Edition 29 · Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Here's what happened.
NASA employees say abrupt relocations over recent months have cost the agency vital equipment and staff needed to build sophisticated spacecraft. They warn the disruption could put future space missions at risk.
California’s secretive earmark process allows legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom to direct budget money to projects including a gym, farmers market and MMA facilities. The process has drawn concerns about transparency and equity, including from some lawmakers.
A 2021 California law requires schools that own military-grade weapons to disclose their inventories annually, renew related policies and hold public forums. A CalMatters investigation found that the nine K-12 districts with these weapons have not routinely completed those requirements.
President Trump said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy sites. The claim comes as diesel prices rise, but the supplied report does not indicate whether the arrangement has been independently confirmed.
Gulf Arab states are reconsidering their security strategies after U.S. bases failed to shield them from retaliation during the Iran war. They are now exploring direct talks with Iran.
NATO jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace. Authorities said its origin was unknown but that it likely came from neighbouring Belarus, a Russian ally.
An Israeli human rights organization accused Israel of dismantling Palestinian life in the West Bank. The group said it had documented mechanisms it described as ethnically cleansing Palestinians from the territory.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google DeepMind cofounder Demis Hassabis, and SpaceX head Elon Musk loosely agreed to slow AI development and “pace the frontier.” Skeptics questioned whether the arrangement is primarily a safety pact or could reduce competition.
The Trump administration is eliminating limits on climate-warming pollution from U.S. fossil-fuel power plants. Environmental groups say the change will affect the climate and public health.
Experts say current chatbots are unlikely to help lone actors invent a deadly pathogen, but newer biology-trained models could pose greater risks. The concerns have been prompted by A.I. queries from abroad and calls for stronger safeguards.
A study suggests local pollution levels rose 24% to 33% after the Trump administration ended a program collecting air-quality data at U.S. embassies in 2025. The program had run for years before it was stopped.
Federal projects are introducing AI agents into medical care, including tools that offer therapy and prescribe medicine. The rollout is prompting concerns about safety and the influence of venture-capital investors.
Viral “bodega peptides” are drawing scrutiny after WIRED tested samples of four types and found they were not actually peptides. The results highlight how lightly regulated the industry is as its popularity surges.
Eligible women in the city will be able to order a free cervical self-testing kit online through the NHS app. The rollout could make screening more accessible by allowing testing at home.
Research has long linked movement with longevity, but a new study suggests the pace of activity may also matter. The finding applies even to people who fall well short of daily step goals.
The Air Force secretary publicly acknowledged that the United States has deployed weapons in orbit. The Pentagon has been preparing for possible conflict in space with Russia or China.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office seized 12 celebrity deepfake websites in what is described as the biggest-ever legal action against harmful deepfake websites. The sites collectively targeted around 1,200 victims.
A Department of Homeland Security watchdog report provided new details about conditions at Florida’s now-shuttered “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center. The report said migrants were confined in small cages.
HR teams are being urged to set boundaries around AI notetakers used in workplaces and recruitment. HR practitioners increasingly have responsibility for vetting these tools before deployment, according to SHRM CHRO Jim Link.
Rockstar Games and the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain have presented their arguments at the start of an employment tribunal. The case is expected to continue until October 16.
People are sharing stories about being covertly filmed on dates by men wearing Meta smart glasses. The reports are fueling broader anxiety over surveillance technology and making the glasses a dating red flag for some singles.
Bungie is delaying Marathon’s next major update while shifting focus toward PvE and moving away from seasonal content. IGN describes the changes as evidence of growing struggles around the game and studio.
Early-access shooter Wardogs sold 2 million copies in its first five days, according to IGN. The result marks an unusually strong launch for a new online shooter on Steam.
Sega and Netflix have formed a multi-title partnership covering adaptations of Crazy Taxi, Sonic, and Stranger Than Heaven. The projects span a Crazy Taxi adaptation, Sonic, and Sega’s upcoming Stranger Than Heaven.