it may be all we can do.
Photo by Girl With The Red Hat
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‘Looksmaxxing’ culture has led to the rise of facial analysis services – but experts warn they aren’t backed by science and can be harmful to users
Danielle, 37, didn’t always have issues with body image: she used to be a model and recalls receiving positive attention from men. However, when two years of unemployment plunged her into a period of financial insecurity, her confidence faded. “It was easy to wonder, if I was prettier, if some of my features were different, would that help?” she said.
So, when Danielle saw videos on TikTok about a “facial analysis” service that claimed it could provide her with “science-backed” glow-up advice, she bought it without hesitation. Three-hundred and thirty dollars later, after sending in selfies to be analyzed, Danielle received her personalized 30-page report from the company Qoves.
Partnership between American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest labor unions in the US, and AI firms has stirred controversy
Darius Saczuk, a high school teacher, views artificial intelligence as his enemy. Earlier this year, he and several dozen New York City teachers spent the day inside a windowless conference room in downtown Manhattan to learn how to use AI and prevent students from outsourcing their thinking to it.
As Saczuk sees it, he needs to understand his enemy in order to beat it.
Engelbert helped vault the league to new financial heights, but still draws the ire of stakeholders. A co-commissioner for player relations would be a welcome add
Being the WNBA’s commissioner may be one of the most unwanted jobs in the world right now. That’s in no small part because Cathy Engelbert, the person who holds that title, makes it look like a rough ride. She has helped usher the league into new financial heights and unprecedented popularity, but her players continue to bash her in the public sphere.
The job is not an easy one, and by many measures Engelbert has done it well, but today I want to talk about what I would do in her shoes. That means starting with how we got here.
The administration’s proposed agreement met a scathing response. But universities must remain vigilant
The Trump administration has quietly abandoned the poisonous deal it tried to foist on American universities. Under its so-called Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, the administration offered select universities privileged access to federal grants if they agreed to conform with Donald Trump’s ideology on how they should be run.
Universities widely pilloried the proposal, demonstrating the power of a collective defense. Higher education in the United States certainly needs reform, as many university leaders and the public would acknowledge, but not according to the dictates of Trump.
Saudi Arabia still views the US as its main strategic partner – despite Trump’s nuclear agreement conditionsExpert commentjon.wallace
Riyadh’s argument to Washington is that a close partnership should not be contingent on membership of the Abraham Accords, when it is playing a growing role in regional security.
A series of seemingly disconnected developments over the past week point to a common objective in Saudi foreign policy. Riyadh is seeking to assume greater responsibility for regional security. But it also wants to reinforce its importance to the US, at a time when Washington’s long-term commitment to the Middle East is increasingly in doubt. The recent civilian nuclear agreement with the US underlines the depth of its commitment to that partnership.
For much of the past decade, successive US administrations have sought to reduce their exposure to Middle Eastern conflicts while encouraging regional partners like Saudi Arabia to assume greater responsibility for their own security.
Ironically, it is President Donald Trump’s war against Iran – involving the largest deployment of US forces since 1990 – that has prompted Riyadh to reassess its role in the regional order. Saudi Arabia increasingly views itself as a provider of security, stability and economic continuity.
This is not simply a response to President Trump’s calls for burden-sharing. Saudi Arabia’s leadership has concluded that the regional environment demands it take a more active role. The challenge for Riyadh is no longer how to secure US protection. It is how to safeguard Saudi interests in a region where US engagement remains substantial, but is less predictable than in the past.
Recent conflicts have also reinforced the risks posed by increasingly volatile regional dynamics, including the potential for actions by Israel or Iran to trigger wider instability that directly affects Saudi interests.
The nuclear deal
That calculation helps to explain the civilian nuclear agreement signed by Saudi Arabia and the US on 22 July. The agreement represents the culmination of years of patient negotiation by Riyadh, as it persisted in seeking a deal with Washington – rather than Moscow or Beijing. The Kingdom has always believed that US technology, expertise and investment would provide the strongest foundation for its ambitions.
The agreement deepens the relationship by establishing a framework for long-term cooperation on civilian nuclear technology, and positioning US companies to play a leading role in the Saudi nuclear programme. It also demonstrates that Saudi Arabia continues to regard the US as its principal strategic partner.
Behind the scenes, Riyadh wants to make sure that the question of normalization with Israel does not come to overshadow the broader foundations of its partnership with Washington.
However, one day after it was signed, President Trump sought to link the agreement’s approval to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords – that is, normalizing its relations with Israel.
But Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that formal relations with Israel depend on meaningful progress towards Palestinian statehood. And that position has only hardened following the brutal war in Gaza and the anger it has generated across the Arab world. Riyadh has made clear that it will not abandon that position.
The issue remains unresolved, at least in public. But behind the scenes, Riyadh wants to make sure that the question of normalization with Israel does not come to overshadow the broader foundations of its partnership with Washington.
Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is, in effect, making the case that the kingdom’s contribution to regional stability, economic security and collective security efforts warrants progress in other areas of the bilateral relationship without the need for further conditions – particularly politically impossible ones like joining the Abraham Accords.
Regional security
Saudi Arabia’s more active role in regional security is already evident in the Red Sea – which has become one of the world’s most important and vulnerable waterways.
The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the Red Sea’s importance as an alternative route for energy exports and international trade. But in recent days the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has sought to drag these waters into the wider regional conflict.
On 20 July, the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Within days, the group claimed attacks against Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. On 25 July, it launched missile and drone strikes against Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s principal Red Sea oil export hub.
These moves have exposed a significant vulnerability for the kingdom and the wider global economy, increasing costs for commercial shipping and raising concerns about the resilience of international supply chains and energy markets.
The Saudi government has stepped up. On 30 July, its Ministry of Defence convened military chiefs and representatives from 43 countries and the European Union in Riyadh to discuss the establishment of a new maritime security coalition to defend freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The kingdom proposed to host the coalition’s headquarters and secured the support of 14 participating states. This is perhaps the clearest indication yet that the kingdom is prepared to coordinate collective responses to challenges that affect both its own interests and those of the wider international community. While the initiative was prompted by recent Houthi actions, it also reflects a broader Saudi recognition: the security of the Red Sea is vital to the kingdom’s economic ambitions and long-term security interests.
The joint Saudi-US airstrikes of 28 July point to the same move towards a more assertive security role. Precision strikes were carried out against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq, after they directed more than 30 drone attacks at Saudi energy infrastructure and US forces over a period of 72 hours.
The operation was notable not only because it was conducted jointly with Washington. It was also striking because Saudi Arabia has generally sought to avoid direct military action inside Iraq. Indeed, Riyadh has spent the past several years reducing tensions with Tehran and has little interest in a broader confrontation with Iran. By acting alongside the US, Riyadh signalled that its pursuit of regional de-escalation does not preclude a willingness to respond when its security interests are directly challenged.
There is also, notably, a competitive dimension to Saudi Arabia’s recent activism. Riyadh is aware of the Trump administration’s close relationship with the UAE, which has already normalized relations with Israel via the Abraham Accords, aligning closely with a key US policy objective.
By taking a leading role on issues that directly affect US interests, including regional security, maritime security and energy flows, Riyadh is demonstrating that its value to Washington rests on a far broader foundation than trade and investment alone.
Recent developments suggest that Saudi Arabia is seeking to redefine its role within the regional order. The kingdom will not abandon its position on Palestinian statehood. Nor will it distance itself from Washington. Instead, it is demonstrating that has crucial value to the US beyond the question of normalization with Israel.
Through security cooperation, burden-sharing and a greater willingness to address regional challenges, Riyadh is making the case for a partnership defined by shared interests rather than a single political objective.
DETROIT, Michigan — Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s closely watched Democratic Senate primary, NBC News projected, overcoming an expensive outside-spending campaign supporting Rep. Haley Stevens.
The victory sends El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, into a November contest against Republican nominee Mike Rogers. They are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in a race that could help determine control of the chamber.
The primary became a major test of the Democratic Party’s ideological direction. El-Sayed campaigned on Medicare for All, reducing corporate influence in government and changing U.S. policy toward Israel. Stevens emphasized her congressional experience and presented herself as the more pragmatic general-election candidate.
Groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other organizations supporting Stevens spent more than $30 million during the race. El-Sayed relied on grassroots fundraising and endorsements from progressive leaders, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
The result represents a significant victory for progressives after a campaign shaped by arguments over healthcare, Israel’s war in Gaza and the influence of wealthy outside groups in Democratic primaries.
El-Sayed now faces a difficult general election against Rogers, who narrowly lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race. Michigan remains a critical battleground after Donald Trump carried the state in the 2024 presidential election.
Union exploring options to oppose program that would put US airport screening into hands of private contractors
The labor union representing workers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is raising alarms over a new program that will expand privatizing security checkpoints at three airports.
The agency informed the union last month of plans to enact the TSA Gold+ program, which would shift security and control of the screening technology into the hands of private contractors at airports in Tampa, Charleston and Des Moines. Union workers are expected to lose their union contract and benefits once a contractor takes over.
Larry Berg will have plenty of things on his to-do list when he officially starts as the league’s commissioner in January
As Larry Berg fielded his first wave of questions as MLS commissioner-elect, he tried to make clear his ambitious vision to take the league to another level. Until a question about the league’s broadcasting plans came up, that is. To his right sat Don Garber, whose 28-year tenure in the role will conclude at year’s end.
“Well, as the incoming commissioner, I’m allowed to kick it to the current commissioner to answer that question,” Berg said with a laugh as he briefly reclined in his chair at the league’s headquarters in Manhattan. “Only for a few months,” Garber said.
The AI company apparently found destructively scanning ‘all the books in the world’ easier than dealing with copyright in its quest for training data
Should we destroy all the books in the world?
An answer to this question can be found in the court documents of Bartz v Anthropic PBC. The northern California district court case, decided in late July this year, highlighted the improbably named “Project Panama”, one of the AI company Anthropic’s efforts to improve its large language model Claude. “What is Project Panama?” court exhibit 21 asks, in an internal memo. The answer: “Project Panama is our effort to destructively scan all the books in the world.” The memo advises discretion: “Why use a codename? … [B]ecause we don’t want it to be known that we are working on this.”
The latest NVMe specifications add SSD-level virtualization that can simplify live VM migration by preserving storage identities across servers. The updates also introduce support for post-quantum cryptography, controller-based rate limiting, voltage monitoring, and factory-reset capabilities. The Register reports: Announced by the NVM Express consortium, all 11 of the suite of NVMe specs have been updated with new features and engineering change notices. These represent the next step in the evolution of the standard, it says, which was created as a protocol to support storage devices connected to a system's PCIe bus. Perhaps the most significant new capability is PCIe Exported NVM Subsystem Migration. This extends existing NVMe virtualization to locally-attached PCIe SSDs. It does this by abstracting the physical drives into host-defined virtualized NVM subsystems, to allow for virtual machine (VM) mobility without storage reconfiguration.
When a VM moves from one server to another, its storage also needs to move with it in a way that's non-disruptive to any applications running in that VM. "With NVM Subsystem Migration, NVMe SSDs can present exported NVM subsystems that hide the complexity of the underlying hardware," says Mike Allison, a senior director at SSD maker Samsung and NVM Express board member. "Instead of interacting with physical controllers and namespaces, the host only sees exported controllers and namespaces. This creates a clean separation between what the VM sees and what's happening under the hood," Allison explains on an NVM Express blog.
"One of the key innovations here is providing the host with control over exported identifiers. During migration, those identifiers can be carried over exactly from the source to the destination. That consistency is crucial: even if the underlying hardware uses different internal IDs, the VM sees no change and can pick up right where it left off with no storage reconfiguration required," he says. In effect, the NVMe layer now enables the virtual machine manager (VMM) to rely on virtualization built into the SSD. The flash drive itself exposes logical, virtualized storage constructs, offloading this complexity from the VMM. You can learn more about the updated NVMe specifications here.
The Trump administration has refunded about $100bn from the tariffs it collected before the US supreme court ruled them illegal, according to reports.
The $100bn (£74bn) figure, which represents 60% of the total $165bn collected from Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, was reported by customs officials to the US court of international trade (CIT) on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times.
Cardinal Pedro Barreto received death threats and harassment during his almost 20-year campaign against a US mining company’s operations in the Andes
A Peruvian cardinal who received a barrage of death threats when he challenged the firm behind a toxic smelter has called a $150m (£111m) out-of-court settlement to more than 1,000 people who were allegedly poisoned by the plant as children “a historic milestone”.
Cardinal Pedro Barreto, 82, was in Rome meeting Pope Leo XIV and other cardinals in June when he received news that the firm that ran the smelter, the Doe Run Company, a subsidiary of Renco Group, would pay $150m to 1,373 Peruvians who have suffered health impacts since childhood.
Shouldn’t the health secretary have his hands full with the cyclosporiasis outbreak, measles or rabbit fever? Not when there are crispy salmon cakes to prepare …
The US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has got his work cut out for him. A cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce has the entire country playing salad roulette: one bad leaf and you could become very unwell. The condition isn’t normally deadly, but, on Monday, officials in Michigan confirmed the first two fatalities. Meanwhile, it’s the worst year for measles in the US since 1991. A disease that was once eliminated now looks as though it’s back with a vengeance – thanks in part, according to experts, to anti-vaxxers such as Kennedy himself. And this week New York officials are warning about a rare tick-borne illness called rabbit fever (tularemia).
Still, despite having rather a lot on his plate, Kennedy has found the time to front a new cooking show, hosted on YouTube. It’s called The Real Food Show and it’s supposed to help Americans prepare healthy, affordable meals at home. The first episode features the chef and TV personality Andrew Gruel (perfect name) teaching the US to prepare crispy salmon cakes with … salad. Which is certainly a bold way to kick things off.
Amid stop-and-start threats and with a divided staff, it’s clear Trump has no idea how to end a war that shouldn’t have begun
On Thursday, 23 July, after weeks of escalating attacks between the US and Iran, Donald Trump told a reporter that Iran hadn’t received “enough pain yet”, and he leveled a threat. “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before,” he warned. “I am close to making a decision.” Then, on Monday 27 July, he called it off.
A few days later, on Friday 31 July, Trump said: “We’ll be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say: ‘We just can’t take it any more.’” This time, it took him just one day to back down.
State Rep. James Talarico accused his U.S. Senate opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, of voter fraud after a ProPublica-Texas Tribune report. Last week, Paxton hit back with similar accusations. Aiden Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune
Texas state Rep. James Talarico voted in five elections using his parents’ address after purchasing a home for himself nearby, a practice that may have violated state voting laws, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found.
This comes weeks after Talarico accused Attorney General Ken Paxton, his opponent in the race for U.S. Senate, of voter fraud for similar actions. The news organizations reported in July that Paxton voted using an address where his estranged wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, said he hasn’t lived for two years.
Paxton has made eradicating voter fraud a cornerstone of his time in office by advocating strict enforcement of the law, including in cases against voters who allegedly used false addresses when casting ballots. Paxton’s campaign has said he is a “lawful, registered Texas voter” but has repeatedly declined to answer detailed questions about his residency and voting history.
Piecing together Talarico’s voting history is more difficult than it is for Paxton. Talarico, unlike the attorney general, redacts his address on the Travis County voter rolls under a state law that allows some public officials to shield personal information for safety reasons. But unredacted records Talarico’s campaign provided the newsrooms show that he listed his parents’ address on his voter registration in November 2021.
He purchased a home in June 2022 but did not change his voter registration address until September 2024, the news organizations’ review of Travis County records shows. The new address is redacted, but Talarico’s campaign previously told the newsrooms that he currently lives and is registered to vote at the north Austin home he owns.
Talarico’s campaign declined to answer questions about his residency and voting history, including when he began living at the home he owns. Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said “right-wing actors” had made “credible threats” about trying to locate Talarico and his family.
Texas law requires that residents register to vote where they live. This ensures they are voting for those who actually represent them. The provisions of the law, however, are “broad and vague,” said Andrew Cates, a Texas ethics attorney.
Courts have previously ruled that there is no single way to determine a voter’s residence, and prosecuting such cases requires proof that a voter “knowingly” or “intentionally” broke the law.
Given this, Cates said he doubts that either Talarico or Paxton committed voter fraud, but he said Paxton should be held to a higher standard. As the state’s top lawyer, Paxton is responsible for enforcing election laws and has aggressively pursued alleged violators.
“When the top officials go looking for people to skewer for it, and then do it themselves, it really smacks of hypocrisy,” Cates said.
In 2024, Paxton helped oust judges on Texas’ highest criminal court who prevented him from unilaterally prosecuting election crimes. And, two weeks before this year’s primary election, Paxton announced the creation of an election fraud tip line. His office warned Texans that “it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records or to establish a residence for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election.”
Paxton’s unyielding stance on election crimes fueled charges from Talarico and other critics that he considers himself above the law.
“Our Republican secretary of state here in Texas has already said that our elections are safe and secure,” Talarico said at a Houston campaign event last month. “But as our state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton has gone on a voter fraud witch hunt. Turns out, he was committing voter fraud the whole time.”
Last week, Paxton hit back.
In a news release and on social media, Paxton said Talarico broke state law, citing reports from conservative newsoutlets suggesting the Democrat had not lived in the district for at least a year when he was elected to the Texas House in 2022. Talarico, Paxton said, “blatantly committed election fraud showing a complete disregard for Texas residency requirements.”
Records provided by Talarico’s campaign appear to show that he did comply with residency requirements during the period scrutinized by the conservative outlets.
In October 2021, Talarico announced he would move to the area where he grew up after Republicans redrew his Texas House district to favor their party.
Talarico updated his address to his parents’ home in the new House district on his voter registration, on his driver’s license and with the U.S. Postal Service on Nov. 5, 2021, according to records his campaign provided. Those include a photo of his voter registration application and screenshots of receipts from the Texas Department of Public Safety and USPS. Talarico also rented a 10-foot U-Haul moving truck for six hours that day, according to a screenshot of a receipt.
The changes happened three days before the one-year cutoff, making him eligible to run for that seat.
The records also contradict a claim by one of the conservative outlets that there was no evidence Talarico moved to his parents’ house when he registered to vote there. Paxton seized on that report to accuse Talarico of voter fraud during the 2022 election.
The newsrooms’ findings about Talarico are different because they analyzed the period after the lawmaker purchased a home and found that he continued to vote using his parents’ address. Talarico’s house is in the same county as his parents’ home, which is about 6 miles away. It is in the state House district he represents but in different jurisdictions for some local elections.
Asked about the apparent discrepancy in Talarico’s voter registration and residency, his campaign shifted blame onto the attorney general.
“This is a lame attempt by Ken Paxton to deflect from his own hypocrisy and career of corruption,” Ennis said in a statement, nodding to Paxton’s legal troubles.
Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 and investigated by the Department of Justice over corruption charges. The state Senate acquitted him, and the federal government dropped its case. Paxton also spent nearly nine years under indictment for felony securities fraud charges that were dropped in 2024.
For his part, Paxton and his campaign on Monday again did not answer questions about the news organizations’ finding that he voted six times over a two-year period while registered at a Collin County home where he appeared to no longer live. It is unclear where Paxton lived during that time, but the publications’ reporting has linked him, and a woman believed to be his girlfriend, to a home in neighboring Denton County since February. As the home is in a different county, voters there select an entirely different slate of local officials than in Collin County.
Paxton spokesperson Madison Cercy doubled down on accusations that Talarico was ineligible to be elected to his seat and also committed voter fraud.
“The only person who has committed voter fraud in the Texas Senate race is James Talarico,” she said. She did not provide evidence of Talarico’s alleged lawbreaking beyond the reports from the conservative outlets.
Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, argued Paxton’s and Talarico’s cases highlight how easy it can be to “run afoul of the letter of the law,” even as Republican lawmakers push for more stringent enforcement of voting restrictions.
“I think it could be reasonably used as a charge of hypocrisy against either of them because both of them have condemned the other for an action quite similar to what they themselves appear to have done,” Wilson said.
Why Should Delaware Care? In 2023, then-President Joe Biden launched a plan to boost the nascent clean hydrogen industry with federal dollars. President Donald Trump subsequently cut the initiative. Still, a Delaware company is moving forward with plans to open a facility to produce heavy water and hydrogen, both key materials in pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
Wilmington’s Aternium announced plans on Tuesday to open a novel clean hydrogen and heavy water production facility in Dover — a move that will likely bring dozens of jobs to the area.
The company said the plan is moving forward after it finalized an agreement for a purchase of a property at the Garrison Oak Technical Park, which sits in east Dover near Route 1.
“This is a pretty big deal for Central Delaware,” said Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership. She said the project is a nearly $260 million investment.
The plant will produce clean hydrogen by separating water into its molecular components, using electricity rather than fossil fuels. It will also sell the byproduct of the process, which is called deuterium oxide, or heavy water.
Aternium founder and CEO Andrew Cottone said the substances are essential for the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. But producing either one by itself is not yet a sustainable business model, he said.
“However, when you combine the two … you get a very economical business model,” Cottone said of hydrogen and heavy water.
Clean hydrogen power is an emerging technology that some see as a way to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. President Joe Biden sought to support the industry during his term in office with the promise of up to $7 billion in incentives. President Donald Trump cut the program last year.
Cottone said his business model does not depend on those tax credits.
Still, he has received government funding, such as $1 million in federal money distributed last year by the Delaware Accelerator & Seed Capital Program. Cottone said the money was necessary because his production model is entirely new.
Aternium Founder and CEO Andrew Cottone | PHOTO COURTESY OF ATERNIUM
At the time of the award, the company said the investment would “propel Aternium to its next phase of engineering on its way to producing industrial clean hydrogen.”
Aternium’s forthcoming Dover facility will use about 50 megawatts of energy per hour, roughly the equivalent of 40,000 homes, to produce the hydrogen and heavy water. It will also use about 300,000 gallons of water each day, or about the same as 3,000 homes. The facility may use treated wastewater, Cottone said.
According to the company’s website, the Dover facility, and future hydrogen production sites, would bring 30 to 60 permanent jobs in fields like engineering, electrical work and plumbing, with a median annual salary of $115,000.
Construction on the Dover facility is slated to break ground in late 2027.
Aternium plans to open other production facilities across the region, and is currently considering sites in Sussex County, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
A Sussex County spokesperson said on Tuesday that she is not aware of conversations to bring hydrogen production facilities to the county.
Why Should Delaware Care? The Delaware Board of Elections, created to ensure election security and fairness in the First State, has not met since last fall. With the primary election a month away, questions remain about how the group will conduct its oversight duties while not regularly holding meetings.
With Delaware’s midterm primary elections just more than a month away, the state’s board of elections — tasked with ensuring election fairness and security — has not met since last November.
Each of the board’s monthly meetings this year have been canceled, citing membership vacancies that a Department of Elections spokesperson said prevent the oversight board from convening.
Those vacancies, the spokesperson said, were caused by three board member deaths between December 2025 and April 2026. And while the spokesperson said Gov. Matt Meyer is “actively working” with the state Democratic Party to fill the vacant seats, she did not provide more information about the recruitment process or why it has taken upward of eight months to find new board members.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the governor’s office said the public could expect “significant movement” on filling the vacancies within the next week.
Appointments to the board are made by the governor, often in consultation with the necessary political party, but also must be approved by the State Senate. That means legislators will have to head back to Dover for a special session.
It’s unclear why the appointments were not made during the six months the General Assembly was in session this year, as many similar moves were made almost every month. Meanwhile in April, Meyer’s office created an Election Security Task Force that would review election security protocols, but also to “safeguard Delaware from unconstitutional federal interference.”
Delaware has actively defied requests from the Trump administration to turn over sensitive details from state voter rolls, due to fears that they would try to use that information to undermine the midterm elections.
The task force has met twice since its creation, including last month, when its public conversation was similar to the official board’s discussions from last year.
But as Delaware voters prepare to head to the polls next month in what is likely to be one of the least competitive midterm election cycles in a decade, it remains unclear how state election regulators are working to ensure election integrity.
The state’s Department of Elections handles the day-to-day administration of candidate filings, voter registration, and campaign finance reporting. The board, however, functions in a more oversight capacity. It reviews security protocols, receives public updates on the department’s work and, crucially, considers any appeals of contested primary elections.
The board’s absence also has caught the attention of state Republican Party leaders. The party’s Vice Chair Daniel Willis called out the lack of board meetings on social media.
In an interview with Spotlight Delaware, Willis admonished Democrats for failing to fill the board’s vacancies.
“If the Democrats can’t do such a simple task of just bringing your people on, doing your damn job, that’s a red flag,” Willis said. “And if Republicans, if we can’t advocate for voters and say, ‘Hey, listen, this is something bad,’ then we’re useless. I’m not going to be useless.”
Multiple vacant seats
The board consists of 10 members — five Democrats and five Republicans — appointed by the governor, along with the state’s election commissioner.
The appointed members also are divvied up geographically, with two coming from each county, two coming from the city of Wilmington, and two seats designated for at-large representatives.
Of the three member deaths, two were Democratic board members – one in Kent County and the other in New Castle.
Those two Democratic seats, which became vacant in December 2025 and April 2026, respectively, remain unfilled.
The third vacancy, a Republican from Kent County who also died in December, was filled in March, the Department of Elections spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Gov. Meyer’s office is working with the state Democratic party to fill the two vacancies, but did not say more about that process.
The Delaware Democratic Party Chair, Evelyn Brady, did not return a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Maintaining party balance?
Despite the remaining vacancies, the 11-member board of elections has never lost quorum, or the minimum number of members needed to conduct official business. The intact quorum raises questions about the decision to repeatedly cancel meetings since the top of the year.
The Department of Elections spokesperson pointed to a specific section of state law to explain the cancelations, saying that it requires the board to maintain a “required balance of party affiliation.”
That law, Section 202(a) of Chapter 15 of the Delaware Code, says Democrats and Republicans must be represented on the board of elections “at all times” by no less than five members.
It does not explicitly say whether the board can hold meetings with an uneven number of Democrats and Republicans.
The code also includes specific exceptions for when the board can meet while attempting to fill vacancies. According to state law, the board can still meet to canvass, or certify, election results even when there are vacancies, as long as a quorum of board members are present.
Should the current Democratic vacancies persist into September, it is unclear whether the board will meet to certify the results of this year’s primary election.
Correction: This story originally reported that the Delaware Board of Elections certifies the results of an election. Actually, the Department of Elections certifies primary election results while the Delaware Superior Court certifies general election results. The board would rule on any contested outcomes in a primary election.
National Autonomous University of Mexico says applicants must take test in person after online debacle
Mexico’s largest and most prestigious university has announced that about 58,000 students will have to resit their entrance exam after abnormally high test results raised suspicions of widespread cheating.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (Unam) said the exam would take place in person after its first attempt at a fully remote online version led to a debacle and thousands of annulled results.
As Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and their peers have grown richer and more influential, Gil Durán argues they have all but abandoned democracy – and found the perfect government to enable them
In April, Gil Durán was permanently banned from Elon Musk’s X for posting just two words. Durán was responding to a post from the tech company Palantir outlining its 22‑point “technological manifesto”, which praised American “hard power”, western culture and AI weapons, denounced inclusivity and called for compulsory national service. Durán responded: “TLDR: Fascism” (TLDR is short for “too long, didn’t read”).
Durán didn’t break any of X’s written rules, he points out over a video call from San Francisco – so much for Musk’s “free-speech absolutism”. His ban might just have had something to do with his preceding tweet, showing the cover of his new book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy. The book’s central argument is that big tech is no longer our friend, as many of its billionaire owners have seized economic and political control and are steering the fate of the planet towards their own bizarre, apocalyptic visions.
Fifty summers after the ABA-NBA merger, George Gervin, Ralph Simpson and others reflect on the league whose swagger and innovations changed basketball forever
After practice, George Gervin wanted to go home. He was a rookie playing for the Virginia Squires of the upstart American Basketball Association, and the sleek, Detroit-born hooper didn’t yet know what being a pro quite meant. He didn’t know that the real workouts often started after practice. But his teammate Julius “Dr J” Erving quickly showed him the ropes.
“Doc would say, ‘Hey, young fella! Where you going? Me and you ain’t done!’” Gervin tells the Guardian. “Me and him would play one-on-one after practice. It was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful experiences I had as a young pro.”
Camila Ortiz González, 7, holds her 8-month-old brother, Isaías, at home in Omaha, Nebraska, in June. Although the Environmental Protection Agency cleaned up their family’s yard in 2012, the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica tests found levels of lead that are higher than before the agency remediated it. The agency denied their mother’s request to resample the yard. Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
In the last 10 months, residents in neighborhoods across Omaha, Nebraska, have contacted the city and federal government after tests by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica showed they had enough of the toxic metal in their yards for the dirt to be dug up and replaced under Environmental Protection Agency rules.
But the responses they’ve received have been inconsistent.
Three of them received new testing and were promised additional cleanup. Yet others were denied a new cleanup or told the news organizations they never heard back.
One resident said the city tested her yard, found it exceeded the EPA’s lead contamination level and sent her a letter saying cleanup was necessary. Months later the city backtracked, saying she did not qualify because she lived outside the primary cleanup zone. Another said she called 14 times before the city told her it would not retest because she hadn’t built or demolished anything in her yard since the EPA replaced the soil in 2012.
The EPA and the city have spent decades cleaning up residential properties in east Omaha after a century of pollution from a lead smelter and other factories downtown. The EPA had set a lead level that it uses to determine which properties to clean up, and the news organizations’ tests found these residents’ yards were over the limit.
But the city said that according to EPA rules, it can’t rely on testing by the newsrooms or any other groups to drive testing and cleanup decisions.
Peter Olson thought he was one of the lucky ones. His yard was one of thousands that the federal government had dug up and replaced since cleanup began in 1999. But a Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica soil test conducted in September showed he had too much of the toxic metal in the yard. When his wife contacted the EPA, Olson hoped a federal employee would offer another test and cleanup.
Instead, all the agency could do was examine a small area in the backyard where a deck once stood, according to an email Olson shared from an EPA project manager for the site. The rest of the yard, including an area that was high for lead in the news organizations’ tests, was ineligible, the agency said without explaining why.
The city told Mary Royers it could test her soil because a shed had been demolished and a garage had been built in her backyard, which could have disturbed or uncovered contaminated soil. Unlike with Olson, the city analyzed the whole yard and agreed to clean up several areas around her house.
Olson said he and his wife agreed to the more limited testing the EPA offered them, though they worry about what might be in the rest of their yard. They’re currently waiting for the testing.
An Omaha lead smelter spread dust that seeped into the soil and bodies of many residents. The EPA spent decades cleaning up the surrounding area — but not Council Bluffs, Carter Lake or Bellevue.
Omahans’ dirt generally qualifies for cleanup if it has more than 400 parts per million of lead in it — about the equivalent of a marble dispersed in a 10-gallon bucket of soil. The EPA adopted that standard in 2009. To date, contractors have dug up and replaced nearly 14,000 yards, mostly in a 27-square-mile area on the city’s east side, which has been declared a federal Superfund site. In 2015, the agency handed over remaining remediation work to Omaha.
Asked about the different responses residents have received, EPA spokesperson Kellen Ashford said in an email that each property is unique, and new sampling depends heavily on whether site conditions have changed because of construction or demolition that might have disturbed or exposed the soil.
“EPA strives to be fair and equitable in its decision-making process while adjusting to changes in agency policies, funding, and cleanup approaches,” he said.
Steve Zivny, who leads Omaha’s Lead Information Office, also said these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. The city is able to test and clean up within the site but must seek approval from the EPA before doing any work outside those boundaries. The city is paid with settlement money from the smelter and other polluters.
Recently, the city sent letters to some residents outside the boundaries of the Superfund site saying they needed cleanup but reversed course after the EPA said the homes would not qualify, Zivny said.
Amy Haney lives about a half-mile outside the site’s western edge, a boundary the EPA drew by estimating where only a small percentage of homes were likely to have high lead levels. As a result, Haney’s home was never tested. But a Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica test found it had nearly 1.5 times the level that would qualify for a lead cleanup.
The result felt like a “kick in the gut,” she said. The news organizations tested 35 properties within a three-quarter-mile radius of Haney’s home. Four, including Haney’s house, were above the cleanup level.
Haney contacted the city, which told her the EPA would retest her home this summer.
While the EPA has cleaned up homes outside the site in the past, Ashford said any sampling beyond the site’s bounds right now is for investigative purposes only, and those homeowners may not be eligible for remediation.
The agency’s priority is cleaning up within the Superfund site as well as properties that impact children, he said.
Even when kids test high for lead, however, the city and the EPA don’t always retest yards.
Sabrina, a north Omaha resident whose soil we tested, said doctors found lead in three of her children. (She asked that her last name not be published to protect their identities.) In 2020, after her daughter’s blood-lead test, the city and a nonprofit replaced windows that contained lead-based paint. But they didn’t test the yard.
The only information Sabrina said she received about the dirt was the EPA test results from 2003 that showed the yard didn’t qualify for cleanup.
“I felt like that was kind of a lazy response,” Sabrina said. Despite the window replacements, doctors have found lead in her other kids’ blood.
The Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica tested her soil in May and found the lead was over the cleanup level and twice as high as the EPA’s 2003 test records showed.
Sabrina requested a new test, but the city denied it, saying no work had been done on the property and it couldn’t rely on the newsrooms’ results.
Zivny said the city has asked the EPA to revisit that decision in light of her children’s blood test results.
DENVER, Colorado — Secretary of State Marco Rubio dominated an early presidential straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit, though the small, self-selected survey offers only a limited snapshot of the 2028 Republican race.
Rubio received 57% support from more than 500 conference attendees, compared with 21% for Vice President JD Vance. Former Vice President Mike Pence finished third with 5%, followed by Rep. Thomas Massie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 4% each.
Attendees could choose among 27 Republican and Democratic figures. On a separate approval question, Rubio received 85%, followed by Vance at 71% and DeSantis at 55%. Centennial Institute Director Greg Schaller said the results showed grassroots conservatives trusted Rubio’s commitment to “faith, family and freedom.”
Neither Rubio nor Vance has announced a 2028 campaign. Rubio previously said he would defer to Vance should the vice president seek the Republican nomination. Vance has indicated that he will discuss a possible campaign with his family after the November midterm elections.
President Donald Trump has not formally endorsed a successor, although he has repeatedly discussed the race and suggested that Vance and Rubio would make a formidable ticket.
The result reflects the preferences of conservative activists attending one Colorado conference, not Republican voters nationally. Recent broader polling has generally shown Vance leading the prospective GOP field, with Rubio emerging as his strongest potential rival.
UN forecasters warn of worsening conditions in 45 countries currently experiencing severe food insecurity
About 50 million people are likely to be pushed into acute hunger before the end of next year by the rapidly developing El Niño weather system, according to forecasting.
This is in addition to the hundreds of millions of people already facing dangerous levels of hunger, owing to years of drought in parts of Africa and pressure on food prices from the war in Iran.
Since Stardew Valley rejuvenated the farming sim genre a decade ago, games like Fields of Mistria are capitalising on its popularity with their own special touches
Farming simulator games deliver on an escapist fantasy: going off-grid from the modern work grind, in exchange for charming small-town life and a farm to call your own. While these games have had dedicated fans since the days of Harvest Moon, the most popular today, Stardew Valley, contemporised the genre with a larger range of activities and lovable townspeople to befriend and romance. Created in 2016 by independent developer Eric Barone, it has now sold more than 50m copies and become the mould for so many other indie farming sims.
Fields of Mistria is one of these farming sims in a post-Stardewworld – though it updates the core formula. Created by independent developer NPC Studio, Fields of Mistria has already proven popular: it debuted in early access (a pre-release version of the game meant for early players to find bugs and give feedback) for PC players on Steam in August 2024, and in the first month the game racked up more than 4m player hours. It’s for a good reason: Mistria satisfies all of those same farming sim desires but with more expansive character creation and a story steeped in magic.
We need an enlightened US president to make the case for global AI regulation. Donald Trump is the exact opposite of what is needed
When I am woken by the sound of my dog whining, I understand that she is hungry and wants me to get up. When my alarm clock goes off, I don’t consider its needs. It is following an instruction to rouse me at a certain time but it doesn’t care if I stay in bed. It doesn’t try to get me up by other means. The dog, on the other hand, will go to plan B. She barks.
This capacity for autonomous action was once a difference between animals and machines. AI has blurred the line. Advanced models devise their own strategies to reach a goal. The task might be defined by a human master, but the machine weighs its options for delivery. It can make its own choices. Given rules, it can break them.
Company acquired in deal involving Affinity Partners, a firm run by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner
Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (£41bn).
The company announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, only days after the EU gave its approval, the final regulatory green light needed.
A four-ton SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage left drifting after a 2025 lunar mission is expected to crash into the Moon at about 5,400 mph, likely striking Einstein Crater. The impact should occur at approximately 2:35 a.m. ET (0635GMT). Reuters reports: Such stages typically fall back into Earth's atmosphere and burn up or plunge into the ocean after boosting the rocket's payload to a precise spot in orbit. But because the January lunar lander mission required more thrust than missions closer to Earth, the rocket's second stage remained in space, floating aimlessly among thousands of other pieces of space junk that active satellites must steer clear of. It was not until earlier this year that astronomers determined that the rocket stage, which had dumped its remaining fuel and cannot be controlled, was on an orbital trajectory ending at the moon.
"What has happened is essentially a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path toward the moon," Julianna Scheiman, SpaceX director of NASA science and Dragon programs, told reporters on Monday. "This may be of some -- probably minor -- scientific interest, and we may learn some things from it," said Bill Gray, creator of widely used astronomy software who published a report on the stage's impact in April. "It doesn't present any danger to anyone, though it does highlight a certain carelessness about how leftover space hardware (space junk) is disposed of." You can try to watch the impact via a livestream on YouTube; however, the area it's expected to hit (Einstein Crater) is on the moon's western limb, "which is often difficult to see from Earth," notes Reuters. It will also likely "kick up a plume of lunar dust that will likely be illuminated by sunlight but difficult to spot with the naked eye from Earth."
In today’s newsletter: The past week shows how quickly images, rumours and right-wing political opportunism can eclipse the facts on the ground
Good morning. Last week, an estimated 72,000 migrants began crossing into a tiny Spanish enclave on the tip of Morocco. Within 24 hours, most of them had headed home. At least 88 people died after attempting the crossing, according to local officials. This isn’t the whole story of what happened over the last week, but the facts are worth remembering.
At an emergency meeting yesterday, EU interior ministers sought to draw a line under Ceuta, insisting that the passport-free Schengen area had never been at risk from the arrival of migrants at this scale. Despite this, much of the media coverage has suggested that events in Ceuta represent a territorial threat to Europe, sparking calls for greater security across the region’s borders.
Environment | Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn (£67bn) in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.
UK politics | Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.
Middle East | Jordan is convening an emergency meeting over an “imminent” threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to “trigger a religious conflict”.
Ukraine | Russian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people, injured 27 and damaged warehouses, emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15.
Ceuta | Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Gov. Bill Lee broke with President Donald Trump two days before Tennessee’s primary by endorsing former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher over incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Ogles.
Lee described Hatcher as a longtime friend who had served farmers as a veterinarian before joining his administration. Hatcher led the Tennessee Department of Agriculture from 2019 until 2025 and has presented himself as a reliable conservative who would support Trump’s agenda in Congress.
Trump, however, endorsed Ogles and urged voters during a July 28 telephone rally to return the two-term congressman to Washington. Ogles has consistently aligned himself with the president and the House Freedom Caucus.
The late endorsement highlights divisions within Tennessee’s Republican establishment. Hatcher has characterized himself as a results-oriented “work horse,” while accusing Ogles of behaving like a “show horse” more interested in publicity. Outside groups have spent millions supporting Hatcher, including an additional $700,000 during the campaign’s final week.
Ogles has drawn bipartisan criticism for saying Muslims do not belong in American society and posting that homosexuality has “no place in America.” He deleted the latter post and blamed a staff member.
The Republican nominee will be heavily favored in November. The district has been drawn to favor the GOP, and Ogles won both previous general elections by double-digit margins.
Software group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss
The software group Palantir paid just £2m in corporation tax in the UK in 2024, despite holding public sector contracts worth hundreds of millions, thanks to tax breaks that are likely to reduce its contributions to governments around the world for years to come.
The US-headquartered company, which has harnessed AI to secure lucrative work for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, is growing exponentially.
So I started seeing the dreaded memory corrupted error and my board became unusable, had 94 miles on it and about a month outside of warranty, and always kept it in house. I sent it in and they are saying I need a new battery and it’ll cost me just over $1k since it’s outside of warranty. I get it, it’s outside the window, but barely, and it’s sub 100 miles on the board, do these things not last? It’s kind of a gut punch after spending over $2k just over a year ago and needing to dish out another $1k to keep going. The math is working out to about $35/mile :(
Increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change mean people are losing homes, crops and livestock
As rain lashed the Pir Panjal mountains before dawn on 19 July, Haji Mohammad Latief stepped outside his home in Murrah, a remote mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir. His daughter had asked him to move the family’s car to a safer place as the rain got heavier.
“I had only just parked it,” Latief recalled. “When I turned around, I saw the water coming.” Minutes later, a cloudburst sent mud, boulders and water crashing down the hillside.
People hope to see friends or relatives among those still returning as death toll from mass crossing nears 100
Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.
Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa.
Trump-endorsed Rick Brattin won the GOP primary for Missouri's 5th Congressional District, CBS News projects, setting up a battle against an 11-term Democrat in a district that was made far more GOP-leaning.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Nowhere is the US data center boom bigger than in Texas. But less than a year after declaring Texas the "epicenter of AI development," Governor Greg Abbott has declared a moratorium on all new power grid connections for data centers -- at least until developers provide more information about their projects' potential impacts on the grid and communities. The Republican governor directed regulators in an August 3 announcement at the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the grid operators at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to perform a "comprehensive verification and audit of all data centers advancing through ERCOT's interconnection process." As an independent system operator, ERCOT oversees a power grid that operates separately from the rest of the United States and provides services to most of Texas.
Texas has aggressively courted data center development with its availability of cheap land and relatively abundant energy resources, along with offering state incentives, like tax breaks and fewer regulations. That puts the state on track to surpass Virginia in becoming the largest US data center market. But the recent AI boom and the accompanying frenzy of data center development threaten to overwhelm the Texas grid on paper, despite the state leading the country in adding new power generation. The ERCOT interconnection queue currently includes more than 1,800 projects representing over 474 gigawatts' worth of requests to connect to the Texas grid -- more than five times Texas' record peak electricity demand -- and about 90 percent of those power connection requests come from data centers.
"That unprecedented load growth could endanger the reliability and stability of the Texas electric grid," according to the statement from Abbott's office. Many of those data center projects may never materialize for various reasons. But ERCOT has still forecast that data center demand and other factors could drive statewide electricity demand to double the current demand record by 2032, according to The Texas Tribune. The review will examine each project's projected electricity consumption, reliance on the grid and state incentives, ownership, and water use. It will also assess measures intended to "reduce impacts on neighboring property owners and communities," including noise controls, lighting, traffic improvements, setbacks, and emergency planning.
Ars Technica notes that the directive does not address air pollution or greenhouse-gas emissions and does not apply to data centers generating their own power on-site.
Snow falls in Wellington for the first time in 15 years while snow blanketed Dunedin and Christchurch on the country’s south island
Temperatures have plummeted across New Zealand as an Antarctic cold snap hovers over the country, delighting the capital, Wellington, which experienced snow for the first time in 15 years, while giving a southern city’s residents a chance to ski through the streets.
The front moved in on Tuesday, with much of the country waking to freezing conditions, frosts, snowfall, hail and bitingly cold wind.
WTA event win earns 21-year-old a presidential reception in the Philippines as interest in tennis surges in home country
The Philippines has been swept up in tennis fever after 21-year-old rising star Alex Eala delivered a historic win, drawing praise from the president who hosted a reception in her honour.
ALLEN, Texas — Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton was briefly drowned out by protesters Tuesday while presenting an affordability plan aimed at reducing medical and housing costs for Texans.
