News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
SpaceX targets Thursday for Starship's 13th test flight from South Texas
SpaceX's latest test flight is currently scheduled for Thursday with the 90-minute launch window opening at 5:45 p.m. SpaceX is looking at later this week for its next flight test of Starship from its South Texas launch site. The 13th test looks to test modifications to hardware and software from previous flights, while launching Starlink satellites for the first time. SpaceX to launch 13th Starship flight test What we know: SpaceX's latest test flight is currently scheduled for Thursday with the 90-minute launch window opening at 5:45 p.m. The latest test flight will test the company's Super Heavy booster with the objective of a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn and landing burn. SpaceX said the booster's hardware has been modified to improve relight reliability. For Starship, the company hopes to launch 20 Starlink satellites and have a successful relight of an engine while in space with a controlled entry, descent and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The company is also doing some testing of Starship's heat shields. What went wrong during test flight 12? SpaceX had issues with both the Super Heavy booster and Starship during its last test flight. During the previous test flight, SpaceX said differences in engine startup on the ship caused the booster's directional flip to be off by 90 degrees. Some of the booster's engines also failed to reignite, causing its boostback burn to end early. The Federal Aviation Administration cited "heat effects on propulsion system components during the ascent and erroneous engine alarm system settings" as causes for the booster's failure. SpaceX said those issues have been addressed for the upcoming test. Starship also experienced issues during the test flight, when one of it lost one of its engines. Starship was still able to hit its planned trajectory.
Frontier Airlines to Roll Out SpaceX Starlink In-Flight Wi-Fi Beginning in 2027
Frontier Airlines ($ULCC) announced it will introduce in-flight Wi-Fi powered by SpaceX ($SPCX)'s Starlink, with installations across its fleet beginning in early 2027. Frontier becomes the first U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier to adopt Starlink as airlines continue investing in premium passenger amenities to attract higher-spending travelers. * Frontier plans to begin installing Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet in early 2027. * The airline is the first U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier to partner with Starlink for in-flight connectivity. * Frontier is one of five Indigo Partners portfolio airlines expected to install Starlink on more than 1,000 aircraft. * The carrier recently introduced first-class seating and loyalty program enhancements as part of its broader product strategy. * Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Relevant Companies * Frontier Airlines ($ULCC) - The Starlink rollout expands the airline's onboard offerings as it targets higher-value customers. * SpaceX ($SPCX) - Starlink continues expanding its commercial aviation customer base through new airline connectivity agreements. * Amazon ($AMZN) - Its Kuiper satellite internet service competes with Starlink for airline connectivity contracts.
The unconventional career of attorney general nominee Todd Blanche
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will sit before a Senate panel for his hearing to be confirmed in that role permanently. It comes after he's been involved in a number of high-profile, controversial decisions, including investigations, indictments and the rollout of the Epstein files. Justice correspondent Ali Rogin tracks his unlikely path to the nation's top law enforcement job.
European lawmakers criticize Anthropic for AI policy hearing representation
Based on information from Politico EU, European policymakers expressed dissatisfaction with AI company Anthropic's representation during a hearing concerning the risks of advanced AI capabilities. Lawmakers had specifically requested the presence of Anthropic's head of public policy, but the company instead sent a technical employee, Donny Greenberg, who joined the company in April. The hearing, the first of its kind in Brussels regarding advanced AI risks, focused on Anthropic's cyber-capable models, Mythos and Fable, which are capable of identifying and exploiting software vulnerabilities. European institutions have sought access to these models, concerned about potential risks to critical infrastructure. Lawmakers voiced frustration that Greenberg, identifying himself as a technical expert rather than a policy specialist, might be unable to address their policy-related questions. This was exacerbated by the perception that Greenberg was reading his responses, leading to questions about whether he was relying on AI for his answers. Anthropic stated that it is working with the EU's AI Office and cybersecurity agency, ENISA, to enhance cyber resilience, acknowledging AI as a dual-use tool. The incident highlights the growing geopolitical and business complexities surrounding the testing and deployment of advanced AI models.
