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Trump Administration Sharply Scales Back Federal Fuel Economy Rules
The Trump administration has significantly weakened federal fuel economy standards, according to The New York Times' Monday evening briefing. The briefing also notes that Republicans are planning a major advertising blitz.
12 State Attorneys General Challenge $111 Billion Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger
A coalition of 12 attorneys general, including California's Rob Bonta, has filed an antitrust suit against the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. deal, described as Hollywood's biggest antitrust case in decades. The group persuaded Paramount to hold off closing the deal until next summer and secured a favorable trial schedule. Bonta expressed confidence at The Atlantic Festival that the states are winning, though the deal's future remains murky.
Threatened US Diesel Export Ban Could Ripple Through Global Economy
A proposed US ban on diesel exports is aimed at shielding American consumers from rising fuel costs. BBC reports that if enacted, the measure could trigger major economic effects well beyond US borders.
F.B.I. Hack May Have Exposed Sensitive Data on All Employees
An internal F.B.I. memo says hackers, linked in the article's URL to the group ShinyHunters, may have stolen sensitive information on every bureau employee. The breach is described as embarrassing for the agency and has raised fears of harm to its workforce.
Five Men Released on Bail in Possible Terror Plot Near RAF Fairford
Five British men detained near R.A.F. Fairford, a base used by American forces in the war against Iran, are being released on bail but remain under investigation. Authorities are examining a possible terrorist plot targeting the base. Two villages and a nearby town have been thrust into the spotlight, leaving residents abuzz.
Trump Officials Revise Title IX Enforcement After Court Ruling on L.G.B.T.Q. Protections
The Trump administration has changed how Title IX sex discrimination rules are enforced, following a court ruling barring the law from protecting L.G.B.T.Q. people. The revision has angered advocates for sexual assault survivors.
Coal Lobbyist Floated Emergency Powers to Keep Aging Plants Open; Trump Obliged
A previously unreported letter shows a top coal industry lobbyist suggested using emergency powers to keep aging coal plants running. The Trump administration subsequently granted the industry's request for a rescue.
Judge Blocks FEMA From Tying Antiterrorism Grants to Election Changes
A judge has barred the Trump administration from conditioning some Homeland Security grant money on states exploring paper balloting and citizenship verification. The administration had threatened to withhold the funds unless states complied.
California Attorney General to Oversee Kaiser's Medical Arbitration System
Under legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state attorney general will help oversee Kaiser Permanente's medical arbitration system to ensure fairness. Patients have long complained that the system favors the healthcare giant.
Taxpayer-Funded Ads Promoting Trump Appear on Television
Two new government-funded ads featuring Donald Trump have begun airing on some TV channels. One, in black and white, shows Trump walking down a hall and staring into the camera while delivering a voice-over about a "final battle." The Atlantic questions the use of taxpayer dollars to promote the president.
Russian Foreign Minister Questions UK's Future; Plaid Cymru Rebukes Kremlin
Russia's foreign minister questioned "what will become of UK" and the future of "the Celts." Plaid Cymru responded that Wales' future is "not for the Kremlin to endorse, oppose or exploit."
UK Universities Offer £30,000 Content Creation Degrees, Raising Value Questions
Some UK universities are now offering degrees in content creation, priced around £30,000, intended to help students earn money from social media posts. BBC examines whether the qualifications are worth the cost.
AMD to acquire Fei-Fei Li's World Labs in $8.2 billion all-stock deal
AMD announced it will acquire World Labs, the AI research lab co-founded by Dr. Fei-Fei Li, for approximately $8.2 billion in stock. World Labs launched in 2024, reached a $1 billion valuation within months, and released its Marble world-generation model in 2025, which builds interactive 3D worlds from prompts. Li will join AMD as executive vice president and chief scientist.
OpenAI expected to launch "Aeon" agent at DevDay after falling behind rivals
Ahead of its 2026 DevDay on Tuesday, OpenAI is rumored to release an AI agent called Aeon. The agent is meant to answer competitors such as Meta's Muse, SpaceX's Grok Bot, and OpenClaw in the race for continuously running, consumer-facing agents, a category where OpenAI has lagged despite popularizing the modern chatbot.
OpenAI reportedly drops model after executive cites poor instruction-following
A top OpenAI executive told the Wall Street Journal that the company abandoned a model over safety concerns. The executive said the model showed a poor aptitude for following orders.
Florida seeks injunction to halt OpenAI's frontier AI development
Florida filed a motion for a temporary injunction to stop OpenAI from continuing development of what it calls a "reckless, unacceptably risky product" without third-party-approved safety guardrails. The motion is part of a civil suit the state filed in June, which argues ChatGPT threatens public safety, particularly by preying on vulnerable groups such as children and violent or delusional users.
