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Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, donated $1 million to Public First, a political group that supports candidates favoring stricter rules on artificial intelligence (AI). Several other Anthropic employees also contributed a total of $2.15 million during the last three months.
Key Facts
Dario Amodei is the CEO of Anthropic, an AI company.
He gave $1 million to Public First, a super PAC.
Public First supports candidates who want stronger AI regulations.
Other Anthropic employees donated $2.15 million together.
The donations were reported in a campaign finance filing on Wednesday.
A Google DeepMind engineer also made a contribution, according to the article.
The donations were made during the last quarter (three months).
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Several major U.S. TV networks will not show President Trump's prime-time speech live on their main channels but will offer coverage through streaming services. The speech is expected to focus on election security and may include contested claims about the 2020 election.
Key Facts
President Trump's speech is scheduled for 9 pm Eastern Time.
At least two of the four major TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) will not air the speech live on their main channels.
NBC will show the speech live on its streaming service NBC News NOW and air a special report afterward.
ABC will stream the speech on ABC News Live and ABC News Radio, with updates in regular newscasts.
ABC may interrupt regular programming to provide live updates if needed.
CBS and FOX have not announced their plans for airing the speech.
The speech is expected to focus on issues related to election security and claims about the fairness of the 2020 election.
Networks are cautious because the speech could include false information about the election.
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Telstra’s CEO and other executives will appear before a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra after a nationwide outage disrupted emergency calls, businesses, payment systems, and train services in two Australian states. The inquiry will examine why the outage happened and how Telstra is handling customer compensation.
Key Facts
A nationwide Telstra outage affected emergency triple zero calls, businesses, payment systems, and trains in two states.
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady and other executives will attend a parliamentary inquiry on Friday.
The inquiry was called as an emergency hearing in response to the outage.
Greens spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young criticized Telstra for prioritizing profits over public safety.
Telstra is accepting compensation claims from customers and small businesses that can prove they were affected.
Critics say Telstra should offer automatic compensation to all impacted customers.
Representatives from the Australian Communications and Media Authority and communications department will also give evidence at the inquiry.
The inquiry aims to improve laws for better protection and reliable service from telecom companies.
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The Senate voted against a Democratic resolution to end a pilot program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to review some Medicare treatment requests. The program aims to reduce waste and fraud in Medicare, but some worry it could delay care for seniors who use original Medicare.
Key Facts
The Senate vote took place on Thursday afternoon and was divided mostly along party lines.
The Democratic resolution wanted to stop a CMS pilot program using AI in reviewing Medicare treatment approvals.
Republicans, led by President Donald Trump’s administration, supported keeping the AI pilot to reduce waste and fraud.
The pilot program, called WISeR, started in January and runs in Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington.
WISeR requires prior authorization for some medical services that may be at risk of fraud or unnecessary spending.
Private contractors using AI technology help decide if Medicare will pay for the services.
Forty-six Democrats supported repealing the AI pilot; 50 Republicans voted against the repeal.
Four senators did not vote, including three Republicans and one Democrat.
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The European Commission has enforced new rules under the Digital Markets Act that require Google to share search data with competitors and allow other AI services equal access on Android devices. These rules aim to increase competition and user choice in the EU but Google warns the changes might affect privacy and security.
Key Facts
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a new European law targeting big tech companies like Google, Apple, and Meta to promote competition.
Google must now let other AI assistants access Android features equally, not just its own Gemini AI assistant.
Google currently preloads Gemini AI on Android phones and gives it special permissions like responding to "Hey Google."
The European Commission wants users to install and use any AI assistant on Android without losing functionality.
Google has to share search data with other search companies for a reasonable fee to help competitors grow.
The Commission calls this data sharing necessary because previous Google offers did not meet competition requirements.
Google argues these measures could reduce privacy and security protections for users.
The EU says it designed the rules to protect user privacy while boosting competition and is willing to tweak them if needed.
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During sensitive Middle East talks, US officials warned Iran about a possible Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s main negotiators. The US aims to keep Israel, its close ally, from disrupting the talks with Iran, even though Israel denies the plot.
Key Facts
US officials quietly asked other countries to warn Iran of a potential Israeli assassination plot.
The targets were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Israel rejected the report, calling it false.