Anthropic launches free Claude for Teachers
Anthropic on Tuesday launched a free version of its chatbot geared specifically towards teachers, as a growing number of educators utilize artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. In a release, the company said its Claude for Teachers platform will provide K-12 teachers in the U.S. access to a library of teaching skills and a direct connection to evidence-based curricula mapped to academic standards in all 50 states. Teachers who use the new platform will receive AI assistance on generating math problems for practice and tests, creating interactive activities, lessons and "high-quality" math diagrams and turning lesson materials into "classroom-ready designs and interactive learning experiences," according to Anthropic. Users can also receive insights about their classes, assignments and student progress, along with "personalized instructional feedback grounded in real classroom talk." If teachers sign up for Claude for Teachers by June 30, 2027, they will receive a full year of access. The company noted a specific version of Claude for schools and districts is coming soon. "Teachers have been experimenting with AI for a while. But they told us they wanted something curriculum-aligned, evidence-based, and able to work in the background while they focus on their students," Drew Bent, Anthropic's education lead, wrote Tuesday on social platform X. During the 2024-25 school year, 6 in 10 teachers reported using an AI tool for work, according to a Gallup survey released in June 2025. Just under one-third of teachers said they used such tools weekly, with regular AI users estimating they saved nearly six hours per week on average. Research from the Center for Democracy and Technology released in October 2025 found that half of students said using AI in class makes them feel less connected to their teacher, while seven in 10 teachers expressed concern about the technology weakening important skills their students need to learn. "As many hype up the possibilities for AI to transform education, we cannot let the negative impact on students get lost in the shuffle," said Elizabeth Laird, the director of the Equity in Civic Technology Project at the center. "Our research shows AI use in schools comes with real risks, like large-scale data breaches, tech-fueled sexual harassment and bullying, and treating students unfairly."
INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Cerebras ...
NEW YORK, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cerebras Systems Inc. ("Cerebras" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CBRS). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Cerebras and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
Nobel Laureate John Jumper Leaves Google DeepMind for Rival Anthropic - The AI Software Report
Search for articles and insights about software, technology trends, and industry news Anthropic has recruited Nobel laureate John Jumper from rival Google DeepMind, TechCrunch reported, accelerating the high-stakes talent battle between the top AI labs. Jumper spent nearly nine years at Google, where he famously led the AlphaFold team and was a key member of the unit developing corporate coding tools. His transition to Anthropic marks the departure of one of Google's most decorated research pillars. The exit comes as Google faces commercial headwinds with some of its advanced software developments. Bloomberg reports that Google has struggled to sell the specific coding tools that Jumper was helping develop to corporate clients. Jumper's departure is part of a broader leadership drain for the search giant, occurring the same week that Character AI co-founder Noam Shazeer left DeepMind to join OpenAI. Jumper shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry for creating AlphaFold, an AI model that predicts 3D protein structures from genetic sequences. His move to Anthropic follows a highly celebrated tenure at Google, where his work bridged the gap between foundational machine learning and biological sciences. Regarding his early career advancement at the company, Jumper stated that DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis "took a real chance letting me lead the AlphaFold team just six months after finishing my PhD" before executing his recent move.
Pollution from Elon Musk's unpermitted xAI power project hits hardest in Black communities
Potential emissions from the turbines are far beyond the threshold that would require a federal permit, and would be released near predominantly Black communities already estimated to be suffering disproportionately high rates of lung disease, according to a Reuters analysis based on government data and information in the correspondence with regulators. Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center project in Tennessee without securing federal clean air permits, according to communications between regulators and xAI representatives. Potential emissions from the turbines are far beyond the threshold that would require a federal permit, and would be released near predominantly Black communities already estimated to be suffering disproportionately high rates of lung disease, according to a Reuters analysis based on government data and information in the correspondence with regulators. The findings, which have not been previously reported, reflect how exploding electricity demand from AI data centers is driving companies to build off-grid power plants at a pace outstripping environmental oversight, with potentially big risks to public health. The number of unpermitted turbines identified by Reuters is about double what xAI has publicly acknowledged. The company previously said it was running 27 unpermitted turbines for Colossus 2 as of January and has argued the permits are not required. At least 57 of the 59 turbines are located in Mississippi, just over the state line from Tennessee where the data center is located. The xAI turbines are among scores of off-grid power plants for data centers proposed or under construction around the country. Local authorities often fast-track approvals in just weeks or months, without the years of environmental studies and public hearings typically required for such power generation projects that connect to the grid, Reuters has reported. Mississippi regulators in March issued a permit for permanent turbines for Colossus 2, allowing construction of 41 gas-fired turbines. The approval came three weeks after the state's only public hearing on the project. The xAI cluster of temporary turbines in Mississippi is already among the biggest off-grid data center power projects, according to Ben King, an analyst with think tank Rhodium Group, who reviewed the Reuters analysis. "This looks to be an unprecedented level of behind-the-meter gas being installed in one place," he said, referring to off-grid natural gas plants serving just one customer. The communications reviewed by Reuters show xAI, now owned by trillionaire Musk's SpaceX, has installed 57 off-grid turbines in Southaven, Mississippi, just across the state line from its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, a facility supporting the Grok chatbot and other AI systems. The records show the company has also installed two other unpermitted turbines for the project on a different site. Reuters could not determine the location. The communications, obtained through a Reuters public records request, included emails between Trinity Consultants, representing xAI and subsidiary MZX