The New York Times reports that Iran's new, more risk-tolerant leadership is driving tough negotiations, while The Wall Street Journal details a recent U.S. helicopter crash that nearly sparked renewed conflict. Both outlets indicate a memorandum of understanding is near but not finalized, with core issues like Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz left for later talks.
Workers began removing Trump's name from the Kennedy Center facade early Saturday, hours after a court-ordered deadline, with delays due to thunderstorms. Judge Christopher Cooper ruled the board lacked authority to rename the institution, which only Congress can do. Rep. Joyce Beatty, who sued, was present.
The New York Times reports that while the average worker faces falling real wages and rising energy costs, Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire with SpaceX's public debut. The article notes that this stark juxtaposition fuels public pessimism about the economy, as asset values surge for the ultra-wealthy but wages decline for most.
The New York Times reports that a federal judge temporarily blocked the National Park Service from removing slavery depictions and other historical materials under President Trump's executive order. Judge Angel Kelley ordered restoration of exhibits already taken down, citing censorship concerns. The ruling is a temporary reprieve while litigation continues.
A U.S. judge indefinitely blocked President Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, saying DOJ statements were insufficient and demanding a sworn declaration that the fund will not proceed. Reuters reports that plaintiffs allege the fund excludes victims of Trump administration political targeting, while the judge cited Trump's public support for the concept as evidence the administration may still pursue it.
A joint US-Venezuelan military operation killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, President Trump announced. The New York Times notes Trump framed the strike as retribution for crime victims, while the Wall Street Journal reports that US authorities have not presented evidence linking the gang to those murders. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike targeted Guerrero, who was wanted on US terrorism charges.
The Wall Street Journal followed residents of Druzhkivka over a year as the Russian army closed in, documenting the city's decline from 68,000 to 6,000 people. Bombardments intensified, utilities failed, and the historic tram line stopped running after a power strike. Many faced the wrenching decision to flee, with one dog caregiver evacuating in a soldier's jeep.
The New York Times reports on the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species with no vaccine. The outbreak has killed at least 141 people, with 689 confirmed cases in Congo and 19 in Uganda. Conflict and population movement hinder response, while international aid is slow amid US withdrawal from WHO and closure of USAID.
Gene Shalit, the "Today" show movie critic known for his puns and distinctive appearance, has died at 100. According to a Washington Post obituary, he spent four decades on the NBC morning show before retiring in 2010. Shalit's reviews were marked by wordplay, and he also worked as a public-relations specialist and magazine writer prior to joining "Today."
Axios reports the Trump administration is blocking foreign governments, companies and individuals from accessing Anthropic's most advanced AI models, leading the company to cut off all customer access. BBC notes Anthropic suspended the tools after US national security authorities raised concerns about a jailbreaking method. The models are now subject to export controls, and Anthropic is separately suing the Pentagon over a 'supply chain risk' designation.
Both Ars Technica and TechCrunch report that Anthropic shut down its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models after a US Commerce Department directive citing national security concerns over a potential jailbreak. Anthropic complied but disagreed, calling the evidence narrow and noting other models have similar capabilities.
A critical zero-day vulnerability in Oracle's PeopleSoft software, tracked as CVE-2026-35273 with a 9.8 severity rating, has been exploited by the ransomware group ShinyHunters. The group targeted approximately 100 organizations, primarily in higher education, stealing data and issuing extortion demands. Oracle has provided a stopgap mitigation but no full patch. Mandiant and Rapid7 are offering indicators of compromise.
TechCrunch reports that Meta's three-month-old Applied AI unit is facing employee revolt, with workers describing the environment as a 'soul-crushing gulag' and calling themselves 'draftees.' The discontent follows an internal outburst during a livestream and a petition signed by over 1,600 employees protesting keystroke monitoring. Meta's chief product officer acknowledged the 'brutal' atmosphere, while CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted mistakes in a memo.
The FBI constructed a 22,000-square-foot replica town on its Huntsville, Alabama campus to simulate real-world cyberattacks. Opened in February 2025, the Kinetic Cyber Range features fully furnished buildings and functioning systems to train investigators. It has trained over 1,400 students from federal and local agencies in ransomware and digital forensics exercises.
The Munich Regional Court preliminarily ruled that Google is liable for false statements generated by its AI Overviews feature, finding that the AI produced independent, new statements not appearing in search results. The court rejected Google's defense that users should verify information, stating that such warnings do not absolve liability. The ruling could have global implications for AI systems that generate new content from multiple sources.
A coalition of state attorneys general is investigating OpenAI, issuing a subpoena for documents on user engagement, data handling, and AI models, according to Engadget citing the Wall Street Journal. The company stated it will engage constructively. The probe follows previous state AG scrutiny of AI firms.
Ars Technica reports that researchers found 75 data center projects worth $130 billion were blocked or delayed in Q1 2026, the most on record, citing a structural shift in community opposition. The New York Times op-ed highlights that the resistance gives people “a taste of political power.” However, The Atlantic argues the panic is overblown, noting benefits like tax revenue in Loudoun County.
TechCrunch reports that Mistral AI is in early discussions to raise about €3 billion at a valuation of around €20 billion, nearly double its previous valuation from September. The French AI lab has taken a more open approach than US competitors and positions itself as a sovereign European alternative. It has raised significantly less than US rivals OpenAI and Anthropic. Mistral did not comment.
The Department of Justice approved the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance, further consolidating the Ellison family's control over American media. Engadget reports that the deal has sparked fear over the future of film, television, and news industries. The DOJ dismissed comparisons to the Disney-Fox merger and labor concerns, while the UK is conducting its own investigation. State attorneys general in California and New York have indicated they will challenge the deal.
Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk disclosed a cyberattack that stole pseudonymized clinical trial participant data and exposed healthcare partner information, potentially enabling targeted phishing. The Register notes the attack occurred on the same day the UK approved Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill as the first daily GLP-1 tablet for weight management.