Microsoft and retired military chiefs back AI company Anthropic in court fight against Pentagon
Microsoft and a group of retired military leaders are backing Anthropic in court to block the Trump administration from labeling the AI company a supply chain risk. In separate legal filings, Microsoft and the ex-military chiefs are challenging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s action last week to shut Anthropic out of military work by labeling its AI products as a national security threat. The Pentagon took the action against Anthropic after an unusually public dispute over the company’s refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its AI model Claude. Microsoft asks for a judge to order a temporary lifting of the designation to allow for more “reasoned discussion.”
Tracing the US military's learning curve on fighting Iran's drones: What to know
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iran war is testing America's ability to combat swarms of cheap drones that have become a staple of the modern battlefield after Ukraine and Russia demonstrated how effective they can be. Iran launched so many drones across the region at once that some slipped through the defenses, including one that killed six U.S. soldiers in Kuwait. Experts stress the U.S. military has shot down the majority of Iran’s drones. But critics say too often missiles that cost millions of dollars are being used to down small drones that cost tens of thousands. American forces face a steep learning curve as they scramble to deploy more cost-efficient defenses against Iran's Shahed drones.
Virginia has a data center boon. Officials debate whether it's time to scrap its tax breaks
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia senators are pushing to curtail a 5.3% tax break for data centers. The policy proposal comes while many communities are trying to defeat data center projects in zoning proceedings and some states are reconsidering their sales tax exemptions. It is not guaranteed that Virginia will end up taxing data centers. The governor and other high-ranking lawmakers say they are concerned the tax would end industry investment in the state. Still, lawmakers' campaign to end such tax exemptions has stirred bipartisan support. Officials negotiating the tax policy have until Saturday to agree on and pass a budget.
Smartmatic says Trump's 'campaign of retribution' is driving criminal prosecution
MIAMI (AP) — Voting technology firm Smartmatic asked a federal judge to dismiss a criminal money laundering indictment saying the case is political retaliation tied to President Donald Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election. The company’s parent SGO Corporation was added last year to charges accusing executives of paying bribes to election officials in the Philippines. Smartmatic said it had cooperated with investigators for years and believed it would avoid prosecution until Trump returned to power. Lawyers argue the Justice Department changed course to support Trump’s narrative that the election was stolen. Prosecutors allege payments between 2015 and 2018 helped secure a Philippine election contract.
US medical equipment company Stryker says cyberattack disrupted its global networks
PORTAGE, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. medical equipment company Stryker says a cyberattack has disrupted its global networks. Stryker says it believes the “incident is contained,” though it didn't elaborate. The company says the impact is still being investigated. Stryker is based in Michigan and makes a variety of medical products, from artificial joints to hospital beds. It had revenue of more than $25 billion in 2025. The Wall Street Journal says the logo of a hacking group linked to Iran appeared on company login pages.
A service dog named Alfred sparked a Lyft settlement in Minnesota with nationwide reach
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Lyft has agreed to protect the rights of blind and disabled riders to travel with service animals under a Minnesota settlement that applies nationwide. State officials have announced the deal Wednesday in the case of a college student who said that drivers repeatedly refused to let her service dog ride along. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights says Lyft now has to train drivers on disability rights and warn them they can lose access to the platform. The Lyft app will add stronger accessibility settings and reporting tools. The state will monitor compliance for three years. The rider will receive $63,000.
Meta to acquire Moltbook, the social network for AI agents
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Meta is acquiring Moltbook, a social network where AI agents post and chat with each other. Meta says it is hiring Moltbook's co-founders and expects the experimental platform could open new ways to develop AI agents that could do useful things on a person's behalf. Moltbook attracted viral attention earlier this year as an unusual Reddit-like hub for AI systems trading gossip. In a similar move, OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, last month hired the creator of AI agent OpenClaw, the technology upon which Moltbook was built.
White House war promo videos marry action movies, sports and video games to real-life combat footage
Through its social media feed, the White House has sent out a series of pumped-up videos that mix real Iran war explosions with movie action heroes, video game footage and sports heroes. That's led some critics, including an official with the U.S. Catholic Church, to accuse the administration of trivializing a real-life conflict. One of the posts describes its video as “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY.” Two actors, Ben Stiller of the movie “Tropic Thunder” and Steve Downes, who portrays the protagonist Master Chief in the video game Halo, said they hadn’t given permission for the depiction of their characters and demanded that they be removed.
AI company Anthropic sues Trump administration seeking to undo 'supply chain risk' designation
Anthropic is suing the Trump administration, asking federal courts to reverse the Pentagon’s decision designating the artificial intelligence company a “supply chain risk” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology. Anthropic filed two separate lawsuits Monday, one in California federal court and another in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., each challenging different aspects of the Pentagon’s actions against the company. The Pentagon last week formally designated the San Francisco tech company a supply chain risk after an unusually public dispute over how its AI chatbot Claude could be used in warfare. The lawsuits aim to undo the designation and block its enforcement.
Uber's women-only option goes nationwide in the US
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber is launching a feature that will allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its ride-hailing platform. The San Francisco-company’s announcement Monday comes despite an ongoing class action lawsuit against the policy in California, filed by Uber drivers who argue that it is discriminatory against men.
