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    Trump, Musk, Zelenskyy: who is blaming who in the Ukraine-Starlink row?

    A war of words has erupted over who is responsible for the restrictions on Starshield access in UkraineA war of words has erupted between the Trump administration, officials in Kyiv and Elon Musk over who is to blame for limiting Ukraine’s access to Space X’s military-grade version of Starlink.The restrictions to Starshield have rendered many of the drones used by Kyiv to strike behind the frontlines inoperable and hampered air defence systems that stop Russian attacks, according to Ukrainian officials. Continue reading… More

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    Trump tells Iowa rally crowd he encouraged Ramaswamy to keep running widely criticized campaign ad – as it happened

    This live blog is now closed.Sign up for the Breaking News US emailTrump attacks Ohio governor over call for Ramaswamy to drop ‘deeply troubling’ adReporting from Anchorage, AlaskaMary Peltola’s campaign to represent Alaska in the US Senate has taken her to parts of the massive state’s interior that are inaccessible by road and on the frontlines of the cost-of-living crisis she hopes will make her the first Democrat to win the seat in nearly two decades. Continue reading… More

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    Flu cases rise on west coast earlier than usual as US health experts encourage vaccine

    California flu test rate at 9.65%, higher than normal 1% rate for early October, amid mutation of H1N1 influenza A strainFlu cases on the west coast are on the rise months earlier than normal, prompting US health experts to stress the importance of the annual vaccine.Flu activity typically ramps up in December, hitting its peak in February. But this season has kicked into action earlier this year, with higher positive cases than normal recorded. Continue reading… More

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    Department of Justice opens criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski

    Ex-Trump adviser and former top aide for homeland security alleged to have profited off government roleCorey Lewandowski, a former political adviser to Donald Trump and ⁠top aide at the Department ⁠of Homeland Security, ​is under criminal investigation over allegations he profited off his role in the US government, three US officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter told Reuters ⁠on Thursday.The investigation began with a criminal referral to the justice department from the internal watchdog at DHS, according to the four people. The DHS inspector general’s office has been investigating ⁠Lewandowski’s involvement in the handling of certain government contracts, according to one of the people, a DHS official. Continue reading… More

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    The Guardian view on AI safety: the push for global regulation must advance | Editorial

    The current US administration is an obstacle, but public demand for protection will ultimately prevailOrganisations around the world scrambled on Thursday to fix critical flaws in PHP, the software that powers much of the web. The vulnerabilities could allow attackers to take control of affected servers. Some websites were taken offline as a precaution while fixes were installed. The paradox is that while AI helped researchers uncover the flaw, it also threatens to accelerate the ability to exploit it. Amazon said that it had detected an attempt before the public disclosure of the PHP flaws.What the episode highlights is AI’s central role in security – and not always for the right reasons. OpenAI’s models have also been responsible for two alarming hacks this year – a security breach of an Australian health department website and a raid by a swarm of AI bots on Hugging Face, an AI services platform. Citing those incidents, the AI minister, Kanishka Narayan, warned that a similar cyber-attack on the UK is “likely, if not inevitable”. Continue reading… More

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    Glee’s pro-LGBTQ+ vision captured 2010s hope. Can a reboot handle Trump’s America? | Alim Kheraj

    The beloved high school TV show is returning in a different political climate. I’m skeptical that Ryan Murphy has the nuance this moment needsFor months, Ryan Murphy has been discussing Glee. In July, he expressed his love for the musical comedy drama he created. In September, he said that he had finished writing a pilot for a potential reboot, adding that he had reached out to some of the cast about a reunion. And now it is official: Disney+ and Hulu have commissioned a Glee revival.Glee, which ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2015, was a cultural juggernaut during its initial tenure. The show won six Emmys, four Golden Globes and made stars of actors including Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss and the late Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera. Centred on the trials of New Directions, a scrappy show choir at the fictional McKinley high school in Ohio, the show became known for its peppy covers of show tunes, 80s power pop hits such as Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ (a Glee signature), 2010s chart-toppers and some truly baffling mashups (the amalgamation of Scissor Sisters’ Let’s Have a Kiki and Turkey Lurkey Time from Promises, Promises remains … a choice). Continue reading… More

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    How tech became the villain of the US midterms

    Datacenters, AI and distaste for the billionaires developing it has soured Americans on big techHow will Trump’s mass deportation agenda shape the US midterm elections? Our reporters answer your questionsThe campaign ad begins with a clear, idyllic stream that suddenly turns sludge-brown as two concrete datacenters slam on to its banks. Another facility thuds down on a peaceful suburban park, and two more crush-green pastures as an ominous soundtrack to a disaster movie blares.“They’re coming for our rivers. Our neighborhoods. Our farmland,” a deep-voiced narrator says. “Because Brent Taylor wrote the law allowing datacenters to take over Tennessee.” Continue reading… More

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    Too little, too late: Trump takes on gas prices as fuel costs hamper his midterm hopes

    Polls show US voters are deeply upset by high gas prices and are likely to punish Republicans in the midterms as a resultHow will Trump’s mass deportation agenda shape the US midterm elections? Our reporters answer your questionsWith fewer than two weeks until the midterms, US voters are unlikely to see relief on one of this election cycle’s main issues: gas prices.Airing up her car’s tires at a Speedway in Perrysburg, Ohio, Toledo resident Sharie Smith, 41, says soaring costs are having a direct impact on her life. Continue reading… More