CNET: “My first thought on opening the box was: This is not the shade of matte gold I would have chosen for my flagship phone. It was kind of giving dehydrated pee vibes.”

“A phone company launched by Donald Trump’s family business is investigating a potential security flaw on its website that appears to have exposed the personal details of an estimated 27,000 people who sought to buy a gold-coloured smartphone,” The Guardian reports.

“Pope Leo XIV on Monday set out a sweeping vision for corporate executives, politicians and individuals who will shape and be shaped by the future of artificial intelligence, warning leaders to safeguard humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects,” the New York Times reports.

CBS News Poll: “Most Americans continue to believe AI will reduce the number of jobs in the U.S., but that’s not their only AI concern. They are also skeptical about whether the U.S. government will implement a policy to ensure the technology is used appropriately.”

“That skepticism is fairly widespread. Majorities across age groups and education levels don’t think government policy will ensure AI is used appropriately. Democrats and independents share that view, while Republicans are generally divided.”

“President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had decided to postpone signing a highly anticipated AI executive order, after the White House had sent out invitations to executives from leading tech companies,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “I didn’t like what I was seeing.”

“President Trump plans to sign an executive order on Thursday giving the government the power to evaluate artificial intelligence models before they are publicly released… It marks a shift for an administration that promoted a hands-off approach to the powerful technology,” New York Times reports. 

“The order will give the Office of the National Cyber Director, which sits within the White House and oversees cybersecurity coordination in the government, and other agencies two months to develop a process for evaluating the models, the people said. The goal is for the government to identify any security vulnerabilities revealed by A.I. models and to patch problems in its systems to help protect banks, utilities and other sensitive industries from cyberattacks.”

“The Trump administration is awarding $2 billion in grants to nine quantum-computing companies in deals that include U.S. government equity stakes,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The move accelerates the administration’s plans to boost the nascent industry, which has attracted a wave of investment from investors and businesses in recent months.”

Wall Street Journal: “In one poll after another in recent weeks, respondents have overwhelmingly voiced concerns about AI, a challenge to claims by industry executives that their technology would gain popularity by improving people’s lives.”

“Consumers resent energy-price jumps exacerbated by the spread of data centers. Workers fear widespread job losses. Parents worry about AI undermining education and harming children’s mental health. In recent months, the wave of anger has brought protests, swayed election results and spurred isolated acts of violence.”

New Scientist: “SpaceX will fly an extensively upgraded Starship this week that will – if it launches successfully – break records as the tallest and most powerful rocket in history. The flight will be watched keenly at NASA, as the craft is vital to its plans to put humans back on the moon in 2028.”

“Starship is made up of two parts: an upper stage, confusingly also called Starship, and a lower stage called Super Heavy. Since the last Starship test in October last year, SpaceX has been making extensive revisions to both stages.”

“For decades, the information that fueled insider trading was found on Wall Street or inside the glass offices of public companies across the country,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The rise of prediction markets has created a new temptation in Washington, where the Trump administration’s fast-moving agenda is giving those privy to government information a chance to cash in on the volatility.”

“Regulators and prosecutors are now playing catch-up to combat a batch of suspicious betting that touches various corners of the federal bureaucracy. It is a new challenge for authorities because insider-trading laws weren’t designed for people who bet on the outcome of legislation, political races and even U.S. military operations.”

“The Trump phone may finally be here: Trump Mobile claims that the phone will begin shipping to buyers this week,” The Verge reports.

“The announcement comes as reports have gone viral this week alleging that preorders for the phone have been canceled.”

Wired: “A new video game about President Donald Trump’s war in Iran features fights with the pope and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. It’s impossible to win, and that’s the point.”

“The game, Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell, was developed by Secret Handshake, an anonymous group of artists behind a handful of satirical works mocking the Trump administration. The group previously installed a gold statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein on the National Mall; it portrayed Trump holding onto Epstein in a pose reminiscent of Jack and Rose from the movie Titanic.”

A new Annenberg poll finds just 17% of Americans say the impact of AI on the United States over the next 10 years will be somewhat or very positive, compared with 42% who say it will be somewhat or very negative.

“Public opposition to data centers is hardening as overwhelming majorities of Americans now oppose construction of the facilities in their communities,” according to a newly released Gallup survey.

Washington Post: “As President Donald Trump prepares to travel to a summit in China, his administration is sharply split over a plan to give U.S. intelligence agencies a bigger role in evaluating AI models…”

“Trump could sign an executive order addressing AI security as soon as Monday. But the administration’s response to new advanced AI models remains in flux and a topic of extensive debate.”