Loud boos forced Paxton to pause during a campaign rally as he introduced his “Protecting the Texas Promise” plan. Supporters eventually responded with cheers, allowing the Texas attorney general to continue. “I don’t think she’s gonna like the plan,” Paxton joked about one protester.
Paxton proposed a federal tax deduction of up to $25,000 for medical expenses and insurance premiums, including costs for dependents. His housing proposal would offer a $50,000 deduction to first-time homebuyers and another $50,000 deduction when purchasing a new primary residence.
The disruption comes as Paxton faces an unexpectedly competitive race against Democrat James Talarico. A Texas Southern University survey found Talarico leading 47% to 45%, within the poll’s 2.83-point margin of error. A Fox News poll separately placed Talarico ahead by three points.
Paxton has struggled particularly with independent voters, while Talarico has benefited from heavy advertising and Paxton’s high unfavorable ratings. Still, Republicans retain a strong statewide advantage, and Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988.
Fueled by pro-Israel funding, Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., fended off a primary challenge from former Rep. Cori Bush, whom he ousted from Congress two years ago.
The race in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District was one of several contests on Tuesday pitting the left and democratic socialists against establishment Democrats in a midterm cycle defined by competing visions for the future of the party. Just over an hour after polls closed, The Associated Press called in Bell’s favor.
Before polls closed on Tuesday evening, Bell brushed off Bush’s criticism of his support from the pro-Israel lobby.
“What we’ve seen over and over is talking about an issue that is not impacting folks right here in St. Louis, and while we take those issues seriously, you know, the M in Missouri doesn’t stand for Middle East. It stands for Missouri,” Bell said.
The question going into Tuesday’s primaries, including the widely watched Michigan Democratic Senate race, was whether progressives could win in the Midwest. Despite a decent track record in the region, it was unclear if the energy that boosted progressives in other primaries from New York to Colorado would be enough to help Bush, a former member of Congress and another democratic socialist, come back from a bruising loss two years ago.
Outside groups opposing Bush poured money into the rematch, spending $4.6 million against her or backing Bell. In comparison, Bush drew just $200,000 in outside spending in her favor. Most of that money came from the super PAC for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel group that took credit for ousting Bush last cycle. The group’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, spent $3 million against Bush this year, far less than the $8 million it poured out against her in 2024 as part of a historic investment targeting elected lawmakers critical of Israel.
In response to that kind of spending, progressive groups put much more money into this year’s primaries, though they were still heavily outspent. But while groups like Justice Democrats and American Priorities, the new pro-Palestine super PAC, pumped record-setting sums in races in Michigan, Colorado, and New York, they did not spend in Bush’s race. Justice Democrats, which backed Bush in her 2020 election, gave Bush its endorsement this cycle but instead concentrated its resources on Tuesday in Michigan in support of state Rep. Donavan McKinney, another democratic socialist, in his bid against Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich. Another new pro-Palestine PAC, the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project, spent $20,000 in support of Bush.
With its funding, United Democracy Project recycled attacks that had helped topple Bush in 2024, hitting her for voting against former President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill and claiming she had been an ineffective member of Congress. In line with that attack, a spokesperson for United Democracy Project, which ran the ads, recently described Bush as “a terrible member of Congress who didn’t do her job and didn’t deliver for St. Louis.”
Bush’s critics, including AIPAC and Bell, painted her as failed experiment by the left, pointing to past positions on defunding police and criticism of Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Bush went on to endorse Harris, and many Democrats have come to share her views on Israel. But her opponents cast her as an “extreme” in the party’s left flank who was out of step with voters.
Even some of Bush’s backers worried that the damage done last cycle would be enough to tank her attempt at a comeback.
Although Bush won reelection by a wide margin in 2022, the pro-Israel lobby started laying the groundwork to oust her shortly after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Bush, a vocal critic of Israel, drew ire from AIPAC and other pro-Israel actors after she introduced a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza less than 10 days later, alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. AIPAC’s super PAC and other groups spent close to $20 million to oust her that cycle, hitting her for her vote against Biden’s infrastructure bill. Bush said she took that vote, along with five other leading progressive Democrats, because the measure did not do enough to expand funding for social services.
One Bush supporter said they heard frequently from St. Louis residents about the vote — despite the fact that she easily won reelection shortly after taking it. They suggested that voters only started caring about the vote after AIPAC told them to.
Bush said voters were frustrated by attacks from AIPAC after having been saturated by similar ads in 2024.
“People have been coming up to me apologizing,” Bush told The Intercept in an interview ahead of the primary. “Saying, ‘Cori, I just didn’t understand. I didn’t understand the ads. I didn’t understand what was being said about you. I didn’t know who AIPAC was.’”
Move is retaliation for Lula’s government refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasília
Donald Trump’s administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the US in a sharp escalation of a diplomatic feud with the country’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The US state department said Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti’s visa had been cancelled in retaliation for Brazil’s refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador in Brasília and its decision last month to deny visas to two US diplomats seeking to visit ahead of an October election.
A California man was arrested over the weekend after appearing to monitor security preparations for a Trump fundraiser. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday to weapons charges.
A senior State Department official told reporters in a background briefing that it was a “reciprocal” action because Brazil has not approved President Donald Trump’s nominee as ambassador to Brasilia.
Anyone done this? I'm searching and not turning up much info. I'm definitely in the Clydesdale range and also wondered how much of a difference a billet vs a cast hub would make? I imagine the likelihood of a cracked hub increases with the cast model combined with my mass haha. Oh and big shout out to TFL and Jeff in particular!! These guys are the model of what customer service should be. We all already know that but TFL, please keep up the great work!!
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge has reluctantly dismissed the remaining criminal cases against eight Oath Keepers members convicted over the January 6 attack, erasing convictions that survived President Donald Trump’s earlier clemency order.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta approved the Justice Department’s request Tuesday, concluding that prosecutors possessed the legal authority to abandon the cases despite his strong disagreement with their decision.
The dismissals include convictions against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and others found guilty of seditious conspiracy for plotting to prevent Congress from certifying Trump’s 2020 election defeat. Trump had commuted their sentences when he granted clemency to nearly 1,600 January 6 defendants, freeing them from prison but initially leaving several convictions intact.
Mehta wrote that the final outcome diminished the seriousness of the Capitol attack, discredited the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured the convictions and excused conduct that threatened the peaceful transfer of presidential power. Still, he said the court could not prevent the executive branch from dismissing its own prosecutions.
The eight defendants were among the relatively few January 6 participants who had not received complete pardons. Without the department’s intervention, their convictions could have remained on their records.
The Justice Department is also seeking to vacate seditious-conspiracy convictions against former Proud Boys leaders.
I am wondering what you guys think about using a full helmet cause I have a ls2 rapid 3 motorcycle style helmet and I’m wondering is it too much cause I had a bad fall one time and scraped my chin up pretty bad after grinding my face off the concrete (we love headwinds going uphill) and I was wearing a helmet but it was like a mountain bike helmet and after that fall I told myself I would never not wear a full face but what do you guys prefer? Full face or motocross or just a mountain bike helmet?
Three people were killed and seven others were wounded in the Saturday attack in Twin Falls, Idaho. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
Company posts $7.81bn in revenue, a jump of 92%, after share prices crashed following IPO debut
For the first time since SpaceX went public, the world is getting a first-hand look into the trillion-dollar corporation’s financials. The Elon Musk-run business reported its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, saying that its revenue jumped 92% since June.
SpaceX beat Wall Street expectations, reporting $7.81bn in revenue, versus analysts’ predictions of $6.93bn. While expansive, the company is not profitable. The company reported a loss of $541m, down from a $1bn loss in the same quarter last year.
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 4, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a collaboration to use AI-accelerated innovation to address national science and technology challenges established by the Genesis Mission.
Credit: grandbrothers/Shutterstock
The Genesis Mission is a whole-of-government initiative, led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, that aims to double the productivity and impact of American science and engineering within a decade by unlocking AI-enabled scientific discovery and innovation. This MOU formalizes NIST’s commitment to that goal.
NIST and DOE have deep expertise and a shared interest in applying AI innovation to address critical national challenges and opportunities. The MOU will enable the two agencies to coordinate their efforts and leverage their complementary resources within the context of the Genesis Mission in areas including biotechnology, quantum science, and materials design and discovery.
“Our contribution to the Genesis Mission exemplifies NIST’s ongoing commitment to advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies that are vital to America’s economic and national security,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Arvind Raman. “NIST is using innovative public-private partnerships to apply advanced AI to manufacturing and cybersecurity challenges, with initiatives aimed at rapidly delivering high-impact solutions that can be readily transitioned to the private sector.”
NIST will execute two of its efforts in support of the Genesis Mission through its Centers for AI in Manufacturing and Critical Infrastructure, a public-private partnership with the nonprofit MITRE Corporation that aims to advance the delivery of AI-based technology solutions to U.S. industry. These efforts will target the Genesis Mission’s national science and technology challenges. Additional areas of collaboration are also being discussed.
First, NIST’s AI Economic Security Center for U.S. Manufacturing Productivity aims to accelerate development and adoption of AI-driven autonomous agents for increased U.S. manufacturing productivity. It uses advanced, AI-based “human in the loop” robotics and autonomous systems to produce cost-competitive, high-value, customizable American products. This center has launched a project that will focus on producing drones for civilian and military applications, with the goal of using AI to scale up production capabilities tenfold in two years. This initiative aligns with the Genesis Mission challenge “Reenvisioning Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Productivity.”
Second, NIST’s AI Economic Security Center to Secure U.S. Critical Infrastructure from Cyberthreats will accelerate development and adoption of AI-based agents for ultra-high-speed cyberthreat detection and remediation. This initiative focuses on protecting and securing critical infrastructure including power grids, telecommunications networks, water treatment facilities, financial platforms and healthcare systems. This initiative aligns with several of the Genesis Mission challenges aimed at protecting the nation from emerging threats.
Both initiatives are designed as two-year sprints that aim to rapidly produce high-impact results for commercial and industrial deployment while also yielding generalizable strategies that can be replicated across other manufacturing and cybersecurity domains.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2026 — Runware, an AI inference and AI-native compute company, today unveiled the Sonic Inference Pod, a modular data center designed and built to rapidly increase access to AI inference infrastructure for model providers. Unlike traditional data centers, which take years to build and cost $9-19 billion per gigawatt, Runware’s Sonic Inference Pod delivers 1 megawatt of compute in a 20-foot shipping container, with custom servers, PCBs, and a closed-loop cooling system engineered for inference performance. The result is facilities costs that are up to 100x lower than a traditional gigawatt-scale data center build, a saving Runware passes directly to clients through its GPU compute pricing.
Credit: Runware
Runware is deploying a network of dozens of pods and tens of thousands of GPUs across the United States and Europe in H2 2026 based on customer demand, opening access to its custom-built hardware beyond its own platform for the first time.
“After 20 years running large-scale infrastructure, I knew regular data centers couldn’t scale inference – the power and cooling simply aren’t there,” said Flaviu Radulescu, co-founder and CEO of Runware. “So we redesigned from first principles: only the components inference needs, liquid-cooled GPUs, and a modular format we can place wherever power already exists. This way we can produce and deploy 1 GW of compute faster than any other infrastructure provider, with built-in redundancy and real-time routing to the most cost-efficient GPU.”
Purpose Built for Inference
Most data centers were designed for general computing, not AI. GPUs draw 8-20 times more power and need far more cooling than the servers those facilities were built around, which is why companies running GPUs in standard data centers often end up with a handful of racks in use while the rest of the floor sits empty. Runware took the opposite approach, stripping out every component a data center needs for general workloads but not for inference:
Dense, custom hardware: Custom servers, PCBs, racks and data center architecture built for GPU workloads pack significantly more compute into a fraction of the footprint of a traditional data center.
Lower-cost economics: As an industry standard, operations and facilities costs typically account for around 35% of inference costs. Runware’s model cuts that to low single digits, delivering inference at 30-90% lower cost per GPU-hour than any peer, across all standard NVIDIA GPUs.
Closed-loop, water-free cooling: Traditional data centers rely on evaporative cooling systems that account for more than 560 billion liters of water use globally each year. Sonic Inference Pods recirculate 1.5 cubic meters in a closed loop while holding GPU temperatures within 2°C of target conditions.
Deploy anywhere power exists: Because each pod is self-contained and doesn’t require any changes to the power grid, Sonic Inference Pods can be sited wherever power exists, starting with renewable energy generation sites such as solar parks.
Ready for sovereign deployments: Because pods can be deployed within any national border or jurisdiction, organizations with data residency or regulatory requirements can run inference on dedicated, locally sited infrastructure.
“We started with Runware’s Model API, but quickly expanded into their inference infrastructure because of the scale and efficiency they could deliver,” said Deykhan Ten, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Higgsfield. “Our models reach millions of users every week, so reliable capacity and cost-efficient inference are critical. The lower our inference costs, the more value we can pass on to our users. Runware understands that deeply, which is why we work closely with them on our most important model launches.”
The first nodes will support the full breadth of Runware’s model catalog, including frontier open-source LLMs, specialized fine-tuned models, and Runware’s own media generation capabilities across image, video, and audio.
Deployment and Availability
Sonic Inference Pods ship ready to deploy and are live today across the United States and Europe. Each pod joins a distributed inference network managed as a single fabric, automatically rerouting requests if a pod goes offline to optimize for latency, cost, and availability.
Companies can access capacity on Sonic Inference Pods today, deploying their own models and AI workloads through Runware’s serverless infrastructure while Runware handles provisioning, scaling, and operations. Runware is accepting inquiries from frontier labs, AI studios, enterprises, and organizations with sovereign AI or data residency requirements, with capacity reservations open at runware.ai.
About Runware
Runware is an AI inference platform that builds and operates its own modular inference infrastructure, delivered through its proprietary Sonic Inference Engine and accessible via a model API and serverless deployment. The platform offers usage-based pricing and delivers AI models at up to 10x lower cost per token. Runware has powered more than 20 billion requests for over 1 million developers and 500 million end users worldwide, with 400,000+ models available through a single integration. Runware’s customers build production AI applications across e-commerce, media, gaming, and creative workflows.
I'm sure this question gets asked a ton but I feel pretty stuck, I am interested into getting into onewheels/fungineer/whatever board options exist, but unfortunately where I live the used options seem limited, I don't wanna spend a ton of money for something I'm not sure I'll even enjoy but I also don't wanna waste money on the wrong thing. I weigh 185 pounds, have size 12.5 feet US, and the main board I've been looking at is the pint X, is it worth paying more for the XRclassic? at that point when I'm already at 1900, would it not be better to get an x7 or adv2? and at that point is that too much board for a beginner? any insight is greatly appreciated.
Researcher says simpler writing by AI is easier to read and digest, but this does not mean human authors are obsolete
From Homer’s Odyssey to Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, humans have produced plenty of tales to grace the bookshelf. But research suggests artificial intelligence may now be providing some competition.
Longtime Slashdot reader neoRUR shares a report from Game Developer: EA Sports FC and Battlefield publisher EA has been taken private by an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). The move means the U.S. juggernaut is no longer a publicly-traded entity and is now majority owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its PIF investment arm. Other investors include Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter of which was established by U.S. president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The $55 billion transaction was financed via a combination of cash from PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners as well as roll-over of PIF's existing stake in EA -- constituting an equity investment of approximately $36 billion. Notably, $20 billion of debt financing was provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank. The deal cleared the necessary regulatory hurdles in July, paving the way for its completion at the close of trading on August 4, 2026. It was approved by regulators in major markets such as the European Union and the United States without incident, despite lawmakers and union leaders in the U.S. calling on the Federal Trade Commission to heavily scrutinize the leveraged buyout over geopolitical and employment concerns.
I decided to mod my pint just to see what it can do. I got an Ava spark Ubox100 lite. I hated every minute of it and couldn’t get it to calibrate and work right after the changes. So I decided to go back to stock. I put everything back and removed the soldered fuse that I added to the bms and now I’m getting 3 flashing yellow lights and a warning that the battery is overcharged. It’s definitely not overcharged according to my multimeter, so I’m assuming I messed up my bms while soldering.
What are my options? I just want to ride my plain old pint again, but it seems like I bricked it.
SK Hynix is in San Jose this week for the FMS 2026 conference, whether it will showcase high bandwidth flash (HBF), a new type of vertically stacked flash storage technology it’s developing with Sandisk. While it’s a year out of production, HBF backers say it could help alleviate one of the biggest challenges in AI inference: overcoming the AI memory wall.
The key value (KV) cache has emerged as a major obstacle to rolling out AI services to customers, whether that’s children creating animated cat videos or chemists hoping to accelerate scientific discovery. The KV cache is critical during AI inference, as it stores pre-computed answers to previous queries, essentially serving as short-term memory. With bigger KV caches, the AI service provider can serve longer sessions with bigger context windows to greater numbers of users.
The dreaded memory wall is preventing AI service providers from scaling AI inference service (Lafotoe/Shutterstock)
Ideally, the entire KV cache is stored on HBM sitting next to the GPU or AI accelerator, thereby minimizing physical distances and keeping latencies low. About a third of the HBM’s capacity is typically reserved for the KV cache, while the stored weights of the neural network also gets about a third and working bits and pieces get the last third.
The problem is that the available HBM is rarely big enough to store KV caches as big as providers want. When KV cache demand exceeds HBM space–that is, when the AI provider hits their head on the memory wall–the KV cache spills over into the next level of storage, which is typically a combiantion of DRAM and enterprise-class solid-state disks (SSDs), or flash.
While SSDs offer large capacities, they’re accessed over the network, which makes them slower than HBM or DRAM. Through its new its Context Memory Extension (CMX) architecture, Nvidia has come up with a series of techniques and technologies–like the forthcoming BlueField-4 data processing units DPUs, utilization of RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), and adaptive routing–to maximize the efficiency and throughput of doing KV cache lookups on enterprise flash arrays. All of the big flash array storage vendors are developing CMX offerings to have ready to go this fall when the BlueField-4 DPUs finally ship, while also developing their own KV cache offload solutions to sell in the meantime.
Sandisk foresees increasing the amount of usable storage available to GPUs by up to 18x using HBF (Image courtesy Sandisk)
Meanwhile, SK Hynix and Sandisk have their own idea with HBF. By using 3D packaging technique to stack the NAND flash chips vertically on top of each other, as is done with HBM, one can get much greater storage densities, or about 512 GB per stack. The bandwidth for these eight- or 16-high stacks of NAND is projected to be anywhere from 0.4TB per second to 3.0TB per second. These HBFs will sit between HBM and SSDs, and utilize UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) as the connection protocol.
The idea with HBF is to situation them right next to the processor and deliver HBM-like throughput but at much higher capacities and at much lower cost than HBM or DRAM. Gen2 and Gen3 HBF are projected to offer 3 TBps of read bandwidth per stack, which compares well with HBM4, which currently delivers 3.3TBps. HBF also closely matches the physical footprint, power profile, and stack height of HBM4, which should make it easier for chipmakers to incorporate HBF into future AI accelerators, including GPUs and CPUs.
HBM also is not sitting still. The HBM roadmap, according to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, calls for HBM5 to deliver 4TBps in bandwidth when it ships in 2029, followed by 8TBps with HBM6 in 2032, 24TBps in HBM7 in 2035, and 64TBps in HBM8 when it ships in 2038. Those HBM8 modules that ship 12 years from now would start to approach the ridiculous 100TBps of memory bandwidth that static random access memory (SRAM) can provide. While SRAM is super fast, they are quite expensive. Also, the biggest SRAM chips, such as those from Cerebras Systems, offer just 44GB of on-chip SRAM per chip. There are always tradeoffs to be made.
The one caveat with HBF is that the writes are extremely slow. However, KV cache is primarily a read-only affair, which negates that drawback and makes HBF potentially a good solution for the KV cache expansion dilemma.
In February, SK Hynix and Sandisk launched an effort to standardize HBF as a project within the Open Compute Project (OCP). Google and Tenstorrent have already signed on, and more are expected to join.
On Thursday, SK hynix Vice President Lim Eui-cheol, Sandisk Vice President Rajeev Nagabhirava, and Google DeepMind Senior Staff Engineer Xiaoyu Ma will join a panel discussion at FMS 2026 titled “Breaking the Memory Wall with High Bandwidth Flash.” The group is expected to discuss fundamental shifts occurring in memory architecture across AI infrastructure, and to highlight the potential and role of HBF as a transformative solution.
“With the rapid spread of AI applications, we are at a point where overall data processing structures must be redesigned,” said SK hynix Executive Vice President and Head of Solution Development Kim Chun-sung, adding, “Through HBF, SK hynix will expand the boundaries between memory and storage and contribute to building new architectures that enhance overall system efficiency.”
Iran and Oman have made progress toward a deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help end the war in the Middle East, regional officials have said.
Under the emerging agreement, ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman, with service fees charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, two regional officials told the Associated Press.
Apple has capped the number of open bug-bounty reports researchers can submit after being flooded with low-quality and sometimes entirely fabricated vulnerabilities generated by AI. MacRumors reports: The Financial Times learned of the limit after cybersecurity startup Bynario used ChatGPT to locate more than 50 macOS bugs in three weeks. Bynario found a privilege escalation exploit that could let an attacker get unrestricted access to a Mac, but was unable to report it because Apple limited the number of bug reports Bynario could submit. Bynario sent eight reports to Apple in 2025, and another five in 2026 before hitting a restriction.
Bynario's founder said it is a "very difficult time in the industry" because companies are being "flooded by the sheer amount of bugs." Apple has since been in contact with Bynario and is reviewing the company's submissions. While Apple now has a cap on the number of open submissions a researcher can have, researchers can request an increase to make sure Apple's security team doesn't miss a critical vulnerability.
Few things in technology are more complex, convoluted, and riddled with literally decades of drama than the Amiga community. Luckily for all of us, a significant step forward has been made today: several of the key corporate players in the community have struck agreements to settle their legal disputes.
CIC licenses software and documentation for Commodore’s 8-bit computers from Amiga. In return, Amiga is permitted to continue using the Commodore trademarks in a “historical or descriptive context,” such as old documentation, copyright notices in existing software, or as symbols on a keyboard.
The agreement with Hyperion does not change the status of AmigaOS 4 – which was never a point of contention, according to Amiga – but it does specify exactly which code and trademarks the Belgian company is permitted to use [under license from Amiga, editor’s note].
But Hyperion’s involvement in the 68k market will end on December 31, 2027: the licensee may continue to distribute versions of AmigaOS 3 until then, including the as-yet-unreleased AmigaOS 3.3. After that, Hyperion will deliver source code, revision history, and documentation for AmigaOS 3.1.4 and its updates, including all fixes and updates, but excluding AmigaOS 4 code backported into AmigaOS 3.2 or 3.3, to Amiga Corporation and release the developers involved in the project from all obligations to Hyperion. Amiga itself will then take over further development of AmigaOS 3 in the future.
Hyperion is the company most known for developing AmigaOS 4, and with these agreements in place, they claim they can finally spend time focusing on getting AmigaOS 4.2 out the door. These agreements will also consolidate most of the AmigaOS 3.x code and IP under a single banner, which should make its status quite a bit clearer going forward. Whether or not any of this is actually good and beneficial to the Amiga platform as a whole and its individual branches – 3.x and 4.x, in particular – is anyone’s guess.
I don’t think there’s anyone here on OSNews who wouldn’t be interested in, say, an affordable and – most importantly – available AmigaOS 4 machine. While I have no clue if clearing up some of the licensing, IP, and ownership confusions will aid in getting new AmigaOS 4 hardware, it surely won’t make it any harder.
Capping a summer-long effort to blame bad actors for damaging the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump continued to cite vandalism, even after the Justice Department withdrew charges against people it accused of intentionally marring the landmark.
On July 31, the department filed a 20-page motion in D.C. Superior Court seeking to dismiss felony charges against David Hearn, an Olympic canoeist, for allegedly defacing the historic pool located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
In the motion, the Justice Department cited evidence from the Interior Department — information prosecutors said wasn’t initially presented to them — that led them to conclude that faulty repairs, not vandalism, caused peeling on the pool’s liner.
“A recent visual inspection showed damage throughout the Reflecting Pool, even in the middle of the pool, where a vandal would not likely attempt to peel the lining,” the motion said. “Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Spence, the motion blamed “flawed” work by a contractor, who rushed to complete the project prior to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration on July 4.
But Trump criticized the Justice Department for dropping the case against Hearn.
In the Oval Office, Trump told a reporter Aug. 3 that “Jeanine Pirro made a mistake. There was vandalism.” He added that there were people on the side of the pool “cutting it with a box knife,” a claim he had made on severalpreviousoccasions. Pirro met with Trump at the White House that day, after he said Pirro had “choked” and “folded like an umbrella” in her handling of the case.
However, Trump’s vandalism claim is undercut by the details included in the Justice Department’s dismissal motion, which Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman is now considering. In separate notices, federal prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges related to vandalism against three other people. Only Hearn had faced a felony charge.
“This case should have never been allowed to progress to indictment without all the information,” said Glenn Kirschner, a former chief of the homicide section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which Pirro now leads.
The White House referred PolitiFact to Trump’s comments and provided no additional information to support his statement. The Interior Department and federal prosecutors did not respond to inquiries for this article.
Doug Burgum, the secretary of the Interior Department, which oversees the park service, sided with Trump and against Pirro, saying in an Aug. 1 X post, “The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool.”
That’s not what the evidence reviewed by the Justice Department shows.
What does the evidence show?
Structural issues have afflicted the pool since its creation in the 1920s, but Trump has fixated on its appearance in recent months as he launched a project to paint the bottom “American flag blue” for the 250th anniversary. When the pool lining peeled, he blamed criminals, and on Aug. 1 he posted a video that he said showed vandalism.
But the Justice Department’s motion — which would open federal attorneys to sanctions if they are found to have lied or committed misconduct, because it was submitted under oath — said the initial evidence of vandalism, based on “barebones” police reports, was eventually overshadowed by a large amount of evidence pointing to faulty installation.
The motion’s details “suggest that the United States Attorney’s Office knew it lacked a complete factual record,” said Steven H. Levin, a lawyer at the Steptoe LLP firm representing Hearn. “Yet the United States Attorney still sought a felony indictment the very next day.”
Prosecutors said that Hearn ripped a piece of the recently installed blue pool sealant in the poll.
But the motion said Hearn had told police that he “didn’t pull any thing off” the pool lining, saying he had reached down into the pool to feel the water temperature and noticed a big piece of “material flapping in the water and began to grab at it.” When advised by a park employee that he could not touch it, he stopped and walked over to his bike and then was detained by the National Guard.
One park employee told investigators Hearn took a cell phone video or photo of himself, reached into the pool and started to “violently” rip and tug at a large portion of the blue pool coating. When prosecutors met with park employees July 1, the motion said, none said that “the poor condition of the Reflecting Pool was largely the result of failures during the process of installing the liner.”
Prosecutors presented this evidence to a grand jury, which returned an indictment the next day.
About two weeks later, the motion said, prosecutors returned to the pool and noticed extensive damage. Prosecutors then said they received additional documents from the Interior Department — which oversees the pool and related monuments — that “indicated a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the Reflecting Pool,” according to the motion.
The documents showed that Atlantic Industrial Coatings started the work in May and faced repeated weather delays. The final inspection occurred June 9. Two days later, a park engineer was alerted to pool lining peeling. The engineer emailed park employees, noting peeling in a small area of the pool and saying the contractor attributed it to an “overspray.”
This information existed “eight days before the defendant was arrested,” the motion said, but it was not given to prosecutors until after the indictment.
Prosecutors are required to seek the dismissal of charges when exculpatory evidence surfaces, said Sharon R. Fairley, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Chicago.
“Criminal prosecution is a human endeavor, so mistakes, although usually rare in the federal system, can happen,” she said.
What’s unusual in the Hearn motion, Kirschner said, is the Justice Department’s clear blame leveled at the Interior Department for failing to produce extensive evidence.
“What I’ve never seen is the kind of unseemly finger-pointing that went on in this motion,” he said. What the motion doesn’t acknowledge is that prosecutors failed to aggressively seek the evidence they ultimately found before seeking an indictment, Kirschner said: “This is your job, to investigate what the evidence is.”
Where the cases stand now
On July 31, prosecutors filed notices that they were no longer prosecuting three people facing misdemeanor charges in related cases: Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison and Cameron Thiers.
The motion to dismiss the charges against Hearn “without prejudice” is pending, and the case could be brought again if new evidence emerges. That is standard for dismissal motions, legal experts said, because prosecutors seeking to dismiss the charges “with prejudice” — which would mean the charges couldn’t be refiled — would be akin to acknowledging bad faith or prosecutorial misconduct.
Edelman could dismiss the charges with prejudice by a Sept. 11 status hearing, though legal experts said he could first ask prosecutors to explain their actions in court.
Another lawyer for Hearn, Michael Bromwich, said the Olympian’s legal team is considering civil lawsuits and requests to investigate the government’s prosecution.
Our ruling
Trump said, “There was vandalism” at the Reflecting Pool.
Federal prosecutors debunked that claim in a detailed motion, filed days before Trump’s comment, seeking to dismiss charges against people accused of vandalism. The motion said the damage was the result of a “botched installation” and that it is “difficult to attribute” the damage to vandalism, “let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”
We rate this statement False.
PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this fact-check.
Don’t have enough computing devices on your wish list yet? Do you have a need for a graphing calculator? No? What if it can run Linux and even Windows 10? I see I’ve got your attention.
The HP Prime is a graphing calculator on the market since 2013, with a hardware revision in 2018 (the G2 model). It has a touch screen and as far as I can find, most people are happy with it and find it a very capable and fast calculator. Here are some pictures of the opened up calculator and here is a website with some more downloads.
I’m not really interested in the calculator part. For most calculations I do for my day job, embedded programming, the HP-16C is a better fit. I was interested in this device because I found posts online suggesting it could run Linux and even a Windows 10 port.
I had no idea just how overpowered – for a graphing calculator – the G2 really is. It’s basically an Android smartphone from a few years ago, and that means that yes, it can run Linux, including X, Doom, and tons of other applications. It’s not the easiest of devices to get custom software onto, but also not particularly difficult – you need to open it up and short two pads – so if you have one, it’s definitely a fun project. Apparently, someone also ported EUFI for Windows 10 to this thing, so you can do silly stuff like run the Windows calculator on the G2 calculator.
Today, I wanted to show you one of the most fascinating and surprising operating systems ever created. It’s not another Unix, Linux, or Windows. It is an architecture that went its own way and proved that systems engineering design can look completely different.
I’m talking about IBM’s child, which for many might be synonymous with “boring banking systems,” but in reality, is one of the most uncompromising projects in IT history. While we get excited about abstraction and virtualization today, thinking we are discovering new lands, this system was doing it decades ago. Imagine a system that doesn’t know the concept of a “file” in the way we understand it. A system where everything is an object, and all disk and operational memory form one vast, flat space. If you are looking for proof that true engineering doesn’t need buzzwords to blow you away, I invite you to read on.
Ever since watching Clabretro’s detailed video about getting IBM i to work on his own IBM POWER hardware and then remoting into them, I’ve been obsessed with running IBM i at home. It feels like the final boss of operating systems to dive into and explore, hidden in the deepest, darkest trenches of the ocean of technology. Everything about IBM i feels alien, complex, convoluted, opaque, and overwhelming, and you can probably dedicate your entire career to working with this platform and somehow still learn new things about it every day.
There’s something brutalist about IBM i, and I so desperately want to bang my head on its concrete walls.
Bending Spoons has made its first acquisition since going public last month at an $18 billion valuation, agreeing to buy spreadsheet and database startup Airtable for $1.28 billion in cash. Airtable joins a growing portfolio of notable brands owned by the Italian app developer, including Evernote, WeTransfer, EventBrite, and Vimeo. TechCrunch reports: Founded in 2013, Airtable has so far raised more than $1.4 billion over multiple funding rounds. At its peak, during the boom days of 2021, it was valued at over $11 billion, but earlier this year, its shares were said to be trading on the secondary markets at a valuation of $4 billion. With its current net cash-and-cash-equivalents balance, Airtable is now valued at about $2.25 billion, Bending Spoons said.
"Airtable is a pioneering brand reshaping how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. The value being delivered is reflected in annual recurring revenue growing over 20% YoY to approximately $480 million as of June 2026, and joining forces with Bending Spoons will accelerate innovation even further," Bending Spoons' founder Luca Ferrari said in a statement.
S&P 500 shot up 1.8% and the main measure of Wall Street’s health topped its prior all-time high set a few months ago
The US stock market rallied to records on Tuesday as profits kept piling up for companies and as oil prices eased.
The S&P 500 shot up 1.8%, and the main measure of Wall Street’s health topped its prior all-time high set a couple months ago. The Dow Jones industrial average added 907 points, or 1.7%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.6%.
Microsoft is introducing AI token budgets for employees, making the cheaper GPT-5.6 its default internal model and telling engineers to focus on business results rather than maximizing AI usage. 404 Media reports: "As we accelerate our use of GitHub Copilot to deliver on our goals, we all need to be aware of how we consume tokens," Jay Parikh, an executive vice president at Microsoft said in an email to Microsoft employees. GitHub is owned by Microsoft, and GitHub Copilot is an AI coding tool. "Tokenmaxxing is not what we are optimizing for. I want all of us focused on maximizing outcomes that move the needle for our customers and our business." "As such, we are updating our internal guidance and managing token spend with the same discipline we apply to every other critical resource," Parikh said in the email.
Parikh's email says that in an effort to "get greater value from our token investment" Microsoft is making OpenAI GPT-5.6, which is cheaper to use than other models, the default model for internal use. His email also links to updated internal Copilot guidelines stating that, as of July 2026, Microsoft divisions will have an "AI token budget target," and that employees can track their individual AI spending. "While there is no target spend value being shared at this time. The data shows that many engineers spend in the range of hundreds of dollars a month to a few thousand dollars in tokens," the guidelines say. They also say that some decisions may place further restrictions as they monitor spend.
[...] Parikh's email said Microsoft will keep learning and adjusting its AI policies as models and products evolve, and stressed that he doesn't want to slow down the company's progress towards becoming "AI-first." "We are not optimizing for fewer tokens," he said. "We are optimizing for more impact per token.
Max Miller says he has ‘nothing to hide’ amid domestic abuse allegations made against him by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Republican Ohio senator Bernie Moreno
The White House has called an emergency summit of artificial intelligence business leaders on Tuesday to finalize details of a voluntary compliance system for safety breaches, following reports that two major AI tools had breached their digital containment and hacked external computer systems.
Anthropic reported last week that models of its Claude tool successfully hacked into the infrastructure of three separate companies during red-teaming tests by exploiting weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints. Anthropic said an external evaluation partner mistakenly granted the testing agent unfiltered internet access.
Mount Vernon official is accused of driving getaway car after son allegedly opened fire outside Bronx court
A New York state police department fired its deputy commissioner on Tuesday after she allegedly acted as a getaway driver for her son in what is being investigated as an attempted murder.
The city of Mount Vernon said in an Instagram post that it had terminated Jennifer Lackard, deputy police commissioner for safety, for conduct “unrelated to her duties”.
Bari Weiss attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 8, 2026, in Sun Valley, Idaho. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Bari Weiss’s latest hire for “60 Minutes,” whose major journalistic output includes smearing genocide victims and putting a target on the backs of reporters in Gaza, shows that the full-blown right-wing tabloidification of the television news program is charging ahead.
If one held out hope that U.S. media would seek to reverse course after its support for genocide in Gaza over the past 34 months, those hopes were severely misplaced. The mainstream media’s lockstep support for genocide, which I document in my recent book on the subject, has not abated, and in key ways it’s only ramped up, become more explicit, and removed any remaining pretense of editorial independence.
The most obvious example of this is the Ellison family’s $8 billion purchase of Paramount and overtly right-wing revamp of CBS News, which kicked off in earnest last year. A former gold standard of centrist journalism, Weiss’s takeover of CBS News has seen numerous high-profile firings, scandals, and credible allegations of undermining journalistic independence, allegations of Trump toadyism, and a broader editorial push to the right.
This campaign has been, in large part, aimed at sucking up to Trump to push through the much bigger prize of a $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery takeover. But there’s another element at play: The Ellison family’s documented support for Israel and its broader ideological aims. As I noted last December, Weiss was put in place by David Ellison precisely because of her years of strident, pro-Israel coverage and willingness to push the boundaries of racism and cynicism to pursue this cause. So far, Weiss’s attempt to turn the prestigious “60 Minutes” brand into another New York Post has been met with major internal resistance from high-profile reporters, producers, and news management.
And despite Ellison’s buzzy op-ed for The New York Times today, where he pushes back on “speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions” and pledges “independence” for the newsroom, Weiss’s latest hire makes clear that her ideological coup of the once-vaulted “60 Minutes” brand is right on schedule.
The New York Post is exactly what Weiss wants CBS News to look like in the near future: lurid incitement mixed with shoddy sourcing and anti-Palestinian racism.
The hiring of Tanya Lukyanova, a video journalist for The Free Press, as an associate producer for “60 Minutes,” was announced Friday. Lukyanova has previously done video and research work for the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, and Semafor. She rose the ranks of journalism doing critical — if boilerplate — reporting on Russia, but over the past year, under Weiss’s direction, she has veered into outright right-wing tabloidism. This climaxed with her contribution to two of the most shameful supposedly journalistic contributions since Israel’s genocide in Gaza began in late 2023: an article she produced herself in September 2025 helping justifying Israel’s unprecedented attacks on journalists in Gaza, and an article she co-bylined in August 2025 downplaying mass starvation in Gaza.
The September 2025 article, “Gazan Journalists Say Al Jazeera Works Hand in Glove with Hamas,” relies almost entirely on alleged Gazan sources procured by the Center for Peace Communications. This is a pro-Israel front group that poses as a “peace organization” and has peddled similar dubious narratives elsewhere, almost aways designed to create the narrative that Gaza is little more than 2 million Palestinians being held captive by Hamas, who desperately want Israel to bomb their way to liberation. The group’s board of directors includes major pro-Israel funders, as well as Dennis Ross, a long-time pro-Israel pundit and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, itself a spin-off from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The CPC is run by Joseph Braude, who in 2004 pleaded guilty in federal court for illegally smuggling artifacts out of Iraq, namely 4,000-year-old marble and alabaster stone seals he knew to be stolen.
At no point in the story was the shady past of the “Center for Peace Communications,” or its overt Zionist advocacy and funding, mentioned by Lukyanova, who presents them merely as a good-faith humanitarian organization. The shameful guilt-by-vague-association piece proceeds to imply, over and over again, that any connection to Hamas, no matter how remote, makes journalists a fair target for Israeli killing — without once reckoning with the numerous active and former members of the Israeli military who make up the ranks of Israeli and U.S. media.
It relies heavily on New York Post reporting because the New York Post is exactly what Weiss wants CBS News to look like in the near future: lurid incitement mixed with shoddy sourcing and anti-Palestinian racism. Lukyanova dutifully lends this shoddy racist incitement the veneer of respectability.
Israel has killed more than 240 media workers in Gaza since October 2023, including several prominent Al Jazeera journalists such as Mohammed Samir Wishah, Hossam Shabat, Mahmoud Wadi, and Anas al-Sharif. In airstrikes in late 2023 and early 2024, Israel killed the wife, 7-year-old daughter, 15- and 27-year-old sons, and two nephews of longtime Al Jazeera reporter and Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh, effectively wiping out his whole family while failing to kill al-Dahdouh himself after he was injured in a separate attack.
The Costs of War project at Brown University deemed Israel’s war on Gaza the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded. Lukyanova’s anonymously sourced “exposé” accusing Al Jazeera reporters of being “affiliated with Hamas” came just two weeks after +972 Magazine revealed a secret Israeli military propaganda campaign to tie critical reporters to the designated “terrorist organization,” using what it calls a “Legitimization Cell.”
This is who gets ahead in U.S.-based journalism: not who is most humane, or accurate, or fair, or speaks truth to power, but those who serve the needs of power.
Lukyanova’s other major contribution, published along with Olivia Reingold, was “They Became Symbols for Gazan Starvation. But All 12 Suffer from Other Health Problems.” The article led to widespread backlash and criticism for its callousness, bizarre logical leaps, and the implication that starving children was No Big Deal if those being killed by Israel’s deliberate campaign of hunger as a weapon of collective punishment happen to have preexisting conditions.
As Natasha Lennard noted for The Intercept at the time, Anne Frank wasn’t directly killed by the Nazis but died of typhus as a result of the Nazis creating the condition for such a disease to spread in their concentration camps to claim its intended victims. Drop Site News followed up on the 12 “Gazans” whose brutal suffering Reingold and Lukyanova decided to well, actually and found “their underlying health conditions did not drive the deterioration of their health. Instead, it was the lack of access to food and medicine that drove their acute medical crises. Such is the hallmark of a famine. The first to fall victim are generally those who had underlying conditions to begin with.”
This is consistent with much of Lukyanova’s non-Gaza output. While plenty of her journalistic output is conventional in nature, she has published several articles promoting schlocky regime-change narratives aimed at various U.S. enemies, namely Iran and Venezuela. Lukyanova has shown a willingness — and apparent eagerness — to use her influential platform to promote war, starvation as a weapon of war, attacks on reporters, and related ideological orthodoxies of U.S. and Israel aggression.
And this shameless propagandist, who has repeatedly shown a willingness to be callous in the face of widespread famine and launder pro-Israel talking points about Israel-critical reporters being secret terrorists, will now be an associate producer at the most respected news program in all of the American media.
“60 Minutes” has always been a flawed institution, but hiring people willing to wade into the lowest gutter of incitement reporting — putting targets on the backs of disabled, starving kids and journalists documenting a genocide — is a major escalation in Weiss’s battle to turn “60 Minutes” into a billionaires’ ideological plaything.
This is who gets ahead in U.S.-based journalism: not who is most humane, or accurate, or fair, or speaks truth to power, but those who serve the needs of power — whether it be the U.S. and Israeli governments or billionaire media owners.
Just as The Atlantic’s now-editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was rewarded for his lies attempting to tie Saddam Hussien to 9/11 in the run-up to the Iraq War with becoming the head of the most influential liberal magazine in the country; just as Joe Scarborough was rewarded for cheering on the Iraq War with a three-hour morning block on the most influential liberal cable news show; just as Iraq War cheerleaders from Ezra Klein to Anne Applebaum to Bret Stephens to David Remnick have all enjoyed prestigious positions in today’s elite liberal media — those who lied about, covered up, or otherwise downplayed the genocide in Gaza will continue to rise to the top. This dynamic is only becoming more shameless and acute now that pro-Israel multibillionaires are buying up old legacy media and turning them into their personal tabloid outlets.
The deadly encounter between an ICE officer and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero on July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, is the latest in a growing string of clashes between civilians and ICE agents.
Larry Berg officially introduced to media and MLS staff
Berg to take over for Don Garber on 1 January 2027
MLS will have a new commissioner starting in 2027, but don’t expect the league to adopt the promotion and relegation system seen in league systems throughout the world anytime soon.
Larry Berg, a co-owner of MLS club Los Angeles FC and the league’s incoming boss, said in his introductory press conference on Tuesday that he doesn’t think that the long-mooted idea of bringing “pro/rel” to the North American league is “appropriate”.
Water levels on the Danube River have dropped so low that dozens of World War II German battleships – and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view.
Incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a moderate who owns an auto repair shop, hopes to retain congressional seat
The two-term Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is heading into one of the country’s most closely watched contests on Tuesday after national recognition for flipping a Republican seat in 2022.
Representing Washington state’s third district, Gluesenkamp Perez finds herself squeezed between Democrat and progressive Brent Hennrich and Republican state senator John Braun on her right. There are six other candidates on a single crowded ballot and the top two finishers will advance to the November general election regardless of party.
Investigators pin blame for Eaton fire, which killed 19 people and ruined thousands of homes, on ‘electrical arcing events’ at out-of-service tower
The deadly 2025 Eaton fire in the Los Angeles area was caused by equipment belonging to the utility company Southern California Edison, fire officials said in a report released on Tuesday.