Tech, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). xAI did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. xAI's turbines are part of a widening environmental justice battle over whether the AI boom is adding disproportionate pollution burdens to communities of color. Civil rights groups including the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center sued xAI in April to halt their operations, arguing the turbines produce emissions subject to the federal Clean Air Act and shouldn't be operated without permits. They contend the turbines are polluting homes, schools and churches in historically Black communities. "The scale of it is astonishing," said Patrick Anderson, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. "This is an absolutely huge Clean Air Act violation that threatens public health." Securing a Clean Air Act permit would have exposed xAI's project to extensive review and public comment, potentially taking years. Mississippi environmental regulators and xAI have argued in court filings that the turbines are exempt because they are "mobile" and intended to operate onsite for less than a year. "MDEQ has determined that portable/temporary turbines do not require an air permit," the agency said in a statement to Reuters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in January 2026 that even temporary turbines exceeding emissions thresholds must obtain permits. The agency, however, told Reuters it's considering changes allowing "regulatory flexibilities" for portable units while continuing to protect public health. xAI, the MDEQ and the EPA did not answer questions from Reuters about pollution impacts on communities of color from power generation to serve data centers. The U.S. Justice Department weighed in on the lawsuit in a June 15 filing, saying that restricting the turbines could threaten national security interests because xAI's systems support U.S. military operations, including operations involving Iran. The outcome of the lawsuit filed by civil rights groups could help define how environmental laws apply to the fast-growing AI sector, where companies are scrambling to bring power supplies online to support energy-intensive computing. "This sets up scenarios where the government can create sacrifice zones and tell communities they have to breathe illegal air pollution," said Mary Rock, a senior attorney for Earthjustice which is representing the NAACP and SELC. The dispute echoes the findings of a 2022 study by researchers from UCLA and Columbia University and published in the Nature Energy journal that found that previously redlined communities - where banks historically discriminated against Black mortgage applicants - now face disproportionately high exposure to pollutants from fossil fuel facilities. "Air pollution from these and other sources contributes to systemic racial disparities in chronic disease and ultimately shorter lives," Lara Cushing, a UCLA public health professor who co-authored the study, told Reuters. Big emissions The emails reviewed by Reuters included the manufacturer emissions profiles for 32 of the 59 turbines, including 30 at the Southaven site. A Reuters analysis based on that information found that those 30 turbines alone could emit nearly 2,500 short tons of nitrogen oxide, 4,000 short tons of carbon monoxide and 22 short tons of formaldehyde annually, assuming they operate continuously at 80% of capacity. According to the EPA, gas turbines are typically operated at loads of 80% or more to achieve efficiency. Nitrogen oxides contribute to smog and respiratory inflammation, according to the American Lung Association. Carbon monoxide deprives the body of oxygen, and formaldehyde is a carcinogen. The xAI site's potential emissions far exceed a Clean Air Act threshold that requires permitting for facilities capable of more than 100 short tons annually of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide. "This is a massive amount of turbines and an unfathomable amount of air pollution," Southaven resident Shannon Samsa said in an interview. "It's not a hypothetical," she said, "that air pollution is bad for you." The nitrogen oxide emissions calculated by Reuters for about half the plant's turbines would put the facility "up there with some of the heaviest polluting natural gas power plants across the entire country," said Nicholas Mailloux, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies air quality and health benefits of the clean-energy transition. He said the facility would be on par with the top 25 U.S. gas plants for nitrogen oxide emissions, citing EPA data for actual emissions. The people affected In the Colonial Hills neighborhood of Southaven, the turbines serving Colossus 2 can be heard around the clock, often firing off noisy bursts that residents compare to jet engines. Ervin Laws, a Colonial Hills resident in his 20s, said the noise wakes him up at night. "I can't do anything about it, because he's got more money than me," he said, referring to Musk. The turbines were installed in communities already estimated to be facing relatively high respiratory disease burdens, according to a Reuters analysis of CDC data. In 27 of 28 census tracts within five miles of the site - spanning both Mississippi and Tennessee - the estimated asthma rates were higher than their respective countywide figures. In 24 tracts, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rates were also higher. Five miles is a distance commonly used in environmental health research to capture populations likely to be exposed to air pollution from a stationary source. A separate Reuters analysis of Census Bureau data found that the residents living near the facility are disproportionately Black. Because the five-mile radius crosses state lines, Reuters compared each side against its own county baseline. Within five miles of the facility in DeSoto county, Mississippi - where the turbines are located - about 46% of residents are Black, compared with 33% countywide, according to census data. Across the state line in Tennessee, where residents have no say in Mississippi's permitting process, about 94% of residents within five miles of the facility are Black, compared to 52% in surrounding Shelby County. Jayajit Chakraborty, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said the Reuters analysis was consistent with research that shows communities of color face higher exposure to fossil fuel pollution. Shelby County and portions of DeSoto County have also previously failed to meet federal ozone standards and remain subject to EPA-approved plans to ensure they do not slip back into violation, according to regulatory documents. Nitrogen oxide is a key precursor to ozone formation, which the EPA says can harm respiratory health. "Given this community struggles with high asthma rates, additional NOx exposure at such high rates could exacerbate public health issues in a community that is already seeing more than its fair share of exposure to toxic air pollution," said Victoria Nelson, an independent environmental engineer, formerly at EPA. Sarah Gladney, 72, has watched the rapid expansion of xAI's Memphis-area presence from her home in the historically Black neighborhood of Boxtown, a few miles from where the company built its Colossus 1 data center in 2024. "Once they got their foot in the door in Memphis, I feel like it's going to be a continuous movement of xAI into these other communities," she said. "It's all about the money, and it's not about the health or wellness of the people that live in or near these communities."
