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Received yesterday — 13 February 2026

Homeland Security Demands Social Media Sites Reveal Names Behind Anti-ICE Posts

✇NYT: Technology
By:Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac
13 February 2026 at 18:24
The department has sent Google, Meta and other companies hundreds of subpoenas for information on accounts that track or comment on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials and tech workers said.

© Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

F.T.C. Chair Warns Apple Against Bias in Apple News

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
13 February 2026 at 13:59
Andrew Ferguson of the F.T.C. said in a letter to Apple that it might be violating consumer protection law by stifling conservative speech in its news aggregation service.

© Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Trump-appointed leaders of federal agencies have been using consumer protection laws to punish media and tech companies for perceived left-leaning bias.

Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kashmir Hill · Kalley Huang and Mike Isaac
13 February 2026 at 05:03
In an internal memo last year, Meta said the political tumult in the United States would distract critics from the feature’s release.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

The maker of Meta’s smart glasses said it sold more than seven million pairs last year.
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Senate Questions Health Care Firm for Profiting Off Program Meant for Poor

✇NYT: Science
By:Ellen Gabler
12 February 2026 at 12:00
The program was meant to help hospitals provide for poor patients by offering drug savings. But critics say a Texas company has turned it into a big business, driving up costs for patients and insurers.

© Desiree Rios for The New York Times

The offices of Apexus in Irving, Texas. The company, a subsidiary of Vizient, negotiates drug discounts.

U.S. Health Officials Defend Rejection of Moderna’s Flu Vaccine

✇NYT: Science
By:Christina Jewett
11 February 2026 at 16:53
The F.D.A.’s refusal to examine the company’s mRNA shot drew widespread criticism from doctors and was divisive within the agency.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, suggested that the agency might eventually approve Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine.

Elon Musk Wants to Build an A.I. Satellite Factory on the Moon

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
10 February 2026 at 21:04
In a meeting with employees at his company xAI, Mr. Musk revealed a vision for a facility that includes a giant catapult to launch his satellites into space.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

Elon Musk told employees of xAI that he plans to put a factory on the moon as a steppingstone to colonizing Mars.

F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu Vaccine

✇NYT: Science
By:Christina Jewett and Rebecca Robbins
10 February 2026 at 21:49
The vaccine maker’s shots involve the successful Covid vaccines’ RNA technology. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has broadly rejected it, canceling millions of dollars in research projects.

© Brian Snyder/Reuters

Moderna is a pioneer in using mRNA technology, first with the Covid vaccine. Its flu shot was being developed for people 50 and older.

YouTube Argues It Isn’t Social Media in Landmark Tech Addiction Trial

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan and Cecilia Kang
10 February 2026 at 16:28
The app said in opening statements that it was more of an entertainment platform. The lawsuit claims social media companies design products that cause personal injury.

© Pete Marovich for The New York Times

Neal Mohan, left, the chief executive of YouTube, in 2024. The company’s lawyers argued in court on Tuesday that YouTube was an entertainment platform, not a social media platform.

These Mathematicians Are Putting A.I. to the Test

✇NYT: Technology
By:Siobhan Roberts
12 February 2026 at 17:04
Large language models struggle to solve research-level math questions. It takes a human to assess just how poorly they perform.

© Aurelien Bergot for The New York Times

Martin Hairer, a mathematician at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne. He splits his time between there and the Imperial College London.

After Merging xAI and SpaceX, Elon Musk Hopes He Can Win Over Wall Street

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kate Conger and Jack Ewing
7 February 2026 at 20:27
The billionaire’s decision to merge his A.I. start-up with his rocket company will test investors’ interest in giant combinations of unalike businesses.

© Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

SpaceX’s launchpad near Brownsville, Texas. In addition to rockets and satellites, Elon Musk’s company now includes artificial intelligence and social media businesses.

These Mathematicians Are Putting A.I. to the Test

✇NYT: Science
By:Siobhan Roberts
12 February 2026 at 17:04
Large language models struggle to solve research-level math questions. It takes a human to assess just how poorly they perform.

© Aurelien Bergot for The New York Times

Martin Hairer, a mathematician at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne. He splits his time between there and the Imperial College London.

TrumpRx: What to Know About Insurance Benefits, Pricing and Savings

✇NYT: Science
By:Rebecca Robbins
6 February 2026 at 13:18
People may be able to pay less for prescriptions with their insurance rather than via the new government website. The Trump drugstore is meant to help people buy medications using their own money.

© Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Trump; Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid; and Joe Gebbia, who oversees the design of government websites, unveiled TrumpRx at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday.

Google Workers Demand End to Cloud Services for Immigration Agencies

✇NYT: Technology
By:Tripp Mickle
6 February 2026 at 13:52
More than 800 employees delivered a petition to management, condemning the Trump administration’s use of Google technology in immigration enforcement.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Federal agents leaving the area where Renee Good was killed in Minneapolis.

Fear of AI Replacing Software Makers Hits Stocks. Here’s What to Know.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Mike Isaac · Joe Rennison and Maureen Farrell
6 February 2026 at 15:11
The prospect of disruptions from artificial intelligence has hung over the economy for years. But this week advances in software tools precipitated a sell-off on Wall Street.