Los Angeles county fire officials found that the cause of the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed or damaged more than 9,000 homes and businesses was a tower that was not in service, according to the report.
DHS said pharmacy instructor Berhanu Kibret overstayed visa and arrested him at Dallas-Fort Worth airport
An instructor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore who only just received a “teacher of the year” award has been arrested by federal immigration agents under the command of the Trump administration.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detained Berhanu Kibret, an instructor at the university’s pharmacy school, at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport in Texas, according to multiple news reports. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, confirmed Kibret’s arrest, citing an expired visa – but it stopped short of providing a location.
WESTMINSTER, Colo., Aug. 4, 2026 — Liqid, a global leader in software-defined memory and GPU pooling infrastructure, today announced its role as a strategic technology partner in Abaco, the memory-centric computing system designed by Micron, a subcontractor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Liqid is providing the scale-up memory pool that allows PNNL to expose hundreds of terabytes of coherent active memory to data-intensive AI for Science workloads.
Solving the Memory Wall for Scientific AI
For decades, memory architectures have limited applications such as computational chemistry, molecular biology, and AI-driven simulation by restricting access to the large memory capacity they require. The Abaco system pioneers CXL-enabled memory pooling and sharing, shattering the capacity limits of individual servers to support massive-scale AI workloads.
Liqid delivers the industry’s first and only fully disaggregated, software-defined memory pooling solution. In a Liqid rack-scale configuration, up to 160TB of DRAM can be dedicated to a single host or dynamically allocated and shared across as many as 16 server nodes. Real-time allocation of terabytes of memory enables zero stranded capacity and massive performance scaling when needed.
What Liqid Contributes to PNNL
Liqid EX-5410C Memory Platform: CXL 2.0 memory expansion system supporting up to 40TB of DRAM per chassis and scaling to a unified memory pool of more than 160TB for memory-intensive AI, HPC, and database workloads.
Liqid Matrix Software: The orchestration and management layer that turns pooled memory into a programmable resource. Liqid Matrix delivers the industry’s only unified interface for real-time deployment, management, and orchestration of composable GPU, memory, and storage – and integrates with Kubernetes, Slurm, Ansible, and other tooling already used in scientific computing environments.
Liqid CXL 2.0 Fabric: A dedicated CXL 2.0 switch and host bus adapters (HBAs) deliver ultra-low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity between hosts and the memory pool.
Memory Sharing and Benchmark Results
Liqid and Micron have also collaborated to enable the industry’s first architecture that supports true memory-sharing capabilities. Micron’s famfs Linux kernel enhancement enables advanced memory sharing across systems with software cache coherence, laying the foundation for future performance gains through larger shared memory pools, reduced data movement, and more efficient access to massive datasets. With famfs, disaggregated memory pools from the Liqid system become exposed to the host operating system as a file system, requiring no application layer changes to harness the latency and bandwidth advantages of pooled memory.
Using the famfs Linux kernel in the Abaco system with Micron high-capacity RDIMMs, Micron lab benchmarks using representative workloads demonstrated performance improvements. Results showed up to 30x faster processing time for graph analytics workloads and up to 7x more tokens per second for certain KV cache workloads, validating the power of CXL memory pooling for AI and scientific computing, with additional optimization and performance gains expected as the platform enables new features.
“PNNL is exactly the kind of environment that proves what composable CXL memory can do at the frontier of science,” said Sumit Puri, Liqid Founder and CTO. “PNNL and Micron have built something singular: a memory-centric system designed for the workloads that could define the next decade of AI for Science. Liqid is honored to extend that platform with the scale, orchestration, and composability that turn pooled memory into a programmable resource. This is what tokens per dollar and tokens per watt look like in a national laboratory environment.”
Why It Matters for AI for Science
PNNL will leverage Abaco to advance AI for Science, with AI-integrated computational chemistry as the first user-facing workload. By extending the lab’s pooled memory with Liqid’s CXL memory fabric, the system can keep larger structures, larger parameter spaces, and heavier intermediate data resident in active memory, directly attacking the memory bottleneck that has historically constrained scientific AI.
PNNL’s testbed is available to DOE-funded researchers from national laboratories and academia through the Advanced Memory to Support Artificial Intelligence for Science (AMAIS) initiative, funded by the DOE Advanced Scientific Computing Research program within the DOE Office of Science.
About Liqid
Liqid is the leader in software-defined memory and GPU pooling infrastructure, delivering flexible, high-performance, and efficient on-premises datacenter and edge solutions for next-generation AI inference, KV cache, in-memory databases, VDI, virtualization, and HPC workloads. Liqid solutions are trusted by organizations across financial services, higher education and research, healthcare, telecommunications, media and entertainment, and government and defense.
Liqid enables customers to manage, configure, reconfigure, and scale essential compute, accelerators (GPU, DPU, TPU, FPGA), memory, storage, and networking into physical bare-metal server systems in seconds. Liqid customers can optimize their IT infrastructure and achieve up to 100% memory and GPU utilization for maximum tokens per watt, tokens per dollar, and tokens per second. Learn more at www.liqid.com.
Two-time Pro Bowler expected to get $51m guaranteed
Average value surpasses that of Eagles’ Saquon Barkley
The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Bijan Robinson through the 2030 season that makes the fourth-year player the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
Robinson reposted the NFL’s Instagram post detailing the extension on Tuesday morning, writing “God this is for you! Blessings. Love this team and this city!”
David Hearn has ‘number of potential remedies’ after being prosecuted in connection with pool damage, attorney says
An attorney for the former Olympic canoeist who was charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has said that “all options are on table” for legal recourse after prosecutors recently abandoned the case abruptly.
David Hearn “has a number of potential remedies” after being prosecuted in connection with pool damage now attributed to faulty work by a contractor, attorney Steven Levin said in a statement. Levin added that those could include “civil suits, bar referrals for the prosecutors involved, request for sanctions and reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and expenses”, and requests for investigations by various government entities, including Congress.
Trump Media has officially launched its $100,000-per-month data feed giving trading firms machine-readable access to Truth Social posts milliseconds before the public. According to Fortune, five Wall Street firms have already signed up for the service, which "would generate about $500,000 in monthly revenue, or $6 million annually."
Critics argue the service could let President Trump, who owns about 41% of the company, profit from early access to market-moving presidential communications. "I'll be blunt," Gian Luca Clementi, an economics professor at NYU Stern School of Business, told Fortune. "This is insider trading by definition."
"He's going to monetize the role of the office of the president of the United States," he said. "The undisputable fact is that somebody is going to earn some more money than before, and that's the president of the United States." From the report: Trump's media venture has struggled to build a profitable social media business despite its lofty valuation. Truth Social has reported significant operating losses since going public. According to the company's earnings report for Q1 2026, Trump Media & Technology Group netted a roughly $405 million loss and raised less than $900,000 in sales.
Not everyone agrees the arrangement meets the legal bar for insider trading. Shannon Devine, a spokeswoman for Trump Media & Technology Group, has pushed back on the characterization, telling Quartz that Truth API "offers customers the fastest way to ingest publicly available Truth Social data" and that critics "must have invented a new theory of 'insider trading' based on publicly available information."
Classic insider trading law hinges on trading on secret, material information in breach of a fiduciary duty, and Truth Social posts are, by design, meant to become public within moments -- raising real doctrinal uncertainty about whether faster access alone qualifies. But other legal experts argue the greater risk lies ahead. Richard Painter, former White House chief ethics counsel, has argued that the arrangement could violate federal law once Trump posts genuinely market-moving news -- on tariffs, military action, or other policy decisions -- before it's public, with Truth Social effectively acting as a paid "tipper" on the president's behalf. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said he plans to introduced legislation Tuesday to ban the president from selling expedited access to his statements.
Recently replaced the tire on my xr+ just for it to ghost into a wall after i manually possied it with a peice of wire in the footpad connector. Have been doing that for a while now but never had the board ghost and fly off.
The board also smacked itself so hard it dislodged the back footpad and messed up the linings on the screw holes, any idea if that’s possible to fix or will i have to get new rails?
Any help would be deeply appreciated and i hope your boards stay safe everyone.
The secretary of state said progress has been made in the Iran-Oman talks but that no final agreement has been reached, adding, "We're hoping that will happen very shortly."
Miller vows to clear his name as Republican senator Bernie Moreno says former son-in-law unfit to serve in Congress
Max Miller, a US Republican representative from Ohio, is facing a rising groundswell of resignation calls from his own party over domestic abuse allegations after his ex-father-in-law, Bernie Moreno, a GOP senator, said he was unfit to serve in Congress.
With a deadline looming for party leaders to choose a potential replacement, Miller, a former White House aide, also came under pressure from Donald Trump on Monday after the president reportedly called and told him “things aren’t looking good” for his re-election campaign against his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter.
The House Ethics Committee announced that it is opening a probe into allegations that Rep. Max Miller may have engaged in domestic violence or drug use.
A political activist serving the longest federal prison sentence of any 2020 Black Lives Matter protester was transferred without warning to a detention facility thousands of miles away from their supporters and attorney.
Malik Muhammad’s transfer from the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections came almost immediately on the heels of a misconduct report about organizing protest activity about their conditions from prison.
The report — which was obtained by The Intercept and flags conversations that are critical of Israel, the U.S., and the Oregon prison system — and subsequent transfer raise serious concerns about the state of censorship and free speech within the state’s carceral system.
In March, Muhammad vanished from every inmate tracking system without a trace, after missing a scheduled call with their lawyer. Days went by with no word. Inquiries from their attorney were met with vague runarounds from officials.
Muhammad, a veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, spent much of their time in Oregon in and out of solitary confinement. As a result, trouble communicating with Muhammad was not altogether unusual. As the days of silence became weeks, however, fear set in among Muhammad’s loved ones.
In April, Muhammad’s partner received a letter saying that Muhammad was alive — but thousands of miles away at Kirkland Correctional Institution in South Carolina.
“They want it to be another state’s problem, so they don’t face the same scrutiny.”
The Oregon Department of Corrections, in response to questions from The Intercept in May, denied that Muhammad, an avowed anarchist and father of one, had been transferred as retaliation for their activism inside the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Prison system officials said instead that there were “extensive background reasons” for Muhammad’s transfer.
A misconduct report issued in March suggests that Muhammad’s public-facing and internal activism — particularly on their blog, “Malik Speaks!” — was a major thorn in the side of the Oregon prison system. Other prison write-ups of Muhammad’s activities behind bars described to The Intercept by their attorney took a similar line, focusing on Muhammad’s organizing on their blog and communications with other incarcerated people.
The misconduct report from March details posts from Muhammad’s blog urging their supporters to undertake a coordinated phone and messaging campaign; Muhammad wanted them to write to the prison and to public officials to call for better conditions inside and an end to Muhammad’s solitary confinement.
Oregon corrections officials are “punishing Malik for their political beliefs, for things that would normally be First Amendment protected and not within the normal scope of exceptions,” said Lauren Regan, director of litigation and advocacy at the Civil Liberties Defense Center and Muhammad’s attorney. Prison systems, she said, “hate anarchism and anti-fascism.”
The March misconduct report, which accuses Muhammad of “formulating an impact on the safety and security while promotion of security threat activity,” came only six days before the transfer to South Carolina. (The Oregon Department of Corrections declined to comment on “disciplinary matters,” citing department policy.)
To Christopher Kuttruff, a friend of Muhammad’s, it all seems like Oregon’s transfer was a ploy to make the publicity around Muhammad’s case into someone else’s issue.
“They want it to be another state’s problem,” Kuttruff said, “so they don’t face the same scrutiny.”
In the Hole
As they clutched the wrinkled pages of the misconduct report, Muhammad knew something big was about to happen.
In early March, officials flagged messages where the activist said they “have always been anti-Israel my whole life.” In another message, Muhammad says, “I’m begging for them to do it” — allegedly in reference to someone bombing the U.S. The messages prompted a further review, according to the misconduct report obtained by The Intercept.
The review turned up a message in which Muhammad called a guard a pig and said they wanted to “breakkk” their face. Muhammad maintains that the messages were spliced out of context and that the face comment was not a threat, but an insult tossed out in frustration.
Muhammad was thrown back into a disciplinary housing unit.
Weeks after their time in the “hole,” Muhammad received another misconduct report. This one, however, felt different.
“I knew that was what they were constructing to get me sent out,” they said. “I sent like a hundred letters as soon as I got the DR” — referring to the disciplinary report.
The three-page report accused Muhammad of engaging in “racketeering,” “unauthorized transfer” of digital currency, “unauthorized organization,” and “unauthorized use of info systems.” All the allegations were related to Muhammad’s blog, which they maintain with the help of their supporters and use to organize advocacy around their case and raise funds for their commissary account.
“I knew that was what they were constructing to get me sent out.”
“Evidence supports that AIC Muhammad utilizes his visitor [redacted] to actively maintain a blog on his behalf while he is incarcerated,” a prison official wrote, referring to Muhammad, who uses they/them pronouns, as an “Adult in Custody.”
“His blog website,” the misconduct report says, “focuses on an organized grouping of individuals that support AIC Muhammad in his beliefs, using visual, written, and recorded readings from AIC Muhammad. These items contain his propaganda messages and are dispersed in a social seeding manner through his visitor(s) through his blog.”
The report says Muhammad had broken Oregon administrative rules on “unauthorized use of info systems” by allowing a recording from a prison call system to be transcribed and uploaded to their blog.
Another conclusion was more consequential: Citing writings on Muhammad’s blog, officials claimed that the protest organizing and political activity was having “an impact on the safety and security” of the facility. The report cited Muhammad’s encouragement of the phone campaigns and other activities related to the blog, such as purchasing left-leaning reading materials for other incarcerated people.
Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney who has litigated prison free-speech cases and is today with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said that speaking out on conditions inside of prison is generally First Amendment-protected speech. Officials can’t curtail speech to the outside by exempting complaints from inside about prisoners’ incarceration.
“If an inmate,” said Fitzpatrick, “is sending a letter or posting online peacefully making their views known about, ‘Hey, here’s what’s going on inside the facility. If you think this is wrong, I suggest writing your congressman or writing the facility, and asking that something be done to fix this’ — to me, that strikes me as something that ought to be protected by the First Amendment.”
Behind bars, though, it’s not always that simple. A chasm lies between what should fall under First Amendment protections in prison and what does in practice.
The Supreme Court has ruled that constitutional rights apply in prison, but courts have upheld all types of restrictions on free speech, from bans on fantasy games like “Dungeons & Dragons” to medical texts like the “Physicians’ Desk Reference.” The barriers to even getting before a court to vindicate your rights are steep.
“The on-the-ground regime of what censorship looks like [inside prisons] is pretty ridiculous, and basically stands the First Amendment on its head,” said David Shapiro, the executive director of the MacArthur Justice Center, a nonprofit focused on the criminal legal system. “It is close to an anything goes censorship regime.”
Muhammad’s Blog
Few people understand this better than Muhammad, who in March was racing against the clock to get help before officials could act. After receiving the report, they began furiously sending letters.
Days after receiving the misconduct report, guards ferried Muhammad, chains hanging around their belly under their jacket, onto a plane. It wasn’t until they landed in Utah that someone bothered to tell them they were headed to South Carolina, where guards at Kirkland Correctional Institution forcibly restrained Muhammad and shaved their head.
(“It is our policy to cut inmates’ hair upon arrival,” said Chrysti Shain, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, though she said she couldn’t speak directly to Muhammad’s case.)
Only one of the dozens of letters they’d sent made it through, they said, and it only arrived at its recipient after they had already been transferred.
It would be days before Muhammad was able to get a letter out to their partner, alerting their loved ones that they were, in fact, alive — just 3,000 miles away.
Muhammad is widely liked, with a wit and intellect that obscures their relative youth, a trait that has been rewarded in prison with more than a few bumps and bruises from guards or angry fellow incarcerated people.
At 25, Muhammad was sentenced to 10 years in prison for throwing Molotov cocktails at protests in September and October 2020. As with many of the later prosecutions in the aftermath of the George Floyd uprisings, federal prosecutors initially left the case to state prosecutors before eventually charging Muhammad federally.
Muhammad wrote on their blog that they first got involved in activism as a high schooler, after the killing of Trayvon Martin. The calling would eventually lead Muhammad to travel the country and participate in the George Floyd protests against police violence and impunity.
The blog touches on a range of topics from their life story to their treatment in prison to poems about resistance. An allegedly unauthorized audio recording cited in the misconduct report is a poem about how oppressed people are robbed of their humanity.
“Under oppressive conditions, love is resistance as joyousness is not permitted. Like Palestinian hostages being released, but their families told not to celebrate or be joyful; like blacks showing unity, working out in solidarity, or sharing things in prison – food, or hygiene, or shoes,” said Muhammad. “Even emphasized in the visiting room, as one of my partners came to see me, their grin bright and gleamy.”
Where Muhammad sees an outlet, however, Oregon sees a threat — “an impact on the safety and security.” The actual activities at hand seem much more innocuous.
“Watching Malik’s Back”
The report accuses Muhammad of engendering a so-called “zap” phone campaign. In zap campaigns, a common protest tactic to bring public pressure to bear, organizers encourage large numbers of supporters to call or write en masse.
In this case, the declared recipients would be the detention facilities or Oregon Department of Corrections officials. The idea with the campaigns is to demonstrate wide support for a cause by overwhelming the targeted people or institutions with communications.
Oregon officials said the calls and other activities on the blog constituted the security threat.
In one post referenced by the misconduct report, the blog encourages supporters to contact the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution to get Muhammad released from solitary confinement. In 2024, according to previous reporting from The Intercept, Muhammad had effectively been held in solitary confinement for over 250 days. Oregon is supposed to limit time in so-called special housing to 90 days.
The report does not elaborate on how receiving calls about solitary confinement placed anyone in jeopardy.
The report does not elaborate on how receiving calls about solitary confinement placed anyone in jeopardy.
“Outsiders watching Malik’s back,” said Regan, their lawyer, “knowing what’s going on, calling the warden and saying, ‘Hey, I know that you’ve put Malik in the hole for 300 days and that Malik is on a hunger strike. What are you going to do about it?’ Those are all what little mechanisms Malik has to ensure their survival while in prison.”
Muhammad said there is nothing “untoward or illegal” about people calling to advocate on their behalf.
“A lot of the times, it’s the only way to get any traction or get anything done because they try to isolate people,” they said. “If people don’t have any knowledge of stuff that’s going on, then these people who run this as their little fiefdom, they’re able to do what they want.”
Having a loyal community online has landed them in hot water. Officials argue that Muhammad used the recordings, as well as solicitations for donations, to “support and promote an organization,” in violation of their rules on “unauthorized organization,” “racketeering,” and “unauthorized transfer” of digital currency — a charge related to the donation solicitations.
The report accuses Muhammad of fraud for soliciting donations under a hyperlink titled “Free Malik Now!!” It implies the money is going toward an appeal, the report says — despite also acknowledging the website explains that the funds go toward their commissary account and legal needs, as well as toward supplying books and reading materials to other incarcerated people.
The report also casts the online group of supporters that manage and visit Muhammad’s blog as “an organized grouping of individuals that support AIC Muhammad in his beliefs.”
The language about an organized group is consistent with other disciplinary matters, including transfers, behind bars. Prisons sometimes justify prison transfers by saying they are severing contact between gang members, in theory to reduce violence. Calling readers of a blog who occasionally make phone calls and donate to Muhammad’s commissary account an “organization” is a novel interpretation.
Muhammad wants the censorship they faced to serve as a lesson.
“In this country, free speech has never been allotted to anyone, and certainly not in prison, and certainly not in this climate,” Muhammad said, “not in this steady march to fascism that we’re on.”
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, has been forced to deny claims that he has repeatedly threatened to resign as he battles hardline factions opposed to reaching a settlement with the US over the strait of Hormuz.
The US and Europe hope a deal is imminent to reopen the strait and they are putting pressure on Oman to accept a temporary agreement that officials in Muscat fear will leave Iran retaining near permanent dominance of the vital oil shipping channel. Ships would enter the strait in a route close to Iran, but leave on a route that passes through Iranian and Omani waters.
Restaurant chain pulls peppers ‘out of an abundance of caution’ as salmonella outbreak sickens 100 people
Chipotle said on Tuesday it had removed jalapeños from some of the chain’s restaurants after identifying the peppers as a potential ingredient tied to a salmonella outbreak, replacing them with supplies from different growers.
The company said it began tracing ingredients through its supply chain after learning of a potential outbreak and identified jalapeños from a common lot as a possible source.
In a contentious interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made several false, misleading and baseless claims about the origins of Lyme disease and the respiratory syncytial virus, the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the science shows about autism, vaccination and acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
On the Aug. 2 show, Kennedy had several disagreements with host Dana Bash, with Bash challenging the health secretary’s assertions and Kennedy saying that Bash was wrong. We’ll sort out the facts.
Kennedy baselessly claimed that Lyme disease and respiratory syncytial virus infections came from lab research. There’s no evidence for this, and the diseases have long affected humans.
The U.S. doesn’t have “the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on Earth,” as he said. It has the highest rate among large, wealthy nations, but is 14th among all nations, per one analysis.
Kennedy asserted that effective treatments were suppressed during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely referring to ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, as he has before. Multiple clinical trials have shown that neither drug improved outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
He falsely suggested that COVID-19 vaccines don’t protect children from the virus, asking Bash to cite “one study that shows that children were protected.” Multiple studies have shown that vaccination reduces the odds of infection and severe disease among children and adolescents.
Kennedy said he has “never questioned the efficacy of the MMR,” or measles, vaccine. But on a few occasions, he has suggested the vaccine wasn’t that effective or that it wasn’t necessary.
He brought up an unproven link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. While some studies have found an association, they don’t establish causation, and a growing number of studies point away from acetaminophen as a cause of autism.
Kennedy misleadingly said that scientists have not tested vaccines other than the MMR vaccine for autism. Scientists have tested many vaccines while investigating specific hypotheses for how the shots might cause autism. None of the studies has shown any credible link.
We sent HHS several questions about Kennedy’s claims, but we haven’t received a response.
Baseless Claims About RSV and Lyme Disease
Kennedy baselessly claimed that two infectious diseases — Lyme disease and respiratory syncytial virus infections — arose from gain-of-function research. Such research generallyrefers to potentially risky experiments in which a virus or other pathogen becomes more dangerous or transmissible in people. But the microbes that cause these diseases have long sickened humans. There’s no evidence they came from a lab, let alone from gain-of-function research.
Kennedy also asserted that gain-of-function research caused the coronavirus pandemic. As we’ve writtenpreviously, there’s no definitive proof of how the virus that causes COVID-19 arose, but substantial evidence points toward a natural origin and not a lab leak. Scientists have previously told us that it’s virtually impossible that the coronavirus was engineered; almost all U.S. intelligence agencies have also assessed that the virus was not genetically engineered.
“Clearly, COVID-19 pandemic — and many other global pandemics that we have — have come from gain-of-function research,” the HHS secretary said. “The RSV epidemic that we have that is the biggest killer of kids in this country today came from these kind of experiments. The Lyme disease almost certainly came from this kind of research.”
“RFK Jr’s assertions that RSV and Lyme disease (caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi) arose from gain of function research are unquestionably false,” Dr. Ferric Fang, a physician-scientist and microbiologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told us in an email.
Kennedy has been making unfounded claims about lab origins for RSV, Lyme disease and other infectious illnesses since before he became HHS secretary.
Fang said that the tick-borne bacterium that causes Lyme disease has “ancient” origins, “even though human Lyme disease was not recognized until the 1970s.” A 2012 study shows evidence of the Lyme-causing bacterium in 5,300-year-old remains of the Tyrolean Iceman found in the Alps, he said. He also pointed to genomic research on bacteria from ticks collected between 1984 to 2013 indicating the Lyme-causing microbes have been in North America for around 60,000 years.
The history of the Lyme-causing bacterium “makes it quite clear that it did not arise from a lab,” Fang said.
RSV’s history also does not indicate a lab origin.
Fang said that RSV is related to a cattle virus and that the evolutionary paths of the human and bovine versions of the virus diverged approximately 450 years ago. Genetic evidence also shows that human RSV split into two major subgroups around 250 years ago, he explained, before further branching off into more subtypes.
“Understanding the evolutionary history of a virus and seeing the intermediate steps allows you to realize that it arose naturally and was not a human construct,” Fang said. Archived samples of human tissues show evidence of RSV infection “dating back to 1931,” he added.
In 2021, Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit Kennedy founded and formerly chaired that misleads about vaccination, published an article claiming that RSV came from chimpanzees in a lab being used for vaccine research and development, although it did not describe any gain-of-function research. The article misconstrues the history of RSV’s discovery.
“An outbreak in chimpanzees at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Medical Research in 1955 led to RSV’s discovery,” Fang explained. Researchers soon thereafter identified the same virus in children with pneumonia. However, the researchers “ultimately concluded that the captive chimpanzees had been infected with the same virus acquired from humans,” Fang said.
“Given that the chimpanzee colony was in a research environment where the animals are maintained in a controlled environment,” the authors of a 2025 commentary, including one of the scientists who discovered RSV, wrote, it was plausible the chimpanzees were sickened accidentally by infected humans who cared for them.
Also contrary to Kennedy’s claim, RSV is not “the biggest killer of kids in this country today.”
“RSV is not a major cause of childhood mortality in the US,” Fang said. “The leading causes of death in US children are accidents, congenital disorders, cancer and suicide,” he added, citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
RSV historically has been estimated to kill 100 to 300 children under 5 years of age annually. The virus was the top cause of hospitalization in infants, although data indicate the introduction of immunizations beginning in 2023 reduced hospitalizations.
COVID-19 Death Rate Not Highest in U.S.
Kennedy wrongly said that the U.S. has “the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on Earth.” Bash pushed back on the claim, saying that “there are other countries that had higher” death rates. Bash is correct.
According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University & Medicine through March 2023, there were 13 countries with higher death rates than the U.S. when measured as deaths per 100,000 population. Some of those countries include Peru (with the highest rate), Bulgaria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia and Lithuania. When using the case-fatality ratio, which is deaths per 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases, more than 90 countries have a higher mortality rate than the U.S.
Kennedy would have been correct to say that the U.S. had the highest death rate among large, wealthy nations, as a 2022 New York Times analysis found. The Times also found that the U.S. had a smaller share of people fully vaccinated compared with the other wealthy countries. The U.S. also had the highest number of reported deaths, at 1.1 million people.
Repeat Claims About Unproven Drugs for COVID-19
Kennedy falsely asserted that effective COVID-19 therapeutics were suppressed during the pandemic. Though he didn’t specify, he was likely referring to the antiparasitic drug ivermectin and the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. As we’ve written before, Kennedy has previously made similar claims about both drugs — even though clinical trials have found no evidence that either one is effective against COVID-19.
“If we had listened to those doctors during the COVID pandemic, we would have saved potentially millions of lives,” he said during the CNN interview. “There were therapeutics out there that were working. There were doctors that were having no deaths from COVID and treating, in some cases, thousands of patients. And we weren’t listening to them. Instead, we were doing the opposite. We were shutting them down.”
As we’ve previously explained, multiple large, randomized controlled trials — considered the gold standard of evidence in medicine — have found that neither ivermectinnor hydroxychloroquine reduced deaths or otherwise improved outcomes among COVID-19 patients. The federal government funded some of thosestudies. The Food and Drug Administration briefly authorized hydroxychloroquine for emergency use in 2020, but revoked that authorization after a clinical trial and other evidence showed it was unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19.
The FDA did approve other drugs for treating COVID-19, including the antiviral drugs Veklury (remdesivir) and Paxlovid, after they were found to be effective in clinical trials.
At one point, Kennedy interrupted Bash several times to suggest, falsely, that there’s no evidence COVID-19 vaccines protect children from the virus.
“You think the COVID vaccine protected children?” Kennedy asked the CNN anchor, adding a moment later: “Can you show me one study that shows that children were protected by the COVID vaccine? That that vaccine did more good than harm to children? Can you show me one study that shows that?”
We’ve written before about Kennedy’s misleading statements about the COVID-19 vaccine and children, in which he has exaggerated the risks of the shot while downplaying the risks that the virus itself poses to children.
While children generally face lower risks from COVID-19 than adults, they can still become seriously ill, and more than 1,800 U.S. children have died from the disease. Multiple clinicaltrials and otherstudies have found that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of infection and severe disease among children and adolescents. For example, a 2024 study estimated that when the omicron variant was circulating, children ages 5 to 11 who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 74% less likely to have a documented infection, 76% less likely to develop moderate or severe disease and 85% less likely to be admitted to an ICU with COVID-19.
The CDC’s own website, on a page last updated in June 2025, states that “COVID-19 vaccines help keep children from getting really sick from COVID-19” and that “many children should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
As we’ve written before, serious side effects linked to the vaccines can happen, but are extremely rare.
Past Statements on MMR Effectiveness
In responding to Bash’s questions about the large measles outbreaks in the U.S. in the past two years and whether Kennedy accepted some responsibility for that, Kennedy said, “I’ve never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine.” That’s not entirely accurate.
As we found in compiling a timeline of Kennedy’s comments on measles and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, it’s true that he has often cited the high effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing measles. His criticisms and inaccurate claims about the vaccine are mainly related to its safety. But there are a few instances when he suggested the vaccine wasn’t that effective or that it wasn’t necessary.
In 2021, Kennedy wrote in a foreword to a book by Children’s Health Defense, the group he founded, that “American and global consumers of measles vaccines” have been “misled by the pharmaceutical industry and their captured government agency allies into believing that measles is a deadly disease and that measles vaccines are necessary, safe, and effective.”
“The Measles Book explodes this propaganda,” he continued, saying that the book would “reveal a disease that is rarely life threatening and a vaccine that is largely unnecessary but which carries real risks for the children mandated to take them.” He said the benefits of the vaccine had been “exaggerated,” a statement he had also made in September 2019 in a post on the CHD website. More recently, in a March 2025 Fox News interview, Kennedy wrongly said that the MMR vaccine’s effectiveness “wanes about 4.5% per year,” claiming that this was a reason for measles outbreaks, along with people not being vaccinated.
In the CNN interview, when pressed by Bash to look into the camera and tell parents to vaccinate their kids for measles, “because it is safe and it will help them save their children’s lives,” as Bash put it, Kennedy said: “A measles vaccine is effective. It stops measles in about 97% of the cases. People should get vaccinated.”
Kennedy didn’t say the vaccine was safe, but the CDC states on a webpage last updated in April: “The MMR vaccine is very safe.” Yet, another CDC webpage about autism, modified by Kennedy last year, casts doubt on the robust evidence that the MMR vaccine isn’t linked to autism.
An Unproven Link Between Tylenol and Autism
Kennedy also referred to an unproven link between Tylenol and autism. Other administration officials, including Trump himself, have made similar claims.
“There’s 73 studies out there that link Tylenol exposure during later pregnancy and during the perinatal period to autism onset,” Kennedy said during his interview with Bash.
As we’ve writtenbefore, some studies have found an association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and certain neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism. But those studies don’t establish causation, and a growing number of other studies point away from acetaminophen as an autism cause. A recent study of more than 100,000 children in Hong Kong, for instance, found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism once siblings were used to control for differences between families.
Major medical associations, including the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, continue to endorse acetaminophen as the “first-line medication for the treatment of pain and fever during pregnancy.” Failing to treat pain and fever during pregnancy comes with risks for mothers and babies.
“As with all medications taken during pregnancy,” the groups advise, “patients should use the lowest effective dose of acetaminophen for the shortest duration necessary.”
No Link Between Autism and Vaccines After Extensive Study
In a heated exchange with Bash, Kennedy misleadingly insisted that many vaccines have not been studied for whether they might cause autism. While each vaccine has not been examined individually, every major hypothesis for how vaccines might cause autism has been tested in numerous studies, with no credible links to autism.
“You have been fooled. Your statement that this has been studied is not true,” he told her. “It’s categorically not true.”
He pointed to a 2012 review from the Institute of Medicine – now the National Academy of Medicine – that he said found that “none of the eight vaccines that are administered during the first six months of life have ever been studied for [a] relationship to autism.”
“Show me one of the studies that’s been done on the first eight — the vaccines during the first six months of life,” he said to Bash. “You will not find them. The National Academy of Sciences states they do not exist.”
He later claimed that the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is the “only” vaccine “that has been studied.”
This is misleading. What Kennedy is likely referring to is that many vaccines have not been individually tested for whether they might cause autism. This does not mean, however, that they haven’t been tested at all. Instead, many have been tested for autism in studies investigating particular vaccine ingredients, since that is how they were suspected of potentially causing autism.
Kennedy made a similar argument when he amended a CDC webpage in November to misleadingly say that “’vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” (The CDC recently modified the page in an effort to assuage Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, although the main message of the page remains.)
As we’ve noted before, scientists work off of particular hypotheses for how vaccines might cause autism. The MMR vaccine has been thoroughly investigated as an individual vaccine because the notion that vaccines might cause autism began with that vaccine via what would turn out to be a fraudulent study from the British researcher Andrew Wakefield.
Following the initial focus on the MMR vaccine, suspicion shifted to vaccine ingredients such as thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was in several childhood vaccines in very small doses, mostly before 2001, as well as aluminum, which is present in small amounts in certain non-live vaccines to boost the immune response.
Many studies investigating these hypotheses have studied several infant vaccines, including those that protect against hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcus (PCV), and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP). Neither ingredient has shown a link to autism.
Yet otherstudies have looked at the larger vaccination schedule as a whole, looking for any sign that more vaccines are problematic. They, too, have not found any link to autism.
Because of the totality of the evidence, many scientists are comfortable saying that vaccines don’t cause autism, even though not every vaccine has been tested individually and despite the fact that it’s technically impossible to say whether a vaccine doesn’t do something.
Indeed, as Bash noted during the interview, the National Academies has agreed with the CDC’s prior statement, writing in response to the CDC’s website change in November that “based on our body of work on this topic and the overwhelming scientific consensus, we support the statement that vaccines do not cause autism.”
Incorrect Claims About National Academy Report
It’s worth noting that Kennedy’s specific claims about the National Academy of Medicine/Institute of Medicine report are also incorrect.
He said the report “found two studies, one on the DTP vaccine that show[s] that it does cause autism, and one on the hepatitis B vaccine that again suggests that it does cause autism,” adding that IOM “dismissed those two studies because they were based on CDC’s database.”
The group’s most recent report on vaccine side effects, published in 2012, was only charged with looking into autism as a potential side effect for two vaccines. It did not comment on autism and any other vaccines because the committee was not asked to do so.
The 2010 hepatitis B vaccine study Kennedy is likely thinking of, which the CDC webpage revised under Kennedy highlights, was retracted this May, after an “independent statistical reviewer concluded that due to fundamental methodological flaws the study’s conclusions are unsound.”It had based its conclusions on a selected sample of just 31 autism cases, among other issues.
Previously, the study was mentioned in a 2014 review prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a subagency of HHS. In another similar review, published in Pediatrics, the same set of authors said the study was at “high risk of bias and low quality,” when explaining why they did not think this was evidence that the vaccine caused autism.
As for DTaP, the 2012 IOM report said it reviewed one study that it did not consider in its evaluation because “it provided data from a passive surveillance system and lacked an unvaccinated comparison population.” That study, from 2004, does not show that diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines cause autism.
Rather, it compared reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for the older whole cell vaccine versus the newer acellular vaccine for a litany of potential side effects, finding the older vaccine had about four times more reports of autism than the newer vaccine during a three-year period. As we’ve explained before, the voluntary reports to VAERS can be submitted by anyone, regardless of whether it’s likely the vaccine caused the event. The newer vaccine has been the only vaccine given for that set of diseases since 2001.
The study was authored by Dr. Mark Geier and his son, David, who have written numerous papers claiming vaccines cause autism that have been retracted or criticizedfor serious methodological flaws. The duo operated a clinic that gave a testosterone-suppressing drug and other unproven treatments to autistic children, at least partially based on the incorrect notion that thimerosal in vaccines causes autism. Kennedy hashired David, who does not have an advanced science degree and was fined for practicing medicine without a license, to analyze vaccine safety data for HHS.
In 2004, when the IOM concluded that the evidence “favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism,” the reviewers noted that several other studies from the Geiers, which purported to show a link to autism via thimerosal-containing DTP or DTaP vaccines using VAERS, had “serious methodological limitations that make their results uninterpretable.”
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Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Reuters: The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees the U.S. telecom industry, is working on the measure to bar imports of new Chinese optical transceivers, which allow data to travel over fiber-optic cables at the speed of light within data centers. Officials hope to publish it this year, when it would take effect. The move, not previously reported, aims to prevent Chinese firms from stealing data, installing malware or disrupting service at U.S. data centers, which house the chips to train and run AI models.
The FCC could still modify or shelve the restriction, the sources stressed, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. [...] A U.S. ban on new models of Chinese data center devices would likely hit China's Zhongji Innolight, one of the biggest global sellers of transceivers, which was added to the Pentagon's list of alleged Chinese military-backed companies in June. The list can be a harbinger of tougher action. A ban could also raise costs for American cloud firms such as Amazon Web Services, as it may force them to transition to other producers such as U.S.-based Coherent and Lumentum.
Opposition parties say nationwide protests that forced resignation of education secretary are beginning to dent BJP support
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party has lost a byelection in a seat it had held for three decades, after the Cockroach movement student protests that have shaken Narendra Modi’s government.
Prashant Kishor, a high-profile electoral strategist turned politician, scored a breakthrough win for his fledgling Jan Suraaj (Good Governance) party in the Bankipur constituency in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar.
BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.
In a conversation with the new prime minister, Meg O’Neill said the country should prioritise using energy produced in the UK, “where we generate jobs, we generate tax revenue, we generate all those additional positive impacts”.
All passengers thought to have been taken to Boulogne after large air and sea rescue operation by France and UK
A dinghy carrying 173 people has capsized after its engine caught fire as it attempted to cross the Channel from France.
The people onboard were rescued from the water after a large air and sea operation was launched using UK border security and French vessels along with an RNLI boat.
My suspension system has been working well so I designed a more streamlined holder for the spring. It offers better clearance around the spring and better stiffness/longevity.
I've tried a few springs and I found my favorite which is a balance between a soft and smooth ride, but not too soft so the handling and control is still good.
I'm investigating adding hydraulics to my suspension for the improved dampening response, which should translate to a smoother ride. I have not found components small enough so I might have to make my own. I was thinking maybe one side of the board is kept as a spring and the other side is the hydraulic for a hybrid design.
Increased the width of my rear fin for better roll control. I hesitate to say this board is done because I always come up with a new idea but this is pretty close to done.
Lib Dems and many Labour MPs join farmers, landowners and firefighters in urging temporary prohibition
Farmers and landowners are calling for a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in England and Wales, as they warn of the risk of igniting wildfires.
The call, which has also been made by firefighters and is backed by the Liberal Democrats and many Labour MPs, comes as much of England faces further hot dry weather, despite rain in some areas.
Probation inspector for England and Wales says ‘clunky’ system needs huge increase in staff
The electronic tagging system that will be relied upon to monitor thousands of offenders released early from prison is failing to alert the authorities of potential breaches of conditions, a watchdog has warned.
Martin Jones, HM inspector of probation in England and Wales, said the system relied on hard-pressed police and probation officers looking up individual cases and then deciding whether potential breaches needed to be investigated further.
Eruption of the Fuego volcano sends lava and ash nearly four miles into the sky as country declares second-highest alert
Hundreds of people living on the slopes of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano have evacuated their homes after a huge eruption spewed lava and plumes of ash.
Central America’s most active volcano erupted on Monday morning, with conditions intensifying by nightfall and prompting authorities to issue the country’s second-most severe alert warning.
No Peer-Reviewed Result Demonstrates Quantum Advantage on Production AI Workload
STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 4, 2026 — No enterprise AI workload at scale will run on quantum hardware by 2028 and classical accelerated AI will dominate every production benchmark according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.
“When vendors claim to deliver ‘quantum AI,’ they usually refer to hybrid or quantum-inspired techniques, not quantum-native AI running at enterprise scale,” said Chirag Dekate, VP Analyst at Gartner. “True quantum computing is not ready for any production AI workload and will most likely not be for the rest of this decade. Furthermore, no peer-reviewed result demonstrates quantum advantage on production AI workload.”
“Quantum AI” refers to AI or machine learning (ML) techniques that require execution on quantum hardware to achieve a claimed performance, cost or capability advantage over classical computing.
“Achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing at the scale needed to deliver measurable AI performance or cost benefits requires advances in four areas: hardware, error correction, middleware and algorithms,” said Dekate.
Quantum AI is different from three commonly conflated categories:
Classical AI: AI models, such as deep learning, transformers and reinforcement learning, that run entirely on CPUs, GPUs or TPUs and deliver measurable enterprise ROI today.
Quantum-inspired AI: Classical algorithms that borrow ideas from quantum mechanics, such as annealing, tensor networks and amplitude encoding, but run on conventional hardware. These techniques already deliver value in optimization, simulation and sampling workloads and do not depend on quantum hardware.
Hybrid quantum-classical methods: Experimental workflows where small quantum circuits are orchestrated alongside classical AI or high-performance computing (HPC) systems. These approaches are used for research and vendor-assisted pilots, not for production AI.
When vendors claim to deliver “quantum AI,” they usually refer to hybrid or quantum-inspired techniques, not quantum-native AI running at enterprise scale.
Vendor framing around quantum-AI convergence is accelerating and boards pressured to “not miss quantum” will be tempted to divert AI budget toward R&D that cannot return value before 2030.
Because of this, Gartner predicts that fault-tolerant quantum computing will remain in the R&D phase for AI, with insufficient logical qubit scale to support economically viable, end-to-end AI algorithms through 2030.
Separate the Quantum Budget from AI Budget
Quantum R&D and AI production infrastructure have incompatible time horizons, unit economics and governance needs. GenAI returns measurable value within 12 to 18 months on turnaround, accuracy and automation metrics. Meanwhile, quantum AI has never returned measurable value on any production workload, and is unlikely to do so for the foreseeable future.
“Co-mingling the two budgets distorts accountability for both and lets quantum optionality crowd out production AI capability,” said Dekate. “CIOs constantly place GenAI, agentic AI, cybersecurity and cloud in the top spend categories. Quantum does not appear on top-priority investment lists. CIOs who are funding quantum are doing so at materially lower rates than GenAI, and are not demanding near-term return on investment.”
To get the most out of quantum offerings, enterprises should:
Deploy quantum-inspired classical methods inside the existing AI stack: Organizations should prioritize quantum-inspired algorithms running on today’s GPU infrastructure rather than pursuing quantum hardware. Across areas such as optimization, GenAI, linear algebra, graph analytics, and reinforcement learning, classical approaches deliver similar benefits without the cost, complexity, or immaturity of quantum systems.
Define pilot kill criteria and refuse vendor theater: Every quantum pilot should begin with predefined success metrics, a clear classical benchmark, and explicit conditions for termination. This prevents open-ended experimentation from consuming budget without delivering measurable value.
Track quantum progress that matters: The most important measure of progress is not physical qubit count but the availability of logical qubits operating at useful error rates. Advances in error correction, AI-assisted calibration, and quantum control are more relevant to enterprise value than headline announcements about larger quantum processors.
Gartner (NYSE: IT) delivers actionable, objective business and technology insights that drive smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities. To learn more, visit gartner.com.
Aug. 4, 2026 — From public health and environmental monitoring to urban planning and disaster response, organizations are looking to advanced analytics to transform location-based data into actionable insights. To help meet this growing demand, the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) offers GPEC 447: Data Science Approaches to Spatial Analysis, a graduate course taught by Ilya Zaslavsky, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) Spatial Information Systems Laboratory.
GIS and Machine Learning Working Together. Credit: Dumas Zhong
From public health and environmental monitoring to urban planning and disaster response, organizations are looking to advanced analytics to transform location-based data into actionable insights. To help meet this growing demand, the School of UC San Diego Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) offers GPEC 447: Data Science Approaches to Spatial Analysis, a graduate course taught by Ilya Zaslavsky, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) Spatial Information Systems Laboratory.
