Party's over for crypto scammers who went on a spending spree after a $240 million bitcoin theft

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 22-year-old man from Singapore is expected to plead guilty this week in Washington to orchestrating one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in U.S. history, duping a stranger out of bitcoin worth over $240 million. Malone Lam's conviction would be a major milestone in a case that already has led to guilty pleas by several co-conspirators. The scammers who duped a man into turning over the virtual keys to his crypto holdings celebrated the August 2024 heist by embarking on a wild spending spree. The case is an extreme example of an increasingly common form of cybercrime at a time when the Trump administration is relaxing industry regulation.

Documentarian Alex Gibney on the power and influence of Elon Musk

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Alex Gibney's new documentary “Musk” premieres this week at the Venice Film Festival. The nearly four-hour film explores the power and influence of Elon Musk. Gibney says that Musk's power stems from his ability to speak confidently about the future, often without evidence. He describes Musk as a master of stock pumping rather than invention. Gibney also explores Musk's political shift toward Trump, linking it to federal investigations into his companies and says that many people were afraid to speak on record for the film. “Musk” is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.

Sudan’s war-driven blackouts push residents toward solar power but high costs shut many out

OMDURMAN, Sudan (AP) — In Sudan, many residents are turning to solar energy to cope with frequent blackouts caused by the ongoing conflict. The fighting between the Sudanese military and paramilitary forces has severely damaged the country's electricity grid. This has left many without power, especially in rural areas. The United Nations estimates the damage to the grid at $3 billion. Solar energy is becoming a popular alternative, but it's costly. A typical household system can cost nearly $5,000. Many can't afford it, making it hard to meet basic needs like refrigeration for medications. Power outages have reached up to 16 hours in some areas.

Flock surveillance cameras become midterm campaign target as voters balk at tech companies' power

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Across the country and up and down the ballot, candidates from both parties are increasingly on the attack over Flock cameras. The AI-powered nationwide network records license plate data and other characteristics of all passing vehicles, allowing law enforcement agencies across the country to search and share that data. The company has faced mounting public backlash that has now become a 2026 campaign theme. Candidates across the political spectrum are talking about bans, limits and funding cuts. The company says it provides an important crime-fighting tool. Critics say their pervasiveness amounts to unconstitutional warrantless mass surveillance.

Assad-era Syrian reactor was configured for nuclear weapons, IAEA chief says

VIENNA (AP) — The Assad-era government in Syria was constructing a nuclear reactor that was configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The “configuration” and the “technical features” of the nuclear reactor under construction in Syria during the leadership of ousted former President Bashar Assad were “very efficient in the production of fissile material that could be directly used for the fabrication of nuclear weapons,” IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said on Monday. Grossi said when IAEA inspectors visited the site in August they had to “tear down walls” and go through “very difficult and narrow passages” to locate hidden nuclear material.

Ode to the remote control, that tiny box that lets you channel your desires without ever getting up

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (AP) — If the TV remote hadn’t been invented, channel surfers and couch potatoes would have to argue about something else. Come to think of it, those surfers and potatoes might not even exist. It may be difficult for anyone under 40 to understand, but there was a time when changing a channel meant getting up, walking over to the “television set” and turning a “dial.” No more. Today the remote is deeply lodged in the national psyche — at least for the moment. Now that appliances can listen, will it simply fade away?

Civil rights groups urge a halt to South Africa data centers boom amid water and power fears

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Civil rights groups in South Africa are calling for a pause on building more data centers until their use of water, land and electricity is investigated. The country is positioning itself as Africa's main data hub, attracting global tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft. But concerns have been raised about transparency and the environmental impact of these projects. The South African human rights watchdog has received numerous submissions seeking more transparency. The commission noted significant growth in data centers but highlighted important human rights and environmental considerations. Some experts emphasize the need for clear rules to ensure transparency and balance competing interests.

White House website debuts 5 retro arcade video games that promote Trump's agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House website has unveiled Arcade, a collection of five low-resolution video games that promote different aspects of President Donald Trump’s agenda. “Build the Wall” is a “Tetris” knockoff that transforms the classic game into an effort to “Protect the border from the coming horde.” In "Rio Run,” which resembles the mobile favorite “Snake,” an icon resembling Trump runs around gathering potential border crossers. In “Supply Line,” food moves along an assembly line and you must reject items that don’t meet “Make America Healthy Again” standards. Two of the games, “Flappy Bill” and “Trump Savings Tycoon,” take place over the skies of the nation’s capital.

Nvidia to spend $13 billion on Hugging Face, which will remain an open source platform

Nvidia is buying artificial intelligence software platform Hugging Face for $13 billion. Jensen Huang said in a post on Thursday that more than 18 million developers, researchers and creators use Hugging Face to share more than 3 million models, 500,000 data sets and 1 million applications. More than 200,000 companies also use the platform, he said. Nvidia will keep Hugging Face as an open platform.

Judge orders changes to Google's digital ads business but spares it from a breakup

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Google to retool the system powering its price-gouging monopoly in digital advertising, sparing the company from a wrenching breakup that had been sought by the U.S. government. The two-page initial decision by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia marks the second time in a year that Google has received a reprieve from a Justice Department proposal to dismantle its internet empire to curb years of abusive behavior. That conduct, in turn, has enriched Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., which has a market value of $4.11 trillion market value. The judge’s full opinion will be under seal for 14 days to allow the parties to review it and propose any necessary redactions.