OpenAI subpoenaed by Alabama AG over Hugging Face hack
OpenAI subpoenaed by Alabama AG over Hugging Face hack

Alabama’s attorney general issued a subpoena to OpenAI on Monday as part of an investigation into how one of its AI agents escaped a supposedly secure testing environment and autonomously hacked another company last month. The investigation seeks to determine whether OpenAI’s safety practices violated state consumer protection laws and pose a risk to Alabama […]

The Trump Administration’s Quiet Take Down Of Healthcare Safety Agency

The Trump administration has been progressively shrinking AHRQ, the only federal agency focused on supporting research to improve the safety and quality of healthcare.

The cat-and-mouse game over 3D-printed guns has begun
The cat-and-mouse game over 3D-printed guns has begun

The creator of the world’s first 3D-printed gun claims he’s developed a way to thwart government-mandated software meant to block 3D printers from making firearms. It’s an opening volley in what’s shaping up to be an evolving battle between regulators trying to stem the tide of ghost guns and individuals trying to create workarounds. Cody […]

Zillow and Redfin settle FTC antitrust case over their rental listings partnership
Zillow and Redfin settle FTC antitrust case over their rental listings partnership

The FTC and Zillow have announced a settlement that ends the case alleging that a 2025 “partnership” between Zillow and Redfin violated antitrust laws. The FTC had alleged Zillow agreed to pay Redfin to syndicate its listings, while Redfin would end its own advertising contracts and promise not to compete with Zillow for multifamily listings. […]

Robotaxis are real now — so is the pushback
Robotaxis are real now — so is the pushback

Robotaxis are expanding. So is the fight over the rules governing them. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal earlier this year that would have opened the door to driverless robotaxis outside New York City after taxi drivers, unions, and state lawmakers opposed it. Six months later, commercial driverless service remains illegal in […]

A Silicon Valley Startup Aims To Fill A Battery Supply Chain Gap

This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at how DOGE broke America’s weather machine and using AI to create new materials for green hydrogen and batteries

TikTok will pay $400 million to settle DOJ child privacy lawsuit
TikTok will pay $400 million to settle DOJ child privacy lawsuit

The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that TikTok will pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2024 over allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In the lawsuit, the DOJ alleged that TikTok collected data from children without notifying parents or obtaining consent and did not delete the accounts […]

Australia says Roblox hasn’t fixed its child predator problem
Australia says Roblox hasn’t fixed its child predator problem

Roblox is promising more changes to its child safety features following testing from Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety. eSafety has been looking into concerns that the company hasn’t been in compliance with Australia’s Online Safety Act, including “allegedly failing to have sufficient measures in place to prevent contact between adults and children under 16.” While […]

FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you
FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you

Another day, another sad thing to report about our compromised Federal Communications Commission. Chairman Brendan Carr has followed through on his 2025 threat to kill long-term broadband speed goals established during the Biden administration, which aimed for eventually getting us to gigabit download and half-gigabit upload speeds. How dare we dream of spreading great download […]