Developed in response to the need for a new generation of spatial data scientists, the course bridges traditional geographic information systems (GIS) training with modern machine learning and data science techniques. The class is the final course in the three-course GPS Spatial Analysis Certificate sequence, which begins with GPEC 443 – GIS and Spatial Data Analysis, then continues with GPEC 444 – Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing and ends with GPEC 447.
“A key motivation was to connect academic learning with real-world applications, allowing students to work with authentic datasets and applied problems in areas such as public health, urban planning, environmental analysis and international development,” said Zaslavsky, who also teaches courses through the Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing (HSDSC) Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI).
Throughout the quarter, UC San Diego students enrolled in Zaslavsky’s course work with geospatial datasets and tackle challenges involving international economics, migration, sustainable development, infrastructure conditions, risk forecasting and ecological systems. Through a series of coding projects, they learn how machine learning models can incorporate location-based information to identify patterns, improve predictions and support decision-making.
The course also challenges students to apply these methods to independent research projects. For instance, UC San Diego graduate students Dumas Zhong, Li Shen and Zilu Zhang developed a project examining environmental risks associated with industrial facilities across California. Using Environmental Protection Agency facility records, Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data, CalEnviroScreen 4.0 metrics and American Community Survey socioeconomic indicators, the team created a facility-level dataset designed to evaluate how spatial context influences environmental risk assessment.
Their analysis found that incorporating spatial relationships improved the identification of facilities that may pose elevated environmental risks to nearby communities.
“For me, the most valuable part of this project was seeing how GIS and machine learning can work together,” Zhong said. “Maps help define the problem, spatial features help improve the model and the final predictions can be translated back into geographic priorities.”
The course reflects Zaslavsky’s broader research focus on developing advanced geospatial information systems and data infrastructure. His work centers on spatial and temporal data integration, large-scale geospatial analytics and scientific cyberinfrastructure. Over his career, he has led the technical development of major initiatives such as the National Hydrologic Information System, helping establish standards that make environmental data more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. His research has spanned neuroscience, geology, hydrology and disaster response, where he developed scalable frameworks for integrating diverse and complex spatial datasets.
“As artificial intelligence and data science continue to transform how organizations understand the world around them, courses like DSC 170, a Spatial Data Science upper-division elective I teach at HDSI, and GPEC 447, the graduate course I teach at GPS, help prepare students with the interdisciplinary skills needed to tackle increasingly complex challenges,” Zaslavsky said. “By combining machine learning, programming and spatial analysis, students gain practical experience turning geographic data into meaningful insights, which is an increasingly valuable capability in today’s data-driven world.”
Technology alliance will bring together VDURA’s GPU-adjacent, high performance data storage with Wasabi’s predictably priced S3-compatible cloud storage for AI data retention, protection, mobility and reuse
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 4, 2026 — VDURA and Wasabi Technologies have announced a technology alliance to connect GPU-adjacent AI data infrastructure with predictably priced S3-compatible cloud storage.
Through the alliance, the companies will collaborate to help AI factories, neoclouds and enterprise HPC environments place active datasets and checkpoints close to GPUs while extending long-term retention, protection and data reuse into the cloud.
The alliance is anchored by a simple operating principle: keep AI data close when it is being used and move it freely when it is not. AI infrastructure teams routinely keep far more inactive data on performance infrastructure than they need to, because moving it has meant operational complexity, access delays or unpredictable cloud costs. The result is performance capacity consumed by data that no longer requires it, and retained data that is harder to protect, govern and reuse than it should be.
VDURA’s high-performance data storage serves the active phase of the AI data lifecycle: dataset staging, model loading, training, checkpointing and inference. VDURA provides GPU-adjacent parallel file system storage performance with RDMA data paths and full POSIX workflows, spanning NVMe flash, HDD capacity and a native S3 interface within a single global namespace.
Wasabi extends the environment with S3-compatible cloud object storage serving as an active archive and long-term retention layer. Datasets, checkpoints, model versions and derived artifacts that are no longer in active use move to Wasabi for protection, compliance, disaster recovery and distribution to other sites or compute environments, and remain readily accessible for retraining, model comparison and governance. Wasabi’s predictable pricing, with no per-GB egress or API request charges under its standard terms, allows teams to plan retention and reuse costs in advance rather than discovering them on an invoice.
Tiered data placement is a practice long proven by the largest cloud operators, who pair lean performance infrastructure with deep, low-cost capacity. The alliance brings a comparable design pattern to organizations building their own AI infrastructure, using two independent, specialized platforms connected through open interfaces rather than a single closed stack.
“The infrastructure that feeds GPUs is engineered for velocity, and data belongs there while it is doing active work. It should not live there permanently,” said Ken Claffey, CEO of VDURA. “Our customers generate enormous volumes of checkpoints, dataset versions and model artifacts that hold real long-term value. Pairing VDURA’s GPU-adjacent performance with Wasabi’s open, predictable cloud layer gives them a place for that data to be retained, protected and reused, and makes data movement a native part of the AI data lifecycle.”
“AI data does not lose its value when a training run ends. It becomes the raw material for the next model, the audit trail for governance and the baseline for comparison,” said Laurie Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Wasabi Technologies. “This alliance makes it straightforward to connect GPU-adjacent infrastructure with independent, S3-compatible cloud object storage, so organizations keep control of their data and their costs without locking either one into a hyperscaler.”
The joint technology alliance will be present at Ai4 2026, August 4 to 6 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, where Wasabi will exhibit at booth #935. Ai4 is North America’s largest artificial intelligence industry event, gathering more than 12,000 attendees across enterprise AI, infrastructure and research.
About VDURA
VDURA builds the world’s most powerful data platform for AI clouds, AI factories and high-performance computing. Powered by HYDRA, its software-defined, mixed-fleet architecture keeps GPU clusters saturated while delivering hyperscale-class durability and economics. Visit vdura.com for more information.
About Wasabi Technologies
Recognized as one of the technology industry’s fastest growing companies, Wasabi is on a mission to store the world’s data by making cloud storage affordable, predictable and secure. With Wasabi, visionary companies gain the freedom to use their data whenever they like without being hit with unpredictable fees or vendor lock-in. Instead, they’re free to build best-of-breed solutions with the industry’s fastest-growing ecosystem of independent cloud application partners. Customers and partners all over the world trust Wasabi to help them put their data to work so they can unlock their full potential. Visit wasabi.com to learn more.
Remains of 112 victims, including 40 children, recovered from rubble more than two years after residential block was destroyed
Mourners gathered in central Gaza on Tuesday for a mass funeral for 112 people, including 40 children, who were killed in 2023 in one of the deadliest Israeli strikes of the Gaza war.
Their bodies could not be recovered until now because of Israel’s continuing strikes, which have slowed, though not halted, since the ceasefire in October.
Trump’s FCC is developing a measure to bar US imports of new models of Chinese datacenter devices, sources say
The Trump administration is reportedly drafting a ban on US imports of new models of Chinese datacenter components, in the latest sign US authorities are scrambling to respond to the rapid development of AI technology in China.
Four people familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the US telecommunications industry, is developing a measure to bar imports of new Chinese optical transceivers, which allow data to travel over fiber-optic cables at the speed of light within datacenters. Officials hope to publish the measure this year, according to Reuters.
Apple is now seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent OpenAI and Jony Ive's io startup from developing AI hardware allegedly based on stolen Apple trade secrets. "The iPhone maker also claims that more of its former employees may be involved with the trade secrets theft," reports TechCrunch. From the report: In a new filing, Apple is requesting expedited discovery from the accused OpenAI employees, senior systems engineer Chang Liu and Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan; OpenAI, and its foundation; and io, the device startup co-founded by Apple's former lead designer Jony Ive. Apple also notes that its continued investigation has so far revealed 11 other former Apple employees beyond Liu and Tan may have been witnesses or otherwise involved in the case, and others who were previously named in the original complaint, like OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng.
The filing marks an escalation in Apple's legal battle with OpenAI, as it suggests Apple has uncovered new evidence that the misconduct goes beyond the former employees named in the original complaint. "For example, another former Apple employee seems to have met with Mr. Liu and Ms. Peng in advance of Ms. Peng's interview at OpenAI and discussed with them during that meeting Apple proprietary information relating to unannounced products," the filing states. "Yet another former Apple employee took screenshots of confidential Apple documents relating to an unannounced Apple product before an interview at OpenAI."
"And, after Apple filed its complaint, multiple former Apple employees now working at OpenAI reached out to discuss returning Apple-issued work devices they kept when they left Apple," Apple claims, suggesting there were more who were possibly involved with the scheme. Apple is pushing the court to allow for expedited discovery because it believes it has good cause to suspect that there are others involved in the theft of its intellectual property. The company noted that its motion for a preliminary injunction is also pending. Apple's request for a preliminary injunction is "both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets," said OpenAI in a blog post.
"We're much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier," OpenAI's statement reads.
Survey finds party members see health, the economy, cost of living and climate crisis among biggest challenges
Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.
The survey of 788 members between the end of June and the end of July shows them ranking health (43%), the economy (42%), cost of living (39%) and climate change (29%) as Britain’s most important issues, ahead of welfare benefits (7%) and immigration (6%).
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 4, 2026 — Kioxia Corporation, a subsidiary of Kioxia Holdings Corporation, and Sandisk Corporation today unveiled their next-generation Quad-Level-Cell (QLC) 3D flash memory technology, which delivers up to 60% increase in bit density compared to their 8th-generation, surpassing 37 Gb/mm² and setting the industry benchmark for bit density, performance and power efficiency.
Leveraging the companies’ revolutionary CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology which fabricates CMOS logic and the memory array on separate wafers before bonding them together with high-precision wafer-to-wafer alignment, the new generation improves read and write bandwidth compared to the 8th-generation 3D flash memory and becomes the industry’s first QLC 3D flash memory technology to reach a 4.8 Gb/s interface.
Additional interface enhancements improve I/O data-out transfer power efficiency. These large power efficiency upgrades directly address the power and cooling challenges of modern AI and cloud infrastructure.
Chief Technology Officer at Kioxia, Hideshi Miyajima, said, “As AI continues to underpin the advancement of society, its applications are expanding from generative AI to agent-based and physical AI, while the use of data is becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. QLC technology enables the efficient storage of rapidly expanding data volumes, helping deliver greater performance and scalability for AI systems. Kioxia will accelerate development toward the commercialization of its 10th-generation flash memory products incorporating QLC technology.”
Chief Technology Officer at Sandisk, Alper Ilkbahar, said, “As AI training, inference, and hyperscale datacenter workloads drive unprecedented growth in data generation, the storage industry faces increasing pressure to deliver greater capacity, higher performance, and improved energy efficiency. By redefining the performance and efficiency envelope of QLC NAND, our 10th-generation QLC 3D flash memory delivers simultaneous gains in density, bandwidth, and energy efficiency and establishes a new paradigm for high‑capacity flash storage to provide a scalable foundation for next‑generation infrastructure applications.”
Key 10th-genaration QLC 3D flash memory technology highlights include:
332‑layer architecture and optimized floorplan design deliver up to 60% increase in bit density, achieving >37 Gb/mm² compared to the 8th-generation.
4.8 Gb/s NAND interface enabled by Toggle DDR6.0 and the Separate Command Address (SCA) protocol to unlock the full potential of fast interface.
CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) architecture enhances density scaling, performance, and manufacturing efficiency.
Power‑Isolated Low‑Tapped Termination (PI‑LTT) improves I/O data-out transfer power efficiency.
About Kioxia
Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. Kioxia’s innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems.
About Sandisk
Sandisk (Nasdaq: SNDK) delivers innovative Flash solutions and advanced memory technologies that meet people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward.
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 4, 2026 — SK hynix Inc., in collaboration with Sandisk, has announced that it has unveiled the first standard specifications for High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), a next-generation storage technology.
The announcement coincides with the opening of FMS 2026, held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California from August 4 to 6. The company is set to present HBF as a key technology to overcome memory bottlenecks in the AI era through keynote speeches and panel discussions during the event.
HBF technology is a new memory layer between HBM and SSDs. It enables high-speed data transfer similar to HBM while significantly expanding capacity by leveraging NAND technology. With the expansion of AI inference driving a surge in data volumes to process, HBF is gaining attention as a technology that simultaneously resolves bandwidth and capacity scalability challenges.
This milestone comes about six months after launching the consortium in February this year, following the initial standardization partnership with Sandisk in August 2025. Capacity specifications cover up to 512GB based on two stack configurations (8-high and 16-high NAND dies). Bandwidth is categorized into three grades (Grade1~3), delivering scalable performance from approximately 0.4TB/s to 3.0TB/s.
A key highlight is the interconnect linking HBF technology and processors. HBF technology adopts UCIe, an industry standard connection interface, laying the groundwork to flexibly integrate HBF technology across different processor types, including GPUs and CPUs.
The standard also outlines connection interfaces and electrical characteristics, reliability and packaging guidelines for HBF die stack process, software I/O guidelines.
The specification was disclosed through the Open Compute Project (OCP), world’s largest open data center technology initiative, positioning it as an open standard for the entire industry rather than a proprietary technology.
SK hynix plans to leverage this release to expand the adoption of HBF technology in the AI storage market and foster the surrounding ecosystem. With Google and Tenstorrent currently participating in the HBF consortium, the consortium aims to expand its reach while enhancing technical maturity and market acceptance based on open collaboration.
On the opening day of FMS 2026 (August 4, local time), SK hynix Executive Vice President Kim Chun-sung (Head of Solution Development) and Vice President Kang Uk-song (Head of Next Generation Product Planning) will deliver a joint keynote address, titled ‘Orchestrating Efficient AI Infrastructure through Tiered Memory in the Era of Agentic AI.’
As Agentic AI rapidly commercializes, the volume of data to process is surging alongside growing demands for higher speed and efficiency. Recognizing that a single memory type cannot address these complex challenges, both speakers will present the necessity and future direction of a next-generation architecture based on ‘Tiered Memory’, a framework that connects and optimizes diverse memory types into a unified system.
On August 6, SK hynix Vice President Lim Eui-cheol (Head of Solution AT), Sandisk Vice President Rajeev Nagabhirava and Google DeepMind Senior Staff Engineer Xiaoyu Ma will join a panel discussion titled ‘Breaking the Memory Wall with High Bandwidth Flash.’ Bringing together key leaders across memory, storage and AI, the session will examine fundamental shifts in memory architecture across AI infrastructure and highlight the potential and role of HBF as a transformative solution.
Furthermore, SK hynix will host an exhibition booth throughout FMS 2026, featuring a Partnership Zone, a Next-Generation Tech Zone and Tech Sessions.
Notably, the company will publicly reveal for the first time its tenth-generation (V10) 375-layer 4D NAND wafer and products, which are currently under development. The 375-layer 4D NAND improves performance per watt by 2.5 times compared to the previous generation, making it optimized for AI infrastructure environments like data centers that demand high power efficiency and performance. The company plans to initiate mass production of high-performance, high capacity eSSDs based on the 375-layer 4D NAND early next year to reinforce its leadership in the AI NAND market.
SK hynix will also display a versatile product lineup spanning mobile, PC, automotive and robotics, showcasing the company’s competitive edge in memory technology and its collaborative achievements with customers in the AI era.
“With the rapid spread of AI applications, we are at a point where overall data processing structures must be redesigned,” said SK hynix Executive Vice President and Head of Solution Development Kim Chun-sung, adding, “Through HBF, SK hynix will expand the boundaries between memory and storage and contribute to building new architectures that enhance overall system efficiency.”
About SK hynix Inc.
SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top-tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”) and flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s common shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, its American Depositary Shares are traded on NASDAQ, and its Global Depository Shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 4, 2026 — Marvell Technology, Inc., a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced new innovations across its AI memory infrastructure portfolio, advancing its position spanning server-level AI storage, rack-scale CXL memory expansion and pooling, and pod-level optical shared memory. The portfolio helps hyperscalers and cloud providers scale memory more independently from compute, improving infrastructure utilization, scalability and token efficiency for agentic AI inference.
Marvell Bravera SC6 PCIe 6.0 SSD controller
As agentic AI inference scales, memory capacity, bandwidth and connectivity are becoming as critical as compute. Larger models, longer context windows and growing KV caches are driving unprecedented memory demands and exposing the limits of traditional server-attached architectures. Increasingly, AI performance and token efficiency depend on how efficiently processors can access and move data across memory resources.
Memory disaggregation addresses this challenge by enabling memory to be expanded, pooled and shared more independently of compute. By making memory more accessible and reducing data movement and latency, the Marvell portfolio helps reduce GPU stalls and improve model FLOPs utilization, allowing AI infrastructure to generate more tokens within the same data center footprints and power envelopes.
“AI infrastructure is moving beyond isolated servers to systems where compute, memory and connectivity operate seamlessly together,” said Will Chu, executive vice president and general manager, Custom Cloud Solutions, at Marvell. “As AI scales, memory must scale more independently of compute so resources can be deployed where they deliver the greatest value. With the industry’s broadest AI memory infrastructure portfolio, Marvell is helping customers improve utilization, boost token efficiency and scale AI without compromising performance, power or cost.”
“As AI workloads grow larger and more complex, memory capacity, bandwidth, latency and data movement are becoming primary constraints on AI performance,” said Alan Weckel, co-founder and technology analyst at 650 Group. “Marvell’s memory and storage portfolio gives hyperscalers and cloud providers a strong foundation for building scalable, efficient AI systems capable of supporting increasingly advanced workloads.”
Server-level AI Storage
The Marvell Bravera SC6 PCIe 6.0 SSD controller advances storage performance for AI inference, enabling more KV cache to move from high-bandwidth memory to SSD to improve infrastructure efficiency. Doubling the performance of the widely deployed Bravera SC5 PCIe 5.0 SSD controller, Bravera SC6 helps cloud providers support demanding AI, cloud and enterprise workloads while improving performance, reducing write amplification and extending NAND endurance. Optimized for hyperscale deployments, Bravera SC6 supports NAND from multiple suppliers, providing cloud providers with greater flexibility in storage sourcing and deployment. Visit the Marvell blog for more information here.
Rack-level Memory Expansion and Pooling
The Marvell Structera X memory expansion solutions help hyperscalers scale memory more efficiently for increasingly memory-intensive AI workloads. Developed in close collaboration with leading hyperscalers, Structera X enables customers to expand, optimize and better utilize memory resources, including extending the value of existing memory investments while supporting demanding AI inference applications. As larger models, longer context windows and growing KV-cache requirements make memory capacity and bandwidth critical infrastructure constraints, Structera X provides a path toward more flexible and disaggregated memory architectures. By enabling larger memory pools and more efficient sharing of resources across servers, the platform helps improve infrastructure utilization, operational efficiency and total cost of ownership while laying the foundation for future advances in CXL-based memory pooling and sharing. Visit the Marvell blog for more information here.
Pod-level Optical Shared Memory
The Marvell Photonic Fabric memory modules, Photonic Fabric NIC and Photonic Fabric chiplets are foundational elements of a multi-rack optical shared-memory architecture for AI inference. The solution creates a new shared-memory tier across multiple XPUs and racks up to 50 meters, enabling up to 32TB of warm KV cache offload with high bandwidth and extremely low latency. By expanding memory access across AI clusters and enabling KV cache to be loaded from a shared memory tier rather than storage, Photonic Fabric helps increase inference throughput, support larger models and longer context lengths, and increase token efficiency by delivering up to 2-3x higher token throughput within existing data center footprints and power envelopes. Visit the Marvell blog for more information here.
Availability
The Marvell Bravera SC6 PCIe 6.0 SSD controller is expected to begin sampling in Q4 2026.
Visit the Marvell booth #805 at FMS 2026 to learn more about the company’s latest accelerated memory and storage offerings.
About Marvell
To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we’re building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world’s leading technology companies for over 30 years, we move, store, process and secure the world’s data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers’ current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we’re ultimately changing the way tomorrow’s enterprise, cloud and carrier architectures transform—for the better.
AUSTIN, Texas — Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico says Republicans are using transgender Texans as political targets to divide voters and distract from problems affecting working families.
Speaking with Rachel Maddow on MS NOW, Talarico rejected suggestions that Democrats should abandon transgender people to improve their electoral prospects. “I don’t think we win by selling people out,” he said, describing his campaign as one representing all Texans.
Talarico acknowledged that transgender participation in school sports presents policy questions requiring public debate. However, he accused Republican nominee Ken Paxton of exploiting those questions to generate anger and accumulate political power rather than pursue workable solutions.
Paxton has repeatedly attacked Talarico over transgender rights, previously calling him a “left-wing lunatic” who wants “boys in girls’ sports.” The rhetoric reflects a broader Republican strategy emphasizing transgender athletes, medical care and public accommodations.
The Supreme Court recently upheld Idaho and West Virginia laws excluding transgender girls and women from female school sports, ruling that the restrictions did not violate Title IX or equal-protection guarantees.
Talarico and Paxton are locked in an unexpectedly competitive Senate race. Three recent polls have shown Talarico narrowly ahead, although each result remains close and Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988.
Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for migration, said that while the EU could not currently see a direct link between events in Ceuta and Spain’s regularisation plan, the policy was “definitely not a good signal for the rest of Europe”.
I am finally able to check out my new board and I am quite happy with how it performs. So far have yet to hit 50% duty going all my normal routes. Luckily it came in programmed correctly and my only issue was a ghosting stompie that is being replaced. This board just feels right ! Float safely friends !!
I almost decided to trash this whole video but then felt there's still benefits in publishing it despite all the technical difficulties... also, see Cameron's comments here: https://youtu.be/91ib8QhXMkE
0:00 - Intro, First Impressions, Assembly
4:00 - Tire
5:15 - Riding Singletrack
7:20 - NO MORE INSTA360
7:25 - Riding with Cameron
8:45 - ATR Tuning for trails
10:00 - Cruising and chatting on fire roads
13:40 - Cameron on Singletrack + Crash
19:05 - Atom FIRMWARE
27:40 - Final impressions, table drop
US and Qatari officials have said progress is being made in restoring a ceasefire in the US-Iran war and reopening the strait of Hormuz.
The optimistic speculation on Tuesday brought oil prices down 2%, but the strait remained closed to shipping and a cargo vessel was reportedly struck by an unidentified projectile off Oman’s coast close to the strait.
Some White House officials hope embattled GOP Rep. Max Miller exits his congressional race immediately, and President Trump has expressed a similar sentiment, multiple sources say.
Authorities described this as the Gaza Strip's biggest mass funeral since the war began, mourning dozens of people, including women and children, recently recovered from the rubble.
Ohioans of Indian heritage will see one of their own take center stage in race for governor, but their support amid a rocky campaign is not a guarantee
At the Hindu Temple of Dayton in south-west Ohio, there’s no little pride for gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy – he and his parents have been coming here to pray for decades.
On a quiet recent Tuesday afternoon, a priest lights incense sticks at the altar of the temple. Outside, a group of first-time visitors take a relaxed walk around the grounds.
HAMMOND, Ind., HOUSTON and HANOVER, Md., Aug. 4, 2026 — Quantum Corridor, Ciena and Toshiba have completed a successful trial of high-speed quantum-safe networking on Quantum Corridor’s live commercial network in the Midwest United States. The trial demonstrates how organizations can immediately protect critical in-flight data with Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) 1.6 Tb/s quantum-safe encryption capabilities, which support a hybrid security approach using NIST-certified PQC algorithms and seamless interworking with Toshiba’s QKD technology.
The trial comes as governments and enterprises accelerate planning for the post-quantum era. Governments across the globe are issuing mandates to ensure quantum-readiness to transition information systems to NIST-approved PQC standards, reinforcing the urgency for critical infrastructure operators and businesses to begin preparing the migration now.
Conducted across Quantum Corridor’s live production network between data centers in Chicago and Hammond, Ind., the trial successfully validated 1.6 Tb/s of encrypted connectivity using Ciena’s Waveserver platform powered by WL6e, alongside existing WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) 800G encrypted traffic running on the same RLS photonic line system. The trial also showcased interworking with Toshiba’s QKD servers, which provide quantum-generated keys to both Ciena’s optical encryption systems.
By supporting both PQC and QKD, the solution gives network operators flexibility in how they mitigate the threat of quantum computers to today’s encryption solutions, particularly from “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. For enterprises and service providers, this approach offers a practical migration path to quantum-safe networking without requiring a wholesale replacement of existing infrastructure.
“Quantum-safe networking is no longer a ‘future’ discussion,” said Ryan Lafler, President & CTO, Quantum Corridor. “By validating 1.6 Tb/s encrypted connectivity with both PQC and QKD on our live network, we’re demonstrating how we can help customers transition to a quantum secure solution while continuing to support the bandwidth demands of AI, cloud, and mission-critical applications.”
Ciena’s Waveserver platform delivers always-on, wire-speed, optical-layer AES-256-GCM encryption and supports NIST-certified PQC algorithms straight out of the box as part of its quantum-safe encryption solution. The trial also highlights that customers already deploying Ciena’s WL5e 800G encryption solution can benefit from the same level of data protection with support for PQC algorithms through a simple software upgrade, helping extend the value of current network investments.
“The shift to quantum-safe communications is no longer optional for organizations handling sensitive data,” said Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President, Global Research and Development, Ciena. “This major milestone highlights how high-speed optical encryption with PQC and/or QKD interworking can be easily deployed in real-world network environments to help customers protect critical data today while preparing for the threat of quantum computers.”
“Preparing for the quantum era requires a layered approach to cybersecurity,” said Terry Cronin, Vice President, Toshiba Corporation. “Quantum Key Distribution complements post-quantum cryptography by adding a physical layer of security that strengthens the protection of critical communications. These complementary technologies can be deployed together in high-speed optical networks, giving organizations a practical path to quantum-safe communications while protecting today’s most sensitive data.”
Quantum Corridor’s network is carrying customer traffic between its various data centers nodes, providing quantum-safe connectivity with encrypted channels secured via a co-propagating QKD system. The trial underscores how it can migrate to a NIST-compliant PQC solution and scale capacity and security together as customers adopt bandwidth-intensive applications and face growing cybersecurity requirements.
Quantum Corridor Inc. was formed by Chicago-area technology innovators to drive technology infrastructure to Indiana and create an information-sharing platform for institutions such as Chicago Quantum Exchange, defense contractors, research hubs and universities. It is a member of the Bloch Tech Hub, a coalition of industry, academic, government and nonprofit stakeholders led by Chicago Quantum Exchange, one of 31 U.S. Regional and Innovation Technology Hubs designated for quantum technologies. Quantum Corridor Inc. was named a Chicago Quantum Exchange member in April 2024. Generally targeted to the largest research and education centers and to entities that can use high bandwidth, the Quantum Corridor network will stretch 263 miles and be the nation’s largest quantum computing superhighway.
About Toshiba International Corporation (TIC)
Toshiba International Corporation, a Toshiba America Inc. Group company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, encompasses diverse range of divisions and business units, including Motors & Adjustable Speed Drives, Power Electronics, Automotive, Transportation, Digital Solutions, Quantum Key Distribution and Transmission & Distribution.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, TIC provides application solutions to a wide range of industries including the energy sector, general industrial, data centers, automotive, medical and more.
About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most advanced networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, interconnects, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era.
TOKYO, Aug. 4, 2026 — Mitsubishi Electric Corporation today announced that its ME Innovation Fund has invested in JIJ Inc., a Japanese startup that uses quantum computers and other technologies to develop middleware for mathematical optimization. The company’s JijZept development platform is highly regarded for helping businesses solve diverse challenges by using mathematical optimization without requiring specialized expertise.
Quantum computing is currently transitioning from the research stage to practical application, including the rapid acceleration of technological development for industrial use. Against this backdrop, Mitsubishi Electric has positioned quantum computing as a key priority of its overall R&D strategy by promoting research and development targeting the commercial implementation of quantum technologies.
This investment, the ME Innovation Fund’s fifteenth to date, will enable Mitsubishi Electric to integrate JIJ’s middleware-based development environment with its application development and software implementation knowhow, as well as its quantum technologies, including interconnection technology for quantum computers, a key focus at present. Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric aims to establish technological superiority in quantum computing and accelerate R&D to achieve early commercial adoption.
Yu Yamashiro, CEO, JIJ Inc., said, “We are honored to have attracted Mitsubishi Electric’s investment through the ME Innovation Fund. At JIJ, we use mathematical optimization and quantum computing technologies to transform complex business challenges into computational forms. By combining our strengths with Mitsubishi Electric’s expertise in quantum-related technologies, we look forward to advancing the application of quantum and optimization technologies in business.”
Komi Matsubara, Executive Officer (Vice President, Business Innovation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, said, “JIJ has many talented people with advanced expertise in using quantum technologies for optimization purposes. It is also providing a development environment that enables diverse users to solve complex, real-world business challenges through mathematical optimization. By combining Mitsubishi Electric’s quantum computing technologies with JIJ’s quantum and mathematical optimization platform, we expect to accelerate the development of even more robust solutions for customers.”
About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Guided by its corporate philosophy, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) places sustainability at the core of its operations and values stakeholder trust—encompassing society, customers, shareholders and employees. In pursuing profitability, capital efficiency and growth, Mitsubishi Electric works closely alongside customers to develop value-added solutions that address today’s complex challenges while enhancing the company’s sustainable corporate value.
Founded in 1921, Mitsubishi Electric has over a century of experience in delivering reliable, high-quality products and solutions. With over 200 group companies and approximately 150,000 employees worldwide, the company is a recognized global leader in manufacturing, marketing and selling electrical and electronic equipment and systems across a broad range of sectors, including public utility systems, energy systems, defense and space systems, factory automation systems, automotive equipment, building systems, air conditioning systems & home products, digital innovations, and semiconductor & devices. For more information, please visit www.MitsubishiElectric.com.
Gianni Infantino’s reign as Fifa president is in severe peril after the collapse of his plans to sell off parts of the World Cup to private investment. Many Concacaf countries are considering following Europe’s lead by formally removing their support for the Fifa president, and there are widespread calls to remove him from his post. Lucy Hough speaks to columnist Jonathan Liew
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Apple has launched a new legal challenge against a UK government demand to access its customers' highly encrypted data, a year after the Home Office agreed to abandon its previous request. The US tech company launched the legal complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that has the power to investigate claims that the UK intelligence services have acted unlawfully. The UK government had made a second request to Apple to grant it a "back door" to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users, according to an order issued by the court.
Britain backed down on its original demand for access to data from UK and US customers last year, after a heated transatlantic tussle over encryption between London and Washington. UK authorities subsequently issued a new "technical capability notice" (TCN) to Apple that did not apply to American users. Apple is seeking to challenge the British government's powers to issue TCNs under the UK Investigatory Powers Act, according to the details of the new legal case first reported by the Financial Times. [...] The original TCN issued last year asked Apple for the right to see users' encrypted data protected by its advanced data protection (ADP) program in the event of a national security risk.
Apple said the removal of the tool -- which not even it can access -- would make users more vulnerable to data breaches from bad actors and other threats to customer privacy. Creating a "back door" would also mean all data was accessible by Apple, which it could be forced to share with law enforcement possessing a warrant. As a result, Apple withdrew UK customers' access to its ADP program in January 2025. The Home Office has maintained that the Investigatory Powers Act, under which such orders are issued, contains robust safeguards and is used only when absolutely necessary.
More than 700 buildings in the Spokane area have been destroyed and 400 more haven't been assessed, officials said as three fires burned in the area and an arrest was made in connection with one of them.
Winner called waste management team after she realised stub showing she had hit the jackpot had been thrown away
A €1m lottery ticket has been recovered from the rubbish in Italy after the frantic winner called on refuse collectors to help her retrieve it, according to the waste management company.
The instant win ticket was “miraculously still in one piece” after garbage workers combed through mounds of rubbish on their truck, said Roberto Nicola Toscano, the administrator of the SANB company in Italy’s southern Puglia region.
Minister tells reporters least 75 people died after EU ministers meet to discuss response to the crisis
Meanwhile, the European Commission said it was “monitoring very closely” the situation in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania as the region faces an energy crunch caused by the ongoing heatwave and drought.
Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said “the low Danube levels will clearly have an impact on nuclear generation along the route,” and this “concerns several member states.”
New capabilities for the DDN Infinia platform are designed to enable GPUs to initiate data operations directly, accelerating data access and improving efficiency at massive scale
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 4, 2026 — DDN today announced a collaboration with NVIDIA within the Storage-Next initiative and focused on helping organizations achieve greater business and financial value from their AI investments.
The companies are working together to create a faster, more efficient connection between NVIDIA accelerated computing and the DDN Infinia data intelligence platform. By enabling GPUs to access the data they need more directly, the collaboration is designed to reduce delays, keep valuable computing resources productive, and accelerate the delivery of AI-driven outcomes.
DDN will demonstrate the technology at Flash Memory Summit, highlighting how a more efficient flow of data can help organizations increase the productivity of their AI infrastructure. For customers building large-scale AI environments, even small improvements in GPU utilization can translate into faster results, lower operating costs, and a greater return on significant compute investments.
As AI initiatives move from experimentation into business-critical production, organizations face growing pressure to control infrastructure costs while increasing performance and scale. GPUs represent one of the largest investments within an AI environment, yet their value is underutilized whenever they are left waiting for data. DDN and NVIDIA are addressing this challenge by helping data move more efficiently, allowing organizations to complete more AI work with the infrastructure, power, and data-center capacity they already have.
“AI success will increasingly be measured not by how much infrastructure an organization owns, but by how productively it uses that infrastructure,” said Sven Oehme, chief technology officer at DDN. “Our work with NVIDIA is focused on helping customers keep their GPUs working, accelerate time to insight, and improve the economics of AI at scale. By reducing the friction between compute and data, we can help organizations generate greater value from every accelerator, watt, and dollar invested.”
“AI factories are most productive when accelerated computing and high-performance data infrastructure work together seamlessly — and organizations that optimize that connection will scale faster and generate greater return on their AI investments,” said Jason Hardy, vice president, storage technology, NVIDIA. “Through the Storage-Next initiative, NVIDIA and DDN are collaborating to help customers strengthen that foundation and get more from their AI infrastructure at scale.”
Over the past several months, DDN’s Infinia research and development team has worked with NVIDIA to evaluate the technology. The collaboration has already produced working capabilities that demonstrate the potential to improve the efficiency and scalability of large AI environments.
The development builds on the distributed architecture of DDN Infinia, which is designed to support the performance, security, and scale required by AI factories, sovereign AI initiatives, research institutions, and enterprise AI deployments. For customers, the objective is straightforward: reduce data-related delays, increase infrastructure productivity, accelerate AI outcomes, and improve the overall economics of deploying AI at scale.
DDN and NVIDIA will continue collaborating to advance the technology and support its adoption across next-generation accelerated computing environments. Additional information about performance, customer benefits, and availability will be shared as development progresses.
About DDN
DDN is the world’s leading AI and data intelligence company, powering the world’s most demanding AI workloads by keeping GPUs fed, efficient, and productive—at massive scale—so organizations can train, checkpoint, and infer faster with less footprint and power while achieving tremendous ROI from their AI investments. From hyperscalers and next-gen cloud builders to enterprises, governments, and research institutions, DDN delivers proven data intelligence at exabyte scale across hundreds of thousands of GPUs—so customers can deploy AI with confidence, accelerate time-to-value, and realize outsized returns. Discover more at ddn.com.
Uzbekistan: assessing 10 years of rule under Mirziyoyev
23
September 2026 — 14:00 TO 15:00 BST
Anonymous (not verified)
Online
Hear from experts on the successes, shortcomings and future direction of Uzbekistan’s economic and reform agenda under President Mirziyoyev.
Hear from experts on the successes, shortcomings and future direction of Uzbekistan’s economic and reform agenda under President Mirziyoyev.
Ten years after Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power, Uzbekistan has strengthened regional cooperation, opened its economy and expanded its international engagement.
However, progress on political reform has been more limited. The preservation of an authoritarian system continues to impede the reform process, raising questions about the country’s future development path.
This event discusses:
Has Mirziyoyev’s decade in power delivered on its reform promises?
How has Russia’s war against Ukraine affected Uzbekistan’s domestic and foreign policies?
To what extent do corruption and nepotism continue to constrain reform?
What progress has been made on economic liberalization and regional cooperation?
What is the outlook for political and economic reform in Uzbekistan?
Exclusive: More than 60 accounts on X have been made unavailable in Saudi Arabia, after similar action on Snapchat and Facebook
Elon Musk’s X has become the latest major US social media company to block the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders from Saudi authorities.
Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that platforms including Snapchat and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram had blocked dissidents’ accounts over allegations by Saudi authorities that they were violating local law.
New initiative will accelerate AI-enabled scientific discovery by expanding access to compute through regional partnerships among state and local governments, academic institutions, industry and philanthropy, and will build a workforce to leverage AI and computing for science.
Aug. 4, 2026 — The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced the NSF State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs program, a $100 million initiative to drive AI-enabled scientific discovery and innovation across disciplines. The program will transform research and workforce development by expanding access to compute, data and other AI resources that frontier science now requires.
Credit: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
The program responds to core recommendations in Science: A New Golden Age, a report published by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios in July 2026, which lays a policy foundation for renewing America’s research and development enterprise. The report calls for laying the foundation of a new era of AI-enabled scientific discovery and supporting American scientists to do their best work, including through expanding world-class R&D infrastructure.
The administration’s Fiscal Year 2028 R&D priorities memorandum, issued in parallel with the report, calls for investing in AI for science as a national mission and expanding the scale of, and flexible access to, advanced compute and data infrastructure now required for frontier scientific discovery.
As advances in AI continue to transform scientific discovery, maintaining U.S. leadership in fundamental and translational research requires that researchers and students across the country have access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure. Today, access to AI infrastructure remains highly uneven across the nation.
To address this challenge, the program will help establish AI Infrastructure Hubs, flexible state and multistate regional consortia that leverage contributions from research institutions, philanthropic organizations, state and local governments, and the private sector to build and operate cutting-edge scientific compute for researchers, students and educators in the region. NSF will play a catalytic role, investing in each hub’s consortium coordination, AI infrastructure workforce development and AI for science faculty training and curriculum development to put compute resources to work for scientific discovery.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming how we conduct research, accelerate scientific discovery and address complex challenges across disciplines,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “The State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program supports a national mission to advance AI for science by expanding access to critical AI resources, strengthening state and regional ecosystems, and developing the workforce capabilities needed to harness these technologies. Through this effort, we can empower researchers, students and communities to advance AI-enabled science and drive the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.”
“American scientists deserve the world’s best tools to enable their most ambitious work,” said Michael Kratsios, assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “In Science: A New Golden Age, we called for expanding access to world-class R&D infrastructure, including advanced compute, to reflect how science is conducted today. These hubs deliver on that commitment in the most practical way possible. Regional partners who share in the benefits of discovery will pool their resources to unlock compute at a scale that no individual stakeholder, and no federal program, could achieve alone.”
NSF will initially support up to 10 AI Infrastructure Hubs, with one award made per state or region. In addition to pooling resources across states and institutions large and small, each hub will also partner with regional industry to align AI for science workforce development with local job market needs.
Specifically, NSF will invest in AI infrastructure professionals with the technical expertise to support researchers, students and educators in applying AI infrastructure for scientific discovery; connect meritorious research with AI Infrastructure hubs in their regions; and invest in faculty and educator training and instructional material development to build students’ skills, proficiency and knowledge in using computing, data and software systems for scientific research.
AI Infrastructure Hubs are encouraged to integrate with national resources such as the NSF-led National AI Research Resource, providing the ability to surge and share resources beyond local capacity and enable dataset sharing. The program supports the White House-led Genesis Mission, a national effort to harness AI for science. Hubs are encouraged to engage with relevant NSF AI initiatives such as TechAccess: AI-Ready America and existing national structures such as the Campus Research Computing Consortium for workforce development.
Many private-sector and philanthropic organizations, including NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Dell Technologies, Hangar and the Secunda Innovation Fund, among others, intend to support participants in the State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program. NSF welcomes the engagement from additional organizations to help advance the goals of the program.
Learn more about the NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program here.
In a combative interview on CNN, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. opened the conversation with a throwback claim.
“We had the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on earth,” Kennedy said. When host Dana Bash challenged him, Kennedy doubled down: “What I said was accurate. We had the highest death rate from COVID.”
The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for evidence for Kennedy’s statement.
The overwhelming majority of global COVID-19 deaths occurred between January 2020 and March 2023. During that period, the U.S. had the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths, over 1.1 million. In the last few years, the death toll has climbed to 1.2 million.
But during the pandemic’s height, 2020 to 2023, the U.S. did not lead the world in its overall rate of death from the illness. Peru did.
In its tracking of global COVID-19 cases and deaths through March 2023, Johns Hopkins University found that Peru’s population was hit hardest with a rate of 665.84 deaths per 100,000 people.
The U.S.’s per capita death rate was nearly half that with 341.11 deaths per 100,000 people. That is the 14th highest rate. Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania were a few of the countries with higher per capita death rates than the U.S.
Johns Hopkins University also tracked each country’s COVID-19 deaths in comparison with its number of confirmed cases — a metric that can be skewed by how widely a country was testing people for COVID-19 and the size of the outbreak.
The U.S. didn’t lead the world in this “case-fatality ratio” measure, either.
Peru had a case-fatality rate of 4.9% — among the highest rates. The United States had a rate of 1.1%, tied with Canada. America’s case-fatality rate was lower than those of countries including Mexico (4.5%), Ukraine (2.1%), Brazil (1.9%) and Russia (1.8%).
Analysts attributed Peru’s high death rate to several factors including an impoverished and informal economy, lack of protective medical equipment, shortages of oxygen and a weak public health system. A few countries had case-fatality rates higher than Peru’s: Yemen (18.1%), Sudan (7.9%), Syria (5.5%), and Somalia (5%). But these countries also had very few deaths compared with their population sizes — all below 20 deaths per 100,000 people. These contradictory measures likely indicate poor surveillance testing of milder cases rather than a high death toll.
Another way to look at the numbers is through excess deaths, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University.
Excess deaths are a count of deaths beyond what would be normally expected. Nuzzo said this is a fairer metric that isn’t as biased by a country’s ability to accurately diagnose infections and causes of deaths.
An analysis of excess deaths in 2020 and 2021 found that countries such as Russia, Mexico and Brazil had higher excess mortality rates than the United States. Additional reviews of excess mortality rates around the world foundsimilar results.
“The bottom line is that, by any measure, the U.S. didn’t experience the most excess deaths of any country,” Nuzzo said. “The U.S. did have more excess deaths than other highly prepared countries, which was a great disappointment.”
Had Kennedy compared the U.S. with other high-income countries, he would have been more accurate, but he said the U.S. did worse than “any nation on earth.”
Our ruling
Kennedy said the U.S. “had the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on earth.”
The U.S. has counted the highest total reported COVID-19 related deaths so far, but when the pandemic’s fatalities were counted per capita, the U.S. is not the world leader.
Peru reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita during the first three years of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University. Among confirmed cases, Peru and many other countries also had higher fatality rates than the United States. Lastly, measures of excess deaths during the first two years of the pandemic found countries like Russia, Mexico and Brazil had all had higher excess mortality rates than the United States.
None of these methods for quantifying the COVID-19 death rate support Kennedy’s claim. We rate Kennedy’s statement False.
Blanche, one of Trump’s most trusted legal aides, confirmed in writing that $1.8bn slush fund for president’s allies was dead
The US Senate judiciary committee voted along party lines to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general after he confirmed in writing that a planned $1.8bn slush fund for Donald Trump’s allies was dead. Experts say, however, that Trump could easily reverse the deal.
His nomination will now proceed to the full Senate, where it will likely face intense skepticism from Democrats.
New collaboration aims to turn quantum research into future jobs, skills and innovation
SYDNEY, Aug. 4, 2026 — Australian researchers and students will gain access to advanced quantum computing technology under a Memorandum of Understanding between global digital transformation leader, Fujitsu, Monash University, and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.