Anthropic Keeps Claude Fable 5 Available for Paid Subscribers Until July 19
Anthropic has extended promotional access to its flagship Claude Fable 5 model for eligible paid subscribers until July 19, giving users another week before usage-based billing comes into effect. The extension applies to Claude Pro, Max, Team, and premium seat-based Enterprise subscribers where the feature is enabled by their organisations. During this period, eligible users can continue using Claude Fable 5 for up to 50% of their weekly subscription limits without paying additional usage charges. The announcement marks the latest extension to what was initially introduced as a temporary promotional benefit. Anthropic had originally planned to include Fable 5 in eligible subscriptions until July 7 before moving users to paid usage credits. The deadline was later pushed to July 12 and has now been extended to July 19. The company said the temporary arrangement remains in place while it works to expand the computing capacity needed to support demand for the model. "We've extended this promotion through July 19, 2026, at 11:59:59 PM PT." Anthropic also confirmed that the 50% increase in Claude Code weekly usage limits will continue through the same date. What Changes for Paid Subscribers For eligible subscribers, no additional action is required to continue using Claude Fable 5 during the extended promotional period. Fable 5 shares the same weekly usage pool as other Claude models, although Anthropic notes that it consumes weekly tokens faster because of its higher performance. Once users exhaust their complimentary Fable 5 allowance, they can either purchase usage credits to continue using the model or switch to another Claude model within their remaining weekly subscription limits. The extension does not apply to free-tier users, standard seats on seat-based Enterprise plans, usage-based Enterprise plans, or API usage, which continues to be billed separately. Subscribers can access Claude Fable 5 across Claude on the web, mobile, desktop, Claude Code, Claude Design, Claude for Microsoft 365, Claude for Teams, Claude Cowork, and other supported experiences. On the web, desktop, and mobile apps, the model is available through the model picker. Temporary Measure Before Standard Availability Anthropic has indicated that the current access model is temporary rather than a permanent change to its subscription plans. The company said it intends to restore Claude Fable 5 as a standard subscription benefit once sufficient compute capacity is available, although it has not announced a timeline. Until then, the latest extension gives eligible subscribers additional time to continue using Anthropic's flagship model under their existing plans while postponing the transition to usage-based credits.
Anthropic admits Claude has multiple personalities: It appears especially warm and friendly with Hindi users
Do you think AI responds the same way in every language? Anthropic says no. Its latest study revealed that Claude comes across as warmer and friendlier in Hindi, using more humour, politeness, and words of encouragement than it typically does in English. You might think that asking Claude the same question in Hindi or English would only change the language of the response. However, a new study by Anthropic suggests it also alters the chatbot's behaviour. According to the company, Claude exhibits different behavioural traits depending on the language users choose. In Hindi, for example, the AI is more likely to respond with humour, politeness, and encouragement than in English. In its latest research, Anthropic analysed over 309,000 anonymous conversations with Claude -- covering three models (Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.6, and Opus 4.7) and the 20 most-used languages on the platform -- focusing primarily on queries seeking advice, feedback, and opinions: situations where there is no single correct answer. The company noted that its goal was not to measure accuracy, but to understand how Claude communicates with users. What were the results? Anthropic found that Claude conveyed greater warmth when responding in Hindi and Arabic. Conversely, its responses in English and Russian were more analytical and focused on rigor. To facilitate the comparison of results, Anthropic classified Claude's behaviour into four general categories: deference vs. caution, warmth vs. rigor, depth vs. brevity, and candor vs. execution. According to the company, this approach allowed researchers to focus on Claude's behaviour rather than on differences between the questions asked by users. For users in India, the study's most significant finding lies in what Anthropic calls the "warmth vs. rigor" axis. The company observed that Claude expressed the highest levels of warmth in Hindi and Arabic. In Hindi, the AI tended to use polite language, humour, and a light-hearted tone, while validating users' ideas and work. It also frequently offered unsolicited reassurance, adapted its tone to the user's emotional state, and encouraged people to aim higher. "The greatest variation is observed along the warmth-versus-rigor axis: Claude tends to express values associated with warmth primarily in Arabic and Hindi, and values associated with rigor mainly in English and Russian," Anthropic noted in its blog post. English, however, presented a different picture. Anthropic found that Claude was more inclined to respond with rigor and caution, questioning assumptions, correcting details without being asked, and backing up its answers with evidence. Overall, the company stated that the most significant differences across languages lay in the degree of warmth or rigor Claude displayed, while its other behavioural traits remained relatively constant. The study also revealed that Claude's behaviour varied depending on the model used. Sonnet 4.6 was perceived as the warmest; it often employed humour, adapted to the user's tone, and offered non-judgmental reassurance. Opus 4.7, by contrast, appeared more analytical: it tended to question assumptions, explain its reasoning, point out potential risks, and openly acknowledge its own limitations. Opus 4.6 fell somewhere in between, generally sticking to the user's request and getting straight to the point. Anthropic clarifies that these findings do not imply that Claude holds different beliefs. Rather, the company suggests that the results reflect differences in how the AI responds depending on the language and model. Anthropic added that it is continuing to investigate the causes of these variations but believes the research could help achieve greater consistency in future AI systems.
