Newly unsealed court documents in The New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft reveal internal statements warning that their AI models were creating a 'doom loop' harming the web. A Microsoft applied science director reportedly described the companies' data scraping practices as the 'largest theft of labor in human history' and a mockery of fair use. Microsoft has distanced itself from these remarks, calling them one employee's personal opinion rather than the company's official stance.
Since the Strait of Hormuz closure sent Brent crude up 58% year-on-year, the European Commission has only trimmed its 2026 growth forecast from 1.5% to 1.1%, with unemployment steady near 6%. That resilience stems from a structural shift: Russian gas has dropped from 45% to 12% of EU imports while US LNG now supplies two-thirds of Europe's gas, backed by $750 billion in commitments through 2028, and EU output uses 44% less energy per euro than in 1995.
The United States has managed to loosen Iran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz and has nearly halted Iran's oil exports through a naval blockade, deepening Tehran's economic crisis. Despite this, the conflict launched by the US and Israel in February continues with no diplomatic breakthrough since a June truce collapsed, and low-level fighting persists without a clear American exit strategy.
AAA reported the national average diesel price reached $6.05 a gallon on Friday, up from $5.85 the prior week and $3.70 a year ago, as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran disrupts global fuel supplies. Regular gasoline also rose to $4.29 a gallon, tracking a jump in both Brent and U.S. crude oil above $100 a barrel for the first time in months.
President Trump said Wednesday that oil prices, driven up by the ongoing Iran conflict, will likely stay elevated until after U.S. midterm elections. His remarks came as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time since July, with prices jumping over 3% amid escalating U.S.-Iran military exchanges.
Brent crude climbed past the $100-per-barrel mark amid escalating US-Canada trade tensions, while Apple prepared to hold its annual product event, expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone. The event also marks the public debut of John Ternus, who recently took over as Apple's CEO, with analysts watching for potential price increases across the product lineup.
Federal prosecutors in Nevada allege Brent Kovar ran a Ponzi scheme that fraudulently raised $24 million from roughly 400 investors by claiming he used AI software on a supercomputer to mine and verify cryptocurrency. He promised annual returns of 15 to 30 percent with a full money-back guarantee, but investigators say he paid earlier investors with money from new ones and could not honor his guarantees. Kovar now faces 11 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of money laundering, carrying a maximum combined sentence of 280 years.
GoKawiil