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North American Edition
16th June 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Cyber leaders push U.S. to restore access to Anthropic AI models

Cybersecurity leaders from major U.S. companies, including Nvidia and Adobe, have urged the Trump administration to lift restrictions on Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, arguing that the curbs could weaken defenses against cyberattacks. The appeal follows Washington’s order requiring Anthropic to suspend foreign nationals’ access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models over national security concerns. More than 50 security leaders said the restrictions remove powerful tools from defenders, create market uncertainty, and risk undermining U.S. AI leadership. The signatories argued that Anthropic’s models are not uniquely capable of discovering vulnerabilities or enabling exploits, noting that rival systems offer similar capabilities. They also warned that limiting access could be dangerous as China accelerates its own AI development. Anthropic has previously raised concerns about the hacking potential of its Mythos model but recently released Fable with cybersecurity safeguards.
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POLITICAL

Gavin Newsom says Donald Trump is investigating him

California governor Gavin Newsom says Donald Trump had directed the Department of Justice to investigate him. Newsom, in a statement on X, said Trump had put him and his wife on a “hit list . . . because I am considering running for President.” Newsom said in a video: “In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the door of family, friends and former employees . . . Not because they found crime, because they're simply trying to find one.” A source familiar with the investigation confirmed to the BBC that there were “several investigations ongoing” for “roughly a year", but denied Trump's involvement. The investigations “all originated out of California, working through whistleblowers and government sources”, the individual said.
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REGULATION

Tesla used 'misleading marketing' to make case for FSD approval

Reuters reports that Tesla presented self-published safety statistics to regulators in Sweden and the Netherlands that independent traffic-safety researchers have said amount to misleading marketing. The automaker was seeking to secure European approval of its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) driver-assistance system. A Reuters review has identified several invalid data comparisons underlying Tesla’s statistics that exaggerated its safety claims. Tesla has said FSD approval in Europe is key to regional sales growth at a time when Chinese EV makers are steadily encroaching.

U.S. closes probe into 2024 Delta Air Lines meltdown

The White House has dropped a Biden-era investigation into Delta Air Lines’ handling of a worldwide computer meltdown in 2024. The CrowdStrike software outage disrupted the travel plans of 1.3 million customers ​and cost the carrier $500m. A DOT spokesperson said that Delta “ensured passengers received prompt refunds and baggage assistance.” The department said it had determined that “enforcement was not warranted” based on the carrier’s efforts. Delta ​said it was grateful DOT recognized "the catastrophic circumstances we faced ​as an industry during the unprecedented outage and its dismissal of the investigation citing how we ‌cared ⁠for customers, which included millions of dollars in refunds, hotels, food and baggage assistance."

China summons Sam’s Club over food safety issues

Sam’s Club has been summoned by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation following what the regulator described as multiple food safety issues identified by inspectors and reported by the media. The regulator ordered the Walmart-owned warehouse retailer to comply strictly with China’s food safety laws, although no specific violations were disclosed. The development comes amid ongoing sensitivities for major U.S. companies operating in China. Walmart executives were also summoned by Chinese authorities in 2025 during U.S.-China trade tensions over reports that suppliers were being asked to absorb tariff-related costs. According to Chinese state media, Sam’s Club has responded by establishing a management-led task force and said it will comply fully with relevant laws and regulations.
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GEOPOLITICAL

Electrification jumps up corporate agenda after energy crisis, survey finds

Geopolitical instability and the struggle to absorb energy charges has made electrification more urgent for four in five business executives, according to a survey of almost 2,000 executives across 18 countries.
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LEGAL

Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss magazine

Palantir has lost a legal bid to force Swiss magazine Republik to publish its responses to articles detailing how the country’s government repeatedly rejected its services. Zurich’s commercial court dismissed 22 out of 23 counterstatement requests filed by the data analytics company and its Swiss subsidiary, finding that only a single passage in one article warranted a published response. Jennifer Steiner, co-founder of Swiss research collective WAV, which conducted and published the one-year investigation with Republik, said: “It was a lot of work and time invested. After four months waiting for a verdict, it’s good to have such a ruling now.”

