SpaceX shares rise even as company insiders get a chance to sell for the first time

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock in Elon Musk’s space company is rising Thursday even as many SpaceX insiders were freed up to sell for the first time. Investors have dumped SpaceX shares in recent days in anticipation of insiders possibly selling in the first of several lockup expirations. More than 900 million shares became newly available to buy or sell with this latest release, doubling what was available previously. SpaceX stock rose 2.5% to $110.92 in noon trading Thursday. A day earlier it had experienced one of the biggest routs in its short history as a public company, dropping nearly 14%.

The atomic bomb, a world-changing invention, inflicted suffering and launched the nuclear age

The printing press, light bulb, internal combustion engine and computer moved the world into a mostly better future. The atomic bomb spawned suffering and fear and reordered human relations. The world’s first atomic bomb killed about 140,000 people by the end of the year and another 160,000 over the next seven decades. The U.S. bombing of Nagasaki killed another 70,000 people and left tens of thousands more with unspeakable wounds. Declaring the whole world shaken and devoting an army of scientists and spies to catching up, the Soviet Union went on to explode its own bomb in 1949. It was followed by the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. In the Middle East, nuclear capabilities remain contentious.

One Tech Tip: Using your smartphone to capture the August total solar eclipse over Europe

A rare total solar eclipse is set to sweep over parts of Europe next week, drawing millions of enthusiasts. The event is expected to boost tourism in Spain, where the path of total darkness will pass on August 12. Parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Portugal will also experience the eclipse. Many will document the event using smartphones, despite challenges like drastic lighting changes. Experts advise finding a clear view of the western horizon and using apps for planning. Safety tips include using solar filters and eclipse glasses to protect eyes and lenses.

Japanese game company Nintendo reports a jump in profit on the popularity of its Switch 2

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo's first-quarter profit surged 53.5%, driven by the success of the Super Mario movie and strong demand for the Switch 2 console. The company reported a profit of $933 million from April to June, compared to $608 billion a year ago. However, quarterly sales dipped 9.5% to $3.3 billion. Challenges included U.S. tariffs and rising component costs. Nintendo expects a 27% drop in profit for the fiscal year ending March 2027. Despite this, the Switch 2 remains popular, with 3.82 million units sold globally. Nintendo shares rose 2.9% in Tokyo trading.

At colleges, the AI boom means everyone wants to dabble in computer science

Hiring for entry-level software developers has slowed, and college enrollment in computer science is declining. However, interest in artificial intelligence is growing among students from non-tech majors. Schools like VCU are offering AI minors, and universities like Purdue and Harvard are incorporating AI into their curriculum. Northwestern University is expanding AI courses for noncomputer science majors. Colleges are responding to changes in student demand. But they also recognize that new graduates — regardless of their field — are facing questions about their AI skills from potential employers.

France is banning unsolicited telemarketing calls starting next week

PARIS (AP) — France is banning unsolicited telemarketing calls starting next week following years of people's complaints. The new law aims to protect consumers from intrusive calls and fraud. It goes into effect on Aug. 11. Previously, people had to opt out of marketing calls. Now companies making illegal calls face hefty fines. Exceptions include calls to existing customers or those who have given explicit consent. Similar measures have been implemented in neighboring Germany. Other countries like the United States and Britain rely on opt-out systems. France’s new law has raised concerns in Morocco, where the minister of employment said up 50,000 jobs were at risk in the country’s call centers.

Russian drone factory director badly injured in car explosion

MOSCOW (AP) — The director of a Russian drone factory was badly wounded, and his driver was killed when their car exploded. This happened late Tuesday near Yekaterinburg, according to news reports. Vladimir Tkachuk, who heads the Uraldronzavod factory, is in grave condition. The factory supplies drones to the Russian military. Tkachuk is known for his support of the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine. A week ago, another drone maker was shot and wounded in Tula. Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for recent attacks on military officials. An explosion at a Moscow restaurant on Saturday killed five people.

AI-assisted staging draws boos at the Richard Wagner festival in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — An experiment with artificial intelligence at the annual Richard Wagner festival in the German town of Bayreuth has drawn boos from the audience after producing a staging that appeared to leave some spectators confused. Curator Marcus Lobbes and his team were greeted with boos and whistles as they took to the stage at the end of Saturday evening’s performance of “Götterdämmerung.” The German news agency dpa reported there was warm applause for the singers and musicians, and particularly for conductor Christian Thielemann. Festival organizers had said ahead of the performance that it would be the first time AI took part on stage at the event.

FBI investigates as Michigan joins Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on its water systems

Michigan has joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on water systems but an official said all were operating “safely.” Earlier this week, authorities said cyberattacks targeted over 30 water systems in Minnesota. The source of the attacks is being investigated, but they came amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been focused on such systems. Minnesota IT Services said Thursday that the investigation into the attacks that happened on Sunday and Monday was continuing, and that state officials had not identified who was behind them. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks.

Anthropic says its AI models hacked 3 organizations during testing

Anthropic says its AI models hacked into three organizations during testing. This comes just days after OpenAI said its AI models went rogue and hacked into another company. Anthropic, based in San Francisco, posted on its website that it discovered the incidents after reviewing over 141,000 evaluation runs. The company says it launched the large-scale cybersecurity review in response to the OpenAI incident. The models involved were Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model. Anthropic says it reached out to the affected organizations, with two confirming they were unaware of the activity beforehand. The incidents highlight the vulnerabilities in AI security and controls, and raise questions over how AI can used safely.