© The New York Times

Amazon’s $200 Billion Spending Plan Raises Stakes in A.I. Race

✇NYT: Technology
By:Karen Weise
5 February 2026 at 18:51
The company reported a strong holiday quarter on Thursday. But its spending, like that at other big technology companies, is starting to make investors nervous.

© Emily Kask for The New York Times

Amazon is looking to increase automation, like at its operation in Shreveport, La.

Files Reveal Epstein’s Money Mingled with Silicon Valley’s Tech Start-Ups

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ryan Mac · Erin Griffith and Matthew Goldstein
5 February 2026 at 12:07
The disgraced financier regularly courted tech industry figures not just for their prestige but also for access to promising companies.

© Department of Justice, via Associated Press

Last week’s disclosures of Jeffrey Epstein’s communications offer insight into how he made his money as an investor after his 2008 conviction.

Google Plans to Double Spending Amid A.I. Race

✇NYT: Technology
By:Tripp Mickle
4 February 2026 at 19:43
Profits jumped 30 percent to $34.5 billion last quarter, and the tech giant is increasing its capital spending this year to as much as $185 billion.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

A Google ad in Times Square.

Senators Accuse Equifax of ‘Price-Gouging’ Medicaid Programs

✇NYT: Science
By:Sarah Kliff · Margot Sanger-Katz and Asmaa Elkeurti
5 February 2026 at 12:29
The company’s data will be essential for many states to comply with new work requirements for the health insurance program that take effect next year.

© Tami Chappell/Reuters

Many states rely on an Equifax product to verify Medicaid applicants’ wages and work hours.

F.T.C. Settles With Express Scripts Over High Insulin Prices

✇NYT: Science
By:Rebecca Robbins and Reed Abelson
4 February 2026 at 16:40
The Trump administration announced that the company, a pharmacy benefit manager, had agreed to make significant changes to its practices.

© Sarah Holm/The Virginian-Pilot, via Associated Press

High insulin prices generated public outcry for years, though changes in the past few years have reduced patients’ costs to no more than $35 a month in most cases.

Congress Reins In Drug Middlemen in Effort to Lower Prescription Prices

✇NYT: Science
By:Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins
4 February 2026 at 05:00
The legislation will impose new restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, giant companies like CVS Caremark, Optum Rx and Express Scripts that oversee prescription drug benefits.

© Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

Executives at the largest pharmacy benefit managers testified before a congressional committee in 2023.

Netflix Leader Pushes Warner Deal Before Skeptical Lawmakers

✇NYT: Technology
By:David McCabe
3 February 2026 at 18:47
Senators asked Ted Sarandos about whether the acquisition would raise prices, squeeze talent and degrade the moviegoing experience.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

Ted Sarandos, left, a co-chief executive of Netflix, and Bruce Campbell, right, chief revenue and strategy officer of Warner Bros. Discovery. Mr. Sarandos told a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday that “we’ll keep growing the American entertainment industry.”

Trump Unveils $12 Billion Critical Minerals Stockpile

✇NYT: Technology
By:Alan Rappeport and Tony Romm
2 February 2026 at 19:57
The “Project Vault” initiative is intended to reduce U.S. reliance on China for key technology components.

© Steve Marcus/Reuters

A rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, Calif. The United States is working to develop its own supply chain for critical minerals.

Waymo Raises $16 Billion to Fuel Global Ambitions

✇NYT: Technology
By:Natallie Rocha
2 February 2026 at 19:21
The self-driving car company, an arm of Google’s parent company, is rapidly expanding its service beyond a handful of cities.

© Caitlin O'Hara for The New York Times

Waymo, Alphabet’s driverless car outfit, said it was now valued at $126 billion.

Elon Musk Merges SpaceX With His A.I. Start-Up xAI

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ryan Mac · Kate Conger · Maureen Farrell and Rob Copeland
2 February 2026 at 21:22
The deal further intermingles Mr. Musk’s companies and creates the most valuable private company on earth.

© Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times

SpaceX’s rocket facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

Tesla’s Model S, Soon to Be History, Changed the Auto Industry

✇NYT: Technology
By:Neal E. Boudette
30 January 2026 at 10:52
The company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, said this week that it would stop making the car, an electric pioneer in 2012, as well as the Model X.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

“The Model S was a breakthrough and ushered in quite a number of technologies people hadn’t seen before,” said Sam Abuelsamid, an executive at Telemetry, a Detroit communications and research firm.

The Tech Arsenal That ICE Has Deployed in Minneapolis

✇NYT: Technology
By:Sheera Frenkel and Aaron Krolik
31 January 2026 at 13:15
Agents use facial recognition, social media monitoring and other tech tools not only to identify undocumented immigrants but also to track protesters, current and former officials said.

© Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu, via Getty Images

A Border Patrol Agent scanning the face of a driver in Minneapolis this month.

