Politics
Political power, parties, campaigns, governance, and policy decision-making.
EU warns Meta over Facebook and Instagram's addictive infinite scroll design
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings saying Meta may have breached the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately assess or reduce addictive design risks on Facebook and Instagram, including infinite scroll and autoplay. Meta can respond before any final decision, and the case could lead to redesign demands and fines of up to 6% of global revenue.
Trump ousts Election Assistance Commission members ahead of 2026 midterms
Donald Trump removed the two Democratic members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal elections agency without commissioners ahead of the 2026 midterms. The White House cited a recent Supreme Court ruling, while Democrats condemned the move as a partisan power grab.
'Critical third parties': UK puts Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle under financial oversight
The UK Treasury has designated Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle as critical third parties for financial services, bringing their cloud operations under direct oversight from July 13. The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority will use the new regime to scrutinize resilience, incident response and systemic risk.
UK to place Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle under direct financial oversight
The UK has designated Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle as critical third parties for financial services, bringing their cloud operations under direct oversight from the Bank of England and the FCA starting July 13.
Meta accused by EU of failing to protect users from addictive Facebook and Instagram design
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings that Meta may have breached the Digital Services Act by failing to reduce addictive-design risks in Facebook and Instagram, especially for minors.
UK financial regulators to extend oversight to four big US cloud services groups
The UK Treasury has designated Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle as critical third parties for financial services, bringing their cloud operations under Bank of England and FCA oversight from July 13, 2026.
EU accuses Meta of failing to tackle mental health risks of 'addictive design'
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings saying Meta may have breached the Digital Services Act by failing to mitigate mental health risks linked to Facebook and Instagram design features such as autoplay, infinite scroll and personalized recommendations.
EU accuses Meta over 'addictive design' on Facebook and Instagram
The European Commission has issued preliminary findings accusing Meta of failing to adequately address addictive-design risks on Facebook and Instagram, especially for minors. The case could lead to product redesigns and penalties under the EU’s Digital Services Act.
UK puts Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle under financial oversight as critical third parties
The UK Treasury has designated Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle as critical third parties for financial services, bringing their cloud operations under direct oversight from UK regulators from 13 July 2026.
Apollo makes surprise £5.7bn takeover bid for easyJet
easyJet says it has reached an agreement in principle with Apollo for a possible £7.15-a-share offer valuing the airline at about £5.7bn, and its board is minded to recommend the bid over Castlelake’s revised proposal. Apollo must still make a formal offer by August 7 and address EU ownership rules before any takeover can proceed.
Reeves to launch City skills compact on AI retraining
Rachel Reeves is due to launch a government-backed City skills compact on Tuesday that will require participating financial firms to retrain staff in AI and other future skills, with rolling three-year plans, annual reporting and named senior oversight.
EU preliminarily accuses Meta of violating Digital Services Act over addictive Facebook and Instagram design
The European Commission said Meta may be violating the Digital Services Act by designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that can encourage compulsive use and harm minors. The company disputes the preliminary findings, which could still lead to fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue and forced product changes.
UK watchdog warns electronic tagging expansion could leave offenders untracked
The National Audit Office has warned that England and Wales could expand electronic tagging before fixing weaknesses that leave some offenders untracked. The watchdog cites backlogs, data issues and a probation staffing shortfall, while the Ministry of Justice says performance has improved and it is investing in the system.
European Parliament backs digital euro mandate, opening talks with Council
The European Parliament has approved its position on the digital euro, opening negotiations with EU governments on a retail central bank digital currency. The vote, which passed 416-169 with 22 abstentions, moves the project into trilogue talks while leaving key disputes over privacy, holding limits, fees and online-offline functionality unresolved.
Connecticut governor hopeful Josh Elliott qualifies for $3.7M in public financing
Connecticut state Rep. Josh Elliott has been approved for a $3.75 million public-financing grant for his Democratic primary campaign for governor, giving him a major boost against Gov. Ned Lamont ahead of the Aug. 11 vote.
Trump's federal grant overhaul plan draws strong pushback
The Trump administration’s proposed rewrite of federal grant rules is drawing broad pushback because it would shift final influence from scientific peer review to political appointees. Axios reported the plan had received more than 93,000 public comments, while AP said the White House argues the changes would improve transparency, accountability and oversight.
Federal Reserve taps task-force leaders including Marc Andreessen and Raj Chetty
The Federal Reserve named outside leaders to five task forces reviewing its operations, with Marc Andreessen and Raj Chetty among the co-leaders. The panels will examine AI and productivity, data sources, the balance sheet, inflation policy and communications, with recommendations expected by year-end.
Andreessen, Chetty among leaders of Fed’s new task forces evaluating operations
The Federal Reserve has named leaders for five outside task forces that will review communications, data quality, the balance sheet, inflation and the economic impact of AI. Marc Andreessen, Raj Chetty and Mervyn King are among the prominent figures tapped as Chair Kevin Warsh pushes a broader operational overhaul.
French EU commissioner pushes 'Buy European' public procurement shift
EU industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné is backing a draft overhaul of procurement rules that could let public authorities favor European and partner-country suppliers in strategic contracts, with a September proposal expected.
South Jacksonville boil-water order lifted after June 30 main break
South Jacksonville lifted a boil-water order on Wednesday, July 9, ending a precautionary notice that had been in place since June 30 after a water main break in the affected area.
NATO officials warn against stockpiling drones as battlefield tech changes fast
NATO officials are warning that allies cannot solve the drone race by stockpiling huge numbers of unmanned systems that may be obsolete before the next war. The alliance’s summit framework and defense chiefs are instead pushing faster procurement, modular systems and deeper industrial partnerships.
Takeaways: Trump leaves NATO summit declaring 'a lot of love' with allies after a rocky start
Trump closed the NATO summit with conciliatory remarks after early friction, while allies reaffirmed Article 5 and backed new Ukraine support.
Germany agrees deal to buy long-range US Tomahawk missiles, Merz says
Germany has agreed to buy U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, in a move aimed at closing a long-range strike gap. The missiles would be stationed in Germany, with no U.S. personnel operating them, and the deal is tied to a separate U.S. approval step expected in August for Tomahawks and Typhon launchers.
Sizewell B gets 20-year life extension
The UK government has approved a 20-year extension for Sizewell B, keeping the Suffolk nuclear plant operating until 2055 under a reported contract-for-difference deal.