The White House’s Secret A.I. Rules + The State of Model Alignment With METR’s Chris Painter + The Final Hot Mess Express

The administration will impose a minimum import price for polysilicon, a key component for semiconductors and solar panels, as well as tariffs for products made with the material.

A worker inspected solar panels at a factory in Dalton, Ga., in 2023.

F.C.C. Removes Limit on Broadcast TV Ownership

NYT - Technology

By: Cecilia Kang

6 August 2026 at 21:56

The move lifts a rule that said a single television-station owner could not reach more than 39 percent of U.S. households.

Federal Judge Orders Pentagon to Lift Freeze on Wind Power

NYT - Science

By: Brad Plumer

6 August 2026 at 19:56

Since April, the Defense Department has halted all military reviews for wind projects, stalling dozens of projects nationwide.

Federal Judge Orders Pentagon to Lift Freeze on Wind Power

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Brad Plumer

6 August 2026 at 19:56

Since April, the Defense Department has halted all military reviews for wind projects, stalling dozens of projects nationwide.

Turbines near Throckmorton, Texas. Defense Department reviews are meant to ensure that wind farms do not interfere with radar or flight paths.

F.D.A. Approves Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine

NYT - Science

By: Christina Jewett

6 August 2026 at 03:24

The agency had initially refused to even review the application but reversed course after a public outcry.

How China’s A.I. Is Surging Across Africa

NYT - Technology

By: Paul Mozur · Adam Satariano and Aaron Krolik

5 August 2026 at 21:41

In African tech hubs, developers are picking China’s cheap, freely available artificial intelligence models over more powerful U.S. ones.

Trump White House Readies AI Framework to Review Security Risks

NYT - Technology

By: David McCabe · Mike Isaac · Kate Conger and Ana Swanson

5 August 2026 at 01:17

The voluntary review process will cover closed-source artificial intelligence models, but exclude those that publish the underlying code.

Mexico Declares War on Stinky Seaweed

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Claire Brown

4 August 2026 at 20:08

A changing climate is helping to fuel the growth of a gigantic blob of foul-smelling seaweed that has washed up in some coastal communities. Mexico is fighting back.

Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of the A.I. Bubble?

NYT - Technology

By: Jonathan Mahler · Jim Rutenberg and Kirsten Grind

2 August 2026 at 16:45

Inside the 81-year-old billionaire’s risky, debt-fueled scramble to transform his data empire into an A.I. juggernaut.

Cowboys Fringants Bassist Is Named Quebec’s Chief Scientist

NYT - Science

By: Norimitsu Onishi and Nasuna Stuart-Ulin

2 August 2026 at 10:00

Jérôme Dupras is a member of one of Quebec’s most popular folk rock bands. Now, as the province’s chief scientist, he will help shape its environmental destiny.

The German Auto Industry, a Pillar of the National Psyche, Is Trembling

NYT - Technology

By: Jack Ewing and Jim Tankersley

2 August 2026 at 01:58

The country’s iconic carmakers are struggling with tariffs, the growth of electric vehicles and intense competition from Chinese companies.

Trump Administration Is Undoing Plans to Boost Workplace Heat Protections

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Scott Dance

1 August 2026 at 20:58

The Biden administration took steps to shield workers from extreme temperatures. The Trump administration is taking a gentler approach with employers.

A delivery in Wilmington, N.C., this month. Heat is linked to hundreds of workplace deaths each year, but labor groups say the true toll is unknown because heat-related illnesses are not properly tracked or reported.

Trump Administration Is Undoing Plans to Boost Workplace Heat Protections

NYT - Science

By: Scott Dance

1 August 2026 at 20:58

The Biden administration took steps to shield workers from extreme temperatures. The Trump administration is taking a gentler approach with employers.