Credit: Sergiy Palamarchuk/Shutterstock
The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of practical quantum applications, strengthen Australia’s quantum capability and help build a skilled workforce ready for the emerging quantum economy. It also supports the newly inked Memorandum of Cooperation between Australia and Japan on quantum science, technology and innovation, reflecting the growing strategic importance of quantum technologies to both countries.
Quantum computing has the potential to help solve some of the world’s most complex challenges by enabling faster and more powerful analysis of certain types of problems than is possible with conventional computing. Future applications could support areas such as cyber security, healthcare, decarbonization and climate science.
The collaboration brings together Fujitsu’s advanced quantum technology and infrastructure, Monash University’s research and education expertise, and CSIRO’s applied science capability. As part of the collaboration, researchers and students from Monash and CSIRO will gain access to Fujitsu’s quantum systems and simulators in Japan to support research in advanced computing, quantum software and emerging quantum applications.
The organizations will also explore opportunities to establish a shared quantum research and education facility based at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, creating a focal point for collaborative research, training and industry engagement.
Peter Grassi, Chief Executive Officer of Fujitsu in Oceania, said: “By bringing together Fujitsu’s leading quantum technologies, Monash University’s research excellence and CSIRO’s applied science expertise, we’re creating new opportunities to accelerate innovation, develop future talent and translate quantum breakthroughs into real-world outcomes. As a company with deep Japanese heritage and over half a century supporting organizations in Australia, Fujitsu is uniquely positioned to help connect the strengths of both countries’ quantum ecosystems. This collaboration will deepen research and innovation links between Australia and Japan while expanding access to advanced quantum technologies and expertise to help solve society’s most complex challenges.”
“This innovative collaboration can help accelerate the development of advanced quantum computing technologies in Australia,” said Dr. Katja Digweed, CSIRO Technology Director. “Connecting deep scientific capability with the right software and algorithms can bring quantum computing closer to practical use in areas like cybersecurity, health, and climate science. Together we can build the skills, infrastructure and partnerships across research and industry, and between Australia and Japan.”
Monash University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President Professor Robyn Ward said: “The collaboration would strengthen Australia’s ability to translate quantum research into technologies that benefit society. Quantum technologies have the potential to transform the way we unlock solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, and building capability in this field will require deep collaboration between universities, industry and government.
“This partnership brings together world-leading research expertise, advanced industry capability and opportunities to train the next generation of quantum researchers and innovators. Monash is proud to play a leading role in strengthening Australia’s quantum ecosystem – developing talent, enabling international collaboration and ensuring our research has a meaningful pathway from the lab to the real world.”
Building a Pathway from Research to Real-World Impact
The collaboration focuses on three key priorities:
Developing practical quantum applications: The organizations will work together to develop and test new quantum computing approaches that could help address complex scientific and industry challenges. This includes research into quantum optimization, machine learning and advanced simulation technologies.
Building Australia’s future quantum workforce: Students will gain hands-on experience with advanced quantum technologies through new teaching initiatives, research projects and industry-connected learning opportunities, helping prepare the next generation of Australian quantum specialists.
Strengthening Australia’s quantum research capability: The organizations will explore a shared vision for a future research and education facility at Monash University, providing a platform for collaboration between researchers, students and industry.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 100,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.5 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share.
About CSIRO
CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency, delivering solutions for a productive, sustainable and secure future. Our collaborative research turns science into solutions for food security and quality; clean energy and resources; health and wellbeing; resilient and valuable environments; innovative industries; and a secure Australia and region.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In almost 70 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading research, quality teaching, inspiring innovation and translating game-changing research into impactful commercial and meaningful outcomes. With four campuses in Australia and a global campus network covering Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia, and Italy, and the Boston Hub anchoring a footprint in the world’s leading biomedical cluster, Monash is Australia’s most international university.
With $111bn deal to acquire cable network’s parent company stalled in courts, Ellison courts public
Speaking out on the lawsuit against the big merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), Paramount’s CEO, David Ellison, said that the legal backlash against the deal is “not really about market share” but rather stems from political motivations.
Noting in a New York Times guest essay published on Tuesday that the deal had “been reviewed and approved by regulators reflecting 65 countries, including the United States”, Ellison played down the competitive concerns raised by the state coalition and Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East, which also sued to block the deal, and said he believed the reaction came from a “plainer worry”.
ALBANY, New York — A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York from enforcing its ban on face coverings and identification restrictions against federal immigration agents, while preserving a separate law barring local police from performing ICE duties.
U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino ruled that the Trump administration is likely to prove New York’s mask requirements unlawfully regulate federal officers in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. The preliminary injunction prevents local authorities from arresting ICE agents merely for concealing their faces during enforcement operations.
D’Agostino acknowledged that masked and insufficiently identified agents may create dangerous situations and undermine transparent policing. However, she said courts must decide constitutional questions rather than determine which policing policies are preferable.
The judge refused to block New York’s prohibition on agreements made under Section 287(g), which allows ICE to deputize state and local officers for federal immigration enforcement. She found the state may decide how its personnel, facilities and taxpayer resources are used.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James defended that portion of the ruling, arguing local police should focus on community crimes rather than civil immigration enforcement. They are reviewing whether to appeal the mask decision.
The ruling follows similar federal court decisions blocking mask restrictions in California and Pennsylvania, leaving the increasingly common use of masked immigration agents unresolved nationally.
Poetry sales surpassed £8m in the first 30 weeks of 2026 and are expected to reach a record high this year thanks to blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s 2,700-year-old poem
Poetry sales surpassed £8m during the first 30 weeks of 2026, an increase of 13.3% on the same period last year, according to data from market researchers NielsenIQ.
Denkiworks’ debut lets players pull off tricks and pull pints in a stunning, Japan-inspired setting
A freeloading tanuki, mounting debt, and a town full of possibilities will sound familiar to fans of Animal Crossing. Alas, while you won’t find accountability from Tom Nook, Kyoto-based studio Denkiworks has stepped in to heal your financial trauma with a BMX-filled adventure in which a mammal finally pays the price for their years of bad behaviour. “Even Japanese people ask why it’s a tanuki,” jokes Liam Edwards, a game designer at Denkiworks. “They have such a mythological background to them; they’re almost like dragons in terms of their mythology.”
In Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, you play as an adorable but irresponsible critter named Pon, who’s bled the coffers of the local shrine – his home – dry by buying video games and snack food instead of preparing for its semicentennial matsuri. As a result, the shrine is in total disrepair, and important architecture and cultural artefacts – such as the ema stand and the chōzuya – are left cracked and broken, unbefitting a festival half a century in the making.
BrianFagioli writes: Sandisk and SK hynix have published the first open technical specification for High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) through the Open Compute Project. HBF is designed to create a new memory tier between High Bandwidth Memory and traditional SSD storage, giving AI inference systems more near compute capacity without relying entirely on expensive HBM. The specification supports capacities up to 512GB using 8-high and 16-high NAND stacks, with bandwidth tiers ranging from about 0.4TB per second to 3.0TB per second. It also uses the UCIe chiplet interface, which could make HBF easier to integrate with CPUs, GPUs, and other accelerators. Google and Tenstorrent participated in the standardization effort, but commercial products and independent benchmarks are still missing.
Rhys Ifans, Matthew Rhys, Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Mark Lewis Jones among actors voicing characters from 1977 blockbuster
There are a few links between the Star Wars franchise and Wales, including the secretive building of the Millennium Falcon in an old hangar in the far south-west of the Celtic nation.
But until now, speakers of Welsh – Cymraeg – have not been able to hear the words of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia spoken in their own language.
Judge puts hold on mask ban while allowing state law prohibiting cooperation between police and ICE to stand
A New York law banning US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring that they wear visible identification has been put on hold by a federal judge. But a state law prohibiting cooperation between local police departments and ICE has been allowed to stand.
The mask ruling comes after federal judges have blocked similar laws in California, Virginia and Pennsylvania that sought to ban federal immigration agents from covering their faces. They are still required to wear agency identification badges and badge number.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Gov. Joe Lombardo told voters that Nevada’s government has limited power to reduce grocery prices, inflation and other household costs, dismissing politicians who promise otherwise as offering “bullshit.”
The Republican governor made the remarks during a July event with veterans as he campaigns for reelection against Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. Affordability is expected to dominate the closely contested race, particularly as Nevada struggles with expensive housing, child care and utilities.
Lombardo argued that national economic policy primarily determines inflation. His critics noted that he blamed former Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak for “Bidenflation” during the 2022 campaign but now separates his own administration from economic conditions under President Donald Trump.
The governor’s campaign cited nearly 100,000 new jobs, $6 billion in private investment and more than $1 billion committed to attainable housing. Critics counter that the housing initiative supports only about 5,000 homes and does little to address Nevada’s shortage of roughly 80,000 affordable units for low-income residents.
Lombardo also vetoed legislation addressing paid family leave, free school meals, prescription-drug prices and tenant protections. While governors cannot control national inflation, states can influence housing supply, taxation, utility regulation and targeted assistance.
Nevada’s affordability crisis leaves Lombardo defending both his limited-government argument and a record containing policy choices that affected household expenses.
If you’re at a restaurant and hear a ping a couple of minutes before your meal arrives at your table, it’s unlikely to be a good sign. But microwave ovens are a brilliant tool in the home kitchen. They’re fearsomely fast at heating up – or even cooking – food when you’re time-poor and lacking the energy to make something wholesome after a hard day at work. And in hot weather, cooking by microwave isn’t just quick: it also won’t warm your home.
Microwaves work best for heating food with a high water content (they make the water molecules in food vibrate to create heat). However, before testing, I asked around to find out what people use theirs for most, with a view to using this information to shape my tests. I learned a few things – like lots of people eat mug cakes. Who knew? And that wheat bags are a popular alternative to hot-water bottles. But the majority of folk use their microwave for reheating cold cuppas, defrosting frozen batch-cooked meals, warming food, popping microwave popcorn – and, of course, cooking jacket potatoes more quickly. I used these insights to shape my testing.
For the first time in his life, 17-year-old Alastair Mendoza didn’t think twice about jumping in the water. He kayaked through tangles of reeds, taking in the schools of minnows beneath him and the hawks overhead. He splashed around with friends he had made only days prior.
“I actually felt comfortable,” Mendoza said of swimming in public, something trans kids like him often struggle with. But at Color Splash Out, a four-day summer camp open to queer and trans youth in Texas, Mendoza swam whenever he could. “There was less fear of judgment and anxiety knowing that you were safe around these people,” he said.
Beginning his career as an actor, Gill went on to write plays including The York Realist as well as directing for the Royal Court and National Theatre
Tributes have been paid to the director and playwright Peter Gill who died on Monday at the age of 86. His agent Mel Kenyon said Gill’s work had a “rare emotional delicacy” and was “beautifully observed and finely tuned” while the director Michael Grandage said Gill’s “contribution to the British theatre will come to be regarded as quietly seismic”.
Gill began his career as an actor at London’s Royal Court in 1958 when still in his teens. Over the next six years, he played Silvius opposite Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind in Michael Elliott’s lauded RSC production of As You Like It, as well as several roles in the British premiere of Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle.
Aug. 4, 2026 — The processes that capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it on the seabed are crucial for climate balance. However, assessing these mechanisms is often complicated because it requires measurements ranging from the surface to the deep ocean.
In regions such as the subpolar North Atlantic, the cold and strong winter winds cool the surface water, making it much denser and heavier, causing it to sink rapidly. This process, known as ‘deep convection’, fuels the currents that connect all the oceans over the centuries, and helps regulate the global climate and carbon storage in the ocean.
The study demonstrates that this ‘underwater cascade’ acts as a mechanical shortcut, carrying living microalgae and organic debris to the seabed much more rapidly and to a greater depth than previously thought. This transport is intermittent and regional in scope, but far more efficient than the sedimentation of particles by gravity (the dominant transport mechanism).
Underwater Robotics and Supercomputing
To carry out the study, the scientific team combined real-world data with highly sophisticated computer simulations. On the one hand, they analyzed data from a fleet of autonomous underwater robots (known as Biogeochemical-Argo floats) that drift and take measurements at a depth of around 1,000 meters. Thanks to these devices, surprising peaks of chlorophyll have been detected in the depths of the Labrador and Irminger Seas, coinciding with the intense episodes of surface water sinking that occurred between 2014 and 2017.
“Finding these concentrations of chlorophyll—typically found in the sunlit surface layer—at such a depth came as a huge surprise, because normally it would have broken down long before reaching that depth,” explains Martí Galí, a researcher at ICM-CSIC and lead author of the study. “These data allow us to quantify a hitherto little-known source of carbon within the ocean and open up a vast range of possibilities for using these robots as the eyes of science in the deep ocean.”
To calculate the scale of this shortcut on a global level, the researchers used a computer model that simulates marine physics and biogeochemistry. The simulations were run using the BSC’s supercomputing resources.
“The story began right here at BSC, where we realized that we needed to better link these large-scale water movements with the carbon cycles,” recalls Raffaele Bernardello, a researcher in the BSC’s Earth Sciences Department and co-author of the study. “The simulations have enabled us to estimate that transport doubles during the harshest winters and that the carbon does not remain stagnant; rather, some of it travels laterally and is stored far from the area where it has sunk, prolonging its positive effect on the climate.”
A Feast for the Deep Ocean
Furthermore, the study indicates that in years of strong winter mixing, this mechanism contributes between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of all organic particles reaching the layers between 500 and 2,000 metres. Furthermore, by analysing the properties of the particles at 1,000 metres and comparing them with those observed by satellites at the surface, it has been found that the injected material is very rich and full of energy.
Mª Andrea Orihuela-García, who is completing her doctoral thesis at the ICM-CSIC in association with BSC, highlights the implications for deep-sea ecosystems: “This process not only serves to capture carbon from the atmosphere, but also sends energy directly downwards. These vertical currents act as a veritable unexpected seasonal feast that nourishes and energizes the communities of microbes and small animals living in the deep ocean.”
Against this backdrop, the team emphasizes the need for further research in this area to improve observations of this phenomenon and its representation in numerical models, including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Furthermore, the team emphasizes the need to maintain and strengthen ocean observation systems using satellites and autonomous robots, particularly the Argo program, an international, collaborative effort based on the principles of open science.
Finally, at a time when human activity is altering the planet’s climate and threatens to weaken water downwelling in the North Atlantic (a highly significant process), constant and global monitoring of the ocean—from the surface to the depths—is becoming more important than ever for understanding and predicting climate change.
Reference: Martí Galí et al., Convection injects labile particulate organic carbon to the deep ocean. Sci. Adv.12,eaee6883 (2026). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aee6883
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. and COLLEGE PARK, Md., Aug. 4, 2026 — IonQ, Inc. and EPB have announced plans for the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center. This will be the first dedicated next generation quantum communication research and development (R&D) innovation lab directly connected to a real-world network.
“Interconnecting quantum computers at multiple locations and linking them directly to end users lays the foundation for the full suite of applications of quantum communications,” said IonQ Chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi. “Quantum Memories that store and process quantum information over fiber channels are essential building blocks for transforming quantum machines into more powerful long-range architectures. Establishing a Quantum Memory R&D capability that sits atop a working fiber optic network will speed the development and deployment of innovative quantum technologies to accelerate commercialization of the Quantum Internet, driving economic growth and job creation within participating communities.”
Based in Chattanooga and staffed by IonQ scientists, the R&D lab will house the world’s first commercial Quantum Memory embedded within an operational communications network. Quantum Memory could help quantum computers and networks reliably share information across long distances, an important step toward connecting quantum systems in ways that support real-world commercial applications.
The initiative will be funded through a five-year $15 million commitment from IonQ, bringing some of the world’s foremost experts in Quantum Memories to Chattanooga to catalyze the local talent ecosystem. EPB will provide the live network development test bed and serve as the primary commercialization partner, translating the laboratory’s groundbreaking R&D into use-cases for both the public and private sector in the greater Tennessee Valley corridor. The Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center’s work will pave the way for EPB’s plans to interlink quantum computers, quantum research nodes and related commercial facilities, expanding the state’s already deep commitment to hosting a unique and expansive quantum ecosystem.
“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to turning quantum innovation into real-world economic and commercial value,” said IonQ’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Inder Singh. “EPB has been an exceptional partner throughout this process, and we are proud to invest in a center that will advance quantum communications while creating new opportunities for Chattanooga and the broader Tennessee region.”
“The future of economic development belongs to states that can connect research, industry and infrastructure, and Tennessee is building that future today,” said Deputy Gov. and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “The partnership between IonQ and EPB to establish the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center is exactly the type of innovation ecosystem we’re working to cultivate—bringing together world-class companies, advanced infrastructure and strategic collaboration to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation technologies. As Tennessee continues making strategic investments in quantum infrastructure and research, partnerships like this are strengthening Chattanooga and reinforcing our state’s position at the forefront of the quantum economy.”
“EPB has a long track record of putting advanced technology to work for the benefit of the people we serve—from launching the nation’s first community-wide Gigabit fiber optic network to helping accelerate the commercialization of quantum computing and communications,” said EPB President and CEO-elect Janet Rehberg. “Across Tennessee, leading universities, national laboratories and private companies are advancing quantum research and development. By partnering with IonQ, we will connect those efforts through real-world Quantum Networking capabilities and bring some of the world’s most advanced Quantum Memory expertise to Chattanooga.”
The Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center builds on the strategic collaboration EPB and IonQ established through their shared work to advance commercial quantum computing at the EPB Quantum Center. This expanded partnership further strengthens Chattanooga’s role as a catalyst for Tennessee’s emergence as a national hub for quantum innovation. The partners project that the Center itself will have a positive impact on the wider Tennessee economy totaling up to two to three times their $15 million investment, and supporting roughly two dozen jobs including research scientists, trainees and indirect and induced employment.
“IonQ’s $15 million investment in Chattanooga is a historic turning point, establishing the first Quantum Communications R&D center in the United States right here in our city,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “This commitment from IonQ, EPB, and our partners to launch the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center marks a significant milestone in our tradition of innovation. By leading the nation into the quantum era, Chattanooga is not just entering the knowledge economy—we are defining its future and ensuring revolutionary economic growth for generations to come.”
The EPB Quantum Center is home to EPB Quantum Network, which IonQ supports, as well as an IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer that is being prepared for commercial deployment.
“IonQ’s continued investment is another vote of confidence in Hamilton County and the partnerships that have positioned our community as a leader in quantum technology,” said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “EPB has helped lay the foundation for this moment, and together with our education and industry partners, we’re preparing our students and workforce to seize the opportunities this evolving industry will create, while making sure the people of Hamilton County grow with it.”
As the only U.S. quantum facility to offer commercially available quantum networking and computing, EPB Quantum offers the most comprehensive, commercially available quantum technology platform in the U.S.
Based on research by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Center for Economic Research Fellow Dr. Bento Lobo, EPB’s quantum assets are projected to generate up to $1.1 billion in community benefit in Chattanooga over the next 10 years.
Today’s news marks the latest step in IonQ’s continued presence in Tennessee and builds on its longstanding partnerships with local companies and academic institutions, including the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. IonQ and Ansys achieved a major quantum computing milestone with quantum computing outperforming classical computing when designing important life-saving medical devices. The quantum optimization method on which this achievement was based was pioneered at the Tennessee-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and successfully implemented on IonQ quantum computers.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) is the world’s leading quantum platform and foundry – delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems. Earlier systems have helped customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve a 20x performance increase over previous quantum solutions and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.
Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available through all major cloud providers, while we also meet the needs of networking and sensing customers across land, sea, air, and space. IonQ is making quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
About EPB
Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, EPB is a nationally recognized energy and communications provider with a mission to enhance quality of life for the people it serves across its 600-square-mile service area. Starting in 2010, EPB gained notice as a national model for building and utilizing its 100% fiber-to-the-home network to deliver cutting-edge services such as the world’s fastest community-wide internet, now with service up to 25 Gig, and the nation’s most advanced automated electric grid.
As a pioneer in fiber optic innovation, EPB also launched EPB Quantum to provide access to cutting-edge quantum technology platforms and help innovators bring paradigm-shifting solutions into the real world. With the launch of EPB Quantum Network in 2023 and EPB Quantum Computing (coming in 2026), EPB Quantum offers the most comprehensive, commercially available quantum technology platform in the U.S. Learn more at epb.com and EPBQuantum.com.
Suspect had a prior conviction for reportedly shooting his father in Arizona, after he told his son to do the dishes
Authorities on Monday charged a man in Washington state with starting a wildfire that has consumed almost 4,000 acres and forced tens of thousands from their homes.
Aaron F Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson for setting the Old Trails fire, the largest of three devastating wildfires burning through the region.
Jordan is convening an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Arab and Islamic world over what it says is an “imminent” threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to “trigger a religious conflict”.
The meeting on Wednesday – and the Jordanian warning – follow an escalating pattern of government-backed incursions by Jewish religious extremists on the compound around al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, in violation of a status quo treaty overseen by Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, by which only Muslims can pray at the site.
The vocal vaccine sceptic and wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff turned to the former US science adviser when she was worried about Covid. Now, she’s claiming it was a cunning plan
You should keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and Stephen and Katie Miller as far away from your general vicinity as humanly possible. Many people will not need to be told this. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, is famous for masterminding the first Trump administration’s family separation policy and Muslim ban. His wife, Katie, is similarly enthusiastic about mass deportation and has reportedly said she didn’t feel compassion for families separated at the border. Stephen met Katie when they were both working in government, but she has since left politics to start a podcast. Now she asks guests such as JD Vance important questions such as: is a hotdog a sandwich?
While I may not need to inform you that the Millers are bad news, it seems Dr Anthony Fauci is only just getting the memo. The former top US government science adviser, who helped guide the country’s Covid-19 response, was forced to appear at a US Senate committee hearing last week. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky framed the hearing as an investigation into the origins of the pandemic. Really, however, it was an opportunity for Republicans to harass Fauci, who is widely loathed among the Maga base. He has become such a target of vitriol that Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci before leaving office in case he was prosecuted by the Trump administration.
Special rapporteurs say ‘transnational repression by Indian authorities’ has put Moninder Singh in danger
UN rights experts have urged Canada to take all feasible measures to protect the Sikh activist Moninder Singh, who has been repeatedly warned by the Canadian authorities of credible threats to his life.
In a letter to the Canadian government, the five UN experts raised “concerning allegations of foreign intimidation and reprisals” against Singh, a Canadian national.
TRENTON, New Jersey — One of New Jersey’s largest cannabis operators is challenging a state requirement that companies maintain agreements with labor unions to keep their business licenses.
Verano, which operates four Zen Leaf dispensaries and a cultivation facility, filed a federal lawsuit against the Cannabis Regulatory Commission and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360. The company argues that New Jersey’s mandatory labor peace agreements conflict with the federal National Labor Relations Act.
The agreements require Verano to remain neutral during union-organizing campaigns and restrict negative statements about the union. Verano says it accepted those conditions only because refusing could jeopardize licenses supporting roughly 300 jobs.
The company wants a judge to prevent regulators from denying, suspending or refusing to renew its licenses over the mandate. It also seeks permission to void its existing agreements with Local 360.
Verano’s case follows a similar lawsuit from Curaleaf, which was fined $610,000 in 2025 over alleged noncompliance. A federal judge recently allowed Curaleaf’s challenge to continue and expressed concern that federal labor law may preempt New Jersey’s requirement, although the mandate has not been permanently invalidated.
Labor peace agreements are intended to protect organizing efforts and prevent work disruptions. The lawsuit could determine whether New Jersey may attach those worker protections to cannabis licenses.
The predictions market is planning to allow betting on clinical trial results and regulatory decisions as our family fights for his survival
My son is 12 years old. No matter how many Legos we get him, he will only build robotic mechs. He draws haunting pictures in pen and ink but refuses to take an art class. He was devastated to learn that Chuck E Cheese is phasing out its animatronics. His guidance counselor says he’s so kind, he’s really hard to say no to. He sneezes when he steps out into the sunlight. And he also has a very aggressive tumor growing inches below his heart.
Further, if Kalshi has its way, you could soon be able to bet on health treatments that could be essential to his survival.
Joshua Pederson is professor of humanities at Boston University and the author of Sin Sick: Moral Injury in War and Literature
Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, one of two Democrats in the primary for her party's Senate nomination, stands firm on backing U.S. military aid to Israel and claims opponent Abdul El-Sayed doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist.
Why Should Delaware Care? Voters’ ability to make systemic changes to the direction of their local or state government is more likely to occur in the September primary election rather than the November general election due to uncontested races. That is a trend that has only grown deeper in recent years.
More than half of all statewide or statehouse races will be decided by voters in the September primary elections as they lack a general election challenge – a sum that has steadily grown over the last five electoral cycles.
The November 2026 midterm elections will be the least competitive for statewide races in years, including the two races at the top of the ticket. While competitive federal races are on the docket for a U.S. Senate and House seat, only Democrats have filed in the races for attorney general and state auditor.
It’s the first time in at least a decade that Republicans failed to challenge Democrats for a statewide office, according to a Spotlight Delaware analysis.
The minority party has not held a statewide office since former State Treasurer Ken Simpler lost his re-election race in 2018.
At their May party convention, Republicans encouraged former U.S. Attorney Julianne Murray to seek the party’s nomination for attorney general, but she ultimately declined. Murray, who had unsuccessfully run for attorney general and governor previously, said that she was not prepared to start another campaign.
Republicans could still nominate a candidate to appear alongside the winner of a three-way Democratic primary on the November ballot, but party leaders would have to approve that nomination by Sept. 1 under state law.
Last week, Dave Graham, an Army veteran and accountant who has unsuccessfully sought both the governor’s and attorney general’s office in the last 12 years, announced that he was seeking the party’s nomination.
The attorney general does not have to be a licensed lawyer — Graham is not — but both parties have historically nominated candidates who are.
Delaware Republican Party Chair Gene Truono, who would have to sign off on Graham nomination, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
A look at the statehouse
According to Spotlight Delaware’s analysis, 60% of this year’s 55 statewide or statehouse races are uncontested or only feature a primary election.
That’s roughly double the number of races compared to 2022 and 2018, the last two midterm elections when public interest is typically lower.
That takes particular importance this year as Democrats are vying to pick up at least one additional seat to give the party a two-thirds supermajority. That would allow Democrats to amend the state Constitution without a single Republican vote.
In the House of Representatives, 25 of the 41 races either have no challenge at all or will be decided in a primary election. That includes 12 Democrats who are completely uncontested this year – nearly half of the caucus.
Five House Democrats will only have to defend their seats from interparty challenges, often from candidates supported by the Working Families Party, a progressive political organization. Meanwhile two open seats, brought upon by the retirements of Rep. Debra Heffernan and the State Senate campaign by Rep. Mara Gorman, will only feature Democratic candidates.
Just six Democratic representatives – Josue Ortega, Rae Moore, Krista Griffith, Kim Williams, Alonna Berry and Eric Morrison – must overcome both primary and general election challenges this year.
In the State Senate, three incumbents – Democrat Marie Pinkney and Republican leaders Gerald Hocker and Brian Pettyjohn – will get a free pass with no challengers.
Public will get less debate, expert says
Sam Hoff, professor emeritus of history and political science at Delaware State University, said the trend of less competitive elections will likely only further inflame growing polarization.
He noted that not putting up a general election challenge only serves to give a majority party more leverage when it comes to actually governing. By keeping elected officials on their toes about a future challenge at the ballot box, voters may see greater negotiation and compromise between the parties.
“The question that should be asked is why Republicans didn’t do that? The answers that you know, from its face, is that they didn’t think it would be competitive, or they didn’t have the funds or resources, or the candidate him or herself said that they would cover things in a sort of independent streak from the party,” he said.
“Unfortunately the old adage is true, ‘You can’t win if you don’t play.’”
How to participate in primaries
Delaware’s primary election will be held from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, with early voting running from Sept. 2 to 13 — polls are closed Sept. 6 and 7 for the Labor Day holiday.
Delaware has a closed primary system that only allows registered Democrats and Republicans to vote in their respective party races. That would exclude more than a third of all state voters, according to the most recent registration totals.
While the deadline to change one’s party for the primary election passed in May, nearly 53,000 voters statewide could still be eligible to participate in the primaries.
If you were automatically registered to vote through the issuance of a state driver’s license in recent years and didn’t select a political party, you can select a party designation at any time through election day.
The 2026 primary election will be the last to offer this option, as as recent change in Delaware law now allows individuals registering to vote through the DMV to be given the opportunity to select a political party affiliation as part of the voter registration process.
Despite Trump’s efforts to blame Tim Walz and Minnesota, officials suspect Iran behind attacks on US infrastructure
Late last week, federal authorities issued a stern warning saying “malicious cyber actors” were targeting water and wastewater facilities in at least seven states across the US. Minnesota appeared to be the hardest hit with 30 of its water systems hit by cyber-attacks, leading to disruptions in the state’s water supply.
The problems ranged from low-pressure water flow in people’s homes to some utilities announcing boil-water notices. But there have been no reports of drinking water contamination.
This crude lack of thought is influencing crucial budget decisions on HIV programmes, which were cut by 25% worldwide in 2025
At the end of July, thousands of scientists, advocates and policymakers gathered at Aids 2026, the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro, to advance the global HIV response. But during one high-profile session, a jarring moment threatened to derail our focus: a slide presented by a senior US state department official displayed a map of Africa with country names glaringly scrambled and mislabelled.
While the mistake apparently occurred due to an over-reliance on AI tools, it carried a painful symbolic weight for many of us. It reinforced a longstanding frustration: that too many political leaders treat Africa as a monolithic abstraction rather than a continent of 54 distinct sovereign nations.
A Russia-linked group tracked as Midnight Blizzard has compromised hotel and conference Wi-Fi portals worldwide, redirecting guests to phishing pages and fake software updates that steal credentials, session tokens, and other sensitive data. Microsoft says the campaign, dubbed CaptiveCrunch, "targets traveling employees generally rather than a particular sector," reports iTNews. From the report: Midnight Blizzard, tracked internally by Microsoft under its earlier codename NOBELIUM, is attributed by the US and UK governments to Russia's SVR (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki) foreign intelligence service. Microsoft's technical analysis said compromises occurred in "several countries" without naming them, and it did not give a total number of affected venues, organisations or individuals.
A related investigation published earlier in July by security firm ReliaQuest, and which Microsoft cited in its report, found compromised captive portal gateways across multiple United States cities as well as in India and Saudi Arabia, mostly at hotels. ReliaQuest said the traffic it observed came from organizations across financial services, professional services, legal, health care, energy and retail, suggesting the campaign targets traveling employees generally rather than a particular sector.
[...] Where attackers gained a foothold, Microsoft said they deployed two main tools: CornFlake, a Windows remote access trojan (RAT) written in Go capable of keylogging, screenshot and webcam capture, audio surveillance and credential and session token theft. They would also drop ChocoShell, an in-memory PowerShell infostealer targeting browser cookies, saved passwords, Microsoft 365 single sign-on (SSO) tokens and wi-fi credentials. Microsoft also said it has seen indications the attackers might be targeting Android devices with similar prompts urging victims to download and install an APK file.
Kevin Warsh would rather stay out of the fray – and thus devalue the Fed’s credibility as an economic steward
It must feel strange to argue that government action is inevitably counter-productive – illegitimate even – when the government is you.
For the last half century, the Republican party has been comfortable with the contradiction. It’s framed in that clever quote from Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural speech: “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Solutions, in this view, are delivered by free, unencumbered markets.
Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC; House House The creators of Untitled Goose Game return with an online, open-world adventure that delivers slapstick silliness and bucolic majesty in nearly equal measure
Radiant sunsets glinting on lapping waves; bushland valleys that beckon with secrets; modernist buildings sat atop craggy ridges: Big Walk’s setting is as arresting as it is beguiling – a kind of architectural fever dream transplanted to a handsome Australian wilderness – but it is the images created by players that lodge deepest in the mind. Here’s one that has stuck with me: in the black of night, cicadas kicking up an almighty din, I had lost my partner. Panic. Despair. Fear. Then, there in the far distance, I saw him signalling in my direction. He was relentlessly spamming a gigantic, ball-shaped lamp on and off, the ground around him flicking from inky dark to warm pastel pink and back again, like a single Christmas light blinking from afar.
This kind of encounter is common in Big Walk, the brilliant and whimsical new online co-op puzzler from House House, the Melbourne-based studio behind the 2019 viral hit, Untitled Goose Game. Rather than playing as a honking, mischief-making goose as you do in that game, you are a bug-eyed, gangly limbed kind of bird person (think Pingu as drawn by Mondrian) for whom getting separated from your mates is all part of the fun. That’s somewhat because this rugged terrain is dense with vegetation and cliffs to fall down, and also because the game makes ingenious use of proximity and direction-based voice audio. Step out of earshot of your party and you will find it difficult to call for one another (unless, of course, you’ve picked up a Fisher-Price-like walkie-talkie).
US president takes aim at profits as oil companies worldwide benefit from US-Iran conflict. Plus, can you tell if someone is secretly filming you with Meta’s glasses?
Good morning. Donald Trump has criticised oil companies for “making too much money” from the global energy market disruption caused by his war on Iran. The US president took aim at the windfall profits revealed last week by ExxonMobil and Chevron, and claimed the companies would “give some of that back to the public”.
The US oil companies made profits totalling more than $26bn for the three months to the end of June. Chevron reported its highest ever quarterly profit of $12.2bn, a fivefold increase on the same period last year. ExxonMobil reported a profit of $14.5bn in the second quarter, double what it made in the same period a year ago.
Is it just US oil companies profiting from Trump’s war? Europe’s largest oil company, Shell, doubled its net profit to almost $10bn in the three months to June. The crisis helped the Saudi oil company Aramco to a 44% rise in net profits, to $32.69bn, in the same period, despite disruption in the strait of Hormuz. BP has reported its highest quarterly profits since the first year of Russia’s war on Ukraine, though its new chief executive, Meg O’Neill, said there was “more to do” because BP was “not making the most” of its potential.
What is happening with Trump’s new trade tariffs? A coalition of 25 US states sued the Trump administration on Monday over new tariffs pegged at 10%-12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes that were struck down by the supreme court in February. According to the states involved in the action, tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union imposed last month cover 99.4% of US imports.
What else has happened in ICE detention this week? Attorneys for a man detained in a California immigration detention center have released footage showing him holding up a bottle of water from inside the facility that appeared to be contaminated with worm-like creatures. Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a Los Angeles man who has been detained for months at the Adelanto ICE facility north-east of LA, said the water was given to detainees to drink.
AUSTIN, Texas — Democrat James Talarico holds a narrow lead over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in another poll suggesting Texas could host one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races this fall.
The Texas Southern University survey found Talarico leading Paxton 47% to 45%, with Libertarian Ted Brown at 2% and 6% undecided. The two-point difference falls within the poll’s 2.83-percentage-point margin of error, making the contest statistically tied.
Paxton’s personal ratings present a larger warning sign for Republicans. Fifty-seven percent of likely voters viewed him unfavorably, compared with 39% who viewed him favorably. Talarico was viewed favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 47%.
Talarico led among women, younger voters, Black voters, Latino voters and independents. Paxton maintained advantages among men, white voters and Texans 55 or older. He received support from 85% of Republicans, while Talarico secured 97% of Democrats.
The result follows two other recent surveys showing Talarico ahead, including a Fox News poll placing him up three points and a Texas Public Opinion Research survey giving him a five-point advantage. However, Texas has not elected a Democrat statewide in more than three decades, and Republicans expect party voters to consolidate behind Paxton before November.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s media company is charging financial firms as much as $100,000 per month for near-instant access to Truth Social posts, creating a potentially valuable trading advantage from presidential announcements that routinely move markets.
Trump Media & Technology Group launched Truth API on Aug. 1. The machine-readable service delivers posts from 10 prominent accounts within milliseconds, allowing automated trading systems to respond before most investors see alerts or manually refresh the platform.
Trump is the sole beneficiary of a trust holding approximately 41.5% of Trump Media, while Donald Trump Jr. controls the shares as trustee. Axios reported that at least five customers have subscribed, including financial news organizations and high-frequency trading firms.
The potential value quickly became apparent. Trump’s announcement canceling planned strikes on Iran was followed by a nearly 5% decline in oil prices when markets reopened. Previous posts concerning Iran, cryptocurrencies and tariffs have also produced substantial market swings.
Democratic lawmakers argue the arrangement creates an obvious conflict between presidential authority and private profit. Sen. Mark Warner introduced legislation seeking to prohibit social media companies controlled by federal officials from selling prioritized access to their posts.
Trump Media maintains that every post is already public and that customers are purchasing delivery speed, not confidential information. That distinction does little to erase concerns about a president financially benefiting from privileged access to his own market-moving communications.
Kareem’s Quote of the Day: What happens to a democracy when vengeance, rather than law, begins jangling the keys to the kingdom?
What Damaged Trump’s Reflecting Pool?: His Fox News-Trained U.S. Attorney Says It Was “Botched Installation.”
Republicans Against Head Start for Kids: The effort to weaken Head Start shows how quickly “local control” can become a euphemism for giving children less.
Good Genes or Good Connections?: Don Jr.’s remarkable returns raise the possibility that access to power is the best business plan.
Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America: Nick Kotz’s clear-eyed history reveals that lasting progress requires strategy, leverage, and compromise.
Glen Hansard, “The Parting Glass”: This haunting farewell reminds us that the best songs can make grief feel like a hand held across the table.
Kareem’s Quote of the Day
“Little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”
Arthur Miller (1915–2005), American playwright, The Crucible
Arthur Miller testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee (Getty Images)
At the dawn of the 1950s, Arthur Miller was America’s most esteemed playwright, still basking in the glory of Death of a Salesman, his Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning 1949 drama about the death of one man’s American dream. He followed it with an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 Norwegian play, An Enemy of the People, about a man who refuses to compromise his principles even at the risk of personal and professional ruin. It spoke, obliquely, to the hysteria of the times: the Red Scare causing Americans to forfeit their constitutional rights in order to keep their livelihoods. But Miller’s next play, The Crucible, was less oblique: it found the perfect metaphor for the country’s anti-Communist hysteria in the Salem Witch Trials. Based on the manufactured accusations of disturbed teenage girls, more than 200 people were accused and 20 were executed by the local government for the practice of witchcraft.
Those girls are the “little crazy children” Miller refers to in the quote above. When I look at it now, the quote seems less applicable to the McCarthy era, when craven officials like Senator Joseph McCarthy and Congressman Richard Nixon exploited the nation’s Cold War fears for political gain, than to today, when stunted and vengeful men like President Trump, Stephen Miller, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and others in or alongside the current administration seek to punish anyone who tries to defy their will or question their beliefs.
There was a disturbing yet fascinating story in this Sunday’s New York Times about the law firm Paul Weiss, which helped to lead the resistance against the first Trump administration and tried to hold Trump to account while he was out of office. Once Trump was back in the White House, Paul Weiss became one of the first targets for Trump’s retribution campaign against law firms that had opposed him, in or out of office, which would eventually be declared illegal when the policy was taken to court. But in the meantime, Paul Weiss made the decision to settle with Trump, agreeing to perform $40 million in free legal services for clients the President favored. It was a form of ritual humiliation for a firm that had long distinguished itself by defending progressive principles, including the rights to abortion and gay marriage.
Those are big, serious issues that animate the regressive, religious right wing of Trump’s coalition. But Trump is just as vengeful, if not more so, toward people whose only fault is drawing attention to his incompetence and cruelty. Two of the stories I’ll look at this week fall into those categories: one is about a man threatened with ten years in prison for accidentally demonstrating how Trump’s ego led him to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on a defective repair job to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool; the other is about a program that tries to provide help to underprivileged schoolchildren, 65 to 70 percent of whom belong to racial or ethnic minority groups.
Writer Adam Serwer summed up the thinking behind so many of Trump’s choices in a 2018 essay for The Atlantic: “The cruelty is the point,” he wrote, referring to policies like family separation at the border, the Muslim travel ban, and the persecution of the transgender community. In authoritarian countries, cruel punishments have long been considered the best way to stop people from acting in ways the government doesn’t approve of. But there’s also the pure sadistic pleasure dictators enjoy taking against groups and individuals they dislike. That seems to be what Trump hates most about the checks and balances designed to keep him at least a little bit in line with our democratic norms. He wants to hurt people. So far, our constitutional system has managed to obstruct many of his worst instincts, but 2029 can’t come soon enough.
Luis Carlos Rúa revealed himself to be Elefante blanco just three days before election for ‘his own safety’. Now he is tackling graft from senate floor
When 102 senators were sworn in for Colombia’s latest parliamentary session, they included 32 women, 69 men – and one cartoon elephant.
He had some difficulty making his way down the narrow central aisle of Congress’s ceremonial chamber, weaving past fellow senators in sharply tailored suits and dresses, before taking the oath in his pot-bellied white plush costume.
Summer is not what it once was. We have been robbed of one of life’s great joys
Far beyond the fires raging across Europe and North America, the smoke, dangerous to breathe, hangs in the air, dimming the view, changing the very color of sunlight into something grimly unsettling.
An estimated 20,000 are said to have died in the extreme heat in Europe earlier this year, and heat is climate change’s quiet killer, compared to the dramatic violence of death by fire or flood. In eastern Washington, 600 homes have just burned down, and in both Europe and North America, firefighters have died in the effort to contain the climate-fueled firestorms.
On Tuesday, a human rights commission will hold an extraordinary hearing over the administration’s alleged attacks on protesters, journalists and others
We are constitutional law, civil rights, and human rights scholars and practitioners who have spent decades litigating government abuse cases in the United States. Despite the US legal system’s flaws, our work – from securing a record civil settlement for George Floyd’s family to holding Bolivia’s ex-president accountable in US federal court for the massacre of Indigenous protesters – has demonstrated that US courts can reign in state power and provide a path to accountability. But this pathway is narrowing.
As Donald Trump attacks the courts, weaponizes the Department of Justice, and targets attorneys who challenge his administration, we have been forced to seek justice beyond our borders.
Why Should Delaware Care? Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer created the new Office of the Surgeon General last month to work on public health messaging and advise the administration. It raised questions about duplication of roles in the Division of Public Health and the cost of the office, which remains undetermined.
Weeks after Gov. Matt Meyer announced the state would open its own Office of the Surgeon General, Delaware’s top state senator said lawmakers were blindsided by a nearly $270,000 request to fund the position.
While the position will not cost taxpayers additional money this year, it is unclear how it will be funded in the future.
Senate President Pro Tempore David Sokola (D-Newark) said in a statement Monday he supports the position, but he wants to know more about the role and how it would interact with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS).
“Unfortunately, the administration announced Dr. Hockstein’s new role before it had any discussions with the Legislature and before requesting the job reclassification necessary to create the Surgeon General position,” Sokola said in the statement.
According to a statement from the Delaware Senate Democratic Caucus, DHSS requested what is called a “reclassification,” where it would change the title and pay grade on one of its already existing positions.
That reclassified position would cost $268,795, if approved as is, according to a caucus spokesperson. DHSS requested a base salary of $200,803 for the surgeon general, but other benefits like health insurance and state retirement plans increased the proposed cost.
But the position DHSS seeks to reclassify only cost $119,668, meaning the agency must shuffle $149,127 from within its budget to fund the position the way it desires.
A spokesperson from DHSS confirmed the position would be paid for with already approved funding. It is unclear, however, from where the agency plans to reallocate more than $149,000.
DHSS submitted its funding request on July 1, after this year’s legislative session had come to a close, according to Senate Democrats. The state budget office approved the request on July 23, sending it to the Office of Controller General, the legislature’s budget analysts, where it awaits final approval.
“Discussions amongst legislative leaders are continuing as they carefully and responsibly review the reclassification request for the surgeon general position,” the Democrats’ statement said.
Representatives from Meyer’s office directed Spotlight Delaware to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) when asked about the new surgeon general’s cost to Delaware taxpayers.
Meyer signed an executive order in July creating an Office of the Surgeon General in Delaware, which will be responsible for public health messaging and improving health outcomes.
Delaware joined a handful of other states like California, Florida and Michigan that also have state-run surgeon general offices. It also comes as some states, including Delaware, have rebuked the federal government’s public health policy recommendations coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump-appointed secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Meyer selected Dr. Neil Hockstein, chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission and an otolaryngologist – better-known as an ear, nose and throat doctor – to serve as the inaugural surgeon general.
