US News, Summarized

• The Iran-supporting group Handala claimed responsibility for hacking Stryker, a Michigan-based medical technology company, in retaliation for US strikes killing Iranian schoolchildren. • DigiCert tracked nearly 5,800 cyberattacks by nearly 50 Iran-tied groups, primarily targeting US and Israeli companies. • Attacks included spyware via fake bomb shelter apps on Android devices during Iranian missile strikes in Israel, accessing cameras, locations, and data.

• The US-China technology rivalry is increasingly centered on quantum computing, with both nations treating the field as a strategic asset with profound economic and national security implications alongside AI and semiconductors. • China has deployed an estimated US$16 billion in public funding—roughly four times current US government investment—embedding quantum computing into its Five-Year Plan as one of seven frontier technologies through a highly centralized, state-led approach. • The US ecosystem remains decentralized, driven by over 40 companies, national laboratories, universities, and hyperscalers, with government support focused on funding, benchmarking, and validation rather than selecting national champions.

• A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for US$375 million in damages for failing to protect young people from online harm, including exploitation by sexual predators, in violation of state consumer protection laws. • This verdict follows a separate Los Angeles jury decision ordering Meta and Google to pay US$6 million to a 20-year-old woman over claims that their apps were addictive and caused mental health crises. • Multiple states have filed similar cases against Meta, signaling a broader accountability movement targeting major tech platforms' user engagement and safety practices.

• Tech companies including Palantir, Anthropic, and Anduril are increasingly partnering with the US Department of Defense, marking a significant shift from decades of strained relations between the tech sector and military. • Anduril announced a 10-year, US$20 billion contract with the US military, while Palantir's Maven data analytics platform and Anthropic's AI have been used extensively in operations against Iran, including defense against Shahed drones. • The collaboration represents what investors view as a lucrative opportunity, with traditional military contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing now joined by rising tech giants in supplying cloud computing, AI-powered drones, and advanced defense systems.

• Huge crowds rallied across the U.S. on Saturday for 'No Kings Day' protests against President Donald Trump, expressing fury over his policies amid international tensions. • Demonstrations also spread abroad, including massive marches in France and crowds at NIH headquarters protesting cuts to medical research. • The protests highlight domestic opposition to Trump's leadership, potentially influencing U.S. politics as global conflicts intensify.

Exclusive: Health secretary’s pledges in doubt as analysis shows health service will not deliver key improvementsThe NHS is set to miss key targets to shorten waiting times for help at A&E, cancer care and planned hospital treatment, leaving millions of patients facing persistently long delays.The health service in England will not deliver a series of milestone improvements in its performance that ministers demanded it achieve by the time the fiscal year ends on Tuesday, a Guardian analysis of the NHS’s most recent data has found. Continue reading...

Conflict shows signs of entering new, more dangerous phase as additional 3,500 US troops arrive in the Middle EastUS lawmakers responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a new, more dangerous phase.Officials told the Washington Post that a ground operation in Iran could be limited to raids by Special Operations forces and infantry troops, but it was unclear whether Donald Trump would approve any of the Pentagon’s plans. Continue reading...

Tehran says it will confront any land attack, as Houthi missiles fired at Israel signal further escalation in regionMiddle East crisis – live updatesIran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks, as the war that has killed thousands of people and caused the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies entered its second month.As efforts to find a negotiated conclusion to hostilities inched forward with a meeting of regional powers in Pakistan, there were signs of further escalation over the weekend as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis entered the conflict for the first time, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his country was widening its invasion of southern Lebanon. Continue reading...

Two hundred miles from LA, an off-grid community with roots in Burning Man offers an unorthodox educational experience – is Mars College the future?A dozen writing students perched around a collection of weather-beaten couches, laptops balancing on their knees, ready to discuss their work. Next up to read was Ira Birch, a poet sporting black boots and a shag haircut.“I told myself I was gonna share today,” Birch said nervously, looking around the circle. “But there are a lot more people here.” Continue reading...