3 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Policy Archive

Archives for July 2026

Lauren Feiner
Lauren Feiner
A ‘serious software error’ enabled nearly 400 noncitizens to vote in New Jersey.

6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote between 2023 and 2024, due to a DMV error. Fewer than 400 voted, and were registered across both parties or unaffiliated (for context, 154 million voted in the 2024 election). Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) ordered their removal from voter rolls and launched an investigation.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Anthropic has to pay authors.

In what is thought to be the largest copyright recovery case in history, a federal US judge granted final approval of Anthropic’s landmark $1.5 billion class-action settlement. In 2024, authors sued Anthropic over the training of its Claude AI chatbot using copyrighted works. Authors will be paid “as promptly as possible,” just as soon as lawyers take their $101 million cut.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Washington state blocks Kalshi.

A state court has granted a preliminary injunction against Kalshi, ruling its sports-related “event contracts” likely violate state online gambling bans. The judge rejected Kalshi’s defense that federal CFTC regulation shields it from state enforcement. Kalshi will likely have to geoblock Washington residents, marking yet another legal setback for prediction markets.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
US AI safety agency head resigns three months after being appointed.

Chris Fall was picked to be the Trump administration’s leader of the US Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI, previously called the AI Safety Institute until it was renamed last year) in April, but now CNBC and Reuters report he is out. The reasons for his departure are unclear, as is the role of CAISI in the administration’s constantly shifting priorities around AI.

David Pierce
David Pierce
Today’s Vergecast: The US is losing its lead in AI.

Since the beginning of the AI revolution, a few companies have claimed to be building the best and most powerful AI models. All of them were American. More recently, a few Chinese companies seem to have caught up, shipping models that are much cheaper and maybe also just as good. The Verge’s Hayden Field and Lauren Feiner join the show to explain how China made so much progress, the threat that progress represents to US companies and the US government, and what might happen next.

Dr. Jill Lepore on why AI backlash is vital for the future
Play

The Artificial State author explains how counting everything breaks society — and how college grads booing AI might save us all.

Nilay Patel
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
UK’s new Prime Minister will scrap digital ID plans.

Andy Burnham has now officially replaced Keir Starmer, and is reportedly planning to drop his predecessor’s plans to introduce a government-issued digital ID for all British adults by 2029. Burnham’s spokesperson told BBC News that resources allocated for the scheme will instead go towards “helping with the cost of living.”

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
Polymarket is being blocked in France.

The country’s gambling regulator ordered local internet service ​providers to block access to the Polymarket website on Friday, citing noncompliance concerns with rules for gambling and gaming services. The regulator also said that some bets on the platform “appeared to be rigged.”