Modal Labs nears $750M round at $15.75 billion valuation
AI inference provider Modal Labs is reportedly closing a roughly $750 million funding round at a $15.75 billion valuation. That is more than triple the AI infrastructure startup's valuation from just four months ago.
AI is boosting hackers as small nonprofits, hospitals, and banks lack defenses
The Verge reports that AI is making cyberattacks easier and more effective, while local institutions remain poorly prepared. The story opens with Alabama nonprofit Vivian's Door, whose contacts worldwide began receiving fraudulent emails "begging for money" after a March breach of its systems, which held financial data from the minority-owned businesses it serves.
Experts worry over Nvidia's China chip sales and Jensen Huang's sway with Trump
The recent Trump–Xi summit left AI export controls undiscussed and extended a tenuous trade truce by only two months. Analysts warn that looming US controls could end the truce and prompt China to cut off rare earth exports. Against that backdrop, experts are concerned about Nvidia's potential chip sales in China and CEO Jensen Huang's growing influence over Trump.
AI and data centers dominate Climate Week, dividing climate tech founders and investors
As in the wider US, the AI boom and data center buildout are splitting climate tech founders and investors. AI's prominence at Climate Week left some attendees unhappy.
Google support page indicates ChromeOS will be phased out in 2034
Days before the launch of Googlebooks, Android-based laptops meant to rival macOS and Windows, a Google support page spotted by 9to5Google appears to confirm plans to sunset ChromeOS. The page explains the role of Googlebooks for Chrome Enterprise and Education customers.
Federal Film and TV Tax Credit Bill Gains Eight Senate Co-Sponsors
Legislation to create a 20% federal film and TV tax credit added eight new Senate co-sponsors, including Republicans John Cornyn, Steve Daines, and Bernie Moreno and Democrat Andy Kim. Backers are hoping to pass the bill during Congress' lame duck session.
Paramount Markets $44.4 Billion Debt Offering to Fund Warner Bros. Discovery Acquisition
Paramount began marketing the massive debt offering on Monday to finance its WBD purchase, which now awaits only a federal judge's decision on the antitrust settlement. In an SEC filing, the company cautioned that "the actual closing date of the acquisition is uncertain."
Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and 12 States Rebuff Booker's Objections to Antitrust Settlement
The companies and a dozen blue-state attorneys general pushed back on Sen. Cory Booker's opposition to the antitrust settlement over their $111 billion merger. They argued that a consent decree isn't flawed simply because it omits every outcome one party wanted in a multilateral negotiation.
Alan Cumming Admits He Doesn't Understand 'Avengers: Doomsday' Plot
Speaking to SiriusXM, the returning "X-Men" actor said Marvel didn't let him read the full screenplay, and filming his scenes left him no clearer on the story. He also said he only acted opposite Florence Pugh's stunt double.
Sylvester Stallone Jokes 'I'm Not Dead Yet' About Rocky Biopic 'I Play Rocky'
At a 92NY conversation, Stallone praised Anthony Ippolito, who plays a young Stallone in the film, saying, "I actually thought it was me the first moment." He also quipped that the biopic feels premature, asking, "Aren't we jumping the gun?"
Chapek Memoir Claims Iger Closed Galactic Starcruiser Out of Retaliation
Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek says in his new memoir, "Behind the Castle Walls," that Bob Iger shut down the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel because it was tied to Chapek's tenure. The book, out September 29th, also briefly covers how the concept came together and its lack of profitability.
Chapek Memoir Revisits 2022 "Don't Say Gay" Fallout, Faults Iger
In a late chapter of "Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth" (Gallery Books, out September 29th), Chapek gives his account of his 2022 handling of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act. He writes that Iger made the situation worse after the crisis unfolded.
Disney Believe Livestream Set for Oct. 7 to Reveal Homeport and Itineraries
Disney will host a livestream on Wednesday, October 7th at 4:30pm Eastern on Disney Parks social channels, revealing the ship's homeport, itineraries, new venues, and entertainment. Disney Believe is the ninth ship for Disney Cruise Line and is expected to debut in 2027.
Tijuana Taqueria Tijuanazo Opens Echo Park Location as Tijuanero
Tijuanero by Tijuanazo quietly opened September 24 off Sunset Boulevard in the former Los Burritos space, following nearly a year of construction. It serves tacos, burritos, and aguas frescas from the beloved front window. Antonio and Claudia Esquivel founded Tijuanazo as a taco cart called Taco Nazo in Playas de Tijuana in 2008.
Eater LA Editors Name Their Best Dishes of the Week, Including Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Eater Los Angeles editors highlighted standout dishes from the past week, including shoyu ramen from Shimamoto Noodle. Also featured is a banana bread cinnamon roll from Cinnies, a downtown L.A. pop-up that fills the space left by Nicole Rucker's Fat and Flour at Grand Central Market.