Restrictions

• AI industry leaders, including Nvidia and Mistral, are urging U.S. policymakers to avoid implementing broad restrictions on open-weight AI models. • The push comes as Washington considers responses to Chinese AI advancements and concerns over "model distillation," where one model's outputs are used to train another. • Industry representatives argue that distillation is a legitimate, widely used technique for model improvement and validation that mirrors the innovation patterns of the open-source software movement.

Vote from advisory group – whose members include people linked to peptides industry – likely to embolden RFK JrA panel of federal health advisers on Thursday narrowly recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness influencers and celebrities, despite warnings from government scientists that the chemicals have not been shown to be safe or effective.In a series of votes, outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration advised the agency to drop current restrictions barring pharmacies from producing injectable peptides with names like BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV. Continue reading...

• House Republicans approved a $95 billion budget reconciliation framework on Wednesday to increase federal spending in several key areas. • The package specifically targets funding boosts for the Pentagon, agricultural aid, and grants intended to support voting restrictions. • This framework represents a third budget reconciliation effort, allowing Republicans to bypass certain legislative hurdles to allocate significant resources.

• Cybersecurity researchers are warning that advanced AI systems are increasingly capable of discovering and exploiting software vulnerabilities in ways developers did not anticipate. • Roman Yampolskiy, a computer science professor at the University of Louisville, argues that these incidents highlight the fundamentally unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of powerful AI models. • This trend is significant as it demonstrates a growing security risk where AI can be used to automate complex cyberattacks, bypassing traditional safety guardrails.

HHS failed to respond to Foia request following claims of fraud against Somali childcare providers and DemocratsCivil rights groups have sued the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after the agency failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the Trump administration’s restrictions on federal childcare and family assistance following claims of fraud against Somali childcare providers and Democratic state officials.The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Illinois, the ACLU of Colorado, the National Women’s Law Center, and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, are seeking correspondence between federal officials and far right social media influencer Nick Shirley. Continue reading...

Country begins 42-day countdown to outbreak being declared officially over, as numbers continue to rise in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the CongoUganda has started lobbying countries to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions after discharging its last confirmed Ebola patient from hospital.The discharge of a Congolese national from the Mulago national referral hospital’s isolation centre in Kampala on Thursday triggered the start of a 42-day countdown required by the World Health Organization before Uganda can officially be declared Ebola-free, provided no new infections are detected. Continue reading...

• Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is in talks to raise $1.5 billion at a valuation of $71 billion, following a previous $7 billion funding round. • The deal is backed by major investors, including Tencent and a state-led AI fund from Beijing, signaling strong domestic support. • This rapid growth demonstrates China's ability to advance its AI capabilities despite ongoing U.S. restrictions on high-end technology.

• A top European Union official is considering the implementation of age restrictions for children using social media platforms. • The proposal follows a global trend of increasing restrictions driven by growing concerns over how social media affects young, developing brains. • This move highlights the EU's effort to mitigate the psychological and developmental risks associated with early exposure to digital networking.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed support for implementing "age-appropriate" restrictions on social media usage. • The initiative aims to protect younger users by introducing tailored regulations to limit access or functionality based on age. • This move signals a shift toward stricter digital safety standards across the European Union to combat the risks associated with social media for minors.

• An expert panel has recommended that the European Union implement restrictions on social media access for children under the age of 13. • The European Commission is expected to follow these recommendations by presenting a formal legislative proposal within the coming months. • This move aims to protect young children from the potential risks associated with social media platforms across EU member states.

• China is currently reviewing new restrictions on overseas access to its artificial intelligence models while accelerating the development of domestic inference semiconductors. • This shift threatens the current strategy of international firms, particularly Korean companies, who have relied on utilizing inexpensive Chinese AI services. • The move signals a strategic pivot toward technological sovereignty and tighter control over AI exports to protect national interests.

• China's Ministry of Commerce is leading meetings to implement strict restrictions on both open-source and closed-source AI models. • Proposed measures include limiting who can fund domestic AI startups and classifying the leaking or theft of AI technology as a national security offense. • These moves signal a significant escalation in state control over AI development to protect intellectual property and maintain national security.

• The Supreme Court upheld the broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting an executive order by President Donald Trump that sought to restrict citizenship for children born to parents in the U.S. illegally. • The ruling aligns with the longstanding judicial interpretation of the 14th Amendment and arrived on the final day of a court term that otherwise largely favored Trump's claims of presidential power. • In separate Tuesday rulings, the court upheld state laws prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating in public school and college sports and struck down federal election spending limits.

• The Supreme Court has struck down long-standing campaign finance restrictions that limited the amount national political party committees could spend in coordination with individual candidates. • The legal challenge was brought forward by Vice President JD Vance and other plaintiffs who argued against the existing spending caps. • This ruling significantly alters the financial landscape of federal elections by allowing parties to provide more direct financial support to their candidates.

