Parents and teachers decry Google pledge to yank Search if schools block AI: 'This threat is nothing but extortion' Company says schools should control student AI use, but if they block its AI tools, they'll lose access to search engine Parents and teachers across the US are criticizing Google's announcement that schools choosing to block AI tools could also lose access to Google Search. Google announced last week a range of new AI tools for schools and classrooms, alongside options allowing teachers and administrators to restrict their use. The company said schools should have control over whether students use AI in the classroom, but that schools that choose to block Google's AI tools will also lose access to its search engine. "We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach," said Chris Phillips, vice-president for education at Google. "After listening to schools, teachers, leading researchers, and policymakers, we are now updating our approach to controls for Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search. Access to these products will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on."

This post contains a list of the AI-related seminars that are scheduled to take place in the next couple of months. All events detailed here are free and open for anyone to attend virtually. Stephanie Gil (Harvard University) EPFL The Zoom link is here . Timo Bertholdt and Imre Polik (FICO) Association of European Operational Research Societies To receive the seminar link, sign up to the mailing list . Jonah Botvinick-Greenhouse (Yale University) University of Minnesota Zoom registration is here .

This flagship OLED performs great, with rich texture and high brightness, but faces new competition when it comes to color dominance. AI Optimized picture mode improved color quality and contrast. Some skin tone tests showed less variation than RGB models. Did not perform as well on some tests compared to RGB models and projectors. The traditional wisdom with TVs is that an OLED panel is the crown jewel of display technology.

It's more affordable than competitors and offers exceptional color accuracy, but is otherwise just OK. Didn't render some dark scenes in movies with enough contrast or clarity. Internal speakers were just average. An array of brilliant colors is what you want from an RGB television, and on that front, the Hisense UR8 RGB MiniLED delivers. After having reviewed a number of the top RGB TVs, including the flagship Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED and offerings from Samsung and LG, I can report that this UR8 is solidly good.

The leaked records include the locations of ICE and CBP facilities, workers' cellphone numbers, and the members of groups tied to wiretap programs, Palantir software, and xAI's Grok chatbot. An unprecedented leak of Department of Homeland Security records has exposed details of more than 41,000 employees or contractors who work for the department and its constituent agencies. The records include email addresses, phone numbers, and office addresses, but also references to internal systems and sensitive information on undercover and surveillance programs. In all, the leak provides a map of how DHS is organized and how it operates. The records, which span DHS itself as well as seven component agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection, were last updated on August 19, 2026.

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is engaged in far-reaching spying against left-wing activists that rivals the FBI and CIA crackdowns on the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. Attorneys for 15 Minnesota residents facing federal conspiracy charges have obtained evidence of a sweeping, possibly unconstitutional spying operation carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement against left-wing social movements in Minnesota and beyond. The high-profile Minnesota 15 prosecution makes clear that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), flush with federal funds and newly hired personnel, is now President Donald Trump's primary tool against dissent, with a powerful array of post-9/11 investigative authorities brought to bear against everyday Americans organizing their communities. Nothing of this scale has been seen in the United States, experts say, since the federal government's counterinsurgency against the New Left and the anti-war movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Among the records revealed during the discovery process in these cases are dozens of reports, audio transcripts, emails, intercepted Signal chats, photographs, database queries, and more. They reveal the inner workings of the domestic terrorism investigations, running under the names Project Whipple Shield and Operation Puppet Master, authorized by the controversial National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 .

Look Up Trending Now Safety Net Say More Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Creator Playbook Mashable Selects Getting Technical with Mashable Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Versus In My Bag Mashable @Home All Series How to watch Iowa vs. Minnesota online for free Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Want to watch college football this season? FuboTV 5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25) YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110) The No. 15-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes go on the road for a scheduled Week 8 game against the unranked Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Team USA's Olympic hockey heroes reunite as Jack Hughes' Devils land goalie Connor Hellebuyck in blockbuster France's top soccer team obeys police order to move Sunday match; Saints, Steelers owners meet with Macron AOC says she supports men in women's sports because she's a girl's girl Did Texas use artificial intelligence to call fourth-down play against Florida? LeBron James doubles down with sneaky golf hip turns during national anthem after Trump's'total disgrace' dig Drake Maye's end-zone interception proves costly as Patriots fall 30-24 to Bears in primetime Rhamondre Stevenson's miraculous 48-yard touchdown stuns Bears as clock expires in first half Todd Benzinger, who caught the final out of the Reds' 1990 World Series sweep, dead at 63 Super Bowl champion Marshall Faulk says he is living with Parkinson's disease NBA legend Charles Barkley says he won't'burn every bridge' like Aaron Rodgers as he considers retirement Enes Kanter Freedom says he was treated like a'criminal' at WNBA game President Trump touts his administration's border security at midterm rally in Florida Data shows Iran's shadow tanker fleet has run out of oil Court documents reportedly list Rep. Ilhan Omar under different name OutKick Sports Fans are sick and tired of the NFL's obsession with flags, anthem fatigue is real & UGA football is too smart! Dozens of readers voiced'anthem fatigue,' with some saying they've stopped watching NBA and WNBA games entirely The'Outnumbered' panel weighs in on WNBA players leaving the court during the national anthem. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom also claims he was kicked out of a game after refusing to move from his courtside seat. October is flying by, and for good reason.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Creator Playbook Trending Now Mashable Selects Look Up Getting Technical with Mashable Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Say More Versus In My Bag Mashable @Home All Series Sam Haysom is the General Assignment Editor, UK, for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time. Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic.

Independent voters are the decisive swing vote in the 2026 midterm elections. Their priorities include border security, energy costs and AI regulation.