“President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order Tuesday that lays the foundation for federal testing of the world’s most powerful AI systems before they are publicly released. The order, signed in private, directs federal agencies — including the Defense Department, the Treasury and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — to shore up the country’s cybersecurity defenses for critical infrastructure and charts out a mechanism for the federal government to test and vet the most powerful AI systems for safety issues before they are deployed. The testing would rely on voluntary collaboration from America’s leading AI companies, like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.” (06/02/26)
“Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its gargoyles. Four meters (13 feet) beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging the other way – straight down and back in time, to Roman Paris 2,000 years ago. … a slice of Notre Dame’s forecourt has become an excavation site – an open pit ringed by barriers and crossed by a wooden walkway, a few steps from the line-up. … Among the hundreds of objects already found: a fourth-century coin stamped with the face of the Emperor Constantine, and shards of medieval pottery painted on the inside with marks no expert has yet deciphered — like a modern Da Vinci Code.” (06/02/26)
“U.S. job openings jumped in April as the labor market looked resilient despite economic uncertainty caused by the Iran war. U.S. employers posted 7.6 million job vacancies in April, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, up from 6.9 million in March and most since May 2024. Economists had forecast just 6.8 million openings. Layoffs fell but so did the number of Americans quitting their jobs – a sign of confidence in their prospects. The American job market has been recovering from a dismal 2025. Last year, companies, nonprofits and government agencies added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, least outside a recession since 2002. This year has been better — job growth averaged 76,000 a month from January through April.” (06/02/26)
“Anthropic on Tuesday said an additional 150 partners in more than 15 countries will gain access to its powerful Mythos artificial intelligence model, which has proven adept at finding software vulnerabilities. The startup said the expansion of Project Glasswing includes industries that weren’t well represented in the initial launch, such as power, water, healthcare, communications and hardware. New partners will need to meet security requirements before gaining access to the model. … Anthropic’s Mythos expansion comes a day after the AI lab said it would start offering access to the European Union. On Monday, the company also confidentially filed its initial public offering prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission, beating rival OpenAI to the milestone and paving the way for a significant AI share sale.” (06/02/26)
“Millions of commuters, tourists and Londoners were facing travel disruption across the center of the British capital on Tuesday after 1,700 subway drivers went on strike in a dispute over working hours, forcing the transit authority to shutter four of the city’s 11 lines. … The situation was compounded by traffic jams and engineering problems on other — non-underground — parts of the city’s rail infrastructure …. Buses were impacted by much heavier traffic than normal. Transport for London said it expected to run a normal service across the network on Wednesday before another 24-hour strike, scheduled for Thursday.” (06/02/26)
A Belgium-based NGO has called on Indian authorities to arrest an Israeli army reservist on holiday in northern India over his alleged role in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a complaint Saturday with India’s Police Service, foreign affairs ministry and Bureau of Immigration of India to demand ‘the immediate arrest’ of Eitan Gilboa, an Israeli citizen currently holidaying in Himachal Pradesh …. ‘HRF has submitted a detailed investigative report proving that Gilboa, a reservist in the Israeli army, personally carried out and celebrated the systematic demolition of entire residential blocks in Gaza as acts of revenge, constituting war crimes under the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960,’ read the website.” (06/02/26)
“Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin said Tuesday that last week’s rocket explosion spared fuel tanks and some other critical parts of the launch pad. Critical to NASA’s Artemis moon program, the company’s massive New Glenn rocket blew up during an engine-firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A lightning tower and the transporter-erector used to move and hoist the rocket were destroyed in the blast that sent shock waves across the state. CEO Dave Limp said the methane, hydrogen and oxygen tanks look to be in good shape. The water tank is also fine and the support tower that’s still standing can be repaired in place. A booster and other rocket parts housed nearby were not damaged. Overall, this was ‘a bit of good news,’ Limp said in an X update, adding: ‘We will fly again before the end of this year.'” (06/02/26)
“President Trump named William Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as the acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In tapping Pulte, Trump turns to an ally who has been behind referring several of his foes for prosecution for alleged mortgage fraud. Pulte would replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month.” (06/02/26)
“A British couple jailed in Iran on espionage charges have lost an appeal against their 10-year sentence, according to their family. Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while passing through Iran on a round-the-world motorcycle trip. They were accused of spying – charges they adamantly deny – and were sentenced in February. Both are currently on hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin prison. A member of their legal team in the UK told the BBC no reason was given for the rejection of their appeal. Lindsay’s son, Joe Bennett, said they were ‘not permitted to attend their own appeal hearing’. ‘It is a serious human rights violation, and it is one more reason why two British citizens, with no other options left, are now starving themselves in protest.’ Bennett said his mother and step-father had been asked to sign documents in Farsi which they could not read, and refused.” (06/02/26)
“Poland wants to ban under-16s from using mobile phones in schools from September 1 and plans to introduce stricter age verification rules to access pornography, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. Countries including the Netherlands, South Korea and Italy have banned smartphones in schools due to [feigned and/or irrational] concerns over their impact on concentration and behaviour. Others have banned – or are considering banning – children’s access to social media. The proposed bill would ban children aged 7-15 from using phones on school premises, including breaks between classes, and give schools legal bases for creating deposits to store phones.” (06/02/26)
