Most of the reports so far came from Texas. Erin Brockovich, the American environmental activist portrayed by Julia Roberts in the film named after her, has launched a new project that aims to give people a platform to speak up and voice concerns about AI data centers in their communities. The new Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting website centers on a map showing major operational AI data centers and facilities under construction in the US, along with projects reported by the community. Some of the reports could be for rumored or proposed projects, so not every dot on the map represents a data center that's already running. The website has received 2,716 reports so far, with the biggest chunk coming from Texas.

Best Power Banks Best Smart Rings Routers vs. Modems Choose the Right Laptop Smart Sprinklers Deals Delivered The company is mapping Alexandria and, soon, Arlington--right across from the power center of Washington, DC. Self-driving cars aren't yet permitted to operate in Virginia. But Alphabet-owned Waymo began transporting its cars to the state last week, a Waymo representative told Virginia officials, to map Arlington and Alexandria, in the northern part of the state. For most autonomous vehicle companies, mapping, or the creation of sensor-aided and ultra-precise digital representations of streets and the features around them, is the first step required to launch a local robotaxi service. Drivers will operate the mapping vehicles for now, Waymo says.

PCWorld reports that Windows 11 PCs face a critical Secure Boot certificate expiration in June 2026 that could compromise system security. Current certificates from 2011 will stop receiving boot-critical updates and malware blacklists, potentially causing boot failures or blocking future Windows feature updates. Microsoft is rolling out new certificates to prevent these issues, making timely updates essential for maintaining PC security and functionality. Microsoft has clarified what will happen to Windows 11 PCs if Secure Boot certificates are not updated before they expire in June 2026. Secure Boot is a security standard developed by the PC industry.

You probably wouldn't notice if an AI chatbot slipped ads into its responses Hundreds of millions of people consult artificial intelligence chatbots on a daily basis for everything from product recommendations to romance, making them a tempting audience to target with potentially below-the-radar advertising. Indeed, our research suggests AI chatbots could easily be used for covert advertising to manipulate their human users. We are computer scientists who have been tracking AI safety and privacy for several years. In a study we published in an Association for Computing Machinery journal, we found that chatbots trained to embed personalized product ads in replies to queries influenced people's choices about products. And most participants didn't recognize that they were being manipulated.

Dana White argued that the planned UFC fight at the White House for the America 250 celebration is not political, saying it honors the country's 250th birthday.

Abdul El-Sayed, a 2026 Michigan Senate candidate, defends his appearances with Hasan Piker, arguing shared economic and anti-war views don't mean he endorses all of Piker's remarks.

What the Pope Said About A.I. Leo XIV's new encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," presents a remarkable case for placing moral concerns, and not profit, or competitive advantage, or efficiency, at the center of any discussion of artificial intelligence. Last year, only months into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, called on developers of artificial intelligence "to cultivate moral discernment as a fundamental part of their work." In response, the Silicon Valley billionaire and troll-in-chief Marc Andreessen began mocking the pontiff by tweeting an idiotic meme at him. The Pope raised the grave concern that artificial-intelligence companies were "totally ignoring the value of human beings and of humanity"; the venture capitalist Peter Thiel reportedly wondered whether the Pope might be in league with the Antichrist. The merchant princes of Silicon Valley appeared concerned that the new Pope would usurp their authority and diminish their power.

An email reminds workers they can report behavior that predates Donald Trump's second inauguration. One employee tells WIRED it felt like a "reminder to narc on your coworkers." Late last week, employees at the Department of Labor received a long email strongly urging them to file whistleblower complaints and report instances of " diversity, equity, and inclusion "-related discrimination or retaliation. In short, employees were told to alert the government of DEI compliance in any way. The email, sent on Friday and viewed by WIRED, felt like it was a "reminder to narc on your coworkers for doing DEI," says a DOL employee who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

The Premier League season might be long-forgotten already - but we're definitely still in the window where bragging about how well you did in fantasy football is just about acceptable. Plenty of people will have been frantically checking the app on Sunday to see if they'd beaten friends, family or colleagues and topped their mini leagues. Someone who was refreshing a little more than most is 23-year-old Everton fan Erik Ibsen. But the Danish medical student managed to hold on to his lead to be crowned the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) champion - in his first season playing the game. Ibsen only started playing because his sister was doing a work league and wanted some help, which turned into him picking his own team for sibling rivalry.

US President Donald Trump is transforming Washington DC by renaming institutions with his name, doing major renovations at historic sites and putting his face around the city. BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith visits the sites he's changing, including the Trump Kennedy Center, the Donald J Trump United States Institute of Peace and the White House, where a ballroom is being built. Fans rally behind US men's national soccer team as World Cup roster revealed BBC's Carl Nasman was at the event, where he asked enthusiasts about World Cup ticket prices and what the sport means to the US. The plans include permanent human habitation on the Earth's only natural satellite by 2032. Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully launched its Starship V3 rocket, which landed in a planned fiery explosion on Friday.