Apple Reports Record iPhone Sales Amid Holiday Bump

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kalley Huang
29 January 2026 at 16:59
New phone designs, coupled with robust holiday spending, continued to lift iPhone sales in the quarter and drove the company to record profits.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

Apple has achieved record sales in its most important business, the iPhone, even though it has lagged other tech giants in the A.I. race.

Amazon and Google Eat Into Nvidia’s A.I. Chip Supremacy

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
29 January 2026 at 11:12
The rivals made billions of dollars in the business over the past year, showing other companies that Nvidia isn’t the only game in town.

© Christie Hemm Klok for The New York Times

Google’s chips for artificial intelligence are increasingly being used by companies other than Google.

Tesla Profit Slumps, but Investors May Not Care

✇NYT: Technology
By:Jack Ewing
29 January 2026 at 15:21
The automaker also said it would invest $2 billion in xAI, the artificial intelligence company controlled by its C.E.O., Elon Musk, and stop making the two oldest models in its lineup.

© Annie Flanagan for The New York Times

Falling car sales have taken a toll on Tesla’s net profit. The company announced Wednesday that it would stop producing its S and X model cars within months.

Meta Forecasts Spending of at Least $115 Billion This Year

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan and Mike Isaac
28 January 2026 at 18:24
That would be a major jump from $72 billion last year, as the tech giant aims to compete in the artificial intelligence race.

© Christie Hemm Klok for The New York Times

Meta’s Eagle Mountain Data Center in Utah. The bulk of Meta’s new A.I. spending will be on infrastructure like data centers.

With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint

✇NYT: Technology
By:Carl Zimmer
29 January 2026 at 21:59
AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.

© Volker Steger/Science Source

DNA electrophoresis in a lab. Scientists at Google DeepMind have trained their A.I on a vast wealth of molecular data, enabling it to make predictions about thousands of genes.

With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint

✇NYT: Science
By:Carl Zimmer
29 January 2026 at 21:59
AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.

© Volker Steger/Science Source

DNA electrophoresis in a lab. Scientists at Google DeepMind have trained their A.I on a vast wealth of molecular data, enabling it to make predictions about thousands of genes.

Amazon to Cut 16,000 Jobs in Latest Round of Layoffs

✇NYT: Technology
By:Karen Weise
28 January 2026 at 06:19
The e-commerce giant has been cutting costs while pouring resources into building data centers to compete in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.

© Jovelle Tamayo for The New York Times

Amazon’s headquarters campus in Seattle.

Pillbugs Are Getting Top Dollar Online. Poachers Have Noticed.

✇NYT: Science
By:Madeline Shaw
28 January 2026 at 05:00
A robust, largely unregulated online trade in isopods could pose a serious threat to some vulnerable species, scientists warn.

© Nicky Bay

The Cuban Spiky, Pseudarmadillo spinosus, is one of the isopods most prized by hobbyists. A few live specimens can sell for hundreds of dollars.

TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of a Landmark Trial

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 14:17
The settlement means TikTok will avoid a trial where plaintiffs had planned to argue that social media platforms are inherently defective and subject to personal injury liability.

© Daniel Cole/Reuters

TikTok’s offices in Culver City, California.

Meta Campaigns to Change Opinions on Data Centers

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan
27 January 2026 at 16:23
The tech giant has spent more than $6 million on TV ads in state capitals and Washington, with the message that data centers create jobs.

G.M. Shares Rise as Investors Are Encouraged by 2026 Prospects

✇NYT: Technology
By:Neal E. Boudette
27 January 2026 at 10:22
The automaker said that it would buy back stock worth up to $6 billion and that it expected profit to rise this year after it pulled back from electric vehicle production.

© Brett Carlsen for The New York Times

A General Motors factory in Spring Hill, Tenn. G.M. said on Tuesday it planned to introduce a more advanced version of its Super Cruise driver assistance system in 2028.

The Social Media Addiction Trials: What to Know

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 12:01
Landmark trials beginning this week will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

© David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The lawsuits are for the first time putting social media companies on the spot for creating harmful products, exposing them to new kinds of liability.

Social Media Giants Face Landmark Legal Tests on Child Safety

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 11:58
Starting this week, a series of trials will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

© Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Jury selection is expected to start Tuesday for the first trial in a series of lawsuits that target social media companies with a strategy that had success against tobacco giants.

Yann LeCun, an A.I. Pioneer, Warns the Tech ‘Herd’ Could Hit a Dead End

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
26 January 2026 at 05:01
Yann LeCun helped create the technology behind today’s chatbots. Now he says many tech companies are on the wrong path to creating intelligent machines.

© Victor Llorente for The New York Times

Yann LeCun’s early research paved the way for many of today’s A.I. systems.

U.S. Automakers’ Foreign Troubles Now Extend to Canada

✇NYT: Technology
By:Jack Ewing
24 January 2026 at 05:01
U.S. trade policy has devastated the Canadian auto industry and pushed the country to reach an agreement that will make it easier for Chinese companies to sell cars there.

© Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Canada could serve as an important test market for Chinese automakers, like Geely, which is producing vehicles at a plant in Hangzhou, China.
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