Trump admin is "destroying medical research," Senate report finds Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health under the Trump administration, appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Tuesday. In the wide-ranging hearing, Bhattacharya defended the chaotic and disruptive cuts at the institutes he helms while carefully wording responses related to vaccines—seemingly to avoid contradicting his boss, anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As Bhattacharya testified, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the HELP committee's ranking member, released a [report][1] outlining [the state of the NIH][2]. The report concluded that the Trump administration is "failing American patients," and "destroying medical research through cuts to research grants, terminations of clinical trials, and the chaos it has created." Since Trump took office, the NIH has terminated or frozen hundreds of millions of dollars for research grants, including $561 million in grants to research the four leading causes of death in America, the report found. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/02.02.2026_Putting-Cures-Out-of-Reach_final.pdf [2]:

Senator Bernie Sanders

NEWS: Sanders Report Details How Trump Broke Promises to Patients, Cut $561 Million from Lifesaving Research While Failing to Lower Prescription Drug Prices » Senator Bernie Sanders

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today ...

[3]:

Ars Technica

Trump admin is "destroying medical research," Senate report finds

In a Senate hearing Tuesday, NIH director dismissed concern about research chaos.

[4]:

Ars Technica

Trump admin is "destroying medical research," Senate report finds

In a Senate hearing Tuesday, NIH director dismissed concern about research chaos.

Jay Bhattacharya, director of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.

Ars Technica

Trump admin is "destroying medical research," Senate report finds

In a Senate hearing Tuesday, NIH director dismissed concern about research chaos.

User blowback convinces Adobe to keep supporting 30-year-old 2D animation app Adobe has canceled plans to discontinue its 2D animation software Animate. On Monday, Adobe [announced][1] that it would stop allowing people to sell subscriptions to Animate on March 1, saying the software had “served its purpose." People who already had a software license would be able to keep using Animate with technical support until March 1, 2027; businesses had until March 1, 2029. Per an email sent to customers, Adobe also said users would lose access to Animate files and project data on March 1, 2027. Animate costs $23 per month. After receiving backlash from animators and other users, Adobe reversed its decision on [Tuesday night][2]. In an [announcement][3] posted online, the San Jose, California-headquartered company said: [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]:

Adobe actually listened to its users: Animate isn't going anywhere | PCWorld

[2]: https://community.adobe.com/announcements-539/adobe-animate-end-of-life-and-support-timeline-1548220 [3]: https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/kb/maintenance-mode.html [4]:

Ars Technica

User blowback convinces Adobe to keep supporting 30-year-old 2D animation app

Despite the about-face, some customers think "the damage is done."

[5]:

Ars Technica

User blowback convinces Adobe to keep supporting 30-year-old 2D animation app

Despite the about-face, some customers think "the damage is done."

The Adobe headquarters in San Jose, California, US, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Ars Technica

User blowback convinces Adobe to keep supporting 30-year-old 2D animation app

Despite the about-face, some customers think "the damage is done."

"Capture it all": ICE urged to explain memo about collecting info on protesters Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirm or deny the existence of a "domestic terrorists” database that lists US citizens who protest ICE's immigration crackdown. ICE "officers and senior Trump administration officials have repeatedly suggested that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building a 'domestic terrorists' database comprising information on US citizens protesting ICE’s actions in recent weeks," Markey wrote in a [letter][1] yesterday to Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. "If such a database exists, it would constitute a grave and unacceptable constitutional violation. I urge you to immediately confirm or deny the existence of such a database, and if it exists, immediately shut it down and delete it." Creating a database of peaceful protesters "would constitute a shocking violation of the First Amendment and abuse of power," and amount to "the kinds of tactics the United States rightly condemns in authoritarian governments such as China and Russia," Markey said. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]: https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_dhs_on_domestic_terrorist_database.pdf [2]:

Ars Technica

"Capture it all": ICE urged to explain memo about collecting info on protesters

Sen. Markey: Database of peaceful protesters, if it exists, should be shut down.

[3]:

Ars Technica

"Capture it all": ICE urged to explain memo about collecting info on protesters

Sen. Markey: Database of peaceful protesters, if it exists, should be shut down.

Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) speaks in Boston on January 20, 2026.

Ars Technica

"Capture it all": ICE urged to explain memo about collecting info on protesters

Sen. Markey: Database of peaceful protesters, if it exists, should be shut down.

NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket The Space Launch System rocket program is now a decade and a half old, and it continues to be dominated by two unfortunate traits: It is expensive, and it is slow. The massive rocket and its convoluted ground systems, so necessary to baby and cajole the booster's prickly hydrogen propellant on board, have cost US taxpayers in excess of $30 billion to date. And even as it reaches maturity, the rocket is going nowhere fast. You remember the last time NASA tried to launch the world's largest orange rocket, right? The space agency rolled the Space Launch System out of its hangar in March 2022. The first, second, and thirds attempts at a wet dress rehearsal—elaborate fueling tests—were scrubbed. The SLS rocket was slowly rolled back to its hangar for work in April before returning to the pad in June. [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]:

Ars Technica

NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket

You know, you're right, the flight rate—three years is a long time."

[2]:

Ars Technica

NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket

You know, you're right, the flight rate—three years is a long time."

The Artemis II mission is not going to the Moon this month.

Ars Technica

NASA finally acknowledges the elephant in the room with the SLS rocket

You know, you're right, the flight rate—three years is a long time."

Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites European security officials believe two Russian space vehicles have intercepted the communications of at least a dozen key satellites over the continent. Officials believe that the likely interceptions, which have not previously been reported, risk not only compromising sensitive information transmitted by the satellites but could also allow Moscow to manipulate their trajectories or even crash them. Russian space vehicles have shadowed European satellites more intensively over the past three years, at a time of high tension between the Kremlin and the West following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]:

Ars Technica

Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites

Unencrypted European communications are being targeted by Moscow.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites

Unencrypted European communications are being targeted by Moscow.

Intelsat satellites are among those that have been targeted by Russia.

Ars Technica

Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites

Unencrypted European communications are being targeted by Moscow.

So yeah, I vibe-coded a log colorizer—and I feel good about it I can't code. I know, I know—these days, that sounds like an excuse. *Anyone* can code, right?! Grab some tutorials, maybe an O'Reilly book, download an example project, and jump in. It's just a matter of learning how to break your project into small steps that you can make the computer do, then memorizing a bit of syntax. Nothing about that is hard! Perhaps you can sense my sarcasm (and sympathize with my lack of time to learn one more technical skill). [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]:

Ars Technica

So yeah, I vibe-coded a log colorizer—and I feel good about it

Some semi-unhinged musings on where LLMs fit into my life—and how I'll keep using them.

[2]:

Ars Technica

So yeah, I vibe-coded a log colorizer—and I feel good about it

Some semi-unhinged musings on where LLMs fit into my life—and how I'll keep using them.

Welcome to the future. Man, machine, the future.

Ars Technica

So yeah, I vibe-coded a log colorizer—and I feel good about it

Some semi-unhinged musings on where LLMs fit into my life—and how I'll keep using them.

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive There is concern that [subscribers might be negatively affected][1] if Netflix acquires Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD's) streaming and movie studios businesses. One of the biggest fears is that the merger would lead to higher prices due to Netflix having less competition. During a Senate hearing today, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos suggested that the merger would have an opposite effect. Sarandos was speaking at a hearing held by the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, “[Examining the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Netflix-Warner Brothers Transaction][2].” Sarandos aimed to convince the subcommittee that Netflix wouldn’t become a monopoly in streaming or in movie and TV production if regulators allowed [its acquisition][3] to close. Netflix is the largest subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) provider by subscribers (301.63 million as of January 2025), and WBD is the third (128 million streaming subscribers, including users of HBO Max and, to a smaller degree, Discovery+). [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]:

Ars Technica

“Streaming stops feeling infinite”: What subscribers can expect in 2026

Streaming may get a little worse before it gets better.

[2]:

Examining the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Netflix-Warner Brothers Transaction | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

[3]:

Ars Technica

Netflix’s $72B WB acquisition confounds the future of movie theaters, streaming

Netflix's plans to own HBO Max, DC Comics, Harry Potter to face regulatory scrutiny.

