Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?
Now that Character.AI is going bankrupt, what happens to all of its users’ data?

New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed a years-long multi-state investigation against Character.AI as they now seek to require protections on consumer data sold through its bankruptcy proceeding. James is among 40 bipartisan AGs who filed a notice of interest in Character.AI’s bankruptcy case “to put all parties on notice of the regulatory issues that […]

Ukraine claims Starlink is suddenly disrupting service for its military
Ukraine claims Starlink is suddenly disrupting service for its military

Ukrainian officials claim the Elon Musk-owned Starlink put new limits on its service in the area without warning, disrupting the country’s drone operations and missions, according to reports from Reuters and the Financial Times. The move comes just days after Musk wrote on X that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “has gone too far,” in response […]

Elon Musk has donated over $276 million to Republican midterm efforts
Elon Musk has donated over $276 million to Republican midterm efforts

Elon Musk has handed out at least $276 million to Republican groups since July, The New York Times reports, making him both the party’s top known donor and the biggest established midterm donor. $158 million of that money – one of the largest political donations in American history – has been funneled into the Senate […]

The Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian bots
The Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian bots

Multiple Ukrainian drone strikes over the last week have taken Russian data centers offline and reportedly caused online bot traffic to plummet – but in reality it’s probably not the kind of bot activity most people associate with Russia. A chart citing Cloudflare data has been circulating around social media platforms, showing a sharp decline […]

This Green New Deal Could Be A Global Gamechanger

This week’s Current Climate also looks at how Trump’s war with Iran is helping used EV sales and the compelling economic case for the clean energy transition.

A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contact and it refused
A college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contact and it refused

In April of 2025, Elgin Community College had six Flock safety cameras installed to “enhance the safety and security of students.” But by September of that year, the school’s administration grew concerned that Flock was sharing data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were not properly secured, and that both law enforcement and […]

Silicon Valley is falling in line with Trump’s attempt to rename AI
Silicon Valley is falling in line with Trump’s attempt to rename AI

When President Donald Trump announced his plans to rebrand artificial intelligence as “super intelligence,” you’d be forgiven for being skeptical that it would catch on. While most of the broader population is sticking with AI, some of Silicon Valley’s most powerful are falling in line and trying to give Trump the great AI rebrand he […]

DistroKid has been quietly taking down songs in response to UMG lawsuit
DistroKid has been quietly taking down songs in response to UMG lawsuit

Artists are taking to social media to complain that DistroKid has unceremoniously removed their work without notice. Now DistroKid has confirmed to The Verge that the takedowns are a direct response to claims made by UMG. The label filed a lawsuit in September claiming that DistroKid has created an “AI-slop pipeline.” Artists are saying that […]

Ohio blogger found guilty of harassment for sending Shrek nude to senator
Ohio blogger found guilty of harassment for sending Shrek nude to senator

A jury found an Ohio political blogger guilty of telecommunications harassment after he sent an explicit image of Shrek to a Republican state senator. On Friday, a judge ordered DJ Byrnes, owner of political commentary blog The Rooster, to pay a $200 fine, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch. Byrnes texted Ohio Sen. […]

Brendan Carr says he’ll let Pete Hegseth decide whether TV networks can air the public execution
Brendan Carr says he’ll let Pete Hegseth decide whether TV networks can air the public execution

FCC chairman Brendan Carr said he will defer to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on whether TV networks can air the planned execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by firing squad. The Pentagon has said the execution will be livestreamed, suggesting it’ll appear on an online platform beyond the FCC’s jurisdiction. But it’s […]