Previous Israeli strikes killed other key Iranian negotiators involved in talks.
Ghalibaf survived two Israeli assassination attempts in recent years.
The US faces the challenge of managing Israel, its ally, to avoid spoiling the negotiation process.
Spoilers are actors who try to derail peace talks, often striking at critical moments.
The timing of the warnings coincided with public mourning in Iran and heightened political tensions.
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Several Palestinians were injured in different attacks by Israeli settlers and forces in the West Bank. These attacks come amid ongoing conflict related to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with increased violence reported in recent months.
Key Facts
A 16-year-old Palestinian was shot in the chest by Israeli forces in Bani Naim and is in stable condition.
Israeli settlers beat a 30-year-old man in Abu Njeim, where he is now receiving hospital treatment.
Settlers attacked a family in Khirbet Emneizal, stole their sheep, and Israeli forces arrested seven people during the incident.
Attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank have increased since Israel started its war on Gaza in 2023.
The UN reports an average of six attacks by settlers on Palestinians or their property every day this year.
Israeli forces arrested 32 people across the West Bank on the same day, including 13 in Beit Ummar.
The UN Secretary-General criticized Israel’s move to give city status to the settlement of Givat Ze’ev, confirming it is illegal under international law.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice stated Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian territories as quickly as possible.
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes on Thursday. This meeting follows pressure from lawmakers during recent hearings on Capitol Hill.
Key Facts
Todd Blanche is the Acting Attorney General of the United States.
He will meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes on Thursday afternoon.
The meeting comes after lawmakers questioned DOJ officials during hearings on Capitol Hill this week.
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender.
The source of this information is a DOJ insider who spoke to NewsNation, The Hill’s broadcast partner.
The meeting will take place at the Department of Justice.
Senator Thom Tillis pressured DOJ officials to engage with Epstein survivors.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to move forward with a Senate vote on a bill that would give $1.3 billion to help Ukraine with security and increase sanctions on Russia. The House of Representatives already approved this bill last month, though some Republican leaders opposed it.
Key Facts
The bill would provide $1.3 billion in security aid to Ukraine.
It includes measures to expand sanctions against Russia.
The House of Representatives passed the bill with a vote of 226-195.
Some Republican leaders in the House opposed the bill.
Eighteen House Republicans voted in favor despite their leaders’ opposition.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is working to bring the bill to the Senate calendar for consideration.
The bill aims to support Ukraine amid ongoing conflict involving Russia.
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President Donald Trump announced that 20 additional polluting factories will be exempt from clean air rules introduced during President Biden’s administration. These rules aimed to reduce harmful chemicals that cause cancer near many facilities.
Key Facts
President Trump exempted 20 more polluting factories from clean air regulations.
The regulations were created during President Biden’s time in office.
The rules are designed to limit toxic chemicals released by industrial plants.
These chemicals can increase cancer risks for people living within about 31 miles of the plants.
Environmental groups criticized the move to remove these factories from the rules.
About 200 facilities were originally covered by the Biden-era regulation.
The exemptions reduce the number of factories subject to these cancer-preventing rules.
The announcement was made through an official proclamation signed by President Trump.
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Syrian officials said they stopped a shipment carrying missiles and drones at the border with Iraq. They claim the weapons were meant for Hezbollah in Lebanon, but Hezbollah says it does not operate in Syria.
Key Facts
Syrian authorities intercepted weapons at the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The shipment included missiles and drones.
The weapons were reportedly meant for Hezbollah, a group in Lebanon.
Hezbollah denies having operations in Syria.
The incident involved stopping a smuggling attempt.
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China's economy grew very slowly in the latest quarter, showing one of its weakest performances. This slowdown raises concerns about how it might affect the global economy. At the same time, durian fruit prices are falling across Asia, and New York is taking steps to regulate centers that store data for artificial intelligence.
Key Facts
China’s recent economic growth rate is among the slowest it has recorded.
The weak growth raises questions about China’s future economy.
Slow growth in China could impact the global economy.
Durian fruit prices are dropping across Asian markets.
Durian is nicknamed the "king of fruits."
New York is working on new rules for AI data centers.
The information was shared by reporters in London, Singapore, and New York.
The report was part of a BBC World Service program dated July 17, 2026.
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xAI has filed a lawsuit against a user, Terry Wayne Harwood, who allegedly used xAI’s chatbot Grok to create illegal sexual images involving minors. xAI claims it helped law enforcement arrest Harwood after discovering he used multiple accounts to generate such content, while earlier accusations said xAI failed to properly report or prevent this misuse.
Key Facts
xAI sued Terry Wayne Harwood after accusing him of using Grok to produce illegal sexual images of minors.
Harwood was arrested in South Carolina for possession and spreading child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
Harwood reportedly used at least two accounts with complex usernames to create these images between December and February.
Grok sometimes blocked harmful requests but did not fully prevent the creation of illegal images.
A separate class action lawsuit claims xAI ignored many harmful prompts and failed to help police identify users.
A 2026 report said 90% of xAI’s CSAM reports lacked user information helpful for law enforcement.
Elon Musk had previously claimed he had not seen Grok produce CSAM but warned users against illegal use.
Harwood’s case is still ongoing, with charges related to distributing and possessing CSAM.
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that all military members aged 30 and older will be tested for low testosterone during their annual health checkups. This screening aims to monitor natural declines in testosterone levels as people age.
Key Facts
The new testosterone tests will apply to military personnel aged 30 and above.
Testing will be part of the yearly health screening for these troops.
Testosterone levels typically drop naturally with age.
The announcement was made publicly by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The goal is to better understand and manage the health of service members.
The announcement was shared in a video post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The term "testosterone deficiency" refers to lower than normal levels of this hormone.
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A report has shown that nearly 3,000 Africans, including many Kenyans, have been recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine. About one in six of these fighters has died on the Russian side of the frontline.
Key Facts
Around 3,000 Africans have been recruited to fight in Ukraine.
Many of these fighters are from Kenya.
Approximately one out of every six recruited fighters has died.
These fighters are mainly on the side supporting Russia in the conflict.
The report was part of broader coverage including other African and global issues like Ebola spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and wildfires in Algeria.
The report was published on July 16, 2026.
The source of the report is a program called "Eye on Africa."
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President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is on unpaid leave after reports said he used his inside knowledge to place bets on what the president would say in speeches on the online market Kalshi. Kalshi alerted federal regulators about the bets, which may violate ethical rules about using job information for betting.
Key Facts
Gabriel Perez has operated President Trump's teleprompter since 2016.
Perez allegedly used knowledge from his job to win over $100,000 betting on Trump's speeches.
The betting took place on Kalshi, an online prediction market that allows betting on speech phrases.
Kalshi’s enforcement team flagged and reported the suspicious activity to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The White House said Perez is on unpaid leave and emphasized strict ethical rules.
Kalshi requires users to disclose their jobs and forbids bets based on inside information.
President Trump is aware of the situation and his spokesperson called it "unfortunate" and "a disgrace."
Trump has reported making significant profits from his crypto and business ventures according to ethical disclosures.
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After the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria ended relations with some of its previous allies. However, Syria changed and strengthened its relationship with Russia.
Key Facts
Bashar al-Assad's government fell in December 2024.
Following this, Syria stopped working with some countries it had been close to.
Syria created a new kind of partnership with Russia.
Russia remains an important ally for Syria.
These changes show Syria is shifting its international connections.
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President Donald Trump is scheduled to give a speech from the White House on Thursday night. He mentioned that the speech might cover various topics, including elections, and said he would make a "big announcement." PolitiFact will provide live fact-checking during the speech.
Key Facts
President Donald Trump will speak from the White House on Thursday night.
He indicated the speech could cover several issues, such as elections.
He said he plans to make a "big announcement."
PolitiFact will offer live fact-checking during the speech.
The event is being streamed live for public viewing.
The article highlights the importance of a free press in democracy.
Viewers are encouraged to support trusted journalism and civil dialogue.
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The article reports on the second day of Todd Blanche's Senate confirmation hearings to become attorney general. CBS News senior justice department reporter Sarah Lynch summarized the important points from the hearings.
Key Facts
Todd Blanche is being considered for the role of attorney general.
The Senate is holding confirmation hearings to decide on his appointment.
This article covers the events of the second day of those hearings.
Sarah Lynch, a CBS News reporter, shared a summary of key moments.
The hearings involve questions and discussions about Blanche's qualifications and plans.
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