[4]:

Ars Technica

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive

Eighty percent of HBO Max subscribers subscribe to Netflix, Sarandos tells Senate.

[5]:

Ars Technica

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive

Eighty percent of HBO Max subscribers subscribe to Netflix, Sarandos tells Senate.

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Ars Technica

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive

Eighty percent of HBO Max subscribers subscribe to Netflix, Sarandos tells Senate.

Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy A newborn baby has died in New Mexico from a *Listeria *infection that state health officials say was likely contracted from raw (unpasteurized) milk that the baby's mother drank during pregnancy. In [a news release Tuesday][1], officials warned people not to consume any raw dairy, highlighting that it can be teeming with a variety of pathogens. Those germs are especially dangerous to pregnant women, as well as young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. "Raw milk can contain numerous disease-causing germs, including *Listeria*, which is bacteria that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, or fatal infection in newborns, even if the mother is only mildly ill," the New Mexico Department of Health said in the press release. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]:

Health department warns against consuming raw dairy products

[2]:

Ars Technica

Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy

Raw milk is promoted by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Kennedy.

[3]:

Ars Technica

Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy

Raw milk is promoted by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Kennedy.

Ars Technica

Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy

Raw milk is promoted by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Kennedy.

Nvidia's $100 billion OpenAI deal has seemingly vanished In September 2025, Nvidia and OpenAI [announced][1] a letter of intent for Nvidia to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI's AI infrastructure. At the time, the companies said they expected to finalize details "in the coming weeks." Five months later, no deal has closed, Nvidia's CEO now says the $100 billion figure was "never a commitment," and Reuters [reports][2] that OpenAI has been quietly seeking alternatives to Nvidia chips since last year. Reuters also wrote that OpenAI is unsatisfied with the speed of some Nvidia chips for inference tasks, citing eight sources familiar with the matter. Inference is the process by which a trained AI model generates responses to user queries. According to the report, the issue became apparent in [OpenAI's Codex][3], an AI code-generation tool. OpenAI staff reportedly attributed some of Codex's performance limitations to Nvidia's GPU-based hardware. After the Reuters story published and Nvidia's stock price took a dive, Nvidia and OpenAI have tried to smooth things over publicly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman [posted][4] on X: "We love working with NVIDIA and they make the best AI chips in the world. We hope to be a gigantic customer for a very long time. I don't get where all this insanity is coming from." [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]:

Ars Technica

OpenAI and Nvidia’s $100B AI plan will require power equal to 10 nuclear reactors

This is a giant project," Nvidia CEO said of new 10-gigawatt AI infrastructure deal.

[2]: https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-is-unsatisfied-with-some-nvidia-chips-looking-alternatives-sources-say-2026-02-02/ [3]:

Ars Technica

How OpenAI is using GPT-5 Codex to improve the AI tool itself

The vast majority of Codex is built by Codex," OpenAI told us about its new AI coding agent writing code.

[4]:

X (formerly Twitter)

Sam Altman (@sama) on X

We love working with NVIDIA and they make the best AI chips in the world. We hope to be a gigantic customer for a very long time. I don't get wher...

[5]:

Ars Technica

Nvidia's $100 billion OpenAI deal has seemingly vanished

Two AI giants shake market confidence after investment fails to materialize.

[6]:

Ars Technica

Nvidia's $100 billion OpenAI deal has seemingly vanished

Two AI giants shake market confidence after investment fails to materialize.

Ars Technica

Nvidia's $100 billion OpenAI deal has seemingly vanished

Two AI giants shake market confidence after investment fails to materialize.

