Don't Listen to Anyone Who Thinks Secession Will Solve Anything Americans increasingly fantasize about a divorce between red and blue states--but they dread the thought of civil war. You can't have one without the other. It's become almost like a histamine response: After a shocking national event like the assassination of Charlie Kirk, or Donald Trump's deployment of the military to Los Angeles last June, mentions of the term " civil war " and calls for secession surge online. This kind of talk flared again in January, when two citizens were shot and killed by immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis, and governor Tim Walz mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to be ready to support local law enforcement. "I mean, is this a Fort Sumter?" Walz said in an interview with The Atlantic, invoking the battle that sparked the Civil War.

Support journalism that doesn't flinch . Support journalism that doesn't flinch . Elon Musk leaves a meeting with House Republicans in the basement of the US Capitol building on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Tennessee teenagers are suing Elon Musk's company xAI over allegations that its artificial intelligence tool Grok undressed photos of them as minors--the latest challenge against the wealthiest living person's chatbot .

In today's episode, we discuss how the saga between Anthropic and the Department of Defense is far from over. This week on, our hosts look at what's at stake for Anthropic after the company sued the Department of Defense. They also take a look at the strategy behind the Trump administration sharing action-filled war memes on social media, and share a scoop about how a controversial company is taking in millions in government contracts by helping organize America250 celebrations. Plus: Could AI come for the jobs of venture capitalists? Can AI Kill the Venture Capitalist? Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Zoë, Leah and I have really enjoyed being your new hosts these past few weeks, and we want to hear from you. If you like the show and have a minute, please leave us a review in the podcast or app of your choice. It really helps us reach more people, and for any questions and comments, you can always reach us at uncannyvalley@WIRED.com . This week, we're diving into Anthropic's lawsuit against the Department of Defense after the company was labeled as a supply chain risk. We're also discussing why on earth the Trump administration is sharing action film memes about the war in Iran and how a little known events company formed by some of the organizers of the January 6th rally is making bank in Trump's second term in office . Also, we'll talk about whether venture capitalists should be worried about AI taking their jobs .

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Various items at the Metro Lost & Found office on March 5, 2026. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . If you've ever lost something valuable on a Metro bus or train and assumed it was gone forever, take heart: There is a system for reuniting riders with their possessions.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. A pedestrian walks past Los Angeles Police Department headquarters along 1st Street downtown. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . An LAPD official said an investigation is underway after video footage showed an officer from Transit Services Division enter a Tesla while responding to a call for service.

Anthropic doesn't want its AI used in autonomous weapons or government surveillance. Those carve-outs could cost it a major military contract. When Anthropic last year became the first major AI company cleared by the US government for classified use--including military applications--the news didn't make a major splash. But this week a second development hit like a cannonball: The Pentagon is reconsidering its relationship with the company, including a $200 million contract, ostensibly because the safety-conscious AI firm objects to participating in certain deadly operations. The so-called Department of War might even designate Anthropic as a "supply chain risk," a scarlet letter usually reserved for companies that do business with countries scrutinized by federal agencies, like China, which means the Pentagon would not do business with firms using Anthropic's AI in their defense work.

Bed-bound Lindsey Vonn reveals pain is'hard to manage' as she speaks out for the first time after FIFTH surgery on her broken leg'Fergie might end up having to tell her story to the police': 'Toxic' Sarah Ferguson is'broke and in a bad way' after Andrew's arrest...and looking to UAE for cash because'everyone is out to get her' The tide of sleaze rolling over Beatrice, Eugenie and Fergie is going to capsize them all. Moment Kate and William revealed their'true feelings' towards Andrew and Fergie: Princess'ignoring' Sarah and Prince'secretly scolding' his uncle... how Duchess of Kent's funeral said it all Kurt Cobain's uncle insists Nirvana legend was murdered and calls on cops to investigate clues that haunt him Kristi Noem's secret escape plan to ditch DHS revealed amid ICE raid fallout and'culture of fear' rumors Winter Olympics chiefs reach verdict on Jutta Leerdam's '$1m underwear-flashing gesture' after Jake Paul's fiancée faced covert marketing claims Country singer Conner Smith's charges DROPPED after he hit and killed a woman, 77, with his truck I ditched weight-loss shots for the new Wegovy pill and am astonished by the difference. The pounds are falling off, I have no side effects and it's cheaper The subtle early warning sign that revealed Eric Dane's illness - as Grey's Anatomy star dies of motor neurone disease Johnny Depp let Eric Dane live'rent-free in one of his LA homes' as he tried to ease Grey's Anatomy star's financial worries in the months before his death from ALS aged 53 Uproar as NYC's'communist' mayor announces crippling tax for ALL homeowners after promising to only go after billionaires Wall Street panics as America's growth stalls while everyday prices refuse to fall I stumbled across my wife's Pornhub search history and it's broken me. She told me it's'just a fantasy lots of women have' but now I fear I'll never be enough Non-binary activist wins compensation after taking year-and-a-half off work with stress because hair salon's online booking form only offered male or female cuts Courtney Love caught on camera fleeing shocking car collision... days after bombshell Kurt Cobain'homicide investigation' Trump-bashing Winter Olympics star Hunter Hess whines about'hardest weeks of his life' after being called a'real loser' by the president In a viral post on X, user @ShishirShelke1 shared their strange discovery about the clock app icon. Normally, the icon on the home screen shows the second hand smoothly gliding around the clock face.

House Democrats are demanding answers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and urging it to halt rumored changes they say could undermine its mission. One of the US government's top scientific research labs is taking steps that could drive away foreign scientists, a shift lawmakers and sources tell WIRED could cost the country valuable expertise and damage the agency's credibility. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) helps determine the frameworks underpinning everything from cybersecurity to semiconductor manufacturing. Some of NIST's recent work includes establishing guidelines for securing AI systems and identifying health concerns with air purifiers and firefighting gloves. Many of the agency's thousands of employees, postdoctoral scientists, contractors, and guest researchers are brought in from around the world for their specialized expertise.

Eric Dane dead at 53: Grey's Anatomy star dies after courageous battle with ALS... less than a year after announcing diagnosis RICHARD KAY: Andrew's fall may now be complete. The question is... Will he bring down the House of Windsor with him? Alysa Liu finally ends America's 24-year wait for a Winter Olympics figure skating gold medal as she wins nerve-shredding final The tide of sleaze rolling over Beatrice, Eugenie and Fergie is going to capsize them all. My stalker said he'd rape and dismember me. Then he turned his depraved sights on my seven-year-old daughter, says EVA LARUE.

Documents say customs officers in the US Virgin Islands had friendly relationships with Epstein years after his 2008 conviction, showing how the infamous sex offender tried to cultivate allies. United States prosecutors and federal law enforcement spent over a year examining ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Customs and Border Protection officers stationed in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), according to documents recently released by the Department of Justice. As The Guardian and New York Times have reported, emails, text messages, and investigative records show that Epstein cultivated friendships with several officers, entertaining them on his island and offering to take them for whale-watching trips in his helicopter. He even brought one cannolis for Christmas Eve. In turn, Epstein would bring certain officers his complaints about his treatment at the hands of other CBP and federal agents.