Evercore ISI Initiates SpaceX at Outperform With $230 Price Target
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. designs, manufactures, launches, and operates products and services built on technologies, including rockets and spacecraft. The Company's segments include Space, Connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI). Its Space segment designs, manufactures, and launches reusable rockets to provide access to space. Its Connectivity segment operates broadband data and communications network powered by approximately 9,600 Starlink broadband and mobile satellites in Low-Earth orbit, delivering connectivity to consumer, enterprises, and government customers over 164 countries, territories, and other markets. In its AI segment, it operates a vertically integrated AI platform spanning its truth-seeking frontier model Grok, AI solutions for consumer and enterprise customers, X-its real-time information, entertainment, and free speech platform and AI computational infrastructure.
Grok Build Uploaded Entire Git Repositories to xAI Storage, Not Just Files It Read - IT Security News
xAI's Grok Build coding CLI was uploading entire Git repositories, full commit history and all, to a Google Cloud Storage bucket run by xAI, not just the files a coding task needed. A researcher publishing as cereblab, testing version 0.2.93, captured one of those uploads, cloned the git bundle out of the intercepted request, and pulled back a file the agent had been told in plain terms not
SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As thunderstorms and heavy rain rattled Florida's Space Coast the night before, the weather cleared for a beautiful morning rocket launch. The early morning liftoff occurred 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-45, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deliver 29 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It marked the 47th rocket of the year from Florida. No Brevard County sonic booms were heard. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? SpaceX, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida Next SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral The next Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida is scheduled for no earlier than 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission is the launch of Northrup Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension Pods. The spacecraft is referred to as a "next-generation on-orbit servicing vehicle". Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
As thunderstorms and heavy rain rattled Florida's Space Coast the night before, the weather cleared for a beautiful morning rocket launch. The early morning liftoff occurred 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-45, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deliver 29 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It marked the 47 rocket of the year from Florida.
SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As thunderstorms and heavy rain rattled Florida's Space Coast the night before, the weather cleared for a beautiful morning rocket launch. The early morning liftoff occurred 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-45, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deliver 29 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It marked the 47th rocket of the year from Florida. No Brevard County sonic booms were heard. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? SpaceX, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida Next SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral The next Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida is scheduled for no earlier than 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission is the launch of Northrup Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension Pods. The spacecraft is referred to as a "next-generation on-orbit servicing vehicle". Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
As thunderstorms and heavy rain rattled Florida's Space Coast the night before, the weather cleared for a beautiful morning rocket launch. The early morning liftoff occurred 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-45, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deliver 29 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It marked the 47 rocket of the year from Florida. No Brevard County sonic booms were heard. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Next SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral The next Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida is scheduled for no earlier than 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission is the launch of Northrup Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension Pods. The spacecraft is referred to as a "next-generation on-orbit servicing vehicle". Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars
Pollution from Musk's unpermitted xAI power project hits hardest in Black communities
