At its Goalkeepers event in New York, the Gates Foundation announced a coalition of about 60 organizations—including Anthropic, Google and the OpenAI Foundation—aimed at making AI tools available in more underrepresented languages, targeting over 3 billion people over five years. Bill Gates called for wealthier nations to boost foreign aid and pair it with AI-driven innovation, while the event highlighted the U.N.'s warning that progress on sustainable development goals remains slow.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-22
Breakthrough Energy Ventures has unveiled its sixth annual Fellows program, backing 21 early-stage companies working across agriculture, nuclear fusion, robotics and data center power efficiency. The lineup includes Borealis Fusion, which is developing fusion reactors fueled by proton-boron rather than conventional deuterium-tritium mixtures. Managing partner Eric Toone said the selections are made with an eye toward a looming tripling of global electricity demand as economies electrify, not just today's AI-driven power crunch.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-22
Outgoing Republican Representative Darrell Issa has introduced legislation that would let copyright holders secure court orders forcing internet providers, domain name resolvers, and VPN services to block access to foreign piracy websites. The bill follows similar site-blocking proposals from other lawmakers backed by the Motion Picture Association, and comes after Issa signaled his intent at a June 30 hearing.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-17
A major legislative priority backed by the cryptocurrency industry failed to secure the 60 votes needed to advance to a full Senate floor debate. The setback comes despite heavy lobbying and campaign spending by crypto interests aimed at shaping favorable regulation in Congress.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-16
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman disclosed at the Fast Company Innovation Festival that he intends to tear down the Upper West Side building associated with Saturday Night Live to build a brain research institute. He shared the plan publicly, joking that the show's staff had not yet been informed of the demolition.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-16
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman used a live appearance at the Fast Company Innovation Festival to reiterate views he previously expressed on social media, backing President Trump's military action against Iran and criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ackman argued that Mamdani's policies have driven away the city's most economically productive residents.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-16
Pershing Square Capital Management CEO Bill Ackman joined a conversation moderated by Mansueto Ventures' Stephanie Mehta to discuss how design shapes business outcomes and what the future of design might look like. The session, titled 'The Business of Design—and the Design of the Future,' explored the intersection of investment strategy and design thinking.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
Bill Gates told Reuters that no government has adequately studied or planned for the risks AI poses to jobs and society, comparing the technology's arrival to an alien invasion in movies where global powers unite to respond. He said he has discussed these concerns with leaders including Donald Trump and is seeking a meeting with Xi Jinping, and suggested some jobs should be designated 'Human Reserved.'
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-15
The Senate is preparing to vote on the Clarity Act, a major cryptocurrency market bill, after President Trump agreed to ethics restrictions covering himself, including a ban on issuing meme coins like those he and his wife launched before his return to office. Republicans say Trump also accepted a tougher ethics proposal demanded by key senators over the weekend, a concession seen as necessary to secure enough votes for passage.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-14
California's Public Employment Relations Board has officially certified the California Gig Workers Union as the bargaining representative for Uber and Lyft drivers, after at least 30% of active drivers showed support. The certification was enabled by Assembly Bill 1340, which grants independent contractor drivers the right to collectively bargain, making California the third state after Washington and Massachusetts to allow such unionization.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-13
Wireless carriers increasingly promote installment financing that spreads a phone's cost over 24 to 36 months, sometimes bundling in taxes and activation fees so nothing is due upfront. However, these deals often come tied to bill credits or trade-in credits that require staying on a specific plan or carrier, and switching providers or plans midway can void remaining credits or trigger full remaining balance payments.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-13
Months before the September 11 attacks, radio host Milton William 'Bill' Cooper misrepresented a CNN report about an interview with al Qaeda figures, falsely claiming the US government had advance knowledge of an imminent attack from Osama bin Laden himself. In reality, the interview was conducted by MBC correspondent Baker Atyani with al Qaeda military chief Mohammed Atif, not bin Laden. Cooper's broadcast planted early seeds of doubt about government transparency that later blossomed into the sprawling 9/11 Truth conspiracy movement.
wired.com
· 2026-09-11
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