Why do the midterms matter? Who is ahead in the polls? Texas Republican group seeks to block certification of state's election Share Texas Republican group seeks to block certification of state's election on social media Days before the United States' pivotal midterm elections, a Texas group affiliated with the Republican Party has asked a federal judge to stop certification of the state's upcoming election results. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the Potter County Republican Party and its chairman, Daniel Rogers, claim potential election interference by artificial intelligence (AI) or "malicious actors" that could compromise the results of next Tuesday's elections in Texas. "If a component is tampered with during manufacturing, it could serve as a point of entry for unlawful and malfeasance hackers, allowing for the possibility of synchronized attacks across multiple election machines and jurisdictions," the lawsuit read.

Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law at the construction site of a planned Google data centre in northern Finland. The project is part of a $15bn deal announced last month by Alphabet's Google to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Finland, which the US company described as its largest investment in Europe. "We are investigating whether the company's operations have breached the Water Act and resulted in environmental damage," Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told the Reuters news agency on Thursday, adding that a guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine. Pakanen declined to say whether any individuals could become a target of the investigation, and a Google spokesperson said the company would cooperate with the police investigation and continue to focus on maintaining compliance at its sites. Videos and photographs showing the scale of the forest clearance at the site of the data centre, and Google's initial reluctance to address the issue in the days after the news broke, have prompted widespread anger in Finland, where there is a high level of respect for the natural environment among the public.

The popular Ridge Wallet lives up to the hype and is discounted for the brand's Friends & Family Sale. Everyday carry (EDC) enthusiasts and social media influencers have made the Ridge Wallet a favorite for its durability and minimalist design. In her testing, WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe gave it high marks, saying, "I can't see myself using anything else," even though she's not a minimalist and didn't fall for the "ridiculous" marketing. It's also one of the wallets I use on vacation, when I just need to carry a few credit cards without drawing attention to the usual George Costanza bulge in my pocket. Select Ridge Wallet styles are currently on sale for $76 (normally $95) as part of the brand's Friends & Family sale, which also has discounts on other Ridge accessories like pocket knives, power banks, luggage, trackers, and more.

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The U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court, and the Trump Administration's campaign to dismantle the institution "brick-by-brick" have been strongly criticized by European leaders. But some lawmakers are calling for more "concrete action" to be taken.

Get $100 Off WIRED's Favorite Automatic Litter Boxes As WIRED's resident pet tech tester, I have lots of opinions on what's worth your money. Petkit's automatic litter boxes are my top picks--and my favorite models are $100 off right now. An automatic cat litter box will change your life. It's the product I recommend every cat parent invest in above all else. These nifty machines do the work for you, using internal sensors to detect a cat and automatically start cleaning after they leave.

You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK, AU or IE homepage at any time using this menu. Bryan Adams slated for woke new song Lake Ontario which sees him brand Trump'a baby tossing toys from the pram' while blasting president over Epstein files Bombshell new investigation opened into Democrat Mary Peltola after Trump declared'fraud' in Alaska as'Decoy Dan' scandal upends crucial race There's already'tension' between Tom Brady and his new flame Candice Swanepoel, as friends make brutal'hookup' admission... and girl-on-girl Victoria's Secret feud erupts I know first-hand why MGK is giving Dakota Johnson the'best sex of her life'. I suffered with painful eczema for years. None of the steroid creams or doctor's solutions worked, I couldn't leave the house and I even ended up in hospital. Alexander brothers assaulted in prison: As rapist siblings are each jailed for 30 years, LUKE KENTON's devastating front-row account of day that sealed their fate - and moment the courtroom laughed in their faces Train crash disaster that claimed 69 lives sparks violent demonstrations and clashes with riot cops in Madrid as audio of controller's'catastrophic error' emerges CLARE FOGES: Now, I believe, we have come closer to the truth about what really led to Megxit and Meghan and Harry's bolt from Britain: Thomas Markle Nicole Kidman is unrecognizable on her new Vogue cover.

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An AI Breakthrough Has Made Decades of Computer Science Research'Irrelevant' Anthropic and OpenAI say they've disproved a key tenet of computer science. Researchers are struggling with the fall but also feel like "overexcited bunnies" as they look at new questions to explore. Linköping University professor Peter Jonsson is set to have his work presented in two weeks' time at one of the most prestigious conferences in theoretical computer science. As of Monday, much of that work is "dead," he says, after AI showed that a 27-year-old hypothesis underpinning it is wrong. Both OpenAI and Anthropic claimed this week to have disproved the exponential time hypothesis (ETH).

Look Up Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable @Home In My Bag Safety Net Versus Trending Now Say More Creator Playbook Mashable Selects Getting Technical with Mashable 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.