Supreme Court declines Macy’s appeal over compensation for fired strikers

Macy’s has failed in its attempt to have the Supreme Court review a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling requiring the retailer to compensate workers who were dismissed after a strike involving around 60 unionized building engineers in California and Nevada. The court’s decision leaves in place a lower court judgment supporting the NLRB’s authority to award compensation for financial losses arising from unlawful dismissals, including costs beyond lost pay and benefits. Macy’s had argued that such remedies should be determined by a jury rather than a government agency. The ruling represents a setback for the retailer and preserves the NLRB’s expanded powers while broader legal challenges to the agency’s authority continue.
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TRADE

Trump warns France of risk of fresh trade war with U.S.

President Trump has told The New York Post that France is at risk of a fresh trade war with the United States unless Paris ditches its 3% digital tax on American tech companies. The US would “have no choice” but to impose 100% tariffs on French wines, Trump said. The American market accounts for a fifth of the French wine industry’s global sales. “I asked [French President Emmanuel Macron] not to charge American companies, and if they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” Trump told The Post. “All [Macron] has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure.”
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STRATEGY

Honeywell CEO says AI will ‘redefine automation' amid labor shortages

Honeywell CEO Vimal Kapur has said that AI is set to “redefine automation” by transforming operational data into actionable insights. He observed that labor shortages and aging populations are increasing the demand for automation. “Net workforce is not going to be increasing. It's going to be decreasing over a period of time,” Kapur said. His comments come as Honeywell prepares to spin off its aerospace business on June 29; the company is seeking to focus solely on its automation sector. “We are taking the opportunity to build a pure play automation company across multiple sectors, and opportunity is more compelling now, with AI coming in,” Kapur said.
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ECONOMY

U.S. industrial production posts modest May increase as manufacturing stalls

U.S. industrial production rose 0.1% in May, according to Federal Reserve data, undershooting economists’ expectations for a 0.3% increase and slowing from April’s revised 0.9% gain. The modest increase reflected a mixed picture across the industrial sector, with manufacturing output flat during the month after a 0.7% rise in April, suggesting factory activity lost momentum following a stronger start to the spring. The overall increase was supported by a 1.3% rise in mining output, while utility production declined 0.4%. Industrial capacity utilization, a key measure of how fully companies are using their productive capacity, was unchanged at 76.2%, matching market expectations. The figures point to continued, but subdued, growth in U.S. industrial activity, with strength in the mining sector helping offset softer manufacturing performance.
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OPERATIONAL

EPA replaced employee desk phones with calling software

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) replaced employee desk phones with calling software used on their laptops, but Justin Chen, president of the biggest EPA employee union, has told The Hill that the additional software that's supposed to handle 9-1-1 geolocation “doesn't really work, apparently,” citing a recent medical emergency which “ended up delaying a response.” Another EPA staffer said the emergency service software “has not worked since the time it was installed” last year. An EPA spokesperson said the switch to call software was an improvement and were unaware of any broad malfunctions.
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WORKFORCE

More firms are using ‘backdoor’ job references

So-called “backdoor” job references, which have long played a role in hiring, are being used more than ever by businesses desperate for human insight now that candidates are using AI to write résumés and coach them through virtual interviews. “They’ve become a lot more important,” observes headhunter Mark Toscano. “The tools that people are using to present themselves in the best light possible are the same reason that companies are resorting to these backdoor references.” Although such references offer the potential for score-settling by rivals, independent recruiter Kelli Hrivnak says: “I’ve actually seen backdoor references help people more often, as opposed to being a detriment.”
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OTHER

Nara recalls infant formula across U.S. following botulism investigation

Nara Organics has voluntarily recalled all of its infant formula sold in the U.S. after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified three cases of infant botulism involving babies who had consumed the product. Although the company said none of its formula tested positive for Clostridium botulinum, it has taken the action as a precautionary measure. The affected products were sold through Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com between July 2025 and June 2026. The three infants, who were hospitalized in California, Washington and Pennsylvania, are receiving treatment and no fatalities have been reported.
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