GoKawiil
Tech News
NOAA has released new agency-wide priorities framed as cutting red tape and boosting fishing communities, following Trump's April executive order on seafood competitiveness. The plan includes opening marine national monuments to commercial fishing, narrowing critical habitat protections, and loosening scientific standards that have guided fisheries management for decades.
The White House removed a browser game called 'Build the Wall' from its website after the Tetris Company said it had no involvement in the title and takes copyright infringement seriously. The game, which used block-stacking mechanics resembling Tetris, tasked players with building a wall to stop a 'zombie border siege' and drew criticism for its racist framing. The page now returns a 404 error, though another game on the site, Rio Run, which involves deporting immigrant characters, remains live.
The U.S. carried out another round of military strikes targeting tankers carrying Iranian oil, escalating pressure on Tehran's crude exports. Separately, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to approve use of a voter verification system, and Meta launched a new consumer-facing AI agent.
The Tetris Company publicly denied any involvement in Build the Wall, an immigration-themed browser game released by the White House that closely mimics Tetris's falling-block mechanics. Instead of clearing lines, players stack bricks to grow a wall meant to block a 'zombie horde' near the Southern Border, evoking Trump's long-standing border wall policy. The company said it never licensed its brand for the game and is reviewing possible copyright infringement.
The Trump administration enacted tariffs on foreign drones this week, with thermal-imaging or heavier models facing a 100 percent duty and smaller consumer drones facing 25 percent. Allied nations including the UK, EU, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan face tariffs ranging from 10 to 15 percent, while a broader 25 percent levy on non-sensitive drones takes effect in 2027.
The EPA has proposed eliminating a federal rule that requires states to notify the public and accept comments before issuing air pollution permits for data centers and other industrial facilities. States would still be allowed to hold public comment periods voluntarily, but would no longer be required to do so as a condition of granting permits. The proposal comes amid growing local opposition to the rapid construction of AI-driven data centers nationwide.
A group of technology CEOs joined Trump administration officials in urging G-20 nations to favor light-touch, pro-innovation policies for artificial intelligence rather than strict regulatory frameworks. They argued that heavy-handed rules risk stifling an industry they believe could drive major economic expansion and medical breakthroughs.
The Trump administration filed a court brief supporting OpenAI in its ongoing copyright dispute with publishers over AI training data. Officials argued that restricting AI firms' access to content for training purposes could pose national security risks.
The Trump administration is pushing G20 countries to endorse a framework called the 'Carolina Principles,' which would discourage strict government regulation of artificial intelligence. The push aims to align global AI policy with a laissez-faire approach favored by U.S. tech companies.
Deloitte has agreed to pay $21.5 million to resolve a Justice Department investigation alleging the firm considered race and gender in hiring and promotion decisions, in violation of federal law. The settlement caps roughly a year of quiet DOJ scrutiny into diversity, equity and inclusion policies at major corporations under the Trump administration.
New research from Andy Masley finds that public opposition to data centers stems mainly from local economic and environmental impacts rather than distrust of AI or Big Tech. Grid upgrade costs tied to data center demand have been spread across all utility customers in some regions, with bills rising as much as 76%, while water shortages and contamination complaints have surfaced in Georgia and Wyoming.
A federal judge determined that the Trump administration's designation of AI company Anthropic as a supply-chain risk was unlawful retaliation against the company. The ruling found the government's action violated Anthropic's First Amendment rights.