Iwitless Nooze

Friday, October 02, 2026 at 05:08 PM Pacific · Past editions

Unfortunately—


News

NSF diverted $1.4 billion in congressionally mandated science funds

The National Science Foundation redirected about $1.4 billion, roughly one-fifth of its primary research budget, away from purposes Congress had mandated. The move is the latest sign of the White House asserting greater control over federal grant-making.

nytimes.com

California man arrested for smuggling $300 million in AI hardware to China

The owner of a San Gabriel Valley technology company was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors charged him with smuggling more than $300 million worth of restricted computer hardware to China.

latimes.com

California leads lawsuit challenging Trump rollback of fuel economy rules

Three lawsuits filed Friday challenge the Trump administration's rollback of vehicle mileage rules as illegal. One of the suits is led by California.

latimes.com

Trump directed taxpayer money toward ads praising his presidency

Government-funded ads promoting President Trump's presidency illustrate how extensively he has been able to use federal money to advance his own aims.

nytimes.com

Joshua tree preservation projects scrapped after federal funding blocked

A slate of projects meant to protect California's iconic Joshua tree has been canceled after the Trump administration blocked more than $25 million in national parks funding this year.

latimes.com

California state Capitol's west wing evacuated amid threat

Employees were evacuated from the historic west wing of the California state Capitol, authorities said.

latimes.com

Kennedy Center announces 49th Honors ceremony as main building stays closed

Officials announced the 49th Kennedy Center Honors will take place this December, even though the center's main building is closed and the organization has largely stopped presenting the arts. The Atlantic argues the show gives Trump what he wanted from the institution.

theatlantic.com

Elizabeth Holmes documentary premieres at New York Film Festival

A documentary screened Wednesday at the New York Film Festival shows Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, going about their lives at a San Diego beach house. The Atlantic's piece examines the film's portrait of two manipulators.

theatlantic.com


Tech & Business

Netflix ends several prestige director deals in apparent strategic shift

Netflix has recently ended multiyear production partnerships with acclaimed creators including David Fincher and Shawn Levy, which had produced many of its critically praised hits. The moves suggest a broader strategic change as Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery near a megamerger that will reshape the entertainment landscape.

theverge.com

Apple tightens Mac "Full Disk Access" controls over AI agent risks

Apple will require "very explicit user action" before apps can receive full disk access on macOS, warning that capable AI agents "substantially" raise the risk of exposing files, messages, mail, and browsing history. The change follows a report that Meta's Muse AI appeared to know the contents of a journalist's messages without explicit permission.

theverge.com

Sling TV discontinues its one-day and weekend cable passes

Dish-owned Sling TV is ending Sling Pass, which let viewers buy a day, weekend, or week of channels like ESPN and CNN without a full monthly subscription. The feature launched last year and quickly drew lawsuits from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery.

theverge.com

Amazon pledges $1B to data center communities, drawing further criticism

Amazon committed more than $1 billion over five years to communities near its data centers, with residents choosing priorities such as education, job training, and energy affordability. The company also promised its facilities won't raise power bills or deplete local water supplies, but the plan has drawn additional backlash.

arstechnica.com

Lyft pays $272.5M to settle California driver misclassification case

California's attorney general and three city attorneys announced the settlement over allegations that Lyft committed wage theft by misclassifying drivers as independent contractors between 2016 and 2020. The case dates to a May 2020 lawsuit against both Lyft and Uber filed by then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

arstechnica.com

US arrests tech CEO over alleged $300M Nvidia chip smuggling to China

The Justice Department says Earthmade Computer CEO Greg Lui, 38, used false paperwork to ship servers containing export-controlled Nvidia chips, worth over $300 million, to China. Prosecutors allege he conspired with freight-forwarding firms in South Asian countries including Malaysia and Singapore.

arstechnica.com

Tesla Q3 deliveries dip 2.1% but beat expectations as Cybertruck sales slump

Tesla sold 486,532 EVs in the third quarter of 2026, down from 497,099 a year earlier but well above analysts' forecast of 456,600. Tesla stock rose on the news, even as Cybertruck sales fell sharply.

arstechnica.com


Entertainment Industry

Warner Bros. film chiefs De Luca and Abdy depart as Skydance merger closes

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy's last day leading Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group is Tuesday, the day the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger closes and Skydance's combined company begins. Their exit ends months of speculation over whether they would stay on after the merger, following a down year of $448.4M at the domestic box office. Variety reports David Ellison addressed staff on the new name and bid the pair farewell while setting the table for "Barbie 2."

variety.com

Skydance to consolidate Warner Bros. TV, CBS Studios and PTVS under George Cheeks

Ahead of Tuesday's closing, Paramount TV media chair George Cheeks is positioned to oversee all three of the merged company's TV studios: Warner Bros. TV, CBS Studios and PTVS. Cheeks, whose domain already includes CBS and the Paramount cable networks, would take on expanded oversight under the new "Skydance" entity. Skydance has not commented officially.

deadline.com

New Line's Richard Brener expected to stay on at merged Paramount-Warner Bros.

Richard Brener, New Line Cinema's president and CCO and the label's longest-serving employee, is expected to join the new Skydance studio and continue leading New Line, according to Deadline sources. His move follows the announcement that Paramount Production Co-Chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will oversee Skydance's movie studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount.

deadline.com

European entertainment leaders mostly optimistic about Ellison's Warner Bros. takeover

As the $111 billion, debt-laden Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger nears closing, industry figures across Europe are largely upbeat. Ellison has spent time in Europe courting support for his vision of building a Hollywood colossus, and some leaders cite confidence in his commitment to cinema.

variety.com

John Leguizamo urges David Ellison to put industry needs ahead of profit

Speaking out on the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, John Leguizamo implored David Ellison, who is taking over the new Skydance, to "do the right thing" and not "just think of yourself and your pocket." He called on Ellison to consider what Americans and the industry need.

variety.com


Theme Parks

Disney Parks Buys $115 Million, 25-Acre Office Campus Near Disneyland Resort

Disney Parks has reportedly spent $115 million on a 25-acre office campus just a few miles from Disneyland Resort. The purchase follows earlier news involving Yamaha's property in the area. It comes alongside the multi-year DisneylandForward expansion project, which is bringing major changes to the resort itself.

laughingplace.com


Only one article was provided, so there is a single digest entry rather than the roughly three targeted. The source content was truncated, so details such as the seller and the campus's planned use are not included.


LA Food Scene

Josephine Revives Historic Silver Lake Bungalow as Italo-French Bistro

Josephine, a seasonal Italo-French restaurant, now occupies the former Bowery Bungalow space in Silver Lake. Named for the owners' grandmothers, it balances chic and casual, with a string-lit gazebo and vine-covered patio. Since opening at the start of summer, its signature roast chicken and steak frites have drawn attention.

la.eater.com

Eater LA Weekend Guide Recommends Four Restaurants, Including Studio City's Saoha Khao Soi

Eater LA's weekly Friday roundup for October 2 highlights four places to eat around Los Angeles this weekend. Featured spots include Saoha Khao Soi in Studio City, praised for its khao soi, and Tijuanero by Tijuanazo. The guide also links to a separate list of the city's hottest cocktail destinations.

la.eater.com

Generated from 34 filtered articles (of 104 new)