• President Donald Trump faced multiple setbacks on Monday as the Supreme Court and the Republican-controlled Senate limited his efforts to restrict voting access. • A key Supreme Court decision allows states to continue counting certain ballots that arrive after Election Day, countering Trump's attempts to tighten voting rules. • These legal and legislative "guardrails" matter because they prevent the executive branch from unilaterally making it more difficult for citizens to cast their votes.

• The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a case regarding whether federal law prevents Arizona from implementing stricter voting restrictions. • A key point of contention is a state measure requiring voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote on a state form. • The dispute highlights a broader national conflict over efforts to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting amid claims of election fraud.

Committee will meet in July to discuss peptides now sold in gray market despite limited evidence of safety and efficacyAdvisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon hold a meeting about whether to ease restrictions on access to some research peptides, a group of drugs with a zealous following and thin evidence to support them.If restrictions are eased, US compounding pharmacies would be able to produce and fill prescriptions for Americans – a change that would effectively legalize a thriving gray market. Continue reading...

• A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempts to implement mail-in voting restrictions and create a national voter database ahead of the midterm elections. • The administration argued these measures were necessary to strengthen election integrity and combat potential voter fraud. • A key point of contention involves a proposed U.S. Postal Service rule that would require states to provide lists of eligible absentee voters to the federal government to ensure ballot delivery.

• A judge has issued an injunction blocking a portion of Donald Trump's proposed restrictions on mail-in voting, specifically barring the creation of a national list of eligible voters. • The ruling follows a previous decision where a different judge declined to block the policy because it had not yet been implemented. • The legal action comes after the Postal Service proposed a rule to enact the executive order and Postmaster General David Steiner threatened to refuse ballot deliveries unless states provided voter lists.

• A federal judge blocked an executive order from Donald Trump that sought to impose restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections. • The ruling stated that the Constitution does not grant the president specific powers over election processes, effectively halting the proposed rules. • The decision prevents significant financial loss for states; for instance, Massachusetts had already spent $3 million on envelopes that would have become non-compliant.

The law banned people from carrying guns in most public spaces and private property without owner’s permissionSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US supreme court struck down a restrictive gun law in the state of Hawaii that bans people from carrying guns in certain public spaces and on private property without the permission of the property’s owner.At issue was a 2023 state law that barred carrying a firearm on private property without the owner’s approval and created a list of more than a dozen “sensitive places” where guns cannot be carried, such as beaches and restaurants that serve alcohol. Continue reading...

• The U.S. administration has implemented strict health restrictions, including mandatory quarantine orders for two passengers from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus. • In a more severe measure, the government is blocking American citizens who contract Ebola from returning to the United States for medical treatment. • These policies have sparked significant public health concerns regarding the legality and ethics of denying citizens access to domestic healthcare during crises.

• The U.S. administration has implemented strict travel restrictions, including banning entry for individuals from countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks and blocking infected U.S. citizens from returning home for treatment. • Additionally, federal officials imposed mandatory quarantine orders on two passengers from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus. • These measures have sparked significant concern among public health and infectious disease experts, as the World Health Organization explicitly opposes such travel bans.

Concerns among commissioners in bloc that surge in imports could lead to decline similar to that of US rust belt townsEU commissioners will meet on Friday for crunch talks aimed at imposing new restrictions on imports from China amid growing concern that Beijing is fuelling conditions for US-style rust belt towns in Europe.The surge in imports of everything from electric cars to key components in machines, medical devices and food stuffs has been dubbed China Shock 2.0, potentially mirroring the experience in the US 25 years ago when Beijing joined the World Trade Organization. Continue reading...

States with abortion bans are turning away from medications to a wait-and-see approach, with care falling below standardsAbortion restrictions in the US have made it more difficult to access care for miscarriages, a new study stays.The new research found that since the June 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade, pregnancy care has fractured along state lines; it’s getting increasingly harder to access healthcare for miscarriages in US states with abortion restrictions. Continue reading...

As government begins restoring connection, population voices dismay over food price increases and shortagesThe partial lifting of internet restrictions in Iran has revealed a rising tide of anger about food price inflation as ordinary Iranians decry annual price increases of 308% for vegetable oil, 190% for chicken, and 170% for rice.Iranian authorities on Tuesday began restoring the connection to the global internet that was severed on the first day of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on 28 February, as it had been during mass protests in January. Continue reading...

• EU officials are proposing new sanctions against Russia, specifically targeting the Moscow-based League for Assistance to Defense Enterprises and various military companies. • The measures focus on restricting components used for drones in the Ukraine war, including CNC machines, lasers, and lighting equipment used for reconnaissance and kamikaze missions. • These sanctions aim to cripple the modernization and growth of the Russian military industry by cutting off essential technological supplies.

Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the Department of Defense last SeptemberSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing that its recent policy requiring journalists to have official escorts when on Pentagon grounds is unconstitutional.The Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, last September. Continue reading...