The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration acted within its authority under the Supply Chain Security Act when it barred federal agencies and defense contractors from using Anthropic's products. The panel found the government could blacklist Anthropic for refusing to enable certain AI capabilities even absent malicious intent, denying Anthropic's petition for review. Anthropic said it disagrees with the ruling and may seek en banc review or petition the Supreme Court.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-25
MIT has installed hundreds of small camera units across campus over the summer, including more than 500 documented by The Tech, with some positioned near faculty offices and bathroom entrances. At the May 2026 Institute Faculty Meeting, administrators acknowledged testing AI-based search capabilities from Ambient.ai on campus footage without prior notice or consent from the community.
fnl.mit.edu
· 2026-09-25
A federal appeals court in Washington ruled 2-1 to uphold the Defense Department's designation of Anthropic as a national security supply chain risk, blocking the Pentagon and its contractors from using Claude AI models. The ruling addresses one of two separate designations the DOD used to justify the ban; a San Francisco court had already struck down the other designation last month. Anthropic said it disagrees with the decision and is considering further legal options.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-25
The US Department of Justice filed to intervene in X's and Elon Musk's appeal against a €120 million fine the European Commission imposed last December for violating the Digital Services Act. Assistant attorney general Brett Shumate said the Commission had overstepped its authority in targeting an American company, and the case will be heard at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-25
The Trump administration's WISeR pilot, launched in January, uses AI to decide whether to approve certain Medicare treatments, a step not previously required for the program. Documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation through litigation revealed provider complaints about technical failures, long delays and denials, with one clinician describing patients crying in pain while awaiting decisions. The Government Accountability Office found in May that officials did not follow proper procedure in establishing the program, and last week Rep. Suzan DelBene's push for a committee vote to release more WISeR documents was defeated by Republicans.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-25
The Trump administration is pursuing policies aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production, including memory chips where the US lags foreign producers. However, proposed tariffs on imported components and materials could raise costs for American chipmakers trying to expand production.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-24
Technology industry associations are pressing the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed Department of Homeland Security rule that would impose a $103,265 fee on H-1B visa applications. The proposal has revived long-running tensions between the administration and tech companies over the future of skilled-worker immigration policy.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-24
Local governments across the US have filed objections to an FCC proposal that would impose a 120-day deadline on broadband permit approvals and limit fees they can charge providers. The FCC argues that local rules delay deployment and inflate costs, a position backed by broadband providers, while cities counter that the plan would undermine public safety oversight and exceeds federal authority. Groups including the League of California Cities and Minnesota municipalities say Congress never granted the FCC this preemptive power.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-24
The Justice Department issued guidance stating that citizens and noncitizens engaging in public activity, including demonstrations, that furthers a foreign power's goals must register with the government or face criminal liability. Days earlier, President Trump posted on social media calling AI and data-center critics 'Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers' and linked opposition to AI development to China.
kenklippenstein.com
· 2026-09-24
A temporary structure built on the National Mall this past July echoed the classical architecture of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The piece traces how that six-month fair became a recurring cultural touchstone, appearing in branding, conspiracy theories, and political imagery well over a century later.
thebirthofacapital.info
· 2026-09-23
The FCC is taking public comments on a rulemaking that would override state and local permitting rules for wired broadband deployment, including a 120-day permit deadline and limits on fees charged to providers. Groups representing mayors, counties and cities—including the US Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities—filed comments in September opposing the plan, calling local permitting essential for public safety rather than a deployment barrier. Broadband providers support the FCC's proposal.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-22
Researchers identified more than 1,400 local policies across 157 cities addressing clean energy, building efficiency and extreme heat preparedness, according to a new study. The findings come as the Trump administration has restricted states from using Inflation Reduction Act rebates to help homeowners replace fossil fuel appliances with heat pumps.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-22
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