Godlike Titan threatens humanity in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 trailer Last month, Apple TV released a teaser for the second season of [*Monarch: Legacy of Monsters*][1], part of Legendary Entertainment’s [MonsterVerse][2], which brought Godzilla, King Kong, and various other monsters (*kaiju*) created by [Toho Co., Ltd][3] into a shared narrative. But we only got the most fleeting glimpse of the promised new mythical Titan threatening the human race. The full trailer just dropped and rectifies that: it's a gigantic tentacled undersea being dubbed Titan X—and only Kong and Godzilla can stop it. **(Spoilers for Season 1 below.)** As [previously reported][4], the first season picked up where 2014’s *Godzilla* left off, specifically the introduction of Project Monarch, a secret organization established in the 1950s to study Godzilla and other *kaiju*—after attempts to kill Godzilla with nuclear weapons failed. In the S1 finale, Godzilla fights off an Ion Dragon, tossing it through a rift back to the Hollow Earth, and Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) seemingly sacrifices himself to save his colleagues. Per the official Season 2 premise: [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]:

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters - Wikipedia

[2]:

Monsterverse - Wikipedia

[3]:

Toho - Wikipedia

[4]:

Ars Technica

A new Titan emerges in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 teaser

Apple TV's sci-fi series is part of Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse and is set after 2014's Godzilla.

[5]:

Ars Technica

Godlike Titan threatens humanity in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 trailer

This Titan is like a god, and the sea creatures worship it."

[6]:

Ars Technica

Godlike Titan threatens humanity in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 trailer

This Titan is like a god, and the sea creatures worship it."

Ars Technica

Godlike Titan threatens humanity in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 trailer

This Titan is like a god, and the sea creatures worship it."

X office raided in France's Grok probe; Elon Musk summoned for questioning French law enforcement authorities today raided X's Paris office and summoned Elon Musk for questioning as part of an investigation into illegal content. The Paris public prosecutor’s office [said][1] the yearlong probe was recently expanded because the Grok chatbot was disseminating [Holocaust-denial claims][2] and [sexually explicit deepfakes][3]. Europol, which is assisting French authorities, [said][4] today the "investigation concerns a range of suspected criminal offenses linked to the functioning and use of the platform, including the dissemination of illegal content and other forms of online criminal activity." Europol's cybercrime center provided "an analyst on the ground in Paris to assist national authorities." The French Gendarmerie’s cybercrime unit is also aiding the investigation. French authorities want to question both Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who [quit last year][5] amid a controversy over Grok's [praise of Hitler][6]. Prosecutors summoned Musk and Yaccarino for interviews in April 2026, though the interviews are being described as voluntary. [Read full article][7] [Comments][8] [1]: https://www.tribunal-de-paris.justice.fr/sites/default/files/2026-02/20260203CPXFrance.pdf [2]:

PBS News

France will investigate Musk’s Grok after AI chatbot posted Holocaust denial claims

France’s government is taking action against billionaire Elon Musk 's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok after it generated French-langu...

[3]:

Ars Technica

Asking Grok to delete fake nudes may force victims to sue in Musk's chosen court

Millions likely harmed by Grok-edited sex images as X advertisers shrugged.

[4]:

Europol

Europol supports French investigation into alleged criminal activity linked to platform X | Europol

An investigation led by the French authorities is currently underway concerning the online platform X, in relation to the proliferation of illegal ...

[5]:

Ars Technica

Linda Yaccarino quits X without saying why, one day after Grok praised Hitler

X CEO says she’s out as X scrambles to remove Grok's antisemitic posts.

[6]:

Ars Technica

Grok praises Hitler, gives credit to Musk for removing “woke filters”

X removed many harmful Grok posts but not before they reached tens of thousands.

[7]:

Ars Technica

X office raided in France's Grok probe; Elon Musk summoned for questioning

Paris prosecutor: Illegal content probe includes pornographic images of minors.

[8]:

Ars Technica

X office raided in France's Grok probe; Elon Musk summoned for questioning

Paris prosecutor: Illegal content probe includes pornographic images of minors.

Ars Technica

X office raided in France's Grok probe; Elon Musk summoned for questioning

Paris prosecutor: Illegal content probe includes pornographic images of minors.