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center project in Tennessee without securing federal clean air permits, according to communications between regulators and xAI representatives. Potential emissions from the turbines are far beyond the threshold that would require a federal permit, and would be released near predominantly Black communities already estimated to be suffering disproportionately high rates of lung disease, according to a Reuters analysis based on government data and information in the correspondence with regulators. The findings, which have not been previously reported, reflect how exploding electricity demand from AI data centers is driving companies to build off-grid power plants at a pace outstripping environmental oversight, with potentially big risks to public health. The number of unpermitted turbines identified by Reuters is about double what xAI has publicly acknowledged. The company previously said it was running 27 unpermitted turbines for Colossus 2 as of January and has argued the permits are not required. At least 57 of the 59 turbines are located in Mississippi, just over the state line from Tennessee where the data center is located. The xAI turbines are among scores of off-grid power plants for data centers proposed or under construction around the country. Local authorities often fast-track approvals in just weeks or months, without the years of environmental studies and public hearings typically required for such power generation projects that connect to the grid, Reuters has reported. Item 1 of 7 The entrance to xAI's gas turbine facility in Southaven, Mississippi, U.S., May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm [1/7]The entrance to xAI's gas turbine facility in Southaven, Mississippi, U.S., May 30, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm Mississippi regulators in March issued a permit for permanent turbines for Colossus 2, allowing construction of 41 gas-fired turbines. The approval came three weeks after the state's only public hearing on the project. The xAI cluster of temporary turbines in Mississippi is already among the biggest off-grid data center power projects, according to Ben King, an analyst with think tank Rhodium Group, who reviewed the Reuters analysis. "This looks to be an unprecedented level of behind-the-meter gas being installed in one place," he said, referring to off-grid natural gas plants serving just one customer. The communications reviewed by Reuters show xAI, now owned by trillionaire Musk's SpaceX, has installed 57 off-grid turbines in Southaven, Mississippi, just across the state line from its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, a facility supporting the Grok chatbot and other AI systems. The records show the company has also installed two other unpermitted turbines for the project on a different site. Reuters could not determine the location. The communications, obtained through a Reuters public records request, included emails between Trinity Consultants, representing xAI and subsidiary MZX Tech, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). xAI did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. xAI's turbines are part of a widening environmental justice battle over whether the AI boom is adding disproportionate pollution burdens to communities of color. Civil rights groups including the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center sued xAI in April to halt their operations, arguing the turbines produce emissions subject to the federal Clean Air Act and shouldn't be operated without permits. They contend the turbines are polluting homes, schools and churches in historically Black communities. "The scale of it is astonishing," said Patrick Anderson, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. "This is an absolutely huge Clean Air Act violation that threatens public health." Securing a Clean Air Act permit would have exposed xAI's project to extensive review and public comment, potentially taking years. Mississippi environmental regulators and xAI have argued in court filings that the turbines are exempt because they are "mobile" and intended to operate onsite for less than a year. "MDEQ has determined that portable/temporary turbines do not require an air permit," the agency said in a statement to Reuters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in January 2026 that even temporary turbines exceeding emissions thresholds must obtain permits. The agency, however, told Reuters it's considering changes allowing "regulatory flexibilities" for portable units while continuing to protect public health. xAI, the MDEQ and the EPA did not answer questions from Reuters about pollution impacts on communities of color from power generation to serve data centers. The U.S. Justice Department weighed in on the lawsuit in a June 15 filing, saying that restricting the turbines could threaten national security interests because xAI's systems support U.S. military operations, including operations involving Iran. The outcome of the lawsuit filed by civil rights groups could help define how environmental laws apply to the fast-growing AI sector, where companies are scrambling to bring power supplies online to support energy-intensive computing. "This sets up scenarios where the government can create sacrifice zones and tell communities they have to breathe illegal air pollution," said Mary Rock, a senior attorney for Earthjustice which is representing the NAACP and SELC. The dispute echoes the findings of a 2022 study by researchers from UCLA and Columbia University and published in the Nature Energy journal that found that previously redlined communities - where banks historically discriminated against Black mortgage applicants - now face disproportionately high exposure to pollutants from fossil fuel facilities. "Air pollution from these and other sources contributes to systemic racial disparities in chronic disease and ultimately shorter lives," Lara Cushing, a UCLA public health professor who co-authored the study, told Reuters. BIG EMISSIONS The emails reviewed by Reuters included the manufacturer emissions profiles for 32 of the 59 