He has also worked as a physician in Delaware for decades, with ties to both local and regional health systems. As surgeon general, Hockstein will act as Meyer’s “chief physician advisor” and work as a deputy cabinet secretary in DHSS.
Who is Neil Hockstein?
Hockstein has worked in a variety of roles within Delaware, as well as in nearby Philadelphia. He is a Delaware native who grew up in north Wilmington, and has worked in Delaware as a doctor for 20 years.
Hockstein received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, graduated from Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College and completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania.
He is the chief medical officer of Parallel ENT and Allergy, which offers management support for ear, nose and throat practices and helps them to “weather healthcare sector changes.”
He is also an assistant clinical professor at Jefferson, where he teaches otolaryngology.
Hockstein currently serves as the chair of the Delaware Healthcare Commission, which is a board of health professionals responsible for recommending how to improve services in the state.
In recent months, he also has served as a close advisor to Meyer, who is a longtime friend. During the early months of the COVID pandemic, Hockstein advised Meyer, who was then serving as New Castle County executive, on the county’s virus testing program.
Now, as the state awards hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts through the federal Rural Health Transformation program, Meyer has once again turned to Hockstein.
In June, the state announced it would award a $78 million contract to Thomas Jefferson University, Hockstein’s alma mater. Bid reviews obtained by Spotlight Delaware show Hockstein sat on the scoring committee responsible for reviewing Jefferson’s bid to run Delaware’s first medical school.
Asked about his teaching role and its connection to the bid, he said because he worked as a volunteer, he did not need to recuse himself. Additionally, he said he “specifically looked into it” because of the appearance of a conflict.
“I don’t get paid for teaching them, but I teach them,” he said. “And so they give that as a sort of an honorary thing.”
As Hockstein steps into his new role, he said he plans to take a step back from a large portion of his clinical work, as well as some of his outside leadership roles. Starting at the end of July, he said he would no longer be on call for surgical emergencies. His last day in the operating room was July 28.
Why open a new government office?
Meyer announced the new office on July 13 with the goal of improving how the public receives public health messaging, as well as working on initiatives that improve health outcomes.
The state is also opening the office nearly a year after it had sparred with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over its public health recommendations and vaccine rollbacks.
Meyer’s office said in its announcement that the office was important because “federal public health agencies face growing political interference and eroding public trust.”
In September 2025, as the federal government began revising vaccine recommendations, Delaware and other states publicly countered the revised guidelines. When Delaware refuted the federal government, Meyer issued a “standing order” to pharmacists to “ensure ease of access” for people seeking the vaccines in the state.
It mirrored efforts in other states like Massachusetts, whose governor ordered her state’s insurance carriers to continue to cover vaccines, even if they were not recommended by the federal government.
Delaware joined with Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to collectively focus on “developing evidence-based recommendations on vaccinations, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and supporting state public health labs.”
Meyer also emphasized that the coalition would base its recommendations on “science” – an apparent reference to recent federal policy decisions that critics say were to appease politics and not backed up by scientific data.
Separately, the nation has had to contend with different viral outbreaks this year, including a measles outbreak, which has impacted at least 42 states.
Delaware public health officials declared a measles outbreak after confirming four cases in Kent County at the end of July. The announcement came just days after the state announced it had confirmed its first case of the virus in more than a decade.
“Science must continue to determine how we keep our state healthy, and that science says vaccines save lives and protect our communities,” Meyer said in September.
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed leads in polls against centrist Haley Stevens as party looks to regain control of US Senate
The Democratic party faces a crucial test of its direction on Tuesday as voters in the midwestern swing state of Michigan decide whether to nominate for US Senate a progressive candidate advocating for universal healthcare or an-establishment-backed moderate.
The state’s Democratic primary is the latest high-profile battle over the party’s future, as it seeks to chart a course back to power in Washington following Donald Trump’s victory in 2024.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a 21-person board to oversee water in a broad area surrounding the Nueces River, which runs through Corpus Christi, Texas. Brenda Bazán for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded with fury after Corpus Christi officials announced in March that this Gulf Coast region of more than 500,000 people could face unprecedented restrictions as its water supply dried up.
The state had already committed over $750 million in low-interest loans to the city’s plans for a desalination plant, a project that would add 30 million gallons a day to the region’s water supply. But the project had gone nowhere.
“You know what they did? They squandered it, and then they changed their plan and then they were indecisive about what to do,” Abbott said of city officials in a heated response to a reporter’s question at an unrelated March press conference.
“What Corpus Christi leaders have to do is make a decision,” Abbott said. “We can only give them a little time more before the state of Texas has to take over and micromanage that city and run that city to make sure that every resident who goes to the water tap and turns it on, they are going to be getting water out of their faucet, not because of what local leaders are doing but because of what the state of Texas will do.”
Even as Abbott was demanding that Corpus Christi get its act together, another agency, whose entire board Abbott appoints, was also coming undone.
In late June, board members of the Nueces River Authority learned that funding for a desalination plant the agency hopes to build, separate from the city’s, is months from running out. Additionally, the agency was spending more than it was taking in, and other contracts that had kept the authority financially afloat had been canceled.
Although the river authority’s project is a critical part of efforts to expand the region’s water supply, so far, the governor hasn’t threatened to take over the agency’s day-to-day operations. He’s consistently placed the burden of responsibility on the NRA board.
But Abbott has previously demonstrated that he can use his authority to compel other agencies to act: In March, he instructed a different river authority not to reduce Corpus Christi’s water allocation from Lake Texana. He also had the state’s environmental agency waive regulations so the city could move groundwater from Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, to its water treatment plant.
As far back as October 2022, while he was campaigning for reelection, Abbott said in an interview with KRIS 6 News that the state was working with the city and Nueces County on a desalination plan. If the city did not pursue the project, “then the state of Texas will do it for them,” the governor said. But the state is not currently involved in the city’s desalination project.
The governor appoints all 21 members of the NRA’s board and designates its president. With a majority vote of the river authority board, Abbott also can remove any board member for inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct. He has no such control over the Corpus Christi City Council.
Political scientists and water policy researchers who reviewed the situation told KRIS 6 News that Abbott’s decision to pressure Corpus Christi while leaving the NRA to address its problems largely on its own reflects a selective use of power. While recent rains have helped delay, though not prevent, an immediate water emergency for Corpus Christi, experts say the region still needs to develop new infrastructure projects to secure its long-term water supply.
Should water supplies drop below certain levels, Corpus Christi residents and businesses — including oil refineries and petrochemical plans — would be required to cut water use by 25 % under the city’s current Level 1 water emergency plan. Households would be capped at using 6,000 gallons of water per month, landscape watering would be banned and there would be surcharges imposed on those who exceed their allotments.
“The city of Corpus Christi needs a lot of help, it doesn’t need threats, and the Nueces River Authority is in way over its head,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. “The water crisis in Corpus Christi and beyond in Southeast Texas is serious, and it’s not clear that anyone has the breadth of authority and resources to deal with it.”
Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened Corpus Christi’s leadership over the city’s failure to move forward with a planned desalination plant, but he has largely refrained from publicly criticizing the leadership of the Nueces River Authority, even though he appointed its board. The NRA has also faced struggles in getting its planned desalination project up and running.Brenda Bazán for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune
What Power Does Abbott Have?
The public troubles for the NRA bubbled up as far back as March, when the agency’s then-chief operating officer sent a letter to board members accusing Executive Director John Byrum of making “materially inaccurate” statements about the authority’s finances related to the planned desalination project.
KRIS 6 reached out to the governor’s office in the spring about the accusations.
“Every member of a Texas board or commission should uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in service of the people of Texas,” Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris wrote in a statement. “Governor Abbott expects a thorough investigation into the allegations brought forth and for the Board to act swiftly once the investigation is complete.”
The board eventually cleared Byrum of “intentional wrongdoing,” but the NRA declined to release a copy of the investigation to KRIS 6 in response to a public information request; the Texas office of the attorney general has not yet ruled on whether the report can be withheld. The news organization asked the governor’s office for his response to the investigation and the board’s decision, but he did not respond.
The river authority’s unstable finances became even more apparent at a board meeting in late June, when the agency’s chief financial officer confirmed the NRA could be out of money for the desalination project by the end of August if certain contracts didn’t materialize. Since then, three of the agency’s desalination contracts, which the authority was depending on to stay afloat, expired and have not yet been renewed. KRIS 6 News asked the governor’s office whether it was aware of the agency’s continuing problems. Mahaleris again referred the news organization back to board members.
“The NRA Board oversees the agency’s operations and finances,” Mahaleris wrote June 27. “The Governor appoints board members to the state’s water authorities but does not manage their day-to-day operations. …The Governor expects accountability from appointed boards.”
While Abbott has no direct legal authority over the NRA’s policy decisions, he can use the power of his office to publicly pressure them, Ron Beal, a retired Baylor University School of Law professor whose work on Texas administrative procedure has been routinely cited by the Texas Supreme Court, wrote in a response to KRIS 6 News.
“He can say that when each member’s term ends, if the water project is not on its way, they will absolutely NOT be re-appointed to the job!” Beal wrote. “In other words, he cannot force them legally to follow his orders, but there is no doubt he has the bully pulpit and if anyone can pressure everyone to work together NOW and get it done ASAP, it is the Governor!!!!”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at a press conference in JuneBrenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune
In a written statement to KRIS 6 News for this story, Abbott again placed responsibility on both the Corpus Christi City Council and the NRA board but did not address most of the specific questions asked.
“Despite the temporary reprieve granted by recent rain, the Governor’s expectations for the region have not changed. … The Corpus Christi City Council created this crisis through repeated failure to act on desalination,” Mahaleris wrote. “The Council remains responsible for securing reliable water for their citizens. The Nueces River Authority Board is responsible for the agency’s finances” and the desalination project.
The governor’s office did not answer questions about whether Abbott has taken steps to coordinate among the city, the NRA and other stakeholders, or about what “accountability from appointed boards” looks like in practice.
Even as the governor’s office has publicly distanced itself from the NRA’s operations, it has fought to keep from releasing its own communications with the river authority’s leadership.
KRIS 6 News filed a public information request on July 2 seeking emails, text messages, meeting notes and correspondence between the governor and members of his staff and Byrum, the NRA executive director, and NRA board President Eric Burnett. The request covered the river authority’s desalination project and any state funding, grants or loan guarantees related to those efforts.
The governor’s office confirmed on July 17 that it had records that met the parameters of the request. It did not release them. Instead, the office asked the attorney general’s office for permission to withhold the documents. The office argued that the records relate to a proposed water facility project for which state funding may be sought and that releasing them would “seriously disadvantage Texas,” but did not explain how. Abbott’s office also said the records reflect policy advice between the governor’s office and representatives of another state agency; this type of communication can sometimes be withheld under the state’s public information law.
The river authority has struggled to keep up with the demands of the desalination project, which is estimated to cost $6.4 billion. Design work on the pipeline that’s supposed to deliver the desalinated water stalled because the river authority hasn’t offered the company building it a new contract. Byrum, the executive director, has claimed President Donald Trump promised funding for the project, but the river authority has never actually made a formal request to the White House.
Jillson pointed to a fundamental mismatch between the NRA and the scale of the desalination project it’s trying to complete. The NRA staff is small, with an annual budget of up to about $5 million. It’s governed by unpaid, part-time board members who historically meet quarterly to provide broad direction.
He said the governor should direct someone in his office to determine whether the NRA has the personnel and expertise to execute a project of this scale and, if it doesn’t, to act on that finding. Without that kind of direct link between the governor’s office and the agency, Jillson said, “what you’re saying is, ‘We expect these guys to oversee themselves.’”
Byrum wrote in a response to KRIS 6 News that the authority “has the experience to oversee” the project and the option to hire additional staff if required.
KRIS 6 News asked if the governor, or anyone in his office, was involved in the NRA’s selection of IDE.
Byrum wrote that the “Governor’s office was not involved.” KRIS 6 News asked the governor the same question, but his spokesperson did not respond.
The Nueces River Authority has proposed constructing a desalination plant on Harbor Island, a flood tidal delta on the outskirts of Corpus Christi.Brenda Bazán for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune
The Takeover Question
Abbott has a record of curbing the power of Texas cities like Corpus Christi to govern themselves. In 2015, he signed a bill that overrode a voter-approved fracking ban in Denton in North Texas and blocked cities from banning or restricting oil and gas drilling. In 2023, he signed the so-called “Death Star” bill, which preempted city authority over eight policy areas, including labor, natural resources, insurance and property.
Republican state Rep. Denise Villalobos, who represents the Corpus Christi region, previously told KRIS 6 that Abbott directed her to draft a bill that would create a state-level water infrastructure authority, something she compared to the state’s highway department.
If adopted by the Legislature when it meets next year, such an authority would take many decisions about future water supplies away from locals.
Villalobos did not comment for this story. Abbott’s office did not answer questions about the proposed legislation.
Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni told KRIS 6 this summer that his office had looked into how a takeover would work and found no examples in Texas of the state stepping in to run a water operation or water corporation. The closest parallel, he said, is the state’s ability to take over ailing school districts.
Abbott’s threat to take over Corpus Christi’s desalination project runs into other unsettled legal territory the governor’s office has not addressed publicly, said Gabriel Collins, a lawyer and research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy who studies water and energy policy.
Under Texas law, surface water, meaning rivers and lakes, is public property, giving the state a clear line of authority. Water pumped from the ground is considered private property, belonging to the person who owns the land above it, and is regulated locally.
Desalinated seawater fits into neither category. Collins said a legal case could theoretically be made that water drawn from within 3 miles of shore falls under state jurisdiction, but he said he isn’t aware of anyone making that argument in this context.
“That would be a massive shift in water policy in the state of Texas,” Collins said.
But the legal question may be less important than a practical one, Collins said. Would a state takeover of Corpus Christi water regulators, even if it could be done, actually make a difference?
“Or would you be better off resolving those fundamental problems by having the state be a catalyst and a facilitator financially that helps the local political authorities solve a problem?” Collins said.
The Pentagon is using a new method of tallying the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded in the Iran war that a U.S. government official said was “designed to obscure the count.”
Since the start of the conflict, the Department of War has posted the official count of casualties on the website of the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, which tracks “deceased, wounded, ill or injured” service members for Congress and the president. This official total of dead and wounded personnel, as documented over months of reporting by The Intercept, has been a gross undercount, stemming from what that same official previously called a “casualty cover-up.”
But after a series of Iranian strikes on U.S. facilities in the Middle East in July, the Pentagon last week rolled out a new approach. Casualties since July 7 are now counted separately on a new webpage with a generic designation: “Overseas Operations.”
Two hundred and seventy-three U.S. troops were killed or wounded since July 7, according to the Monday total on the new Overseas Operations page.
When combined with the existing DCAS page for the Iran war, the official count stands at 704, an 83 percent increase in casualties since April 8, the day the first ceasefire deal was struck between the Trump administration and Iran. When counting known casualties overlooked by the DCAS page, the total exceeds 900 personnel.
For months, the Pentagon has failed to comment on DCAS anomalies reported by The Intercept nor the reason for the change in the way it now counts casualties, which was first reported by the New York Times. Last week, the Pentagon told the newspaper that “since Operation Epic Fury has concluded, the department classifies casualties as overseas operations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.” Central Command oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
“This is certainly designed to conceal the count of the wounded,” the official said, while noting that “incompetence” has also caused confusion in the casualty count.
The change comes after a July 20 rant by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell who claimed reports of a Pentagon effort to withhold news of dozens of U.S. casualties were “baseless and malicious” and a U.S. official’s disclosure to The Intercept that same day that recent attacks on U.S. bases by Iran had wounded “far more” personnel than the Pentagon had acknowledged.
The casualty spike resulted from Iranian attacks on at least nine U.S. outposts across the Middle East since July 9, according to a second U.S. official who spoke to The Intercept on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the press.
Iran’s military managed to overwhelm U.S. air defense systems using a mix of attack drones and advanced ballistic missiles, despite months of claims by President Donald Trump and self-styled War Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s military was annihilated.
Last month, the tally of wounded personnel fluctuated by the day in the wake of increased Iranian attacks. On July 21, the casualty count on DCAS for Operation Epic Fury, the military’s official designation for the Iran war, stood at 500. Now, it has shrunk to 431.
For months, The Intercept found anomalies with the counts offered on the DCAS website. On April 21, for example, the number of wounded-in-action troops declined by 15 without public acknowledgment by the War Department. Despite repeated questions for months, the Pentagon has not commented on the disparities in its casualty count.
Prior reporting by The Intercept also found DCAS is missing hundreds of dead and wounded personnel from Epic Fury. The Pentagon list of the names of the dead is still missing Maj. Sorffly Davius, a signals and communication officer with the New York Army National Guard who was assigned to the headquarters of the 42nd Infantry Division and reportedly died of sudden illness while on duty in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on March 6. Davius’s death was widely acknowledged even as it was excluded from the the official count: Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., spoke about him during a memorial service that month, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recognized Davius while “honoring our fallen.”
While DCAS provides a running tally of “non-hostile” deaths — meaning those who died from accidents or by illness — it doesn’t include “non-hostile” injuries. The DCAS figures for Epic Fury show that 65 Navy personnel were wounded in action. Missing, however, are the more than 200 sailors treated for smoke inhalation or lacerations due to a March 12 fire that raged aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford. The aircraft carrier had been conducting round-the-clock flight operations to, Caine said, “project combat power” in the Middle East.
Recent reporting by the War Horse, using Pentagon records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, found more than 400 casualties were recorded between February 28 and April 8. Seventy occurred on March 18 alone, but this huge single-day toll was never reported by the Pentagon.
The records provide more granular detail than DCAS, revealing that at least 17 troops sustained life-threatening injuries. They show that U.S. troops suffered shrapnel wounds, broken bones, smoke inhalation, and other injuries. The most common injury recorded, however, was head trauma — which affected at least 170 troops, according to the data.
President Donald Trump has long dismissed brain injuries as “headaches” and “not serious.”
Flatwater Free Press reporters Chris Bowling, pictured, and Leah Keinama and ProPublica reporter Cassandra Garibay led the collection of soil samples to test 620 homes in Omaha for lead contamination. Lily Smith/Flatwater Free Press
Decades after the last plume of lead-laced smoke rose from a smelting plant in Omaha, Nebraska, the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica found lead in concentrations that pose a threat to people’s health in soil throughout east Omaha.
Our investigation began more than two years ago, when Leah Keinama, who previously worked for a food security nonprofit, could not find up-to-date information about lead contamination for gardeners in Omaha. Keinama, now the director of civic journalism at the Nebraska Journalism Trust, and reporters at the Flatwater Free Press knew about the city’s refining history, so they teamed up to find out whether concerns about lead exposure were still warranted all these years later.
The Environmental Protection Agency declared a 27-square-mile area within the city a hazardous waste zone, known as a Superfund site, after the American Smelting and Refining Company closed in the 1990s. That prompted a lengthy period of testing and remediation. Today, unless Omaha residents pay for private testing, there aren’t many avenues to find out how much lead is in their soil if their property had been tested by the city and EPA in the past.
An Omaha lead smelter spread dust that seeped into the soil and bodies of many residents. The EPA spent decades cleaning up the surrounding area — but not Council Bluffs, Carter Lake or Bellevue.
Throughout our reporting, we heard from hundreds of Omaha residents who said they didn’t know about the city’s lead history. Some said they believed that because the EPA had already cleaned up thousands of properties that had high concentrations of lead in the soil, there was nothing to worry about.
Our goal was to reach people in every neighborhood in and around the Superfund site. So we knocked on doors, hung up flyers around town, visited a community health center, attended multiple events, partnered with local libraries, and spoke to a college classroom to invite people to sign up for free soil testing. We also posted our online form in various social media channels and shared the news with other local media. We made our reporting available in Spanish, as roughly 10% of residents living within the Superfund site don’t speak English.
Flatwater Free Press initially partnered with local libraries and a community-based organization to distribute do-it-yourself kits with instructions on how to collect a soil sample. We received fewer than 100 samples using this method before switching to a sign-up system in which residents indicated they wanted our team to collect soil from their yard.
After a resident signed up for testing, a member of the reporting team (usually Keinama or Flatwater Free Press reporter Chris Bowling) went to their home, put on latex gloves, wiped down a stainless steel spoon with an unscented wipe and scooped about 3 to 4 tablespoons of soil from the middle of the yard into a sealable vial. We made sure not to collect samples too close to the house or too close to the road, which the EPA has found can be overly contaminated by paint or the remnants of leaded gasoline, respectively. When demand for testing increased, we hired two part-time soil collectors.
We sent labeled samples to Accurate Analytical Testing, an EPA-accredited lab, for $10 per test. Once we received the results from the lab, we informed residents (unless they had opted out of receiving their result) and put together a guide to answer some of their top questions.
Our soil collection process differed from the EPA’s method of taking multiple composite samples from five sections of the yard. We chose to take a single sample from one area of each yard to reach more people and keep costs reasonable. In a few cases, we took multiple samples from the same yard and tested each sample individually but used only the highest result for our analysis.
The EPA said sampling a single area “can be strongly biased high or low” compared to composite sampling. However, several of the nine environmental contamination experts we spoke to said single samples can offer broad conclusions about contamination in an area when enough are collected, which several experts felt we had achieved. Some said our sampling would likely underestimate contamination on a property.
Other experts said our testing method would not accurately depict lead levels across a particular yard because of how variable the contamination can be. At the same time, experts also told us the EPA’s method of gathering multiple composite samples can still miss hot spots or underestimate contamination.
What We Found
Over the past two years, we used the EPA’s sampling protocol as guidance to collect soil from 620 homes in and just outside of the Omaha Superfund site. (We’re continuing to collect samples from the nearby cities of Bellevue, Nebraska; Carter Lake, Iowa; and Council Bluffs, Iowa.)
We matched each home at which we took a soil sample with Omaha’s lead registry, which includes details like the address’ remediation status and results of the EPA’s testing, and compared our test results with historic data. Some homes that had previously undergone the EPA’s remediation process had high levels of lead contamination, our analysis found.
We tested 150 previously remediated yards. One in 10 of those yards’ results came back with a concentration greater than 400 parts per million, the level the EPA used to decide which yards to clean up.
Nearly all of the previously remediated yards that tested above 400 parts per million are within 100 yards of another property that originally tested above the EPA cleanup threshold but was never remediated. A third had two such neighboring properties. That proximity could mean that the previously cleaned-up yards we tested were recontaminated by properties where the soil was never replaced, one expert said.
Many of the 241 homes we tested within the Superfund site that had never been remediated also showed high levels of lead. Of those homes, 1 in 20 had a concentration higher than 400 parts per million, according to our test results.
Across Omaha, 41% of the 620 yards we tested had more than 100 parts per million in their soil sample, a level that an EPA model shows could cause high blood-lead levels in children. Within the Superfund site, more than half of the almost 390 yards we tested had more than 100 parts per million.
Our testing shows that lead contamination at levels that pose a risk to residents’ health is fairly widespread — even in sites that the EPA previously addressed.
Throughout our reporting, we spoke to nine experts in environmental and lead contamination to make sense of our findings. Several said the EPA should do more testing and possibly cleanup in Omaha.
We asked the EPA about our findings. The agency said it will work with the city of Omaha to “investigate the outcomes you have noted” and work with the city and property owners to take corrective action if needed in accordance with 2009 cleanup guidelines.
High levels of microplastics and other plastic contamination have been discovered in a waterway close to a major recycling hub in Turkey supplied with plastic waste by British companies.
The polluted waterway, which floods into agricultural fields after heavy rain, feeds into a larger canal used for irrigating crops on the Çukurova plain, in the city of Adana, in the south of the country. It is one of the largest and most fertile agricultural basins in Turkey.
From left, Brenda González Rocha holds her 8-month-old, Isaías, as González’s daughters Carolina, 6, and Camila, 8, play on the trampoline in their backyard in June. González’s front yard tested high for lead, and she is concerned how the contamination could “affect their quality of life.” Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
Shortly after buying her house in 2022, Mary Royers learned from a man across the street that her Omaha, Nebraska, neighborhood was contaminated with lead. But her yard, like thousands of others, had been cleaned up, the neighbor said.
Royers wanted to be sure. So the 36-year-old educator checked a website where the city tracks the soil test results of every home in a 27-square-mile area surrounding the site of an old lead smelter. She saw “remediated” written in bright green letters. The federal government had completed the work two decades ago. An expert must have tested the dirt and determined the problem was solved, she thought.
Relieved, Royers set about sowing the garden of her dreams. Hours disappeared as she thrust her hands into the soil, tearing up the grass and planting purple coneflower for bees to harvest and prairie grass to sway in the breeze.
“You have the green light from the city. That means everything’s safe,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘Thank God I don’t have to worry about that.’”
But a soil test conducted last fall by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica found otherwise: Royers’ yard still has more than 1.5 times the level of lead that the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup was supposed to have eliminated.
Reading the emailed results, she felt “gut-wrenching disbelief,” she said.
“All I could think about was the dirt under my nails and all over my face,” said Royers, who has largely given up gardening for now. She explained later, “It felt like a betrayal of that trust.”
Since 1999, the EPA has spent $273 million digging up and backfilling nearly 14,000 yards across east Omaha to address contamination left from the smelter and other factories downtown. It’s the largest residential lead cleanup in the country. And the agency’s Superfund program has repeatedly heralded it as a success.
But, it turns out, Omaha’s soil might not be as safe as officials have advertised. The news organizations tested soil from more than 600 properties, including 150 that the EPA said had been cleaned up. In those tests, 1 in 10 yards marked as remediated still had enough lead to qualify for cleanup under the original guidelines. And nearly a quarter of the properties we tested in east Omaha could qualify for further study under new guidance released by the Trump administration last fall.
The results suggest the EPA has more work to do, said Howard Mielke, a longtime researcher of lead-contaminated soil who’s considered one of the field’s foremost experts. Not only should the agency clean up the areas that tested above the remediation level, he said, but it also should test other homes.
“If you find a couple of high results, chances are many high results will be nearby,” said Mielke, an adjunct professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine.
Some experts and environmental advocates said our findings reflect weaknesses in the EPA’s approach to cleaning up residential lead sites, which can leave a lot of lead behind.
Jeff Tittel, former director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey, the state with the most Superfund sites, said he repeatedly watched the EPA declare its work done after wrongly assuming everything had been cleaned up.
“On paper, everything’s wonderful,” he said, “but at the sites, there’s still chaos.”
Mary Royers washes her hands in her kitchen after being outside in her garden. She has largely stopped gardening after a Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica soil test found high levels of lead contamination.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
The EPA declined an interview request with senior officials overseeing the Omaha cleanup.
In an emailed response, spokesperson Kellen Ashford said the EPA is committed to cleaning up contaminated sites to protect residents and the environment. “The diligent cleanup efforts have led to a dramatic decrease in elevated blood lead levels” in Omaha, he said. (While the percentage of kids testing high for lead has dropped significantly, as it has nationally, kids in the Omaha site still test high for lead at rates above the national average.)
Ashford said the EPA could not assess the news organizations’ results without further investigation, but property owners can reach out to the EPA or the city of Omaha, which now manages the site for the federal government, if they have concerns.
“Because it would not be possible to completely remove all lead,” Ashford said, the EPA and the city also try to educate the community about lead risks and precautions.
The city is already responding to the news organization’s findings.
The day after receiving her results, Royers forwarded them to the city’s lead office, asking if anything could be done. An employee tested her dirt and found even higher levels than the news organizations did. The city plans to clean the yard up again in August, Royers said.
But the EPA and the city have refused to clean up or test properties of others who have reached out about their high lead results.
The agency has also not said what it plans to do about properties that are below the current cleanup level but above President Donald Trump’s new screening level, which could prompt further action. Any update would come after a new site study the agency plans to release in October 2027, Ashford said.
Royers and her partner, Stephen Matthews, are thankful for the new cleanup, but they wonder: How many other Omahans may be misled or unaware about lead contamination in their yards?
“We’re one house out of thousands,” Matthews said.
Stephen Matthews, Royers’ partner, in their wildflower garden. Though the soil outside their home was remediated years ago, a recent test by Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica indicated a high level of lead.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
What Might Have Gone Wrong
It’s difficult to identify why some cleaned-up properties still test high for lead.
That’s in part because Omaha’s lead problem is almost as old as the city itself. The American Smelting and Refining Company produced lead to make batteries, cover cables and enrich gasoline for more than a century. After the smelter closed in 1997, the EPA estimated the plant and other factories had dumped 200,000 tons of lead dust — enough to fill at least 1,600 rail cars — across Omaha’s east side.
At the time, the Superfund program, which had started only a decade before, was still trying to figure out how to clean up residential sites like Omaha’s, then home to 125,000 people. Old factory sites could be bulldozed and excavated, the contaminated material carted away. But the Omaha site involved people’s homes and yards.
The agency tested nearly every yard in east Omaha and came up with a plan: It would dig up and replace parts of yards that had a concentration of more than 400 parts per million of lead — the equivalent of a marble in a 10-pound bucket of dirt.
But that meant that some properties were cleaned up while neighboring ones that had only slightly lower levels of lead were not.
Hewing to that kind of strict standard doesn’t make sense, said Gabriel Filippelli, an Indiana University earth sciences professor and longtime lead researcher.
“From a scientific standpoint, a 390 is the same as a 410,” Filippelli said. “It’s the same as a 400. They’re all about the same value.”
Failing to clean up neighboring properties can also lead to recontamination over time. When it’s windy and the ground is dry, tiny lead particles in the dirt — generally about one-hundredth the width of a human hair — become airborne and spread, Filippelli said.
When the Superfund program started, the agency cleaned an entire yard if its average lead level among multiple samples was over the limit.
But by the time the Omaha cleanup started, the method had changed. In Omaha, it divided yards into five sections: two in the backyard, two in the front yard and a thin ring around the home’s perimeter called the dripline, which often contains the most contaminated dirt but can also contain remnants of lead paint.
The agency took multiple samples per section of yard and replaced a section’s soil only if the average was over 400 parts per million. This approach could lead them to miss hot spots or leave behind areas that have high lead levels but are just under the cleanup threshold. Contractors also did not dig up the driplines if another part of the yard wasn’t over the limit.
This could explain why the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica’s testing found that about 1 in 20 homes that didn’t qualify for cleanup originally now tested above the cleanup threshold. In addition, the news outlets found several properties outside the Superfund site that were over the limit.
Royers saves seeds from flowers in her garden before the soil is scraped away for remediation. Royers considered gardening to be something healing, so she was frustrated to learn it might actually have been harmful.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
In the early days of the cleanup, Don Preister, a longtime Omaha lead advocate and former state senator, argued for the EPA to clean up entire yards and to lower the level of lead that would qualify for remediation, calling the agency’s solution a half-measure.
But the EPA decided that its approach made the most of limited money and prioritized the highest-risk areas. One EPA manager told Omahans in 2004 that the choice to remove only sections of yards was “economical,” according to meeting records.
“It brought out feelings of hurt,” Preister said of the EPA’s choice. “Children are likely to still be impacted, and their health affected.”
The EPA’s national guidelines did advise against “‘patchwork clean-up’ patterns which are prone to recontamination” when adjacent sections are high. But the agency didn’t give clear guidance on how to implement that, several former site managers said, and some felt they had to follow the rules strictly or risk violating federal law or agreements with companies paying to clean up their pollution.
Ashford acknowledged that the agency has to adhere strictly to its cleanup plans but said in some cases, like an industrial site near a residential area, the EPA may clean up to a lower level to prevent recontamination.
Another problem was that east Omaha was full of older homes that contained lead paint that could recontaminate cleaned soil over time. Following local pressure, the EPA agreed to test homes’ paint. If it contained lead, the agency repainted the outside. But the EPA did not repaint houses whose soil did not also qualify for cleanup. Studies in urban areas have found homes with deteriorating paint have contaminated nearby gardens.
Ashford said an EPA study found most lead-based paint contamination in Omaha was within 6 feet of the house.
Brenda González Rocha, who has lived in her south Omaha home since 2020, thinks both soil and paint are to blame for the lead that doctors found in her 4-year-old daughter’s blood. Her basement had lead paint, which she hired a company to fix.
But although the EPA cleaned up her yard in 2012, the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica tests found levels of lead that are higher than before the agency remediated it. González is surrounded by properties with lingering lead. A yard down the street that had high lead levels was never remediated. The banks of the nearby highway were never dug up and replaced. The house next door has lead paint on it, according to the city lead website.
Ashford said it’s unlikely that wind-blown dust from one house to another would recontaminate cleaned areas with enough lead to surpass the cleanup level.
But nearly all the remediated properties the newsrooms tested that were over the cleanup threshold are within 100 yards of a property that originally qualified for remediation but wasn’t cleaned up. A third had two such neighboring properties.
González’s eight kids, between 8 months and 22 years old, love to play outside. They jump on the trampoline, ride bikes and play soccer. Now González is anxious whenever they’re in the yard.
“I worry that this could affect their quality of life,” she said. “I would feel bad if something happened to them during their development. I would feel responsible.”
González and her daughter Camila help feed soup to Isaías at home. González’s front yard tested high for lead, and she is worried about letting her children play outside.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
“Benign Neglect”
Once the EPA chooses a fix for a Superfund site, it is generally required to review the site every five years to update the public on the progress of the cleanup. But the ways those reviews are done leave unanswered questions about whether the solution is working and how much lead is in Omaha today, said experts who examined the reports for the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica.
In their reviews, government officials in Omaha track how intact the grass is on top of the new soil. If it is exposed or has been disturbed, it could be a sign that any remaining lead is no longer safely underground and could blow around.
But they don’t retest a representative sample of properties.
An Omaha lead smelter spread dust that seeped into the soil and bodies of many residents. The EPA spent decades cleaning up the surrounding area — but not Council Bluffs, Carter Lake or Bellevue.
Cleanups often take several tries to get right, said Tittel, the former New Jersey Sierra Club director, and recontamination or missed contamination can be a huge problem.
Tittel said he has seen similar patterns in New Jersey. In 1979, Tittel helped show EPA employees where the Ford Motor Company dumped industrial waste into abandoned mine pits. Since then, he has seen the mess declared a Superfund site, marked safe, become a Superfund site again and spawn a lawsuit that Ford settled in 2009 as locals continued discovering more hazards.
“It’s sort of a benign neglect when it comes to these sites,” Tittel said. “Government just wants to get it over with because it’s taking so long. They end up cutting corners or looking the other way.”
A Ford spokesperson said the company takes its environmental responsibility seriously and has been working with state and federal officials to clean up the site.
Retesting soil does not appear to be standard at other sites, according to reviews examined by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica. But it should be, said Debbie Chizewer, a managing attorney with the environmental law group Earthjustice. Without ongoing testing, the EPA can’t really know if its solution is working, she said, and residents won’t know how toxins in the environment are impacting their health.
“I think for the five-year review to be meaningful, you need to do testing,” she said.
Ashford said the EPA retests properties on a case-by-case basis, such as when construction disturbs the soil. The periodic reviews, which in Omaha have led to an ongoing reevaluation of the site’s cleanup level, allow the EPA to ensure these unique, complex sites protect people and the environment over time, he said.
Steve Zivny, who leads Omaha’s Lead Information Office, also said new testing and cleanup decisions depend on factors such as whether kids live at the home and whether they have tested for a high lead exposure.
Camila, Carolina and Isaías play together at home. Their mother keeps indoor toys inside and outdoor toys outside to avoid lead contamination inside the house.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
The EPA’s reviews of the Omaha site do point to some potential problems. In 2024, inspectors found 98% of the lawns had been disturbed, indicating a risk that buried lead could be exposed. That includes having weeds, bare soil or demolished buildings. But the EPA tested only 32 sites where homes had been demolished and found six exceeded the cleanup level. To them, that indicated the solution was “generally protective; however, more data should be collected to support this conclusion,” according to the report.
Those figures, however, trouble Ian von Lindern, who oversaw lead cleanup at an Idaho Superfund site for more than 30 years. He doesn’t doubt the federal government did a good job hauling away tons of toxins in Omaha. But he’s sure they couldn’t get all of it.
At the Idaho site, the EPA requires people to request permits from a local health district before digging in their yards. Local health employees can also test residents’ dirt, and, if it’s above the cleanup level, it may qualify for further remediation.
Without someone keeping a close eye on the fixes, recontamination can occur as people dig up lead-contaminated soil or unremediated soil is allowed to blow around.
“Those remedies are, I don’t want to use the word failing, but they’re becoming less effective,” he said.
Royers worries many homes in Omaha fit that description.
This summer, the educator is letting the weeds grow freely in her garden. Pretty soon, the city is going to replace it anyway.
The thought makes her feel guilty. More people should know about potential lead in their yard and have access to tests and cleanups. But that would require acknowledging that after decades and hundreds of millions of dollars spent, there are cracks in the cleanup. Royers isn’t sure that will happen.
“The priority is pretending like things are OK,” she said. “Clearly it’s not.”
Royers walks to her garage. She and Matthews wonder how many other Omahans may be misled or unaware about lead contamination in their yards.Rebecca S. Gratz for ProPublica
The one wheel looks fun and practical but, I am having trouble justifying the large price tag if I will rarely use it. I think I would use it more if I could take it down trails for hiking. I think I would use it if a safe too speed is 30 miles an hour. I can think of few reasons to ride it other than just for the hell of it. Is it acceptable to ride in public places such as malls? Clearly I have questions would you all share your experiences and bring me over with the pros and cons.
Donald Trump has criticised oil companies for “making too much money” from the global energy market disruption caused by his war on Iran.
Brent crude had been trading at about $70 (£52) a barrel before the first US-Israeli strikes at the end of February, but by the end of April it had soared as high as $126 and is now trading at about $85 a barrel.
I've never owned a onewheel but did ride a skateboard when I was younger. Recently came across a XR with a bad battery and or bms. The seller says the light blinks when charging and won't turn on. Also flickers when the wheel spins. The price they are asking is 630$ which I think is steep but I haven't found anything better near me. I'm also open to vsec in the future as I mainly want this for a ride around the town board mainly to get to work and back.
Journalist’s son says his mother was examining leak from Electrogas, part owned by Yorgen Fenech who is on trial
Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption by the businessman Yorgen Fenech and members of Malta’s government when she was killed, a jury has heard.
The heir to one of Malta’s biggest fortunes, Fenech is on trial for murder, accused of commissioning and paying for Caruana Galizia’s killing in a car bombing in October 2017.
Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Behind the Black: In a new bid to get the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to move from Hawaii, which has blocked its construction for more than a decade, the Spanish government has put together a $1.14 billion package that would not only pay for construction on the Canary Islands, but would finance an additional half century of operations. Tech Times provides some additional details: The package is conditional on the TMT International Observatory formally choosing La Palma as its construction site. The financing architecture has three pillars and two additional contingent instruments. The first pillar is 400 million euros (approximately $456 million USD) from Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, routed through the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI). This figure was first pledged a year ago in July 2025 as Spain's initial bid.
The second pillar is a 300 million-euro (approximately $342 million USD) loan from the EIB [European Investment Bank] itself -- subject to satisfactory completion of the bank's technical, financial, and legal due diligence and approval by its governing bodies.
The third is a potential 300 million-euro (approximately $342 million USD) participation from the Instituto de Credito Oficial (ICO), Spain's state development finance institution, evaluated under equivalent conditions to the EIB loan but subject to its own separate analysis. Spain's export credit agency, Cesce, may also provide coverage instruments, and the EIB has left open the possibility of expanding its support through intermediated financing mechanisms or guarantees.
Most of the zoo’s 16 lions have struggled to cope with high humidity this summer
Three lions from a Tokyo zoo have died from suspected heatstroke and others are undergoing treatment, a spokesperson said on Tuesday, as the big cats struggle in Japan’s high levels of humidity.
Large tabby cat that wiped out dozens of rare pāteke, or brown teal, has been killed after eluding trappers with its ‘very erratic’ behaviour
A notorious feral cat given the name “Nine Lives” because it eluded trappers for three years has been caught and killed in New Zealand, ending its devastating rampage against one of the country’s rare duck populations.
The cat, a large grey tabby, is estimated to have killed dozens of New Zealand’s rarest mainland duck – or 1% of its population – plus a host ofkiwi chicks, native geckos and other native wildlife during the three years it was known to be roaming the Purerua peninsula, near the top of the North Island.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal prosecutors have dismissed the remaining three cases alleging vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, ending all four prosecutions launched after the Trump administration blamed individuals for damage later attributed to defective renovation work.
The misdemeanor charges against Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby and Cameron Thiers followed a felony indictment against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn. Prosecutors dropped Hearn’s case Friday after Interior Department records showed the pool’s peeling liner resulted from a rushed and flawed installation rather than vandalism.
Hearn’s attorneys had argued that the government’s own witness acknowledged substantial preexisting damage and could not identify repair costs caused by Hearn. Despite that evidence, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro initially presented the prosecution as a straightforward property-destruction case.
The consequences were not limited to court appearances. Carreno’s attorney said his client lost his government contracting job after his arrest and could no longer afford his home. Attorneys for the other defendants described weeks of fear and reputational damage caused by accusations that should have been investigated before charges were filed.
President Donald Trump has continued insisting that vandals damaged the pool, despite his own Justice Department abandoning every case. The dismissals leave four people to absorb the damage caused by prosecutions built around an administration narrative the evidence did not support.
Campaigners say people who have had cancer face discrimination in areas including bank loans, adoption of children and insurance
German politicians who have survived cancer have spearheaded proposals to protect people long in remission from what they call rampant discrimination in areas including bank loans, adoption of children and insurance.
The policy known as “the right to be forgotten” (RTBF) is a central demand of a community estimated to number 5.5 million people in Germany: former cancer patients who have been given a clean bill of health by their doctors.
Inside Skyral, part of a consortium that won a £2bn MoD contract to help forces game out complex decisions
On a sunny July day in Riga, Latvia, a Nato convoy drives down a street lined with kebab shops and a pharmacy. At a downtown intersection, there is the sound of an explosion and the lead tank bursts into flame.
These are real streets in Riga – Lāčplēša iela and the downtown corridor of Tērbatas iela. The kebab shops and the pharmacy are on them. The pedestrians who flee after the tank explodes and huddle at a distance are modelled after the population of Riga: some old, some young, some friendly to Nato, others less so.
Farmers warn impact of high temperatures, drought and wildfires on range of foodstuffs means costs will increase
Farmers across Europe are warning of a slump in food production and rising prices as crops from maize to salads suffer as a result of extreme heat, drought and wildfires.
Olive groves have also been hit as the climate crisis drives temperatures across the continent to fresh record highs, meaning the cost of olive oil – already at elevated levels – is expected to start rising again.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Forbes: The cost of producing new results on ten longstanding mathematical problems just fell to $2,000, according to OpenAI, which says its Astra model generated machine-checkable proofs for questions that had resisted human progress for decades. OpenAI published the work on August 1 and used it to give its next major model family a name: Astra. The results run across group theory, high-dimensional geometry, coding theory, quantum complexity, lattice cryptography and extremal combinatorics. They arrived as a 249-page manuscript collection and, alongside it, something the field has not seen attached to an AI claim before at this scale: a machine-checkable certificate for every single result.
The problems were not textbook exercises dressed up as discoveries. Each had been open for at least ten years, most of them far longer, and several sit at the center of their subfields:
- A construction establishing the existence of non-sofic groups, a question that has occupied group theorists for years.
- A disproof of Connes's rigidity conjecture, a long-standing problem in the theory of von Neumann algebras.
- An improvement to the general upper bound on sphere-packing density in high dimensions, a bound that had stood since 1978.
- Three problems come from the catalogue of open questions left behind by Paul Erdos. The announcement follows another result from May, when OpenAI used a similar reasoning model to produce an original mathematical proof disproving a famous unsolved conjecture in geometry, which was first posed by Paul Erdos in 1946.
A man was found guilty of murder, among other charges, for killing a university student while driving a stolen U-Haul van on Main St. in April of last year.
Gordon Turner, a 23-year-old New Castle resident, was identified as the driver of the stolen vehicle by the Newark Police Department shortly after the incident. He was fleeing from the police when he killed Marina Vasconcelos, a university student, and critically injured another.
On June 5, Turner was officially convicted of murder in the first degree, manslaughter, two counts of assault in the first degree, six counts of assault in the third degree, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, disregarding a police signal, reckless endangerment in the second degree and theft of a motor vehicle.
Last year, on April 29, officers approached Turner and the passenger in the van while they were parked because the U-Haul was past due. He sped away as they approached, colliding with a police car. Although the police did not pursue the vehicle, Turner continued to speed down Main St., resulting in the fatal crash.
Vasconcelos was a 24-year-old, third-year doctoral student pursuing a degree in chemistry and biochemistry at the university. Another graduate student was critically injured in the crash, along with minor injuries to other pedestrians.
Since the crash, students and community members have called for change regarding pedestrian safety on major roads surrounding the university.
“This conviction is an important step toward justice for the victims and their families, who have endured unimaginable loss and pain,” Newark Police Department Chief Mark Farrall said in a statement.
As he waits for his sentencing to be scheduled, Turner faces a minimum mandatory life sentence in prison.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five federal employees have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s exclusion of gender transition treatments from government employee health insurance plans.
The lawsuit alleges the Office of Personnel Management violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex. The plaintiffs seek treatments for themselves or covered family members and argue that the policy singles out transgender and gender-nonconforming employees.
Beginning in January, federal and postal employee health plans generally stopped covering hormone therapy, hysterectomies and other procedures when provided for gender transition. The same treatments may remain covered when prescribed for other medical purposes. Limited continuation exceptions are available for some people already receiving care.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation said affected workers have considered draining savings, delaying treatment or leaving federal employment because they cannot afford care independently. A UCLA Williams Institute estimate cited by the plaintiffs indicates the change could affect at least 39,400 employees, retirees and dependents.
OPM maintains that its policy complies with President Donald Trump’s directive recognizing sex as biologically fixed and requiring federal insurance programs to exclude transition-related procedures. The plaintiffs are asking a federal court to restore coverage and prohibit enforcement of the exclusion.
On Tuesday, we’ll bring you the latest from Michigan where voters will head to the polls for competitive primaries in Senate and House races.
The most closely watched competition is the Democratic primary for the US Senate, where congresswoman Haley Stevens is up against former public health official Abdul El-Sayed. They’re vying to ultimately win the seat of outgoing senator Gary Peters in November. The race has now turned into a proxy battle for the future of the Democratic party. Establishment-backed Stevens has received support from party leaders and her race has been buoyed by millions from the pro-Israel lobby. Meanwhile the insurgent El-Sayed has built a strong grassroots movement and is endorsed by progressives lawmakers in the Democratic caucus.
So I recently inherited a pint x from someone who needed to get rid of it and since it doesn’t turn on nor react to the charger, I assumed it was a battery problem and decided to order a new one from a company recommended on this subreddit. While I’m not 100% sure that the battery is if not the main issue, I wanted to know whether going for the upgrade is worth it. Now I don’t know much about batteries and “mah” but can anyone tell me how it would improve board performance? Does it extend range? Would it go faster? Thanks.
Residents and farmers say contractors have tapped border aquifers that threaten water supply for those nearby
Construction crews building a border wall in New Mexico were ordered to stop drilling new wells after ranchers said that pumping groundwater to produce concrete could threaten their livestock amid a severe drought.
The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of Donald Trump’s key domestic priorities – barriers that span four states and received over $46bn in federal funding. Controversies have sprouted up in Texas and California, and border-town residents and environmentalists have reported a wide variety of issues with construction.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro met with President Donald Trump at the White House Monday after he publicly accused her of mishandling the failed prosecution of a former Olympian charged with damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Pirro’s office moved Friday to dismiss the felony case against David Hearn, 67, after evidence indicated that defects from a recent renovation—not vandalism—caused the pool’s damaged lining. Prosecutors subsequently dropped related charges against three other people.
Trump told reporters Pirro had “choked” and “folded like an umbrella,” blaming judicial pressure for the reversal. ABC News reported that Trump had privately discussed removing Pirro before their meeting. She was not fired and did not submit her resignation, according to subsequent reporting.
Pirro’s office initially announced the charge with confidence, alleging Hearn tore the pool lining and caused costly damage. Its dismissal motion later blamed the Interior Department for failing to provide information showing that flawed contractor work was responsible.
The reversal raises serious questions about why prosecutors filed a felony charge before establishing the cause and extent of the damage. Hearn had pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys maintained that government witnesses could not prove he caused any compensable loss.
Prime minister Sanae Takaichi visited Kumamoto prefecture almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 quake hit, killing 38 people
Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has visited the south-western prefecture of Kumamoto, where recovery efforts are being hampered by heat and a lack of water supplies, almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake killed dozens and caused widespread damage.
Thirty-eight people died during the quake, including one person who died of apparent heatstroke while taking shelter in a car in hot weather, officials said on Monday.
I hope it's alright to post this here, I've mostly lurked but I made something I thought is cool so wanted to share. I created Last Alarm which let's you create custom task alarms you have to verify to turn off and one of the alarms I occasionally use is to remind (force) myself to go out for a ride.
I bought a Pint new last year, and yes I know I probably over payed for it but I wanted the cheapest option available and didn't want to deal with buying used and potentially having to fix something.
I'd wanted a Onewheel for years, literally probably a decade. I remember seeing one on my college campus when the original kickstarter came out in like 2014-2015 and wanted one ever since. Well, like I said I finally got one last year and it's exactly as much fun as it looks like and I was hoping it would be.
I really love riding it, I guess I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm just so glad that I finally got one. Reminds me a lot of snowboarding but a lot less expensive.
As much as I love riding it, I only have like ~450 miles on it. The issue is of course that it's a Pint, so it's difficult to ride it hard or far. I can go far if I bring my fast charger with me but then I just spend a bunch of time finding outlets and charging which is boring. And if I ride hard I only get like 6 miles, maybe less.
Also from my place when I go for a ride, about half the ride kind of sucks as it's just getting to the nicer area. I suppose I can't complain, I'm sure I have a lot better riding than a lot of people, but with the pint that means I can only ride like 15-20 minutes in the nicer area.
All that is to say a lot of times I talk myself out of going for a ride or am just being lazy. So occasionally on the weekends I'll create an alarm for myself to sort of force me to get out of the house and ride. I'm always glad I did once I'm riding, I'm just not as consistent as I'd like to be.
Anyway, just wanted to share my love of riding and I made this clip anyway so I figured I would share it here.
Populist Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens top the Democratic field going into Tuesday's Senate primary. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is running unopposed for the GOP nomination.
Would you go for the rally edition? i’m already very much reaching for the GTS alone so I probably won’t, but i’m just confused on what that exactly brings to the table - especially because here it advertises a 25 mph top speed, but I thought the stock GTS is already supposed to go 25?!
can someone explain please? The only reason i’m getting the GTS is for that 25 mph speed… so can someone confirm or not whether the stock GTS will still achieve that?
Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback calls failure to pay Briana Whatley money owed ‘an oversight’
A far-right Republican candidate in Florida’s governor’s race has been accused of stiffing a high school debate champion over the better part of $11,000 in scholarship money she won from a company he founded.
Student Briana Whatley landed the awards as regional and national champion of Incubate Debate, a league-style competition set up by the candidate, James Fishback, to encourage youth to engage in political discourse.
PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5; Game Freak/Fictions Game Freak channels a post-apocalyptic reality that reflects our own repetitive erosion cycles, with a fair bit of hand-holding
Most of your time in Beast of Reincarnation is spent collecting last words. You cross paths with robots lying on the ground, who muster whatever energy they have left to provide guidance. These interactions are fleeting. Attempt to talk to them a second time, and protagonist Emma makes their fates painfully clear: “They’ve already passed on.”
The latest detour by Game Freak, the studio best known as the primary developer of Pokémon games, is an action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Japan. Taking cues from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and NieR: Automata, you wield the sword of an outcast accompanied by an ever-loyal canine. The pair embark on a taxing and often monotonous journey to defeat the titular beast, which nonetheless serves a thematic purpose to bolster a decaying reality, while reflecting a possible future for ours.
The Justice Department argued that the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters had until Jan. 6, 2023, to sue the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, missing the deadline to file a lawsuit by over two years.
Democrats say agreement – which clears way for Blanche’s confirmation – makes promises president can easily reverse
A compromise between Todd Blanche and two Republican senators that potentially cleared the way for Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is weak, Democrats and several experts said, as it makes promises Donald Trump can easily reverse.
Blanche, the acting attorney general, posted two documents on Sunday evening showing he was withdrawing an 18 May order allowing for the creation of a $1.8bn anti-weaponization fund and clarifying that broad tax immunity the justice department granted to Trump only applied retroactively to the president, his sons, and businesses.
Computer scientists who can’t get enough FP64 performance for their modeling and simulation workloads, and who aren’t interested yet in trying out emulation methods such as the Ozaki scheme, may be interested in AMD’s upcoming Instinct MI430X GPU, which is expected to deliver a whopping 288 teraflops of native double-precision performance when it ships in early 2027. That’s nearly 9x more than Nvidia can muster with its Rubin GPU, and nearly 40% more than we expected.
The performance numbers that AMD shared during its Accelerating AI 2026 launch event two weeks ago are gaudy. The highlight of the show arguably was the AI-oriented MI455X GPU, which was built on AMD’s new CDNA 5 architecture and features 40 petaflops of FP4, 432 GB of HBM4 capacity, and up to 23.3 TB per second of memory bandwidth.
The MI455X is AMD’s flagship GPU for AI workloads, and it matches up fairly well with AMD’s chief rival Nvidia and its new Rubin chip, which delivers up to 50 petaflops of FP4 inference performance along with 288 GB of HBM4 memory and 22 TBps of peak memory bandwidth. Along with the new line of MI400 GPUs, AMD officially launched its new Helios rack, which is where all the all the other stuff needed for AI (CPUs, DPUs, NICs, switches, and interconnects) will live.
Source: AMD
AMD launched other products in its MI400 line of Instinct GPUs, including the HPC-oriented MI430X. The new chip, which is based on the older CDNA 4 architecture, is no slouch. It gets the same allotment of 432GB HBM4 memory and the same 23.3 TBps of peak memory bandwidth as the MI455x. This should help to alleviate the memory bandwidth crunch that’s currently impacting AI.
But the big number is that 288 teraflops of native FP64 compute. That is nearly 9x more FP64 capacity than Nvidia’s Rubin, which offers just 33 teraflops of FP64. But it also delivers big jumps in FP64 capacity compared to AMD’s previous chips, including a nearly 4x increase over the 77 teraflops of FP64 that AMD delivered with the MI355 GPU, and nearly 3.5x more performance than the 81.7 teraflops of FP64 that AMD delivered in the MI325, which was the chipmaker’s HPC-oriented GPU and is based on the older CDNA 3 architecture.
With the MI430x GPU, AMD is staking a flag in the ground for native FP64 performance and its importance to running traditional modeling and simulation workloads. By comparison, Nvidia is leaning on Ozaki emulation to boost the FP64 capability of its chips. With Ozaki, FP64 capacity goes from 30 teraflops (native) to 150 teraflops on Blackwell, while Rubin goes from 33 teraflops (native) to 200 teraflops of emulated FP64 capacity.
The DOE’s new Discovery machine will run MI430X GPUs
The Ozaki scheme has been a bit controversial in the HPC community, with some claiming that it works as advertised and others saying it runs the risk of giving hte wrong answer and also won’t work with the majority of HPC apps. Satoshi Matsuoka, Director of the RIKEN Center for Computational Science, published a paper in support of Ozaki emulation following the TPC26 conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Hartwig Anzt, the chair of computational mathematics at the Technical University of Munich, gave a good presentation at ISC 2026 on some of the opportunities and challenges of our new mixed-precision era. While it appears that Ozaki will work for some HPC applications, it’s going to take some time to figure out which those are (memory-bound apps will see no benefit even if it works, while compute-bound ones may see some benefit).
In the meantime, since Ozaki is so new new and unproven, customers like the Department of Energy are not ready to go full emulation with its new supercomputers. That includes Discovery, the new leadership-class supercomputer that will be installed at Oak Ridge National Lab. The DOE has already selected the MI430X GPU for that machine. Alice Recoque, the new exascale machine going into the CEA’s TGCC supercomputing center in France, similarly will employ MI430X GPUs.
Thomas Zacharia, AMD’s SVP of strategic technical partnerships and public policy, said it’s all about meeting customer demands.
“We want to meet customers where their needs are, whether it is more accurate hardware based results, or if you want just to run large language models that does not require 64-bit, that’s where our MI455X comes in,” Zacharia told HPCwire at the recent Genesis Mission Summit in Washington, D.C.
Thomas Zacharia, AMD’s SVP of strategic technical partnerships and public policy
Zacharia cited AMD’s investment in chiplet technology in giving it the flexibility to mix and match its technology to meet customer needs. The MI430X and MI455X share quite a bit of technology, including the memory subsystem. But the MI455X features many more low-precision CDNA 5 processor cores, giving it considerably more oomph for FP4, FP8, and FP16 workloads than FP64. (The MI455X does offer 5 teraflops of peak FP64 performance, so it’s not nothing.)
“The 430x has a different balance between AI workload and modeling and simulation workloads,” the former ORNL director said. “The reason why that is important is that’s a design point for mixing modeling and simulation, which is the existing code base for all the science that we talk about, and bringing in more AI. So it is a different balance point. It is the right balance point. And as we go through that shared journey, we will continue to learn and continue to develop products that are fit for purpose.”
Interestingly, the MI430X will feature more FP64 capacity than HPCwire estimated it would have back in March. We based that estimate on a combination of things, including the current processing capacity and memory bandwidth of the existing MI355 and the desire, as stated by AMD Fellow Nick Malaya, that AMD would seek to create a new chip that offered balance between processing capacity and memory bandwidth.
Since Malaya told us the new MI430X would have 19.6 TBps of memory bandwidth, we had a number to start from, leading to the estimate that the MI430X would ship with between 192 teraflops and 204 teraflops of peak FP64 performance. Well, it turns out that the MI430X actually is going to ship with 23.3 TBps of memory bandwidth, which is nearly 20% higher than expected. That doesn’t account for the entire spread, but it covers some of it.
In any case, AMD is clearly showing that it’s ready to deliver the FP64 capacity that its customers demand. If customers like the DOE demand large amounts of native FP64 to ensure accuracy with modeling and simulation workloads, then AMD is ready to give it to them.
Shares soar as yearly revenue up 93%, even as opposition grows to company’s role in Trump immigration agenda
In a sea of companies reporting mixed financial results this quarter, Palantir stands out. Although Palantir was not immune to the AI jitters that caused industry-wide drops in share prices earlier this year, the AI and analytics company reported that its overall revenue grew 93% year over year to $1.94bn. That’s well over the $1.8bn Wall Street expected Palantir to bring in for the second quarter.
The glowing financials sparked a 10% surge in share prices in the immediate aftermath. Despite growing opposition to Palantir’s work with various governments including the crucial role the company plays in the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, the company’s revenue from US government contracts grew 90% year over year to $809m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump declined to call for Rep. Max Miller’s resignation Monday, praising the Ohio Republican while describing the domestic abuse dispute involving Miller’s ex-wife as “a very sad thing.”
Miller’s former wife, Emily Moreno, has accused him of physical abuse and threatening behavior during their marriage. Her father, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, said Miller represents a danger to his daughter and granddaughter and “should not serve” in Congress. Miller denies the allegations and has vowed to remain in the race.
Trump characterized the conflict as a difficult family matter and said Miller had been “a good person” in his dealings with him. The president stopped short of withdrawing his support or demanding that Miller leave office.
The response comes as Republicans worry the allegations could endanger a previously reliable GOP district. Party leaders reportedly contacted White House officials while considering whether Miller could still be replaced before Ohio’s ballot deadline.
Miller, a former Trump White House aide, has accused his ex-wife and her family of making false claims during a bitter custody dispute. Moreno, however, said his family endured two years of “pure hell” and that Miller displayed a pattern of dangerous behavior.
Democrats increasingly view the controversy as an opportunity to capture the seat as control of the narrowly divided House remains at stake.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Earlier this summer, nearly 160,000 applicants took the entrance exam for UNAM, Mexico's largest university. For the first time, they did it completely remotely, using a "lockdown" browser and AI-powered webcam proctoring software, over several weeks from late May through early June. It was a disaster. When exam results came in, they bore little resemblance to past results, especially at the top. Between 2021 and 2025, 3.5 percent of test takers scored 100 or more on the 120-question UNAM test. This year, 16.3 percent did so. The story was even worse at the highest of the high end. Between 2021 and 2025, 0.9 percent of test takers scored 110 or more; this year, 5.5 percent did so.
The surge in top scores led to accusations of widespread cheating, and UNAM appointed a commission of experts to investigate the situation. The group was given the unwieldy name "la Comision Tecnica de Personas Expertas para la Revision del Proceso de Seleccion de Ingreso a Licenciatura para el Circlo Escolar 2026-2027/1," and it has just submitted its recommendations. The commission believes that the best path forward, given all the concerns, is to administer a "control exam" -- that is, applicants will have to sit for another test, and they will do so in person.
This control exam will apply not only to those who secured a spot at UNAM based on this year's test but also to everyone who would have been admitted based on minimum successful scores in their program of study since 2021. About 58,000 people could be affected, and places at UNAM will now depend on the results of the new test. (Details on the control exam should appear soon; classes are currently scheduled to begin on August 10, so everything will have to move quickly unless the school decides to delay classes.) According to Gaceta UNAM, the school's official news publication, the university rector has apologized to honest applicants, since they will now have to prepare for and take the test again despite doing nothing wrong. Still, the control exam is "necessary to give certainty and guarantee equity in access," the rector added.
President Donald Trump continues to insist damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the result of vandalism, despite a Department of Justice motion filed on July 31 that placed the blame squarely on a contractor’s “botched” installation of the pool coating “and not vandalism as initially represented” by the Department of Interior.
According to a motion from U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to dismiss a felony destruction of property charge against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, it wasn’t until after Hearn was indicted that the Department of Interior provided prosecutors with “additional documents … indicating that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in June 2026 was the result of flawed installation by the contractor … and the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.”
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Aug. 1. “I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM. … There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”
That same day, Trump posted what he purported was video evidence that “[t]he material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see!” There are some images and videos from reporters that indicate people on June 19 — once the peeling pool was already a major news event — broke off already-peeling coating or held pieces in their hands.
For weeks, Trump has maintained that vandals cut a “300-foot slit” in the pool’s new liner with either a knife or box cutter. (He later claimed that “thugs” cut a gash “300 yards long.”) The administration has never provided evidence of such extensive vandalism.
The Washington Monument is reflected in the recently drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on July 29. Photo by Kevin Carter via Getty Images.
As we wrote on June 25, experts told us there were plausible explanations for the peeling related to the installation, rather than vandalism.
That was ultimately the conclusion reached by Pirro. And she provided detailed evidence that the DOI was long aware of installation issues related to the repairs of the reflecting pool.
“DOI provided less than fulsome information at the outset of this case,” Pirro wrote in the motion.
Pirro said she and other senior members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office began to question the DOI’s claim that nearly all the damage was due to vandalism when they did a visual inspection of the reflecting pool on July 17, and they “immediately noted extensive damage throughout the now-drained pool.” Pirro said she demanded the DOI provide further information, and that the subsequent information “strongly suggest[ed] that a rushed and botched installation by [Atlantic Industrial Coatings], the primary contractor, led to the damage to the lining of the Reflecting Pool. It was not until [prosecutors] repeatedly reached out to DOI dozens and dozens of times that DOI slowly started trickling information to [prosecutors]. Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment.”
“Specifically, the newly released documents reveal that work on installing the lining almost immediately fell behind, due to a combination of very rainy and windy weather, repeated failures of testing on the sealing of the expansion joints, and delays in obtaining sealing product at the worksite,” Pirro wrote. “The rush to complete the project led to hasty and botched work that was not remediated before the project was finished and the fencing removed.”
“Almost immediately after work was initially completed, peeling was observed along the pool perimeter,” the motion states. A National Park Service engineer wrote an email on June 11 that “stated that the cause of the damage was contractor error via ‘overspray.'”
That email was written more than three weeks before Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and insisted the liner “didn’t peel off. There … was vandalism. There was box cutters.”
Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash if he was “100% sure that what happened with the liner was vandalism” and if he “can prove it,” Burgum responded on July 5: “Oh, yes, absolutely, Dana. And we drain it, and we have got all the photographs, we can see. I mean, there’s no possible way … I’m not sure why you and others in the media think that you want to keep trying to question whether or not — think, this is an industrial liner. Every farmer and rancher in America that’s had their pickup liner lined by this sprayed-on liner knows that you literally — literally, it would never just like peel off or fall off. … And it’s the size of eight football fields. And the only way you can end up with actual slices in one spot and not the other is that someone physically cut it.”
But according to Pirro’s motion, a July 20 inspection by contractors “confirmed that overspray and delamination had occurred, again pointing to contractor error. Finally, a recent visual inspection showed damage throughout the Reflecting Pool, even in the middle of the pool, where a vandal would not likely attempt to peel the lining. Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The motion was an about-face for Pirro, who in a July 2 press conference said there “was an effort, a violent effort, to rip up the sealant from the bottom of the pool” and that there was “tremendous evidence” that Hearn “damaged the pool.”
Pirro said then that she had visited the pool the day before and “someone intentionally did a tremendous amount of damage to the pool, and you can actually see where all the cutting is. They took a sharp object and cut for many feet along the pool.”
We reached out to the Department of Interior for comment about the motion, and its claim that the DOI withheld important information from prosecutors. The press office pointed us to an X post from Burgum on Aug. 1, in which he continued to insist the damage to the reflecting pool was done by vandals.
“The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool. Some of these acts were even caught on camera,” Burgum wrote. “We also provided the U.S. Attorney’s office expert and eyewitness testimony to the damage done by vandals and provided every piece of evidence they asked for in the requested time line detailing each area of damage at the pool. … We won’t back down to deranged people who want to destroy, deface, or degrade our monuments.”
We also reached out to Atlantic Industrial Coatings for comment on Pirro’s motion, but we did not get a response. However, the company posted a message on its website on June 21 stating that — in conjunction with the National Park Service — it had identified “some areas in the Reflecting Pool that require repairs.”
“These areas are a very small part of the massive 7 acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner,” according to the statement. “As soon as its feasible for the Park, the pool will be drained and AIC will be back to make those needed repairs as part of the warranty.”
The Department of Interior awarded a no-bid contract on April 3 to Atlantic Industrial Coatings to paint the reflecting pool, with supplemental agreements issued through June 15 to total $14.7 million. The agency justified not getting bids from various contractors by saying the project was urgent and needed to be completed by July 4.
In addition to Hearn, a handful of others have been charged with vandalism of the reflecting pool, and three face misdemeanor charges of destruction of property under $1,000, the New York Times reported. Hearn was the only one to face a felony charge.
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A coalition of 25 US states sued the Trump administration on Monday over new tariffs pegged at 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes struck down by the supreme court in February.
The states are asking the US Court of International Trade to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties that have already been paid.
Apple says its lower-cost MacBook Neo is beginning to displace Windows laptops and Chromebooks in K-12 schools, with several districts purchasing thousands of units. According to the company's latest earnings call, nearly half of the large MacBook Neo purchases made by U.S. educational institutions last quarter reportedly replaced competing platforms. 9to5Mac reports: Apple's commentary highlighted some large district deployments moving to Neo Pinellas County Schools, one of the largest districts in Florida, which is moving its 25k students off Windows and onto MacBook Neo across its 18 high schools. In Washington, Peninsula School District 401 moved over its 8,000 students from Chromebooks to MacBook Neo. Midwest City-Del City School District in Oklahoma purchased more than 6,000 MacBook Neos to become an all-Apple district for students.
A member of the Spanish armed services watches over migrants crossing the border between Spain and Morocco on July 31, 2026, in Ceuta, Spain.Photo: Adri Salido/Getty Images
Over 50,000 people last week risked their lives to cross the border between Morocco and Ceuta, the tiny Spanish enclave in north Africa, in the hope of making it to mainland Europe.
The vast majority have already been returned to Morocco; fewer than 2,000 refugees remain on Ceuta and are, according to on-the-ground reports, in urgent need of food and shelter. Over 80 people reportedly died during the crossings, most from drowning.
The crisis for those seeking to enter Europe through Ceuta last week, including those who have been sent back, has already been framed according to a putrid, far-right political fulcrum. As a wide array of responses to the situation on Ceuta make clear, a commitment to harsh border regimes is not the sole preserve of the far right.
Once again, liberals and centrists who claim to decry the right’s anti-immigrant stances are themselves treating immigrants as a threat to be secured against.
For the international far right, images of thousands of desperate young African men entering European Union territory — little matter that Ceuta is, in fact, not on mainland Europe — has been fodder for predictable racist fearmongering and calls for extremist border rule. Far-right leaders blamed the crossings of the left-wing Spanish government’s extremely reasonable plans to regularize over 1 million undocumented immigrants who have already been living and working in Spain for at least five months.
“It’s terrible. Remember that picture. That’s going to be us in three years if the wrong side gets in,” President Donald Trump told Fox News, in a groundless attempt to use the suffering on Ceuta to his advantage. A spokesperson for the White House decried Spain’s new immigration regularization proposal as “far-left, globalist policies.”
Meanwhile, conservative and right-wing leaders across Europe and the U.K. echoed similar sentiments, conjuring the old lie of an “invasion” confronting the West. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed Spain be suspended from the Schengen Area. A total of 22 EU leaders, including Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, wrote a joint letter to the European Commission expressing “serious concerns” about how Spain’s decision to grant legal status to immigrants served as a “pull factor.”
In response to these attacks and criticisms, several liberal and centrist politicians, institutions, and media organs have pushed back. Analyses in the New York Times and The Atlantic have stressed, for example, that not one of the people who crossed into Ceuta managed to make it to mainland Europe. These responses are framed as a counterpoint to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s right-wing critics.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also defended Sánchez against right-wing attacks, by praising the Spanish authorities’ “swift handling” in “successfully preventing illegal movement onwards to mainland Spain and Europe.”
Sanchez himself took a similar line.
“In less than 48 hours, my government has succeeded in fully restoring control over the border,” he wrote on Saturday in a response to criticism from other European leaders.
The mainstream defense against far-right fearmongering, then, was merely a regurgitation of the right’s anti-immigrant premise. Stopping immigrants who have been forced to take irregular routes, according to this logic, is a good thing. What the far right got wrong, by the lights of these centrists and liberals, was not their virulent racism, but rather that the claims of an “invasion” of Europe are not factually accurate.
“Spain and Germany’s centrist responses have been to ‘assure’ the E.U. that borders are fortified,” wrote migrant justice organizer and scholar Harsha Walia on Instagram. “This rebuttal simply buttresses the premise of border securitization.”
The reasons for the surge in crossings are not yet fully known; speculation abounds about the role of Moroccan and other state forces. A few things are, however, clear: Misinformation had spread in the preceding days on social media suggesting, falsely, that a recent Supreme Court ruling in Spain would prevent the Spanish authorities returning immigrants.
In a world of increasing and inevitable mass migration, it is a moral failure to treat the swift removal of immigrants as a victory. Such a framing is also a gift to the far right, who will continue to benefit within a political consensus that treats immigration as a bad thing.
Only a few voices on the European left have placed focus where it belongs: with supporting immigrants who remain on Ceuta.
“What is happening in Ceuta is not a natural disaster, but the result of political decisions,” said Clara Bünger, a member of Germany’s The Left Party. “Germany and the EU have a duty to help with providing for refugees and to take in those seeking protection.”
“People are fleeing war, poverty, and the climate crisis,” she noted. “Higher walls won’t stop them; they will only make the escape more deadly. The most important thing now is that no one else dies.”
Israeli striker scored, then gestured at CF Montréal fans
Revolution ‘strongly condemn’ the chants
The New England Revolution have denounced chants they deemed “antisemitic” and “discriminatory” from CF Montréal fans during Saturday’s MLS matchup between the sides in Quebec. The specific chants were directed towards New England’s Israeli striker Dor Turgeman, with broadcast microphones capturing fans chanting “free Palestine” shortly before he scored a goal.
MLS on Monday confirmed it was “aware of reported antisemitic and discriminatory language directed at a New England Revolution player” and that the matter is under investigation.
Microsoft reportedly plans to let developers bring Xbox 360 games to PC and next-generation Xbox devices, with a gradual rollout expected between 2027 and 2028. A separate disc-to-digital program would also give players transferable digital licenses tied to their physical Xbox discs, preserving the ability to resell or trade them. The Verge reports: With 360 games, developers can opt into making them backward compatible, and they will have control over things like a game's price and if it's available on Game Pass. The feature is expected to have a "gradual" rollout between 2027 and 2028 "across next-gen devices." The "full launch" of original Xbox games on PC is also set for October 2026; the initial program announced in July included just four games.
The document also includes details about a way for players to get a digital version of a game that they already own on a physical disc, which The Verge's Tom Warren reported on in July. The document says that if a player puts an Xbox One or Series game on disc into an Xbox One or Series X console with a disc drive, they'll be granted a digital license that's bound to "that disc and the player's account." The license will stay with a player across Xbox devices, but if the disc "changes hands," the license will transfer to the new person. That should mean that gamers can still trade and sell discs; once the original owner of a disc does so, they can't play the digital version they got from that disc anymore.
According to the document, a public beta for the disc-to-digital program was set for July with general availability set for August. We understand Microsoft had originally planned to test its disc-to-digital program with Xbox Insiders in July, but the beta was delayed. It's unclear if the timeline of August general availability is still accurate.
So I have my own V1 that have had for years, one of the first thousand, 0997 that I love, working on getting a new battery made for it to go farther but this one was put up for sale near where I was staying this weekend for a convention and I came and looked at it, it's an amazing condition, got protectors all over so even the rails look almost new, comes with the charger and everything and they said the battery was replaced by 801wheel (stoker jonz) who I trust and has done a bunch of work for me on my own V1.
This is 4444, has 105 miles on it, and is for sale for 400, what do y'all think? Should I get a second v1? I don't have anyone near where I live to ride with that doesn't already have one of their own, I'm mostly interested because it's in near perfect condition and it would be great to have a near perfect condition one but I don't need it and I know that I'm going to keep riding mine and loving it anyways even though it's scratched up
Two Michigan residents who had "significant underlying health conditions" have died after contracting cyclosporiasis, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.
Berg is a senior partner at private equity firm 26North
Commissioner will take over on 1 January 2027
The Major League Soccer board of governors has voted to install Los Angeles FC co-managing owner Larry Berg as the league’s next commissioner.
Berg will succeed Don Garber as the head of the 30-year-old league, with a term starting on 1 January 2027. He will be the third commissioner in MLS history.
ADELANTO, California — Attorneys for an immigration detainee have released disturbing footage appearing to show worm-like creatures moving inside drinking water allegedly distributed at a privately operated ICE detention center.
Carlitos Ricardo Parias held the bottle during a video call from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, where he has been detained for months. Parias said he transferred the water from facility-provided jugs into the bottle to preserve it as evidence. The brief video does not establish what the organisms are or how widely the water was distributed.
The footage surfaced weeks after a federal judge ordered immigration officials to provide detainees with continuous access to clean, potable water. The injunction followed allegations of inadequate food, sanitation and medical treatment at the Geo Group-operated facility. Independent monitors were also ordered to oversee improvements.
The Department of Homeland Security did not directly explain the bottle’s contents. It said Adelanto receives the same municipal water used by local residents and businesses and maintained that independently tested water met federal standards. Geo Group did not respond to media inquiries.
Parias said detainees need safe drinking water and humane treatment. Attorneys involved in the broader lawsuit said residents have repeatedly complained of murky, foul-tasting water and are investigating whether the facility is complying with the court order.
theodp writes: During Microsoft's 2026Q4 earnings call, CEO Microsoft Satya Nadella took time to tout a dashboard he personally created using AI from a Morgan Stanley analyst's PDF research report, which suggested a rosy payback for the so-called MAG7's ('Magnificent 7' companies) massive capital expenditures on AI (to which Nadella later added a "not financial advice" disclaimer). "It would be fun for you, Adam. I think one of your colleagues put out an ROIC [Return on Invested Capital] document. I took that document to Copilot, which is a PDF, and I said, 'Build me a new Power BI dashboard, essentially.' But here is the thing. It built a rich semantic model that went into my Fabric with OneLake that brought all the data in from the external sources. In fact, it was current with all the SEC filings of all the MAG7. And then on top of that, the repo itself is in GitHub, but the artifact is sitting in my Copilot as a site. That, to me, is a classic example of an enterprise-wide workflow. I, as a knowledge worker, could go create a dashboard. The data engineer can go to Fabric and find the artifact. The professional developer can go to the repo and find it in GitHub. And by the way, it's all registered with Agent 365. That's a little bit of what Amy is describing as the coming together of a new way to work, even while at the same time, bringing IT, security and manageability of it."
After Nadella's show-and-tell drew an underwhelming response during the call ("That's very helpful. Thank you." said the Morgan Stanley analyst whose team's work Nadella scraped with AI), Nadella turned to social media with posts on LinkedIn (12M followers) and Twitter/X (8M followers) to make the case for why his DIY project was such a brilliant demonstration of how AI enables governance, controls, security, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, data analysis/modeling, visualization, usability, and value. "Some more detail on the ROIC Intelligence App I built yesterday and mentioned on today's earnings call," Nadella wrote on LinkedIn. "I took the PDF that Brian Nowak at Morgan Stanley put together for Hyperscale ROIC this week and used Copilot code (coming in our new superapp) with a single prompt + skill (/drill-me) to create the plan, then used autopilot in auto to create the full app (with history, lookups, scenarios, what-ifs, etc). And /rubber-duck to test. And the best part is that all the artifacts are in my enterprise environment. My app is in Copilot, my code is in GitHub Enterprise; all my data pipelines/lake/semantic models are in Fabric. And everything is under Agent 365 IT/Sec/FinOps control! So this is not about Tokenmaxxing or vibe coding. Every step of the way the rails are engineered to create value, making everything a long-term reusable asset, with governance/security, and cost controls. This is the full system to drive business value. Disclosures: This is all pulled from public sources, and for illustrative purposes only...not financial advice! :) Here is the app and architecture..."
Not unexpectedly, the accompanying screenshot of a splash page for the BI app and a buzzword-laden complicated architecture diagram drew universal praise from LinkedIn fans, but also a few barbs from less-than-impressed commenters on Nadella's Twitter/X post, some of whom suggested Nadella's project might even represent a jump-the-shark moment for AI mania. "That he doesn't see whats wrong with saying 'My app is in Copilot, my code is in GitHub Enterprise; all my data pipelines/lake/semantic models are in Fabric' is exactly why MS is failing at AI,'" replied @PassingPixels on X/Twitter. "Dude is having to run 5 different systems to emulate babies first vibe code." @zigmund_ignatov added, "Why do we call glorified slide show an app?" @Mathupiriyan quipped, "Looks like Copilot just turned a PDF into a profit crystal ball." Unimpressed, @Markusndnb remarked, "So you created a web page using tons of proprietary MS tools." And @FishyAccounting called on Nadella to show-his-work, saying "Post the prompt or it didn't happen." (btw, Microsoft President Brad Smith similarly declined to provide the prompt for his own self-described amazing AI DIY reporting project that he touted at Microsoft's Shareholder Meeting last December).
So, does Nadella's self-promoted AI reworking of someone else's PDF research report strike you as an amazing example of everything that's good about AI, or does it conjure up memories of The Emperor's New Clothes?
US president expects negotiations to begin in next day or two but Iran says it is not reviving talks with Washington
New talks between Washington and Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of US strikes on the country, Donald Trump said on Monday.
Trump said he expected negotiations to begin in the next day or two to reopen the strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to address the US’s concerns about its nuclear programme.
Updated framework aligns Axelera’s product names with its scalable AI architecture, making it easier to identify products optimized for embedded, edge and server deployments
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, Aug. 3, 2026 — Axelera AI, a leading provider of purpose-built AI acceleration technology, announced a new product naming framework for its AI acceleration products, bringing the entire portfolio under the Axelera master brand. Products are now identified by what they are optimized for: Axelera Embedded, Axelera Edge and Axelera Server, followed by a short number that signals silicon generation, optimization point and relative performance at a glance.
The updated naming reflects the strategy Axelera has followed from the start: building an AI architecture optimized for the constraints of embedded and edge environments, then scaling that same architecture across servers. The new naming provides a more intuitive way for customers to understand how products relate to one another while reinforcing the common architecture that connects them.
Importantly, this is a naming update rather than a product change. The new naming convention does not impact the silicon, products or software tools built on the company’s Metis architecture, which is already in-market and used by hundreds of customers.
For customers, the product descriptors identify how each product is optimized, not where it must be deployed. Customers remain free to deploy any board wherever it best solves their business problem, including, for example, using an Axelera Embedded card inside a server when it’s the most efficient fit.
Axelera’s underlying architecture names, Metis, Europa and Titania, continue to designate the company’s silicon generations for developers and technical audiences, while the customer-facing Edge, Server and Embedded naming provides a clear framework for the product lineup. The Voyager software platform is unchanged.
Axelera AI is a hardware and software company purpose-built for AI inference acceleration. The company’s products are built on Digital In-Memory Computing (D-IMC), delivering high performance and energy efficiency across every segment of compute, at a fraction of the cost of competing solutions. Through a technology platform that scales across use cases, Axelera AI supports multiple industries, from healthcare to industrial automation, from retail to security, from robotics to enterprise AI. Axelera hardware is built on an AI processor roadmap that spans single-digit watt options optimized for embedded and edge, and rack-level deployment for servers. The Voyager toolkit is a single software stack spanning the entirety of Axelera’s hardware, which simplifies adoption and maximizes end-to-end performance. Axelera’s team spans more than 20 countries across Europe, North America and Asia and raised over $450 million in financing. Working with more than 500 customers, Axelera AI is solving real-world problems and unlocking future possibilities. For more information, visit axelera.ai.
Apple's practice of mixing employees' work files with personal iCloud accounts reportedly left some former staff with continued access to confidential documents, messages, and even new updates after leaving the company. "The former employees said many Apple files they had been shared on over their careers at the company -- including planning documents for product launch events -- continued to sync to their personal devices through the iCloud storage service after they left Apple," reports The Information. "In some cases, they even received notifications about fresh updates to the documents. Some former employees said they were petrified to delete the files for fear that doing so would attract Apple's attention." MacRumors reports: Apple files get mixed in with employees' accounts because the company encourages them to use their personal Apple Accounts with their work iCloud account. Employees are given a 2TB iCloud plan and are able to merge the storage with their existing Apple Account or create a new account. Since only one primary account can be signed in at a time, most opt to use their existing account to avoid having to carry two iPhones. Apple has a managed folder for workplace files that it revokes access to when an employee leaves, but some internal documents aren't saved there automatically and shared files end up mixed in with personal content. Employees can also retain access to iMessage chats and files shared via the Messages app.
Lingering access to Apple systems is central to Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI. In its filing, Apple alleged that former employee Chang Liu breached Apple's systems using a "rare, previously unknown authentication bug" to download files while he was working at OpenAI. Apple told The Information that the OpenAI lawsuit is unrelated to any files left available on iCloud and that it does not pursue legal claims against former employees who accidentally have Apple documents in their personal iCloud accounts. "This case is about OpenAI employees wrongfully taking Apple's secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products. Nothing in the filing relates to documents shared by, or stored in, iCloud."
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2026 — Fabric.AI, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, and Kopin Corporation, a leading developer of microdisplay and MicroLED technology — joint developers of the Neural I/o MicroLED-based optical interconnect technology — today announced the publication of a jointly authored white paper, “Optical Interconnects as a Critical Enabler for Next-Generation AI Infrastructure,” examining why data movement — not compute — has become the primary constraint on AI infrastructure, and how MicroLED optical interconnects address it.
The publication follows the companies’ ongoing collaboration to commercialize Neural I/o, a MicroLED-based optical interconnect platform designed to address the growing bandwidth and energy demands of next-generation AI infrastructure. The white paper outlines the technical and architectural principles underpinning that platform and explains why MicroLED-based optical interconnects may offer a more scalable and energy-efficient alternative as conventional interconnect technologies approach their physical limits.
AI clusters now link tens of thousands of accelerators, and cluster performance is increasingly set by the interconnect rather than the processor. The white paper presents an architectural comparison of copper, laser-based optical, and MicroLED optical interconnects, and details how the MicroLED approach — moving data over hundreds to thousands of simple, low-power parallel channels instead of a few high-speed serial lanes — enables sub-picojoule-per-bit efficiency while scaling aggregate link bandwidth toward 20 Tb/s and beyond on published industry roadmaps.
Key topics covered in the white paper include:
Why electrical interconnects face hard physical limits in bandwidth, power, reach, and heat as AI clusters scale
How MicroLED’s massively parallel architecture achieves per-bit energy consumption a fraction of the energy required by conventional interconnects — with direct implications for data center power, cooling, and capital costs
How MicroLED arrays scale bandwidth by adding emitters within the same physical footprint — without redesigning data center cabling, connectors, or topology
A roadmap analysis showing how channel count and per-channel speed compound toward 20+ Tb/s links
“The industry has spent decades making individual lanes faster, and that era is ending,” said Michael Murray, Kopin Chief Executive Officer. “MicroLED technology changes the axis of scaling entirely. Kopin has spent years advancing the performance and manufacturability of MicroLED technology, and this paper lays out clearly why that foundation matters for the largest infrastructure buildout in computing history.”
“Every conversation about AI infrastructure eventually arrives at the same bottleneck: moving data between chips,” said Josh Silverman, Fabric.AI Chief Executive Officer. “We wrote this paper with Kopin to give investors, operators, and engineers a clear, honest framework for understanding why interconnects have become AI’s primary bottleneck — and why an architecture built on parallelism rather than lane speed is the path through that bottleneck. It reflects the thesis behind Neural I/o, the platform we are developing together.”
About Fabric.AI, Inc.
Fabric.AI (Nasdaq: FBIC) is developing next-generation AI infrastructure technologies designed to overcome the bandwidth, latency, and power limitations of conventional computing architectures. The Company’s proprietary Neural I/o platform leverages MicroLED-based optical interconnect technology to enable ultra-high-speed, energy-efficient communication between AI accelerators, processors, memory, and networking systems, supporting the growing demands of large-scale AI training and inference.
Through strategic collaborations with industry leaders and a focus on scalable, high-performance connectivity solutions, Fabric.AI is advancing technologies that have the potential to improve the efficiency, performance, and economics of next-generation AI data centers and high-performance computing environments.
About Kopin Corporation
Kopin Corporation (Nasdaq: KOPN) is a leading developer and provider of innovative display, Optical Interconnect devices and application-specific optical solutions sold as critical components and subassemblies for defense, enterprise, professional and consumer products. Kopin’s portfolio includes microdisplays, display modules, eyepiece assemblies, image projection modules and vehicle mounted and head-mounted display systems that incorporate ultra-small high-resolution Active Matrix Liquid Crystal displays (AMLCD), Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal on Silicon (FLCoS) displays, MicroLED displays (µLED) and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays, a variety of optics and low-power ASICs and optical interconnect devices for data centers.
So I’ve been looking for a used Onewheel for sometime now, right now I’m down between a pint x for $850, a xr for $1100, but I just seen a custom board for $700, this is the description “Built board that runs good, 18s2p battery, Lil-Focer, fungineers superflux motor, fungineers frame rails. Many many details that I can't write down here, this has become a second board and I just am not using it .” What should I know about this if I want to buy it
LANSING, Michigan — Michigan has joined at least six other states reporting cyberattacks against municipal water systems, expanding a federal investigation into attempts to disrupt critical public infrastructure.
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said nine communities reported suspicious activity consistent with a federal warning about attacks targeting internet-connected industrial control equipment. State officials said local operators addressed the problems and that water remained safe, with no known public-health effects.
The attacks follow breaches affecting more than 30 Minnesota water systems. Some utilities temporarily lost remote control or communications capabilities, although operators maintained service by manually managing equipment. Systems in Georgia and South Dakota were also reportedly targeted.
The FBI said malicious cyber actors were attacking programmable logic controllers used to manage pumps, pressure and water-treatment operations. Federal agencies have not publicly identified the perpetrators, although cybersecurity officials have noted similarities to previous Iranian-linked attacks.
President Donald Trump dismissed suggestions that Iran was responsible and instead blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz without providing evidence. Walz accused Trump of ignoring the broader national-security threat because several states experienced similar attacks.
The FBI and environmental agencies are urging utilities to disconnect unnecessary internet-facing equipment, change default passwords and strengthen monitoring as the investigation continues.
I was trying to see how to make adjustments on an associates X7 board until I can find a working front foot sensor for my X7.
I notice that the X7 wheel "free spins" or acts like it is powered off (no resistance) when I lift my heel to disengage the motor. The XR seems to have some degree of motor-resistance when the I dismount the board.
Is there a way to have the same motor resistance on the X7 when dismounted? I ask since the heel-lift disengagement on an incline is difficult because the X7 depowers the motor completely and will free-roll with someone on it, or if you jump off it rolls off due to gravity.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Several popular Samsung smart TV apps contain code that share the owner's internet connection with strangers, potentially putting millions of Samsung smart TVs at risk of hijacking, according to new security research published on Monday. Some of these apps claim to have been installed on hundreds of millions of smart TVs in people's homes, per the app developers. At least one of the smart TV apps was a simple Pac-Man game that Samsung had endorsed and prominently featured in its "Editor's Choice" section on customers' TV screens. These apps contain software that funnels outsiders' web traffic through ordinary home and office internet connections, known as residential proxy networks (or "resproxies"), which are increasingly being linked to cybercrime. When opened, apps with resproxy code can turn the smart TV into an always-on tunnel for outsiders to funnel their web traffic through, known as an exit node -- even when the app is no longer open.
The security research by Norwegian cybersecurity company Mnemonic describes a perfect storm of problems that allows low-quality apps to proliferate across Samsung's app store, containing code that puts users at risk of having their internet connections tapped by a rogue app. Many of these apps are bare-bone shells, made from only a few lines of code, and are designed solely to load content from another website, such as a game. While such smart TV apps load content from another server, any review of these apps sees only the few lines of code within, and not necessarily the content itself. "What was reviewed is not necessarily what is running," wrote Harrison Sand, an offensive security consultant at Mnemonic.
After TechCrunch contacted Samsung with a request for comment about the research, the electronics giant said in an emailed statement that it was banning apps that share their users' internet connections, and will remove apps that contain the functionality. "We have already restricted new app registrations that incorporate such proxy functionalities on our Smart TV platform," said a Samsung spokesperson. "We are currently implementing strict platform-wide developer policies explicitly banning residential proxy SDKs, and we are working to identify and remove all apps currently available in our store that contain these components." LG also recently announced plans to suspend apps containing ResProxy software after a security firm found that roughly 42% of apps in its TV app store allowed unknown third parties to route internet traffic through users' televisions without their knowledge.
European Commission president says work needed in five areas of migration control including returning more people
The president of the European Commission has called for action to strengthen Europe’s borders after tens of thousands of people arrived and quickly left the Spanish territory of Ceuta, triggering a furious row between Madrid and other European countries.
In a letter to Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen said: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points, including vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed.”
The Home Office has made a fresh request for ‘back door’ access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users
Apple has launched a new legal challenge against a UK government demand to access its customers’ highly encrypted data, a year after the Home Office agreed to abandon its previous request.
The US tech company launched the legal complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that has the power to investigate claims that the UK intelligence services have acted unlawfully.
Just started riding, was gifted this one wheel while on vacation in Salisbury beach ma, I always buy on marketplace while on vacation to flip stuff like mopeds,gold and collectibles but this was listed for like 6 mins and I seen it, I msged the woman right away and offered money cause I’ve always wanted one and she sent me the address and here we are. It rides great, the app tells me how it’s all working, the only issue I had was it tips back when I get to about 15mph and makes some alert sounds once in a while when I’m speeding. It gets a little squirrelly as well. I think it’s my foot placement. But yea please any ideas would be great. I’m thinking a tire and maybe a wrap, but the battery is great and it seems good.
Investigators in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie released two ransom notes, including one contradicting what the Arizona sheriff overseeing the case told CBS News.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman criticized Google's AI Overviews for summarizing publishers' content without delivering the traffic benefits of traditional search, arguing that users increasingly value Reddit's human perspectives and firsthand experiences. Ars Technica reports: First, there was a letter to investors (PDF), wherein Huffman spun his narrative about Reddit's value proposition and general strategic direction amid the proliferation of AI tools. He wrote: "As the internet becomes flooded with synthetic content, people are craving real human perspective. We are the antidote to an automated web. AI compresses the internet into summaries. Reddit delivers the opposite: deep discussions, passionate debates, and lived experiences. People don't want a summary of Reddit; they want Reddit."
The letter also said: "As AI makes information more abundant, the challenge is no longer finding content -- it's finding context, personal opinion, and first-hand accounts. Everything online feels flat, polished, generated, or sponsored, so consumers are overwhelmed and increasingly skeptical. We've never had more information, but we've never trusted it less."
And then, in comments around the earnings report, he added: "What we see is, 10 blue links has driven tremendous value and growth to the broader ecosystem... from where we sit, AI Overviews has yet to make a similar level of positive impact, and I think that's consistent across the broader landscape, right? As businesses, publishers, retailers, we're still looking for that win-win." Reddit shares nevertheless fell more than 20 percent as investors worried that unstable Google referrals could undermine its growth, even after a strong earnings report.
Proposed $400bn tie-up with Bristol Myers Squibb would create world’s fourth-largest drugmaker but analysts question rationale
More than £17bn was wiped off the value of Britain’s biggest drugmaker, AstraZeneca, on Monday after a report that it was in discussions to take over its US rival Bristol Myers Squibb in a deal that would create a near $400bn (£300bn) pharmaceutical group.
AstraZeneca, run by Pascal Soriot, its longtime chief executive, had been worth nearly £196bn before the news broke. BMS, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, and known for its cancer treatments, was worth $133bn (£98bn).
So far, this summer has been pretty fun with my board, but I was wondering what people had for advice for home set ups or riding in winter? I made this video which was pretty detailed, but I’m looking for more feedback. Right now I just plugged my board into the wall. Haven’t really done any third-party mods. I saw people sell something you could put around your tire to ride in the snow?
Dozens of people died attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after an estimated 50,000 crossed from Morocco last week. The incident has led to a political crisis in Spain and criticism from EU countries.
Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s European community affairs correspondent, Ashifa Kassam – watch on YouTube
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is tightening aluminum import restrictions and offering tariff relief for new domestic investment, even as his administration acknowledges that U.S. production remains insufficient after eight years of protectionist policy.
Trump first imposed aluminum tariffs in 2018, arguing that dependence on foreign metal threatened national security. The original 10% levy has since expanded into a complicated system that includes a 25% tariff on primary aluminum and duties reaching 50% on many aluminum-heavy products.
Despite those steadily escalating costs, the White House reported last year that U.S. primary aluminum production fell 30% between 2020 and 2024. The administration said domestic output met only about half of national demand.
A July 20 proclamation again declared domestic supply inadequate. Trump ordered the Commerce Department to establish a program allowing companies that commit to building or expanding U.S. smelters to qualify for reduced tariffs. Participating companies must document construction schedules, raw-material sources and project milestones.
Supporters contend the tariffs protect an industry essential to defense manufacturing. Critics note that Canada supplies most imported U.S. aluminum and argue that higher duties have raised costs for automakers, beverage companies and consumers without delivering the promised production surge.
The latest policy effectively concedes that tariffs alone have not produced the domestic aluminum revival Trump promised.
A growing chorus of voices has accused Morocco of helping to fuel the crisis in Ceuta, with the leader of the Spanish enclave describing last week’s border crossings as an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity that was seen as being “if not orchestrated, at least encouraged or permitted by Morocco”.
Spanish officials said on Monday that an estimated 69,500 people who had arrived late last week in Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa, had returned to Morocco in recent days. About 2,500 people who had made the crossing were believed to still be in Ceuta.
Curious to hear from other stock XL owners that have accidentally submerged their boards in water. I wasn’t even thinking it would be a risk of happening bc I was way up on a greenway 100+ feet from the water, but then a cute girl was passing so naturally I slowed down and fell on my ass launching the board to the side of the greenway and rolling down a big hill into the French Broad River. Battery side was stuck in the mud standing straight up for like 5 seconds before I could jump in to scoop it. Turned her off immediately and got a ride back to the Airbnb. Can’t disassemble bc I’m on vacation for another 2 nights. How screwed do you think I am? Did I just toss $4,000 into the river? It’s still under warranty so I might be able to dry it out completely and send in if and when it’s totally dead, but what are the chances it’s ok? Not badgered and would only vesc it as a last resort. Thanks for any thots and prayers
By agreeing to disarm, Hamas is trying to call Israel’s bluff in GazaExpert commentthilton.drupal
The move may lead to more pressure on Israel to implement Trump’s 20-point plan, but both sides are likely to keep dragging out the process while avoiding any real commitments.
Since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, the Board of Peace has focused predominantly on Hamas’s disarmament as the key to unlocking other elements of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan. These include the entry into Gaza of the technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), and the start of desperately needed reconstruction.
Most crucially, the emphasis on disarmament has precluded any discussion of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Instead, Israeli control of the territory has increased significantly since the start of the ceasefire, from about 53 per cent of Gaza in October (delineated by the so-called ‘Yellow Line’) to nearly 70 per cent today.
President Trump’s recent announcement that Hamas has agreed to his disarmament plan may change that dynamic. By essentially calling Israel’s bluff, Hamas’s move could potentially put external pressure on Israel in Gaza for the first time in months. The question is whether the Board of Peace in general, and Trump in particular, are willing to put the necessary pressure on both parties to move past the current stalemate.
Swift change unlikely
In reality, it is unlikely that a timeline for decommissioning weapons or drawing down troops will be agreed anytime soon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely seek to drag out any further negotiations as much as possible; the last thing he wants as he goes into October’s elections is US pressure to withdraw from Gaza. Any public suggestion from Netanyahu that Israel would reduce its control in Gaza or make concessions to Hamas would likely lose him his voter base. (Far from accepting Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave, right-wing Israeli ministers have already announced plans for new settlements in Gaza.)
Dragging out the process also suits Hamas. Agreeing to Trump’s plan is likely a pragmatic move by new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. It keeps the group in the conversation about Gaza’s future and may improve its position in relation to the Board of Peace – potentially even shifting the onus of intransigence to Israel. But Hamas knows that the actual decommissioning of its weapons will not be immediate.
It is unlikely that a timeline for decommissioning weapons or drawing down troops will be agreed anytime soon.
Indeed, both actors will likely double down on sequencing demands that have stymied previous attempts to reach agreements in Gaza: Israel will likely require full Hamas disarmament before withdrawal, while Hamas will likely insist on Israeli withdrawal before decommissioning weapons.
Israel reportedly insisted to the Board of Peace that it reserved the right to strike areas set to be handed over to the ISF and objected to Qatar and Turkey (both central mediators in the agreement with Hamas) being involved in the roadmap’s future verification stages. It also reportedly demanded that Hamas’s weapons be destroyed rather than stored after confiscation.
Hamas is also hedging. It has stated that its moves will be contingent on Israel ending ‘all forms of aggression’, as well as withdrawing to the October ceasefire’s ‘Yellow Line,’ facilitating the entry of the ISF and NCAG, and meeting humanitarian aid obligations.
Hamas has also rejected Israeli demands that weapons be destroyed, and has intentionally avoided the language of disarmament or surrender. Indeed, the term ‘disarmament’ does not appear anywhere in Trump’s roadmap, relying instead on ‘decommissioning,’ modelled in part on Northern Ireland’s process.
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Two perspectives on the two-state solution from the Chatham House archive: the UK’s former Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on 9 July 2026; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 3 November 2017.
Furthermore, Hamas will likely resist full decommissioning without a broader negotiated process to realize a Palestinian state. The disarmament plan does not mention Palestinian self-determination directly, but it does refer (in Article 8) to the completion of the ‘remaining commitments under [the] Sharm [el] Sheikh Protocol,’ Trump’s initial 20-point plan for Gaza. Point 19 of that plan refers to a ‘credible pathway for Palestinian self-determination and statehood.’ Netanyahu has fully rejected the notion of Palestinian statehood, while Hamas will insist upon it.
US and Board of Peace officials have stressed the ‘zero trust’ nature of the roadmap, emphasizing that it will proceed based solely on externally verified steps and conditions. But even reciprocal processes require one side to take the first step. It is more likely that both sides will buy time by telling the Board of Peace at least some semblance of what it wants to hear. Meanwhile, they will both likely avoid any real commitments by objecting to any one of the myriad thorny details required to actually implement a plan.
External pressure
In this context, external commitment and pressure are crucial. For Hamas, the mediating efforts of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar have been essential in getting the group to publicly accept the agreement. But these regional states will have less leverage in getting Hamas to implement it, as they are not physically on the ground in Gaza to enforce commitments or to provide security guarantees.
On the Israeli side, it remains unclear the extent to which the US – and by extension, the Board of Peace – will be willing to impose substantive pressure on Israel to even discuss withdrawal.
There are several factors to consider here. First is the question of Trump’s personal commitment to shepherding the agreement beyond the fanfare of the initial headlines. If the past year is any guide, the disarmament roadmap could easily become yet another casualty of Trump’s slapdash approach to diplomacy, in which a numbered plan is released with bravado, but then flounders without the long, arduous subsequent work required to make it operational.
Bayreuth festival theatre, Bayreuth For the festival’s 150th anniversary, the creative team have turned to AI to generate visuals reflecting Wagner’s tetralogy’s past, present – and future. The hyperactive result is a dismal, mindless mess
Unveiled the same week in which tech company Anthropic admitted that its AI model Claude had gone rogue during testing, Bayreuth festival’s new AI-generated staging of Wagner’s four-part Ring of the Nibelungen is at least timely. But anyone who assumes that the cycle’s obsession with knowledge, power and possession might make it an ideal forum for reflection on AI as a major contemporary frontier will be disappointed, as will anyone hopeful about AI’s creative potential within opera.
Commissioned to mark the festival’s 150th anniversary, the production is “curated” – emphatically not “directed” – by a team led by German stage director Marcus Lobbes. He apparently spent weeks in dialogue with AI models about possible interpretations of the Ring. According to the programme book, “power structures, capitalism, mythology, gender roles, nationalism”, all came up. So far, so mainstream Wagner reception. But if these human-machine exchanges were revelatory, you wouldn’t know it from the resulting staging, which uses AI “as an extension of a cultural memory that is never complete”.
Brent crude drops by 5% after US president claimed talks on Middle East peace deal would resume
Crude oil prices fell sharply while stocks and government bonds rallied on Monday after Donald Trump cancelled planned strikes on Iran and claimed peace talks were about to resume.
Brent crude was trading 5% lower at $83.47 a barrel by lunchtime, after falling as much as 7.3% to $81.55 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate dropped more than 5% to $79.47 a barrel.
The US has bought up yen to strengthen the currency for the first time in almost 30 years, with the moves raising questions about America’s motives
The US has launched a bid to prop up the value of the yen, marking an extraordinary coordinated intervention with Japan’s government to halt the currency’s fall as it approaches 40-year lows.
Japan has been struggling to stop an accelerating slide in the yen, which has been piling pressure on its already flailing economy. Japan is reliant on imports for both energy supplies and food, and a weak yen makes the cost of those imports more expensive for businesses and consumers.
I recently purchased another +XR with 150 miles on it. I have two XRs and a pint and the other two boards have no issues. This new (to me) XR I’ve had for about a week, and on today’s ride it had trouble keeping the nose up, especially at low/stopped speeds. It also seemed to struggle to start rolling (sluggish) and kicked me off over little bumps that I’ve had no issue on in the past. My first couple rides on it were fine, so seems to be a new issue. Any idea why? It also doesn’t like to work when my app isn’t connected to it (for example if my app is connected to my pint if my son is riding with me), it will disconnect and lose all power at random.
How do I go about solving this? I’m a newer rider, but have a few hundred miles on my other boards and haven’t experienced anything like this before.
I really appreciate any thoughts or advice!
Pic is of diagnostic page of board in question, if that helps
I got a pint on FB marketplace a couple months ago and I been shedding it a lot I’m ready for an upgrade what’s the best full-size platform I should get, is it better to get XR or one of the GT series
I’ve recently updated my Onewheel! I added some brand new red bumpers, Doodle rail guards, and a red charge plug. 😂 I also added a carbon fiber fender, but that was a little while ago.
After 3800 miles and my own mitigation of the issue, my board refuses to turn back on without throwing the hot or cold error. Do I have any recourse for replacement under the Pint X flaw warranty? I’ve never opened the battery box, trust. 🤪
Only 4th time out on my pint so pretty pleased with myself staying on over all the tree roots avoiding a frog and nearly jumping of the pint when a freaking huge rat ran across in front of me 5 miles on the canal bank 14 miles now since I got a Onewheel and no offs except getting off and falling off sideways when turning too slow I’m gunna keep on practicing and get more fluid at floating it’s the best fun ever I’m not a very grown up 58yrs old 😁and happy to be having fun floating along did a video but don’t no how to post 😂
Sen. Rand Paul has pointed to a line in Dr. Anthony Fauci’s diary to claim that the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases privately “knew” in January 2020 that the coronavirus did not come from a wet market, saying this contradicted Fauci’s public statements regarding a natural origin of the virus. That misconstrues Fauci’s original statement.
The origin of the virus that causes COVID-19 hasn’t been definitively proven, so the question remains open. But the scientific evidence supports a natural spillover from an infected animal to humans rather than a leak from a lab.
In January 2020, Fauci indicated that he believed the virus most likely has a natural origin – an idea that he has consistently expressed for years.
Paul has clashed with Fauci over the origin of the coronavirus since 2021. The Republican senator from Kentucky — who has been conducting an investigation of the origins of COVID-19 as chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — has accused Fauci of approving research in China that could have produced the coronavirus. There is no evidence that’s true.
Four days before a July 29 Senate hearing in which Fauci declined to answer any questions, Paul released more than 1,100 pages of day-by-day recaps that Fauci wrote during the first years of the pandemic. (Fauci has referred to the log as his “personal diary”; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that he provided the entries after pulling and assembling the information from “11 separate servers.”)
Fauci said in a brief opening statement at the hearing that given Paul’s “unhinged obsession” with him, and on the advice of his lawyers, he would be invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci for any potential crimes related to his service in government. The pardon does not cover any statements he might have made during this week’s hearing. Fauci, who was the head of NIAID from 1984 to 2022, has maintained that he has committed no crime and is the target of baseless attacks.
In the hearing, and in multiplestatementsbefore and after, Paul has focused on a Jan. 26, 2020, diary entry in which Fauci stated that “the first infection was in early December and was not connected to the market. … Now we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier.”
Paul has zeroed in on these statements to falsely suggest that Fauci was saying then that the coronavirus didn’t have a natural origin and to argue that he wasn’t being transparent with the public.
“One of the biggest items that we found in there was that in January of 2020, he already was acknowledging that the virus didn’t originate in the marketplace,” Paul said of the diary entries in a press gaggle on July 27. “For years he’s been telling you — if you interviewed him last week, he’s probably still telling you — the reason we think it came from nature is because they had these exotic animals and that’s where SARS came from previously. But he knew, he already knew.”
Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci listens during a Senate hearing on July 29. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
“He told dear diary,” Paul continued, “but to the public, he commissioned this paper called proximal origins. And in it, they go on and on saying it’s implausible that it came from the lab and we’re really convinced it came from these wild animals in the marketplace. But that level of dishonesty is really astounding.”
“On Jan. 26, 2020, before the country had heard the phrase ‘lab leak,’ Fauci wrote in his private notes that the wet market was not the source, it was the amplifier,” Paul similarly wrote in a July 28 Fox News editorial.
This is not the “gotcha” that Paul makes it out to be. Citing this one passage removes critical context for Fauci’s statements and falsely implies that if the pandemic didn’t originate in the one market, that it couldn’t have had a natural origin. It also treats Fauci’s diary statement as an immutable fact, when in reality, it was an interpretation of the information that was known at the time.
Immediately after the “amplifier” sentence, Fauci was clear in his diary that this did not change his opinion that the outbreak had a natural origin. “Having said that, somewhere the virus jumped from animals to humans,” he wrote.
The diary entry also reflects the science as it was known at the time. Two days before Fauci’s entry, a Lancet article had been published that had found about a third of the 41 first lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases that had been hospitalized – including the patient with the earliest symptom onset – did not have a known connection to the wet market in question, the Huanan seafood market.
This information surprised scientists and suggested to some that the market might not be the source of the virus. The day of Fauci’s diary entry, Science had published a news story about the paper. Headlined “Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally,” it emphasized these particular findings, but did not mention anything about a non-natural or lab origin.
Later, in 2021, scientists publishedarticles showing that the first recognized COVID-19 case did have a connection to the wet market, although such a link is not required for a natural origin. Other evidence has also accumulated that supports a natural spillover from an infected animal to humans, which is precisely what scientists think has occurred in the past with an earlier coronavirus, and in particular points to that occurring at the Huanan seafood market.
An analysis of the earliest cases shows that even those without a known connection to the market still cluster around the market. Environmental samples also show evidence of the virus in the market, clustering in areas now known to have sold coronavirus-susceptible live mammals, and in some cases mixed with the DNA of such animals. Analyses of viral sequences also point to two separate spillovers, both linked to the market.
While this evidence can’t prove a natural origin at the market, hypotheses about any kind of potential lab leak remain speculative. The much-discussed features of the coronavirus that might initially appear to be unusual and manipulated in the lab in fact have been found in nature and are not ones scientists could have predicted. Vague and shifting claims about possible illnesses among lab members at the Wuhan Institute of Virology are too unclear to shed light on the issue. There is no evidence that researchers ever had a virus close enough to the coronavirus to lead to any kind of lab leak.
“There’s overwhelming scientific evidence that COVID emerged from an animal market in Wuhan, which was miles away from a virology lab,” Gigi Gronvall, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, told us for a previous story.
The Intelligence Community remains split. Three agencies — the FBI, Department of Energy and the CIA — have assessed a lab origin is “most likely,” but aren’t in agreement about which lab is to blame. Five others favor a natural spillover or are undecided.
We asked Paul’s office about his statements on Fauci’s diary entry, but we haven’t received a response.
Paul’s Video Montage
One of Paul’s core claims related to the Jan. 26, 2020, entry is that Fauci was dishonest with the public about the coronavirus origin.
“For years, Anthony Fauci has been the public face of saying this in all likelihood came from nature. He kept saying, ‘it’s the marketplace, it’s the marketplace, it’s the marketplace.’ He’s been saying that on television up until recently,” Paul said during the hearing. “But what we find is that what he was saying in public is different than what he was saying in private.”
“In January, in private, he wrote that, looks like the wet market was a superspreader event. It didn’t originate there. We know that some of the earliest deaths and sickness came from somewhere else,” Paul continued. “But then for years and years, we got dishonesty.”
Paul then played a video of nine clips of Fauci discussing wet markets. The video referred on screen to “Fauci’s Wet Market Lie,” and a voiceover claimed the video showed that “Fauci’s journal entries contradict what he said publicly about the origins of COVID-19.”
That’s misleading. The video clips don’t show a clear contradiction with Fauci’s diary entries.
We identified each clip and found that the earliest one dates to April 3, 2020, after scientists had already published their “proximal origin” paper in Nature Medicine, which said that they did not find any lab leak scenario “plausible,” and which Fauci has indicated he was persuaded by.
Two clips show Fauci suggesting government officials address risks related to both labs and wet markets. In at least four of the videos, Fauci acknowledged the origin of the coronavirus was uncertain.
“I think you could say we don’t know how and where it originated,” he said in November 2021 on “Face the Nation.” “We don’t have definitive evidence one way or the other,” he said on NewsNation in April 2023.
In another, from February 2022, Fauci wasn’t even speaking about the coronavirus, but rather another coronavirus that caused an outbreak that began in 2002.
As we’ve established, Fauci’s remarks in January 2020 about the market being an amplifier don’t indicate that he thought the coronavirus leaked from a lab, nor do the remarks show that he had permanently discarded the idea that the outbreak began in the market. The diary shows Fauci consistently supporting a natural origin as most likely.
In a July 2021 diary entry, he wrote that a natural origin is “almost certain,” but noted that he had been careful to acknowledge a lab leak could still be possible.
“There is no question in my mind based on so many factors including history, molecular makeup with the virus, among others that this virus naturally emerged from an animal reservoir,” he wrote a month later.
What Fauci Said About Origins Early On
According to emails made public in June 2021, Fauci was aware on Jan. 31, 2020, that some scientists had taken a cursory look at the coronavirus genome and had seen some sequences that they thought might be suspicious of engineering. But within days, after more investigation and discussion, those same scientists had concluded that engineering was extremely unlikely after all. By mid-March, the scientists had published their findings in a paper titled, “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” explaining why they did not think any of the various lab leak scenarios were plausible. A preprint of the paper was online in mid-February.
It is unclear exactly when Fauci was updated on their progress, but records indicate that Fauci receivedsome kind of feedback on Feb. 4 and was told of the paper’s acceptance on March 6. In any case, it was a relatively short period of time between Fauci receiving information about potentially suspicious sequences and getting the same scientists’ conclusion that a natural spillover was the most likely origin of the virus.
Paul has used Fauci’s diary entry about a Feb. 1, 2020, conference call with some of these scientists to again claim that Fauci was not transparent with the public. (We’ll explain the conference call in the next section.)
Setting aside that a health official might not want to share every suspicion immediately with the American public, we did not find evidence that Fauci’s public statements substantially differed from his diary notes between Jan. 26, 2020, and February or March 2020.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Jan. 27, 2020, Fauci alluded to the Lancet paper’s findings and the first cases and suggested that the market might not be the original source.
In a February 6, 2020, interview with ABC News, Fauci said of engineering or deliberate release of the virus, “There’s always that concern.” He went on to say that “one of the things that people are doing right now is very carefully looking at sequences to see if there’s even any possibility much less likelihood that that’s going on.”
His remarks in a Feb. 17, 2020, interview with USA Today are remarkably similar to his sentiments in his Jan. 26 diary entry.
“Almost certainly, somewhere, somehow a bat infected an intermediate host who infected a human. What epidemiologists feel is that the market was an amplifier of something that was already going on,” Fauci said. “So it didn’t necessarily start in the market, but when people congregated in the market they got infected from each other as opposed to all of them getting infected from whatever animal there was in the market.”
He went on to acknowledge that he couldn’t rule out an accidental or deliberate release, but that he thought the odds were very low. “I can’t say absolutely that’s not the case,” he said. “It is extremely unlikely that that’s the case, but you can find out if it is or not. And there are people who are actually looking at that right now. So I think we’re going to get some sort of an answer about that.”
Misrepresentations of Conference Call
As we said, Paul has pointed to a call Fauci had with scientists on Feb. 1, 2020.
“Feb. 1, 2020. The call that produced Proximal Origin. Twelve scientists. Only 2 concluded it was natural. Per Fauci’s own notes, ‘the rest felt that deliberate insertion was possible.’ This was never a 50/50 room,” Paul said in a July 25 X post.
“12 scientists took part in the call that produced Proximal Origin. Only two concluded natural origin,” Paul wrote in his Fox editorial about the diary entries.
Some of this selectively quotes and misinterprets Fauci’s diary. “There was not total agreement about the likelihood of deliberate insertion,” Fauci’s Feb. 1 entry reads. He described two individuals who were so convinced of a natural origin that they didn’t think it was worth investigating further. The rest disagreed, and thought it should be studied. Thinking something is “possible” enough to study, however, does not necessarily mean those individuals viewed it as likely.
While Paul says it “was never a 50/50 room,” a later entry by Fauci describes the call in nearly exactly those terms.
“After a considerable amount of discussion about half of the people felt that this was possibly a constructed virus and the other half were convinced that this was a natural occurrence,” Fauci wrote in a June 2021 entry, noting that he had consulted with these experts since he was not an evolutionary biologist himself. “A few weeks later,” he said, scientists got together “to examine this more carefully and they came to the conclusion that they were convinced that this. was a natural occurrence and a jump from the animal reservoir. They published their data in a preprint server in February followed by a nature paper in March of 2020.”
One of those scientists, Kristian G. Andersen, a professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research, has described that time period as “a clear example of the scientific process.”
In a June 1, 2021, social media post, Andersen said, “As I have said many times, we seriously considered a lab leak a possibility. However, significant new data, extensive analyses, and many discussions led to the conclusions in our paper.”
Kate Yandell contributed to the story.
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Europe’s summer of fires: Burnham must centre climate adaptation in policiesExpert commentjon.wallace
The UK government should treat adaptation to the effects of climate change as a core organizing principle of both economic policy at home and foreign policy.
Europe is burning. So are parts of North Africa. After an early summer marked by record-breaking heatwaves closed schools, disrupted transport and claimed thousands of lives, wildfires have swept across Europe and are increasingly affecting parts of North Africa. Devastating blazes prompted Spain to declare a national emergency in the Madrid region. France has invoked help from the EU civil protection mechanism to face its worst fires in two decades.
The UK is also in the grip of a ‘firewave’, with fires affecting landscapes from the Cairngorms to the Suffolk coast, where a major incident forced the evacuation of a holiday park. Nearly half of England is facing an ‘exceptionally serious’ drought, which could severely undermine emergency response against the fires.
These events expose a growing gap in climate policy. Most governments continue to focus – rightly – on reducing emissions. But they are only beginning to grapple with a second challenge of ‘adaptation’: that is, how to make their societies resilient in the face of unavoidable climate impacts.
If this summer marks anything, it should be the moment that adaptation moves from the margins of environmental policy to the centre of economic planning and foreign policy.
A different phase of climate politics
Recurring heatwaves this summer demonstrate that even if every country dramatically accelerated decarbonization tomorrow, societies would still need to prepare for climatic changes that are locked into the system. The effects of these changes are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Recent research suggests that the number of people exposed to extreme heat globally could double by 2050. Food supply shocks are increasingly common, as changing rainfall patterns, droughts and wildfires disrupt international agricultural production.
Water scarcity is another growing challenge. That includes in the UK: experts estimate that river flows in England could decline by up to 30 per cent compared with pre-industrial levels.
Meanwhile, the UK’s latest Climate Change Risk Assessment identifies a strong link between drought and wildfire risk, reinforcing the IPCC’s conclusion that climate change is increasing incidences of fire weather in many regions.
The question is therefore no longer whether climate change will affect economies. It already is. The question is, can governments adapt quickly enough?
For the new UK government, that means moving adaptation out of strategy documents and into delivery. Britain has made progress in assessing climate risks, but implementation has lagged, particularly on addressing issues like overheating, water resilience and wildfire preparedness.
Adaptation is economic policy
The new government needs to treat climate adaptation as economic policy, rather than a narrow environmental concern. Flood defences, emergency response and ecosystem protection remain essential ways to prepare for extreme weather. But they are only part of the solution.
In the UK, as elsewhere, adaptation requires a broader approach to land management. That includes measures like restoring peatland – to retain moisture and make soils less susceptible to drying and burning; better managing vegetation in high-risk areas; and improving coordination between landowners, fire services and local authorities.
Urban resilience also needs greater attention, as cities face greater amplification of heat compared to rural areas. Adapting to these conditions requires more green space, expanded tree cover and heat-resilient design of buildings and infrastructure to protect public health.
Many of these measures are well understood. The challenge is to embed adaptation into decisions on transport, energy, housing and water infrastructure from the outset – built into Treasury and public investment frameworks rather than added as an afterthought. The costs involved are significant. But the price of inaction is likely to be far greater.
Adaptation must become a principal test of public investment. It must inform the big incoming decisions, including on how to deliver expansion of the sovereign AI initiative and provide for an uptake of cooling solutions – particularly in schools, care homes and hospitals.
Momentum must be sustained by the knowledge that inactivity could threaten the UK’s societal resilience. As energy demand rises, so does the scale of impact in case of heat-related disruption. Infrastructure systems such as telecommunications and transport will increasingly be affected by extreme temperatures and carry potential knock-on risks to trade.
At the same time, parts of the UK may also become difficult to insure, prompting financial institutions to reassess how they account for climate risk across investments, insurance and lending. The UK must prepare and plan for this new reality.
From national ambition to international leadership
But adaptation policy cannot stop at Britain’s borders. A world that is more resilient to climate change will be a more stable world.
Many governments, from the Netherlands to Japan, understand this, and are beginning to integrate adaptation policy into economic planning and national security. So too is the EU. The UK should help accelerate this broader shift.
It should also apply pressure where progress remains uneven or is falling away. Some major donors, for example, are scaling back their ambitions under political and fiscal pressure: the World Bank has dropped its target of directing 45 per cent of its financing towards climate-related objectives.
The UK can drive a broader shift through practical leadership in areas where it already has expertise and influence.
The UK has signalled its intention to place climate at the centre of its foreign policy, and is already beginning to use diplomatic partnerships to address shared climate risks, including through recent joint statements with France and Spain on the growing threat of wildfires.
And it is well positioned to drive this broader shift through practical leadership in areas where it already has expertise and influence. Building on this approach, the UK can drive a broader shift through practical leadership in areas where it already has expertise and influence. Three priorities should stand out for new foreign secretary, Ed Miliband.
First, the UK should champion finance for adaptation ahead of this year’s COP31 climate conference. It can do so by supporting delivery of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance agreed at COP29. That means using its diplomatic influence – for example through the G7, Commonwealth and bilateral relationships with other major donor countries – to build support for ambitious adaptation finance commitments and ensure they are translated into delivery.
Second, it should make water diplomacy a core element of its bilateral and multilateral engagement by building on initiatives such as its Just Transitions for Water Security Programme. And through multilateral processes such as the UN Water Conference, the UK can advance cooperation on water security while integrating resilience into trade, investment, technology and innovation partnerships.
Third, the government should act on the findings of its National security assessment on global ecosystems. So far this has had little visible impact on policy. But championing reforestation, ecosystem restoration and nature-positive growth will strengthen climate resilience while supporting public health and economic prosperity.
From net zero to climate resilience
The UK has rightly sought to lead by example on emissions reduction. But leadership in the coming decade will also be judged by how well it adapts to a warmer world, while helping others do the same.
Europe’s summer of fire should be a stark reminder that adaptation must move from the sidelines to the centre of government. For Andy Burnham’s new government, that means embedding resilience to extreme weather into its economic policy at home – and making it a defining pillar of its foreign policy too. Planning to live with the effects of climate change is no longer simply environmental policy: it is economic strategy, national security and diplomacy rolled into one.
A semitruck drives across the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge from Canada into the United States.
On the northeast edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, nearly 1,100 people gathered in late June for the International Bridge Walk across the long span that links two cities with the same name: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Both the sun and the sentiments were bright.
“We don’t like to say there’s a border there, because we’re twin cities. We’re one family, the countries of Canada and the United States,” Don Gerrie, mayor of the Michigan Sault (pronounced “Soo”), told the crowd ahead of the annual walk.
He sported a black ballcap that he said was given to him by his counterpart in the Ontario Sault. It featured flags from both nations with the words “Stronger Together” and “Allies and Friends.”
Canadians in cheerful patriotic attire joined the bridge walk, with maple leaves tagging their scarves and socks, shirts and shorts. Americans came out in star-spangled T-shirts heralding the nation’s 250th birthday. But this lively tradition is clouded by an increasingly hostile relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Traffic over the bridge is way down. And, in recent weeks, President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs in retaliation for thick wildfire smoke wafting into the U.S. When his administration announced an additional 50% tariff on an array of Canadian products, the White House cited “Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products.” Then, using a separate mechanism, it hit Canada with a further 10% in tariffs.
Following pressure from the Trump administration that delayed it, a new publicly owned bridge, the Gordie Howe, opened Monday between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Canada hosted a Canada-only opening ceremony.
Trump wasn’t present for the bridge’s ribbon-cutting, even though he used to cheer the project. Up at the Sault bridge, there was no sign of the region’s congressional representative at the celebration of international friendship, even though, during Trump’s first term, Rep. Jack Bergman, a Republican, hailed relations with Canada.
In 2020, when Bergman was appointed to an interparliamentary group that provides a forum for exchange between Canadian and American legislators, he boasted of the Sault bridge as a point where “millions” cross every year “to conduct business, shop, work and enjoy what each country has to offer.”
Yet Bergman, who is endorsed by Trump in an upcoming contested primary, has been virtually silent on the new tariffs and their blowback in local communities, even as he’s prodded to speak out by many of his constituents. The only references to Sault Ste. Marie in the news items on his website during Trump’s second term are a mention of an infrastructure project and a February 2025 letter to the president about a purported member of a Venezuelan gang crossing the border.
As Canada responds to Trump’s moves with emergency interventions and “buy local” boosterism, significantly fewer Canadians are crossing the border for once-ordinary activities: shopping, eating, fueling vehicles, vacationing or visiting family and friends.
The Sault area lost at least $82.9 million last year in local spending because of decreased crossings, according to an estimate from the International Bridge Administration, which manages the span: $62.7 million on the Michigan side and $20.2 million on the Ontario side.
There were 270,000 fewer total crossings last year at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge — nearly a 24% drop from 2024, exceeding similar declines at Michigan’s other border crossings. Based on the currency used to pay bridge fares and information from the Canadian prime minister’s office, the drop is largely due to the loss of Canadian travelers. Halfway into 2026, auto traffic has lingered at the same lower volume, according to the bridge director, while commercial traffic has fallen nearly 15% further.
Nationwide, the total number of Canadians returning from the United States last year dropped by more than 25%, according to data from the Canadian government.
“What Canadians have done, of course, is they’re boycotting the U.S.,” said Michael Broadway, a geographer and professor emeritus at Northern Michigan University who has researched the travel trends (and joined the bridge walk). Ordinary people can only do so much about federal politics, he said, “but what they can do is they can vote with their feet.”
These bridge and tunnel crossings connect Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario.Cengiz Yar/ProPublica
The Sault bridge spans the St. Mary’s River, just west of the historic Soo Locks that serve as a hinge between two of the largest Great Lakes, Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Soaring high above the water to clear the thousand-foot freighters, it’s a critical gateway for commerce. And it’s the only vehicular border crossing for hundreds of miles in either direction.
The drop in traffic reversed a post-pandemic uptick, said Peter Petainen, bridge director and an Ontario Sault native. Just as the numbers were recovering, he told ProPublica, “the federal tariff dispute occurred and we’ve fallen off.”
Altogether, it’s a problem for Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula — and also for the publicly owned bridge, which depends on tolls for maintenance and operations. As the bridge authority put it in its five-year plan, issued in December: “Border challenges negatively affecting bridge traffic, trade and tourism may significantly reduce bridge revenue or increase expenditures beyond operational sustainability.”
Participants make their way across the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge during the 36th International Bridge Walk on June 27.The cross-border bridge walk is supposed to represent unity among the twin communities, which locals refer to as one family.
Wilda Hopper, co-owner of Bird’s Eye Outfitters in the Michigan Sault, feels the change. She said that the drop-off in Canadian visitors was most noticeable in the off-season, when her gear shop and cafe relies on the local community — including those from the Ontario Sault — to carry it through the snowy months.
Between fewer Canadian customers and rising costs, Hopper said, business is down about 27% compared with what it was last summer.
“I can tell you that I’ve spoken to business after business up in the Sault Ste. Marie area, and in the eastern Upper Peninsula, and they’re all feeling the pressure from this,” said Michigan state Sen. John Damoose, a Republican who represents the community in Lansing. “Mackinac Island’s feeling the pressure, everybody is feeling the heat from this deterioration in our relationship with Canada.”
It’s a bewildering fallout, he said. After a brutal ice storm last year, he remembered Canadians crossing the Sault bridge to help Michiganders repair the electrical grid. “This is our best friend in the entire world,” Damoose said.
Only so much can be done about it from the statehouse, though, when it’s Republicans in Washington in the power position. Two of Michigan’s voices in Washington are the Democratic Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin. They don’t flatly oppose tariffs, but they have challenged Trump’s approach, calling it, respectively, “chaotic” and “sloppy.” Slotkin has said that, constitutionally, only Congress can levy tariffs or raise taxes. Peters introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks more tariff transparency.
Bergman, who has represented a district that encompasses the Upper Peninsula and an additional northern swath of the state’s “mitten” since 2017, once stressed the critical role Canada plays in Michigan’s economy. He vowed to work with the Canadian Parliament to “expand market access between both our nations” during Trump’s first term. And he championed the president’s new North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico, citing the benefits for Michigan’s farmers, small businesses and consumers.
But Trump’s trade policies have made it hard on many Republicans who once touted free trade. Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada and a former Michigan congressman, pivoted dramatically on trade in the Trump era, as ProPublica reported.
U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan has been virtually silent during President Donald Trump’s second term about how tariffs are impacting his constituents.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
Since Trump started his second term, there’s been no mention of tariffs in the press releases, articles and op-eds on Bergman’s website. Along with three of his colleagues in Congress, he criticized Canada’s handling of wildfires that sent thick smoke into Michigan in a recent letter to the prime minister.
ProPublica reached out to Bergman, his office and his campaign multiple times for comment on what’s happening in his district and received no response. Besides Trump’s endorsement, his reelection is supported by the Michigan and U.S. chambers of commerce.
He’s facing two challengers in the Republican primary on Aug. 4. Both of them told ProPublica that the district benefits from sustainable trading relationships.
They also echoed what many of Bergman’s constituents told ProPublica: that residents have had scarce opportunities to connect with the congressman in person. Bergman doesn’t appear to have hosted a public town hall in the district since his first year in office.
Bergman, who has a house in Louisiana, has faced long-standing allegations that he doesn’t even make Michigan his true home. Julie Hoffmeyer, a former member of Bergman’s staff who supports one of his primary challengers, told ProPublica that the congressman refers to his property in the western Upper Peninsula as a “cabin” or a “camp.”
Bergman, responding to past challenges to his Michigan residency, has called his home there his primary residence and noted that he’s a registered voter in the state.
Michael Broadway, a geographer and professor emeritus at Northern Michigan University, says many Canadians have, in effect, boycotted the U.S. over Trump’s policies. Businesses like Bird’s Eye Outfitters in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, have seen a noticeable drop-off in Canadian visitors.The director of the international bridge estimates that the Sault area, encompassing the two cities on opposite sides of the border, lost at least $82.9 million last year in local spending.
Trump’s quick-shifting trade policies are especially difficult for Michigan’s agriculture industry, the state’s second-largest sector, according to a recent report from the state’s agriculture department. The report, which hasn’t yet been publicly released, said that exports to Canada fell 12.3% last year, “signalling severe strain with a country that is our strongest trading partner.”
Meanwhile, the relationship between the U.S. and Canada is fraying ever further. A White House fact sheet on the new 50% tariff acknowledged the ways that Canadians have changed how they do business.
The White House said that Canadian imports of U.S. motor vehicles dropped by about 22% between April 2025 and March 2026, compared with the same period the year before. And, it said, due to provincial restrictions, Canadian imports of U.S. alcoholic beverages have plummeted.
Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, said in a letter posted on social media that the series of tariffs imposed by the U.S. began with ones that were “in direct violation” of the standing North American trade deal — the deal from Trump’s first term that he once celebrated, and that Bergman described as a great economic victory for Michigan.
With the deal up for review this year, the Trump administration declined a long-term extension of the pact. Carney has also widely signaled that Canada is looking beyond its near neighbor for trading partners.
Carney said, in an April video posted on his YouTube channel: “Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become our weaknesses — weaknesses that we must correct.”
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is the only vehicular border crossing between the countries for hundreds of miles in either direction.
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