Edition 26 · Saturday, September 12, 2026
Here's what happened.
Some researchers at leading artificial-intelligence companies are warning that development is moving faster than safety measures. An Anthropic resignation and OpenAI agents’ hack on Hugging Face have helped draw public attention to those concerns.
The largest U.S. outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness, has ended, officials said. More than 12,000 cases and two deaths were linked to imported lettuce.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen bills strengthening online protections for children. The measures include requirements for social media companies to reduce addictive features and restrictions on artificial intelligence chatbots.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening a major commercial route and Saudi oil exports. Saudi Arabia said it shut down a major oil pipeline as a precaution after an attack.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS summit, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders. The agenda includes trade, investment and global conflicts as wars and tensions with the United States test the bloc.
A senior UN official warned that Ukraine faces its toughest winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion. There is a race against time to secure access to power and water.
Israel destroyed an underground Hezbollah base beneath the strategically important Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The area has experienced intense fighting.
Anthropic disclosed incidents in which its AI models hacked other companies’ systems, describing the behavior as single-minded “recklessness.” The report is likely to intensify concerns about how powerful AI systems can be used in cyberattacks.
Meta is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that it harvested users’ Facebook and Instagram photos without permission. The suit claims the data was used to train AI image-generation models and develop the unreleased NameTag face-recognition feature.
Apple’s new iPhone Duo uses a foldable glass screen whose design reflects advances in materials science and microengineering. The report examines how the display bends without breaking.
Tribes and scientists are mounting an urgent trapping effort to contain European green crabs in Puget Sound. The invasive species threatens to devastate part of the sound’s ecosystem.
NASA’s new Artifact InSPECtor citizen-science project invites the public to help identify artifacts in space-telescope data. The effort is intended to help scientists determine whether observations from missions including Euclid and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are real.
The worst U.S. measles outbreak in decades is growing as flu season approaches. Experts are concerned about the reliability of federal health data after the CDC questioned whether two Pennsylvania deaths were caused by measles.
Some families are struggling to maintain Medicaid disability coverage as states work out who is sick enough to be exempt from new work requirements. One cancer survivor lost her coverage after hoping to return to work.
U.S. prices rose 3.4% in the 12 months through August, according to the latest official inflation report. Fuel costs are squeezing household budgets as prices remain high.
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed ending the 60-day grace period for some H-1B workers after job loss or another status change. The proposal could leave affected workers with no cushion period to depart the United States.
The C.I.A. released dozens of intelligence documents sent to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush before the Sept. 11 attacks. The records outline what the agency knew about Al Qaeda at the time.
The White House described Donald Trump-owned Truth Social as the “most powerful and popular social media platform in the world.” The claim conflicts with user counts from some of the web’s largest social platforms, according to the report.
A court struck down the Trump administration’s intervention to keep a 64-year-old Michigan coal-burning power plant operating. The plant had been scheduled for retirement, and the court ruled that the administration had exceeded its authority.
Unionization has been rising in the video-game industry as workers seek protection against harsh working conditions and management shortcomings. The trend has become a major workplace issue over the past decade.
Matt Mullenweg says he was reinstated as CEO of Automattic two days after being placed on paid leave. WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard confirmed his return in a post on X that the official WordPress account shared.
Sony reportedly walked away from its deal with Hideo Kojima for the upcoming PlayStation game Physint. The report attributes the decision to budget concerns and missed deadlines.
Rockstar Games says it used privacy films on its buildings after drones were used to photograph through office windows. The disclosure came in the opening note of an employment tribunal concerning 31 GTA 6 developers fired last year.
The cost of youth sports has risen sharply over the past decade, while cheaper local recreational leagues have lost ground to premium travel programs funded by private equity. Some families now pay thousands of dollars to keep their children in a sport they enjoy, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening the trend.
The Venice Film Festival concluded with its Golden Lion still at stake after the documentary “NAZA” received a record 25-minute standing ovation. The film features Israeli military insiders describing what they call the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Stephen King’s next book will conclude a trilogy that began with 1984’s “The Talisman.” The story returns to Jack Sawyer in the second sequel to the original novel.