turbines, including 30 at the Southaven site. A Reuters analysis based on that information found that those 30 turbines alone could emit nearly 2,500 short tons of nitrogen oxide, 4,000 short tons of carbon monoxide and 22 short tons of formaldehyde annually, assuming they operate continuously at 80% of capacity. According to the EPA, gas turbines are typically operated at loads of 80% or more to achieve efficiency. Nitrogen oxides contribute to smog and respiratory inflammation, according to the American Lung Association. Carbon monoxide deprives the body of oxygen, and formaldehyde is a carcinogen. The xAI site's potential emissions far exceed a Clean Air Act threshold that requires permitting for facilities capable of more than 100 short tons annually of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide. "This is a massive amount of turbines and an unfathomable amount of air pollution," Southaven resident Shannon Samsa said in an interview. "It's not a hypothetical," she said, "that air pollution is bad for you." The nitrogen oxide emissions calculated by Reuters for about half the plant's turbines would put the facility "up there with some of the heaviest polluting natural gas power plants across the entire country," said Nicholas Mailloux, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies air quality and health benefits of the clean-energy transition. He said the facility would be on par with the top 25 U.S. gas plants for nitrogen oxide emissions, citing EPA data for actual emissions. THE PEOPLE AFFECTED In the Colonial Hills neighborhood of Southaven, the turbines serving Colossus 2 can be heard around the clock, often firing off noisy bursts that residents compare to jet engines. Ervin Laws, a Colonial Hills resident in his 20s, said the noise wakes him up at night. "I can't do anything about it, because he's got more money than me," he said, referring to Musk. The turbines were installed in communities already estimated to be facing relatively high respiratory disease burdens, according to a Reuters analysis of CDC data. In 27 of 28 census tracts within five miles of the site - spanning both Mississippi and Tennessee - the estimated asthma rates were higher than their respective countywide figures. In 24 tracts, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rates were also higher. Five miles is a distance commonly used in environmental health research to capture populations likely to be exposed to air pollution from a stationary source. A separate Reuters analysis of Census Bureau data found that the residents living near the facility are disproportionately Black. Because the five-mile radius crosses state lines, Reuters compared each side against its own county baseline. Within five miles of the facility in DeSoto county, Mississippi - where the turbines are located - about 46% of residents are Black, compared with 33% countywide, according to census data. Across the state line in Tennessee, where residents have no say in Mississippi's permitting process, about 94% of residents within five miles of the facility are Black, compared to 52% in surrounding Shelby County. Jayajit Chakraborty, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said the Reuters analysis was consistent with research that shows communities of color face higher exposure to fossil fuel pollution. Shelby County and portions of DeSoto County have also previously failed to meet federal ozone standards and remain subject to EPA-approved plans to ensure they do not slip back into violation, according to regulatory documents. Nitrogen oxide is a key precursor to ozone formation, which the EPA says can harm respiratory health. "Given this community struggles with high asthma rates, additional NOx exposure at such high rates could exacerbate public health issues in a community that is already seeing more than its fair share of exposure to toxic air pollution," said Victoria Nelson, an independent environmental engineer, formerly at EPA. Sarah Gladney, 72, has watched the rapid expansion of xAI's Memphis-area presence from her home in the historically Black neighborhood of Boxtown, a few miles from where the company built its Colossus 1 data center in 2024. "Once they got their foot in the door in Memphis, I feel like it's going to be a continuous movement of xAI into these other communities," she said. "It's all about the money, and it's not about the health or wellness of the people that live in or near these communities." Reporting by Disha Raychaudhuri and Valerie Volcovici; photos by Kevin Wurm; editing by David Gaffen, Kat Stafford, Ben Lesser and Richard Valdmanis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * World Disha Raychaudhuri Thomson Reuters Disha is a data journalist based in Washington, D.C., covering global inequality, race and social justice issues. She joined Reuters in 2020 as a data journalist on the legal news team where she covered a wide range of topics including bankruptcy, opioid settlements and the legislative push to restrict transgender healthcare in the US. Prior to joining Reuters she was a data reporter at The Star-Ledger in New Jersey. Contact: [email protected] Valerie Volcovici Thomson Reuters Valerie Volcovici covers U.S. climate and energy policy from Washington, DC. She is focused on climate and environmental regulations at federal agencies and in Congress and how the energy transition is transforming the United States. Other areas of coverage include her award-winning reporting plastic pollution and the ins and outs of global climate diplomacy and United Nations climate negotiations.
