Latest Episode
May 1 Morning Brief
In courts
A former Conservative councillor, Philip Young, has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, after already admitting 11 counts of rape and 11 counts of drugging his former wife. In a separate case, Superdry co-founder James Holder has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out in Cheltenham in 2022. And in London, Abdullah Albadri has been found guilty after trying to climb the railings at the Israeli embassy with a knife. Courts, as ever, staying busy.
In tech and AI
Elon Musk and OpenAI chief Sam Altman are in federal court in Oakland as a major trial gets underway over OpenAI’s future, its charitable roots, and who gets to control the company behind ChatGPT. Separately, OpenAI says it plans a limited release of its GPT-5.5-Cyber model to a select group of “cyber defenders”, after criticizing Anthropic for doing something rather similar. Apparently access is now a feature, not a principle.
In Washington
The U.S. war with Iran has hit the 60-day mark, and lawmakers are split over whether the president needs congressional approval to keep it going. At the same time, the partial DHS funding fight is over for now, after Trump signed a bipartisan bill restoring most of the department’s money, while immigration enforcement funding is being handled separately and faces another vote later this month. Trump also withdrew his surgeon general nominee and picked Dr. Nicole Saphier.
In the Middle East
Israel’s military reportedly intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, seizing 22 vessels and taking them to Crete. Separately, Ukraine has thanked Melania Trump for helping secure the return of at least 26 abducted children taken to Russia or occupied parts of Ukraine.
In business and consumer news
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority says most filling stations did not profiteer when petrol and diesel prices rose, arguing that higher oil prices, not wider retailer margins, drove most of the increase. It says a minority of retailers did raise margins and that it will keep looking at that in its next report. Drivers, naturally, are still being told to shop around.
In public policy
Some lawmakers are considering capping Social Security benefits for higher earners as one way to help shore up the program.
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