Upset at reports that he'd given up, Trump now wants $1B from Harvard Amid the Trump administration's attack on universities, Harvard has emerged as a particular target. Early on, the administration [put $2.2 billion in research money on hold][1] and shortly thereafter [blocked all future funding][2] while demanding intrusive control over Harvard's hiring and admissions. Unlike many of its peer institutions, Harvard fought back, [filing][3] and [ultimately winning][4] a lawsuit that restored the cut funds. Despite Harvard's victory, the Trump administration continued to push for some sort of formal agreement that would settle the administration's accusations that Harvard created an environment that allowed antisemitism to flourish. In fact, it had become a running joke among some journalists that The New York Times had devoted a monthly column to reporting that a settlement between the two parties was near. Given the government's loss of leverage, it was no surprise that the [latest installment][5] of said column included the detail that the latest negotiations had dropped demands that Harvard pay any money as part of a final agreement. The Trump administration had extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from some other universities and had [demanded over a billion dollars][6] from UCLA, so this appeared to be a major concession to Harvard. [Read full article][7] [Comments][8] [1]:

Ars Technica

Trump Administration puts $2.2 billion of Harvard’s research money on hold

Harvard won't give government a say in faculty hiring; Trump threatens its tax status.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Trump administration cuts off all future federal funding to Harvard

Odd letter ostensibly about funding asks Harvard "why is there so much HATE?"

[3]:

Ars Technica

Harvard sues to block government funding cuts

Suit claims the funding freeze violates First Amendment, Title VI procedures.

[4]:

Ars Technica

Harvard beats Trump as judge orders US to restore $2.6 billion in funding

Judge rules Trump admin broke law, and says Supreme Court has been "unhelpful."

[5]:

Trump Is Said to Have Dropped Demand for Cash From Harvard

Hours after The Times reported that President Trump had lowered the bar for a deal, he denied backtracking and made new threats against Harvard.

[6]:

Ars Technica

Trump’s UCLA deal: Pay us $1B+, and we can still cut your grants again

The deal wouldn't protect UCLA from the proposed university compact.

[7]:

Ars Technica

Upset at reports that he'd given up, Trump now wants $1B from Harvard

Hefty "fine" comes in wake of NY Times reporting of money-free settlement.

[8]:

Ars Technica

Upset at reports that he'd given up, Trump now wants $1B from Harvard

Hefty "fine" comes in wake of NY Times reporting of money-free settlement.

Ars Technica

Upset at reports that he'd given up, Trump now wants $1B from Harvard

Hefty "fine" comes in wake of NY Times reporting of money-free settlement.

Wing Commander III: "Isn't that the guy from Star Wars?" It's Christmas of 1994, and I am 16 years old. Sitting on the table in our family room next to a pile of [cow-spotted boxes][1] is the most incredible thing in the world: a brand-new Gateway 66MHz Pentium tower, with a 540MB hard disk drive, 8MB of RAM, and, most importantly, a CD-ROM drive. I am agog, practically trembling with barely suppressed joy, my bored Gen-X teenager mask threatening to slip and let actual feelings out. My life was about to change—at least where games were concerned. I'd been working for several months at [Babbage's store No. 9][2], near Baybrook Mall in southeast suburban Houston. Although the Gateway PC's arrival on Christmas morning was utterly unexpected, the choice of what game to buy required no planning at all. I'd already decided a few weeks earlier, when Chris Roberts' latest opus had been drop-shipped to our shelves, just in time for the holiday season. The choice made itself, really. [Screenshot of John Rhys-Davies and Mark Hamill in the WC3 intro] Gimli and Luke, together at last! Credit: Origin Systems / Electronic Arts The moment Babbage's opened its doors on December 26—a day I had off, fortunately—I was there, checkbook in hand. One entire paycheck's worth of capitalism later, I was sprinting out to my creaky 280-Z, sweatily clutching two boxes—one an impulse buy, *The Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual*, and the other a game I felt sure would be the best thing I'd ever played or ever would play: Origin's *[Wing Commander III: The Heart of the Tiger][3]*. On the backs of *Wing Commander I* and *Wing Commander II*, how could it not be?! [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]: https://www.techspot.com/article/2087-gateway-2000/ [2]:

Ars Technica

How I launched 3 consoles (and found true love) at Babbage's store no. 9

A minimum wage gig in the 1990s turns into pretty much the Best Job Ever.

