Latest Episode
May 26 2000 UTC Brief
In tech and security
European pressure on strategic tech assets is getting real. Dutch authorities have blocked New York-based Kyndryl from buying Amsterdam-based secure cloud provider Solvinity, a company seen as important to the Netherlands. On the same front, the security picture inside companies is getting messier, with AI agents emerging as a new identity type that many firms are not yet controlling well enough.
Okta’s Charlotte Wylie says shadow agents, overly broad access, and AI-driven attacks are creating a visibility gap, which is a polite way of saying the machines have started to show up without badges. Separately, Microsoft has patched a high-severity Visual Studio Code flaw that could let attackers hide malicious settings inside MCP server install links and gain persistent access to developer PCs during what looked like routine AI tool installs.
In U.S. politics
The Trump administration is asking for comment on draft non-disclosure agreements for federal employees, both new hires and current staff, as part of an effort to curb leaks and reinforce rules around non-public information. The proposal also leaves open what happens if employees refuse to sign, which should reassure absolutely no one.
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a key vote after years of baggage that includes alleged affairs, a divorce, and an earlier impeachment. He is trying to keep his political coalition intact while voters are asked, once again, to separate the office from the man holding it.
In the courts
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has struck down the state’s ban on binary triggers, ruling that lawmakers violated the constitution’s single-subject rule when they tucked the measure into a tax-and-spending bill. The court upheld an earlier ruling in a case brought by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, handing another setback to Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic lawmakers.
In brief
Police in London are appealing for witnesses after a man in his 20s was stabbed on Portobello Road in Notting Hill on Monday night. Witnesses said three men chased him before the attack near restaurant tables, leaving diners shaken. He was taken to hospital, no arrests have been made, and enquiries continue.
In Belgium, four people were killed when a train collided with a school bus at a level crossing, one of the worst accidents at that site. Officials are still dealing with the aftermath, which is grim even by the standards of rail safety failures.
And at sea, the sanctioned Russian diesel tanker Universal has changed course away from Cuba after weeks of erratic movement. The vessel is now heading toward the South Atlantic, which is not usually where you want a ship to be if its itinerary has already become a mystery.
About
This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
Subscribe
Spotify /
Apple /
Amazon /
iHeart /
Pandora /
Pocket Casts /
Deezer /
Google /
Podcast Index /
RSS