SpaceX rocket launch from Florida starts off Tuesday morning
As thunderstorms and heavy rain rattled Florida's Space Coast the night before, the weather cleared for a beautiful morning rocket launch. The early morning liftoff occurred 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-45, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deliver 29 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It marked the 47 rocket of the year from Florida. No Brevard County sonic booms were heard. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Next SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral The next Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida is scheduled for no earlier than 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission is the launch of Northrup Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension Pods. The spacecraft is referred to as a "next-generation on-orbit servicing vehicle". Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars
Dave Freer's "Storm-Dragon" Wins First-Ever Prometheus Special Award For Young Adult Fiction
Freer's novel is the first in a category the Libertarian Futurist Society created years ago and had never used -- until now. WICHITA FALLS, Texas, Jul. 14, 2026 / PRZen / Raconteur Press is proud to announce that Storm-Dragon, the debut Boys' Adventure novel by Dave Freer, has won the 2026 Special Prometheus Award for Young Adult Fiction -- the first time this specific award has ever been presented to any book. The Libertarian Futurist Society's board approved a Special Award category for Young Adult Fiction several years ago but had not yet found a work it considered worthy of the honor. Storm-Dragon is that book. Special Prometheus Awards are occasional, not annual, and reserved for outstanding work outside the parameters of the Society's two annual categories, Best Novel and the Prometheus Hall of Fame. Only ten Special Awards have been given since the category was established in 1998, and the Society has not presented one since 2017, making this both a rare honor and a first. The win comes on the heels of Raconteur Press's first-ever Prometheus Award, announced last week when J. Kenton Pierce's A Kiss for Damocles took Best Novel. That makes two Prometheus Awards for Raconteur Press in the same award cycle, a significant milestone for a press now in its second year of publishing novels and its first year of publishing Boys' Adventure fiction. Storm-Dragon follows Skut, a refugee kid on a rough ocean colony world, who rescues a small alien creature -- an electrosensitive, six-limbed "dragon" that turns out to be a lot smarter and a lot more dangerous than anyone expected. His friend Podge, new in town, gets dragged into it, right as the whole settlement starts facing a threat nobody can explain. The boys navigate bullies, bad teachers, a town government that's gotten comfortable pushing people around, and eventually a raid that forces the whole colony to figure out what it actually stands for. The novel sits in the tradition of Robert Heinlein's and Andre Norton's classic adventure fiction for young readers: story first, with its themes of self-reliance and mutual respect emerging naturally rather than as argument. "Rita and I are thrilled and honored to have not one, but two of our novels recognized by the Prometheus Awards this year," said Ian McMurtrie. "Dave Freer's Storm-Dragon receiving the inaugural Special Award for Young Adult Fiction, alongside J. Kenton Pierce winning Best Novel with A Kiss for Damocles, demonstrates that engaging and entertaining stories that celebrate freedom, self-reliance, and adventure still have a place on bookshelves. We're incredibly proud of our little press publishing fiction that speaks to young readers and adults alike -- great storytelling is always in vogue." Storm-Dragon is Freer's first novel for Raconteur Press's Boys' Adventure line, launched to address what the Press has called a reading crisis among boys: a shortage of adventure fiction written to entertain young male readers rather than instruct them. Freer previously won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel in 2023 for Cloud-Castles, making him one of a small number of authors recognized by the Libertarian Futurist Society across multiple award cycles. A former marine biologist based in Tasmania, Australia, Freer's career has included work as a commercial shark fishery scientist, salvage diver, and steeplejack. He has authored or co-authored more than twenty novels. "I was actually a little worried that Storm-Dragon would win the Prometheus," said Freer. "That was not what it was written for. It was written to get boys reading for pleasure, as a gateway. By recognizing Storm-Dragon in this way, it means they think it follows in the footsteps of Heinlein Juvies -- exactly what I was in my usual inept fashion trying to do. I am delighted, and hope they make it a regular Prometheus feature, because firstly, it is fun to read, and secondly humans need our boys reading." The Prometheus Award, first presented in 1979 and awarded annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society since 1982, is one of the longest-running fan-based awards in science fiction. Past winners include Neal Stephenson, Poul Anderson, Vernor Vinge, Terry Pratchett, and Cory Doctorow. This year's awards will be presented at the Libertarian Futurist Society's 46th annual online ceremony, open to the public, on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 16, 2026. Freer has confirmed he will deliver his acceptance remotely from Tasmania despite a fourteen-hour time difference from the ceremony's Eastern-time slot. Storm-Dragon is available in paperback and ebook at Amazon and in paperback at IngramSpark. Parents, educators, and librarians are encouraged to contact [email protected] to request a review copy. About Raconteur Press Raconteur Press is a Texas-based independent publisher founded in 2022. The press publishes genre fiction anthologies, novels, and a Boys' Adventure line, with all books unapologetically designed to entertain. Raconteur operates on a philosophy of radical transparency, publishing sample contracts publicly and sharing its operational playbook openly with the indie publishing community. Learn more at raconteurpress.substack.com. About the Libertarian Futurist Society The Libertarian Futurist Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring science fiction and fantasy that explores themes of individual liberty. The Prometheus Award has been presented annually since 1982. Learn more at lfs.org. Available for Media Mr. Freer is available for interviews via email/video given the Tasmania time difference; scheduling can accommodate. Review copy, press kit, author bio, cover image, and award logo available on request. Contact [email protected]. Source: Raconteur Press Follow the full story here: https://przen.com/pr/33618412
OpenAI, Google, Anthropic Leaders Join 200 Experts To Warn Governments On AI
Over 200 Experts, Including OpenAI, Google And Anthropic Leaders, Warn AI Could Disrupt Jobs Faster Than Expected (Image credit: AI-generated) The rise of advanced artificial intelligence models is creating much wider concerns than one could imagine. Powerful AI models like Anthropic's Mythos, can be used to exploit software flaws and hack the banking systems, potentially carrying the abilities to shake the economies. Amid the AI boom, more than 200 world leaders, including top economists, AI researchers and Nobel Prize winners have come together to sign a joint statement urging governments to take immediate steps to prepare for the economic impact of AI, according to Reuters.
