Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s use of Tehran street cameras to help kill Iran’s supreme leader shows how everyday surveillance can turn into a wartime weapon. On Feb. 28, Israel exploited hacked city camera feeds to track Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.
Jury begins deliberations in landmark New Mexico trial over children's safety risks on Meta
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Jury deliberations have begun in a landmark trial where New Mexico prosecutors are accusing social media conglomerate Meta of misleading people about the safety of its platforms for children. Meta denies violating state consumer protection laws. Nationwide, social media companies are contending with lawsuits that allege the platforms harm children. The closing arguments in the New Mexico case were delivered Monday after six weeks of testimony from scores of witnesses that included teachers, psychiatric experts, state investigators, top Meta officials and whistleblowers that left the company.
Robot strike zone will create winners and losers among pitchers, batters who earned human calls
DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System changes how pitches get called, and some players gain while others lose. On Wednesday night, it makes its regular-season debut when the Yankees play the Giants. Statcast data shows Kyle Hendriks led in strikes called on pitches that missed the zone over the past decade, and Aaron Nola and Kevin Gausman also benefitted. Patrick Corbin lost the most pitches that were called balls even though they were in the zone. Among batters, Mookie Betts led in called strikes out of the zone.
Robot umpires are coming to MLB. Here’s how they work
NEW YORK (AP) — Robot umpires are coming to the big leagues in 2026. The Automated Ball/Strike System will be introduced in the form of a challenge system in which the human umpire makes each call, which can be appealed to the computer. Robot umpires have been tested in the minor leagues since 2019, with recent testing done at Triple-A, MLB spring training and at this summer’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. Here’s what to know about MLB’s robot umps.
How Ukraine's front line became a laboratory for drone innovation
KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has built a fast, low-cost defensive shield to stop Russian attacks with Iranian-designed Shahed drones. While waiting for enemy drones, crews tests and fine-tunes interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine their performance once the buzzing Russian threat appears. When Shahed drones first were used in Ukraine in autumn 2022, the country had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight. Drones have not only reshaped the 4-year-old Russian invasion but also modern warfare itself, turning Ukraine into a testing ground for new defenses. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the innovations have drawn interest from other countries, including the Gulf states.
Jury finds Elon Musk misled investors during Twitter purchase, absolves him of some fraud claims
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury has found Elon Musk liable for defrauding investors by deliberately driving down Twitter’s stock price in the tumultuous months leading up to his 2022 acquisition of the social media company for $44 billion. But it absolved him of some fraud allegations, finding that he did not “scheme” to mislead investors. The civil trial in San Francisco centered on a class-action lawsuit filed just before Musk took control of Twitter, which he later renamed X.
Africa’s solar boom faces higher costs as China cuts export subsidies
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — China’s decision to end value-added tax rebates on solar panel exports and phase out incentives for battery storage equipment could raise solar equipment costs in Africa. Analysts say the move may create a gradual price increase but is unlikely to derail the continent’s clean energy transition because solar power remains cheaper than diesel. The policy shift may also encourage African countries to expand local solar manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported technology while strengthening long-term market stability. Demand for solar now supplies only 3% of power generation in Africa. It's expected to continue growing as storage improves reliability.
OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky dies of cancer at 43
Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of adult content platform OnlyFans, has died at age 43. A company spokesperson said he died “peacefully after a long battle with cancer." Radvinsky transformed the pornography industry with OnlyFans’ subscription-based model after acquiring a majority stake in the platform in 2018. Born in Ukraine, Radvinsky grew up in Chicago and studied economics at Northwestern University, where he graduated as his class valedictorian. In addition to his entrepreneurial work, he also supported several philanthropic organizations. Little is known about Radvinsky’s personal life and he seldom spoke publicly, but his family has requested privacy via a company spokesperson.
Kalshi and Polymarket place new bans on insider trading as senators move to curb prediction markets
NEW YORK (AP) — Kalshi and Polymarket are tightening their rules on insider trading as Congress appears to be moving closer to cracking down on prediction markets. On Monday, the platforms announced bans that target politicians and athletes. Kalshi would block candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and block athletes and sports employees from betting on their own sports. Polymarket goes further. It bars trading by anyone with confidential information or power over an outcome. Polymarket faces criticism over bets tied to military action. Also on Monday, Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis introduced a bill to ban sports prediction contracts. Sportsbook shares rise.
White House urges Congress to take a light touch on AI regulations in new legislative blueprint
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is laying out a new framework that it wants Congress to use to shape national rules for artificial intelligence without curbing growth in the sector. It wants Congress to “preempt” state laws is sees as too burdensome. The focus is on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology. It comes as state governments have forged ahead on their own regulations. Civil liberties and consumer rights groups have lobbied for more regulations on the powerful technology. But the industry and the White House say a patchwork of rules would hurt growth.