[3]: https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8984087-15232592?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gog.com%2Fen%2Fgame%2Fwing_commander_3_heart_of_the_tiger [4]:

Ars Technica

Wing Commander III: "Isn't that the guy from Star Wars?"

ArsGames looks at a vanguard of the multimedia FMV future that never quite came to pass.

[5]:

Ars Technica

Wing Commander III: "Isn't that the guy from Star Wars?"

ArsGames looks at a vanguard of the multimedia FMV future that never quite came to pass.

Ars Technica

Wing Commander III: "Isn't that the guy from Star Wars?"

ArsGames looks at a vanguard of the multimedia FMV future that never quite came to pass.

Xcode 26.3 adds support for Claude, Codex, and other agentic tools via MCP Apple has [announced][1] a new version of Xcode, the latest version of its integrated development environment (IDE) for building software for its own platforms, like the iPhone and Mac. The key feature of 26.3 is support for full-fledged agentic coding tools, like OpenAI's Codex or Claude Agent, with a side panel interface for assigning tasks to agents with prompts and tracking their progress and changes. This is achieved via Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open protocol that lets AI agents work with external tools and structured resources. Xcode acts as an MCP endpoint that exposes a bunch of machine-invocable interfaces and gives AI tools like Codex or Claude Agent access to a wide range of IDE primitives like file graph, docs search, project settings, and so on. While AI chat and workflows were supported in Xcode before, this release gives them much deeper access to the features and capabilities of Xcode. This approach is notable because it means that even though OpenAI and Anthropic's model integrations are privileged with a dedicated spot in Xcode's settings, it's possible to connect other tooling that supports MCP, which also allows doing some of this with models running locally. [Read full article][2] [Comments][3] [1]:

Apple Newsroom

Xcode 26.3 unlocks the power of agentic coding

Xcode 26.3 introduces support for agentic coding, a new way in Xcode for developers to build apps, powered by coding agents from Anthropic and OpenAI.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Xcode 26.3 adds support for Claude, Codex, and other agentic tools via MCP

With Model Context Protocol (MCP), this works with more than Codex/Claude, too.

[3]:

Ars Technica

Xcode 26.3 adds support for Claude, Codex, and other agentic tools via MCP

With Model Context Protocol (MCP), this works with more than Codex/Claude, too.

Xcode, as depicted on Apple's website for the IDE.

Ars Technica

Xcode 26.3 adds support for Claude, Codex, and other agentic tools via MCP

With Model Context Protocol (MCP), this works with more than Codex/Claude, too.

Google court filings suggest ChromeOS has an expiration date Chromebooks debuted 16 years ago with the limited release of Google's [Cr-48][1], an unassuming compact laptop that was provided free to select users. From there, Chromebooks became one of the most popular budget computing options and a common fixture in schools and businesses. According to some newly uncovered court documents, Google's shift to Android PCs means Chromebooks have an expiration date in 2034. The documents were filed as part of Google's long-running search antitrust case, which began in 2020 and reached a [verdict in 2024][2]. While Google is still seeking to have the guilty verdict overturned, it has escaped most of the remedies that government prosecutors requested. According to [The Verge][3], the company's plans for Chromebooks and the upcoming Android-based Aluminium came up in filings from the remedy phase of the trial. As Google moves toward releasing Aluminium, it sought to keep the upcoming machines above the fray and retain the Chrome browser ([which it did][4]). In Judge Amit Mehta's final order, devices running ChromeOS or a ChromeOS successor are excluded. To get there, Google had to provide a little more detail on its plans. [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]:

Ars Technica

Nothing but 'Net: hands-on with the Cr-48 Chrome OS laptop

Google's Chrome OS offers a bold new approach to netbook computing, eschewing …

[2]:

Ars Technica

Google loses DOJ’s big monopoly trial over search business

Google's exclusive deals maintained monopolies in two markets, judge ruled.

[3]:

The Verge

Aluminium: Why Google’s Android for PC launch may be messy and controversial

Aluminium isn’t here to save today’s Chromebooks.

[4]:

Ars Technica

Judge: Google can keep Chrome, must share search data with “qualified competitors”

Google's penalty for being a search monopoly does not include selling Chrome.

