Tech
The latest news, analysis and updates on tech politics and policy.
Anthropic backs California bill that could test Newsom on AI
The ChatGPT rival is backing Scott Wiener’s AI transparency bill after his prior, high-profile effort was vetoed last year.
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Congress pulls the rug on U.S. plan to beat Huawei
U.S. officials of both parties spent years struggling to develop homegrown alternatives to China’s telecom giants. The GOP abruptly defunded its biggest tool.
AI is unmasking ICE officers. Can Washington do anything about it?
A new twist in the debate over surveillance tech raises tough questions for policymakers.
Silicon Valley mayor agrees with Trump on ‘energy dominance’
“Frankly, California has been, in my view, not friendly enough to growth and investment in recent decades, and that’s something we’re trying to change in San Jose,” said the city’s moderate mayor, Matt Mahan.
Jim Jordan invites Nigel Farage to Capitol Hill to bash tech laws
Jordan’s judiciary committee has scheduled a hearing focused on “European threats to American free speech and innovation.”
Trump White House takes a $10B stake in Intel
In an unusual deal with the struggling chipmaker, the U.S. takes a holding in a private company.
California Republicans trust tech companies as much as Trump on AI
Golden State conservatives are as comfortable with Big Tech regulating AI as the federal government taking the reins, an exclusive poll shows.
Poll shows California policy influencers want harsher social media laws than voters
A group of heavily Democratic policy influencers supported social media controls at higher rates than voters at large.
AI launches across the government
With a new AI tool, federal employees can experiment with automating their jobs with ChatGPT and more.
Big Tech’s next major political battle may already be brewing in your backyard
The data center debate is inching up the ballot as state lawmakers race to regulate a nascent industry, governors rush to embrace a new economic boon and Big Tech makes major investments in AI growth.
Elon Musk and X notch court win against California deepfake law
One of the country’s strictest bans on election deepfakes was defeated by a challenge from the tech billionaire.
Senate Republicans not backing down in battle with TSA over facial recognition bill
Federal agency officials have been orchestrating a lobbying effort against legislation many Senate Republicans are keen to advance.
UK’s Farage calls Jamie Raskin ‘pig-headed’ during London visit
A discussion on free speech became combative after the conversation brought up Donald Trump.
Trump got his tariff hike. The rest remains murky.
He is taking a victory lap on his trade agenda after reaching deals with the EU and Japan, but it’s not clear how much countries have agreed to.
FCC green-lights Skydance/Paramount deal after CBS concessions
Skydance had agreed to address Trump administration concerns about alleged bias at CBS.
Trump derides copyright and state rules in AI Action Plan launch
The president seemed to riff since his 28-page AI Action Plan did not wade into copyright and administration officials told reporters the issue should be left up to the courts.
2 FTC commissioners are turning their firings into a resistance tour
Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter want to bring national attention to Trump’s purge of Washington agencies — but when the cases hit the Supreme Court, it might not matter.
China behind vast global hack involving multiple US agencies
A significant flaw in a widely used Microsoft product allowed multiple Chinese-linked hacking groups to breach dozens of organizations across the globe and at least two U.S. federal agencies.
Judge says Trump’s firing of FTC commissioner was illegal
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter can return to her job, but the fight could head to the Supreme Court.
How Elon Musk’s X is fueling the MAGA-Trump split
Musk invited the conspiracists back on purpose. Now they’re dividing the GOP.
Pentagon will start using Musk’s Grok
The partnership comes as the relationship between Trump and Musk continues to deteriorate.
OpenAI accuses nonprofit of Musk ties, lobbying violations, in California complaint
The complaint shows the lengths OpenAI has gone to prop up its belief that opponents of the restructuring have secret connections to competitors like Elon Musk.
Why Grok Fell in Love With Hitler
AI expert Gary Marcus explains what went wrong with Elon Musk’s pet project, and what it means for the future of AI.
California lawmaker scrambles to calm tech titans over revamped bill
State Sen. Scott Wiener wants AI companies on his side this time, after a bruising showdown over AI rules last year.
The problem with Elon Musk’s techie dream of rebooting politics
The billionaire isn’t the first to decide he can do politics better than the parties. The public isn’t so sure.
Beijing and Washington lift export restrictions on key products
The targeted lifting of export curbs delivers on a “framework” deal inked by U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators in London last month.
Trump’s allies wanted to strip states’ powers on AI. It backfired.
The threat of a freeze on states enforcing AI laws prompted lawmakers to get creative, forming some unusual political alliances.
‘He’s going to do everything to damage the president’: Former Musk friend on the Trump fallout
In a rare interview after the Musk-Trump row, Silicon Valley founder Philip Low predicts his former friend will seek retaliation against the president.
Senate parliamentarian green lights state AI law freeze in GOP megabill
Both parties made their arguments before the parliamentarian Thursday.
Kari Lake claws back $17M for ‘mission support’ amid deep cuts to US-funded media
It comes as Lake delivers termination notices to most staff at Voice of America.
‘I just want finality’: GOP greets newest TikTok extension with resignation
Trump third extension of the TikTok law boxed out Republicans in both chambers.