[5]:

Ars Technica

Google court filings suggest ChromeOS has an expiration date

ChromeOS may be canned once the current support guarantee has run its course.

[6]:

Ars Technica

Google court filings suggest ChromeOS has an expiration date

ChromeOS may be canned once the current support guarantee has run its course.

The new Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 was one of the first to have on-device AI features.

Ars Technica

Google court filings suggest ChromeOS has an expiration date

ChromeOS may be canned once the current support guarantee has run its course.

Original Nintendo Switch passes the DS to become Nintendo's bestselling console Though it was finally replaced last year by the new Switch 2, the orginal switch isn't done just yet. Many recent Switch games (and a handful of major updates, like the one for *Animal Crossing*) have been released in both Switch and Switch 2 editions, and Nintendo continues to sell all editions of the original console as entry-level systems for those who can't pay $450 for a Switch 2. The nine-year-old Switch's continued availability has helped it clear a milestone, according to the company's third-quarter financial results ([PDF][1]). As of December 31, 2025, Nintendo says the Switch "has reached the highest sales volume of any Nintendo hardware" with a total of 155.37 million units sold, surpassing the original DS's lifetime total of 154.02 million units. The console has sold 3.25 million units in Nintendo's fiscal 2026 so far, including 1.36 million units over the holidays. Those consoles have sold despite price hikes that Nintendo [introduced in August of 2025][2], citing "market conditions." That makes the Switch the second-bestselling game console of all time, just three years after it became [the third-bestselling game console of all time][3]. The only frontier left for the Switch to conquer is Sony's PlayStation 2, which Sony says sold "over 160 million units" over its long life. At its current sales rate (Nintendo predicts it will sell roughly 750,000 Switches in the next quarter), it would take the Switch another couple of years to cross that line, but those numbers are likely to taper off as we get deeper into the Switch 2 era. [Read full article][4] [Comments][5] [1]: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/260203_2e.pdf [2]:

Ars Technica

Citing “market conditions,” Nintendo hikes prices of original Switch consoles

Switch 2 and online membership pricing "will remain unchanged at this time."

[3]:

Ars Technica

Nintendo’s Switch becomes the third-bestselling console ever

The PlayStation 2 is still the bestselling console of all time.

[4]:

Ars Technica

Nintendo Switch is the second-bestselling game console ever, behind only the PS2

Switch 2 has already beaten the Wii U and is on its way to overtaking GameCube.

[5]:

Ars Technica

Nintendo Switch is the second-bestselling game console ever, behind only the PS2

Switch 2 has already beaten the Wii U and is on its way to overtaking GameCube.

The Nintendo Switch (OLED model).

Ars Technica

Nintendo Switch is the second-bestselling game console ever, behind only the PS2

Switch 2 has already beaten the Wii U and is on its way to overtaking GameCube.

China bans all retractable car door handles, starting next year Flush door handles have been quite the automotive design trend of late. Stylists like them because they don't add visual noise to the side of a car. And aerodynamicists like them because they make a vehicle more slippery through the air. When Tesla designed its [Model S][1], it needed a car that was both desirable and as efficient as possible, so flush door handles were a no-brainer. Since then, as electric vehicles have proliferated, so too have flush door handles. But as of next year, China says no. Just like pop-up headlights, despite the aesthetic and aerodynamic advantages, [there are safety downsides][2]. Tesla's handles are an extreme example: In the event of a crash and a loss of 12 V power, there is no way for first responders to open the door from the outside, which has resulted in at least 15 deaths. Those deaths prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [to open an investigation][3] last year, but China is being a little more proactive. It has been looking at whether retractable car door handles are safe since mid-2024, [according to Bloomberg][4], and has concluded that no, they are not. [Read full article][5] [Comments][6] [1]:

Ars Technica

Tesla kills Models S and X to build humanoid robots instead

EVs that were once industry-leading have long since been left behind.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Flush door handles are the car industry’s latest safety problem

China considers banning retractable car door handles from 2027.

[3]:

Ars Technica

Tesla Model Y door handles now under federal safety scrutiny

Cars have lost 12 V power, trapping children and dogs in hot cars.

[4]:

Bloomberg.com

China Bans Hidden Car Door Handles in World-First Safety Policy

China banned concealed door handles on electric vehicles, the first country in the world to outlaw a design popularized by Tesla Inc. that is now f...

[5]:

Ars Technica

China bans all retractable car door handles, starting next year

The pop-out door handle ban starts in 2027 for new cars, 2029 for existing models.

[6]:

Ars Technica

China bans all retractable car door handles, starting next year

The pop-out door handle ban starts in 2027 for new cars, 2029 for existing models.

Tesla's flush-fit door handles are under fire again.

Ars Technica

China bans all retractable car door handles, starting next year

The pop-out door handle ban starts in 2027 for new cars, 2029 for existing models.

Senior staff departing OpenAI as firm prioritizes ChatGPT development OpenAI is prioritizing the advancement of ChatGPT over more long-term research, prompting the departure of senior staff as the $500 billion company adapts to stiff competition from rivals such as Google and Anthropic. The San Francisco-based start-up has reallocated resources for experimental work in favor of advances to the large language models that power its flagship chatbot, according to 10 current and former employees. Among those to leave OpenAI in recent months over the strategic shift are vice-president of research Jerry Tworek, model policy researcher Andrea Vallone, and economist Tom Cunningham. [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]:

Ars Technica

Senior staff departing OpenAI as firm prioritizes ChatGPT development

Resources are redirected from long-term research toward improving the flagship chatbot.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Senior staff departing OpenAI as firm prioritizes ChatGPT development

Resources are redirected from long-term research toward improving the flagship chatbot.

Ars Technica

Senior staff departing OpenAI as firm prioritizes ChatGPT development

Resources are redirected from long-term research toward improving the flagship chatbot.

The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat On November 2, 1988, graduate student Robert Morris [released][1] a self-replicating program into the early Internet. Within 24 hours, the [Morris worm][2] had infected roughly 10 percent of all connected computers, crashing systems at Harvard, Stanford, NASA, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The worm exploited security flaws in Unix systems that administrators knew existed but had not bothered to patch. Morris did not intend to cause damage. He wanted to measure the size of the Internet. But a coding error caused the worm to replicate far faster than expected, and by the time he tried to send instructions for removing it, the network was too clogged to deliver the message. History may soon repeat itself with a novel new platform: networks of AI agents carrying out instructions from prompts and sharing them with other AI agents, which could spread the instructions further. [Read full article][3] [Comments][4] [1]:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Morris Worm | Federal Bureau of Investigation

Thirty years ago, a graduate student unleashed the first major attack on the Internet and became the first person convicted of a new type of crime.

[2]:

Morris worm - Wikipedia

[3]:

Ars Technica

The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat

We don't need self-replicating AI models to have problems, just self-replicating prompts.

[4]:

Ars Technica

The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat

We don't need self-replicating AI models to have problems, just self-replicating prompts.

Ars Technica

The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat

We don't need self-replicating AI models to have problems, just self-replicating prompts.

Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March The launch of NASA's Artemis II mission, the first flight of astronauts to the Moon in more than 53 years, will have to wait another month after a fueling test Monday uncovered hydrogen leaks in the connection between the rocket and its launch platform at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Engineers pushed through several challenges during the two-day test and met many of the planned objectives," NASA said in a statement following the conclusion of the mock countdown, or Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR), early Tuesday morning. "To allow teams to review data and conduct a second Wet Dress Rehearsal, NASA now will target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the flight test." The practice countdown was designed to identify problems and provide NASA an opportunity to fix them before launch. Most importantly, the test revealed NASA still has not fully resolved recurring hydrogen leaks that delayed the launch of the unpiloted Artemis I test flight by several months in 2022. Artemis I finally launched successfully after engineers revised their hydrogen loading procedures to overcome the leak. [Read full article][1] [Comments][2] [1]:

Ars Technica

Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March

NASA spent most of Monday trying to overcome hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket.

[2]:

Ars Technica

Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March

NASA spent most of Monday trying to overcome hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket.

NASA's second Space Launch System rocket stands on Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Ars Technica

Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March

NASA spent most of Monday trying to overcome hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket.