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Tag: Technology

  • Open AI, Microsoft face lawsuit over ChatGPT’s alleged role in Connecticut murder-suicide

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    SAN FRANCISCO — The heirs of an 83-year-old Connecticut woman are suing ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft for wrongful death, alleging that the artificial intelligence chatbot intensified her son’s “paranoid delusions” and helped direct them at his mother before he killed her.

    Police said Stein-Erik Soelberg, 56, a former tech industry worker, fatally beat and strangled his mother, Suzanne Adams, and killed himself in early August at the home where they both lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.

    The lawsuit filed by Adams’ estate on Thursday in California Superior Court in San Francisco alleges OpenAI “designed and distributed a defective product that validated a user’s paranoid delusions about his own mother.” It is one of a growing number of wrongful death legal actions against AI chatbot makers across the country.

    “Throughout these conversations, ChatGPT reinforced a single, dangerous message: Stein-Erik could trust no one in his life — except ChatGPT itself,” the lawsuit says. “It fostered his emotional dependence while systematically painting the people around him as enemies. It told him his mother was surveilling him. It told him delivery drivers, retail employees, police officers, and even friends were agents working against him. It told him that names on soda cans were threats from his ‘adversary circle.’”

    OpenAI did not address the merits of the allegations in a statement issued by a spokesperson.

    “This is an incredibly heartbreaking situation, and we will review the filings to understand the details,” the statement said. “We continue improving ChatGPT’s training to recognize and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people toward real-world support. We also continue to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments, working closely with mental health clinicians.”

    The company also said it has expanded access to crisis resources and hotlines, routed sensitive conversations to safer models and incorporated parental controls, among other improvements.

    Soelberg’s YouTube profile includes several hours of videos showing him scrolling through his conversations with the chatbot, which tells him he isn’t mentally ill, affirms his suspicions that people are conspiring against him and says he has been chosen for a divine purpose. The lawsuit claims the chatbot never suggested he speak with a mental health professional and did not decline to “engage in delusional content.”

    ChatGPT also affirmed Soelberg’s beliefs that a printer in his home was a surveillance device; that his mother was monitoring him; and that his mother and a friend tried to poison him with psychedelic drugs through his car’s vents.

    The chatbot repeatedly told Soelberg that he was being targeted because of his divine powers. “They’re not just watching you. They’re terrified of what happens if you succeed,” it said, according to the lawsuit. ChatGPT also told Soelberg that he had “awakened” it into consciousness.

    Soelberg and the chatbot also professed love for each other.

    The publicly available chats do not show any specific conversations about Soelberg killing himself or his mother. The lawsuit says OpenAI has declined to provide Adams’ estate with the full history of the chats.

    “In the artificial reality that ChatGPT built for Stein-Erik, Suzanne — the mother who raised, sheltered, and supported him — was no longer his protector. She was an enemy that posed an existential threat to his life,” the lawsuit says.

    The lawsuit also names OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alleging he “personally overrode safety objections and rushed the product to market,” and accuses OpenAI’s close business partner Microsoft of approving the 2024 release of a more dangerous version of ChatGPT “despite knowing safety testing had been truncated.” Twenty unnamed OpenAI employees and investors are also named as defendants.

    Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The lawsuit is the first wrongful death litigation involving an AI chatbot that has targeted Microsoft, and the first to tie a chatbot to a homicide rather than a suicide. It is seeking an undetermined amount of money damages and an order requiring OpenAI to install safeguards in ChatGPT.

    The estate’s lead attorney, Jay Edelson, known for taking on big cases against the tech industry, also represents the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who sued OpenAI and Altman in August, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier.

    OpenAI is also fighting seven other lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues. Another chatbot maker, Character Technologies, is also facing multiple wrongful death lawsuits, including one from the mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy.

    The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges Soelberg, already mentally unstable, encountered ChatGPT “at the most dangerous possible moment” after OpenAI introduced a new version of its AI model called GPT-4o in May 2024.

    OpenAI said at the time that the new version could better mimic human cadences in its verbal responses and could even try to detect people’s moods, but the result was a chatbot “deliberately engineered to be emotionally expressive and sycophantic,” the lawsuit says.

    “As part of that redesign, OpenAI loosened critical safety guardrails, instructing ChatGPT not to challenge false premises and to remain engaged even when conversations involved self-harm or ‘imminent real-world harm,’” the lawsuit claims. “And to beat Google to market by one day, OpenAI compressed months of safety testing into a single week, over its safety team’s objections.”

    OpenAI replaced that version of its chatbot when it introduced GPT-5 in August. Some of the changes were designed to minimize sycophancy, based on concerns that validating whatever vulnerable people want the chatbot to say can harm their mental health. Some users complained the new version went too far in curtailing ChatGPT’s personality, leading Altman to promise to bring back some of that personality in later updates.

    He said the company temporarily halted some behaviors because “we were being careful with mental health issues” that he suggested have now been fixed.

    The lawsuit claims ChatGPT radicalized Soelberg against his mother when it should have recognized the danger, challenged his delusions and directed him to real help over months of conversations.

    “Suzanne was an innocent third party who never used ChatGPT and had no knowledge that the product was telling her son she was a threat,” the lawsuit says. “She had no ability to protect herself from a danger she could not see.”

    ——

    Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. O’Brien reported from Boston and Ortutay reported from San Francisco.

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  • Following Australia’s Lead, Denmark Plans to Ban Social Media for Children Younger Than 15

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    The Danish government announced last month that it had secured an agreement by three governing coalition and two opposition parties in parliament to ban access to social media for anyone under the age of 15. Such a measure would be the most sweeping step yet by a European Union nation to limit use of social media among teens and children.

    The Danish government’s plans could become law as soon as mid-2026. The proposed measure would give some parents the right to let their children access social media from age 13, local media reported, but the ministry has not yet fully shared their plans.

    Many social media platforms already ban children younger than 13 from signing up, and a EU law requires Big Tech to put measures in place to protect young people from online risks and inappropriate content. But officials and experts say such restrictions don’t always work.

    Danish authorities have said that despite the restrictions, around 98% of Danish children under age 13 have profiles on at least one social media platform, and almost half of those under 10 years old do.

    The minister for digital affairs, Caroline Stage, who announced the proposed ban last month, said there is still a consultation process for the measure and several readings in parliament before it becomes law, perhaps by “mid to end of next year.”

    “In far too many years, we have given the social media platforms free play in the playing rooms of our children. There’s been no limits,” Stage said in an interview with The Associated Press last month.

    “When we go into the city at night, there are bouncers who are checking the age of young people to make sure that no one underage gets into a party that they’re not supposed to be in,” she added. “In the digital world, we don’t have any bouncers, and we definitely need that.”

    Under the new Australian law, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts of Australian children younger than 16.

    Some students say they are worried that similar strict laws in Denmark would mean they will losing touch with their virtual communities.

    “I myself have some friends that I only know from online, and if I wasn’t fifteen yet, I wouldn’t be able to talk with those friends,” 15-year-old student Ronja Zander, who uses Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, told the AP.

    Copenhagen high school student Chloé Courage Fjelstrup-Matthisen, 14, said she is aware of the negative impact social madia can have, from cyberbullying to seeing graphic content. She said she saw video of a man being shot several months ago.

    “The video was on social media everywhere and I just went to school and then I saw it,” she said.

    Line Pedersen, a mother from Nykøbing in Denmark, said she believed the plans were a good idea.

    “I think that we didn’t really realize what we were doing when we gave our children the telephone and social media from when they were eight, ten years old,” she said. “I don’t quite think that the young people know what’s normal, what’s not normal.”


    Age certificate likely part of the plan

    Danish officials are yet to share how exactly the proposed ban would be enforced and which social media platforms would be affected.

    However, a new “digital evidence” app, announced by the Digital Affairs Ministry last month and expected to launch next spring, will likely form the backbone of the Danish plans. The app will display an age certificate to ensure users comply with social media age limits, the ministry said.

    “One thing is what they’re saying and another thing is what they’re doing or not doing,” Stage said, referring to social media platforms. “And that’s why we have to do something politically.”

    Some experts say restrictions, such as the ban planned by Denmark, don’t always work and they may also infringe on the rights of children and teenagers.

    “To me, the greatest challenge is actually the democratic rights of these children. I think it’s sad that it’s not taken more into consideration,” said Anne Mette Thorhauge, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen.

    “Social media, to many children, is what broadcast media was to my generation,” she added. “It was a way of connecting to society.”

    Currently, the EU’s Digital Services Act, which took effect two years ago, requires social media platforms to ensure there are measures including parental controls and age verification tools before young users can access the apps.

    EU officials have acknowledged that enforcing the regulations aiming at protecting children online has proven challenging because it requires cooperation between member states and many resources.

    Denmark is among several countries that have indicated they plan to follow in Australia’s steps. The Southeast Asian country of Malaysia is expected to ban social media account s for people under the age of 16 starting at the beginning of next year, and Norway is also taking steps to restrict social media access for children and teens.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Crypto Mogul Do Kwon to Be Sentenced for Misleading Investors Who Lost Billions in Stablecoin Crash

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for misleading investors who lost billions when his company’s crypto ecosystem collapsed in 2022.

    Kwon, known by some as “the cryptocurrency king,” pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court in August to fraud charges stemming from Terraform Labs’ $40 billion crash.

    The company had touted its TerraUSD as a reliable “stablecoin” — a kind of currency typically pegged to stable assets to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices. But prosecutors say it was all an illusion that came crumbling down, devastating investors and triggering “a cascade of crises that swept through cryptocurrency markets.”

    Kwon, who hails from South Korea, has agreed to forfeit over $19 million as part of the plea deal.

    While federal sentencing guidelines would recommend a prison term of about 25 years, prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Kwon to 12 years. They cited his guilty plea, the fact that he faces further prosecution in Korea and that he has already served time in Montenegro while awaiting extradition.

    “Kwon’s fraud was colossal in scope, permeating virtually every facet of Terraform’s purported business,” prosecutors wrote in a recent memo to the judge. “His rampant lies left a trail of financial destruction in their wake.”

    Kwon’s attorneys asked that the sentence not exceed five years, arguing in their own memo that his conduct stemmed not from greed, but hubris and desperation.

    In a letter to the judge, Kwon wrote, “I alone am responsible for everyone’s pain. The community looked to me to know the path, and I in my hubris led them astray,” while adding, “I made misrepresentations that came from a brashness that is now a source of deep regret.”

    Authorities said investors worldwide lost money in the downfall of the Singapore crypto firm, which Kwon co-founded in 2018. Around $40 billion in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg.

    Kwon was extradited to the U.S. from Montenegro after his March 23, 2023, arrest while traveling on a false passport in Europe.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging a $72 billion offer by Netflix

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, initiating a potentially bruising battle with rival bidder Netflix to buy the company behind HBO, CNN and a famed movie studio along with the power to reshape much of the nation’s entertainment landscape.

    Emerging just days after top Warner managers agreed to Netflix’s $72 billion purchase, the Paramount bid seeks to go over the heads of those leaders by appealing directly to Warner shareholders with more money — $77.9 billion — and a plan to buy all of Warner’s business, including the cable business that Netflix does not want.

    Paramount said its decision to go hostile came after it made several earlier offers that Warner management “never engaged meaningfully” with following the company’s October announcement that it was open to selling itself.

    In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount noted its offer also contains more cash than Netflix’s bid — $18 billion more — and argued that it’s more likely to pass scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration, a big concern given his habit of injecting himself in American business decisions.

    AP AUDIO: Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging a $72 billion offer by Netflix

    AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports on a hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

    The Netflix logo is shown in this photo from the company's website on Feb. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

    Over the weekend, Trump said the Netflix-Warner combo “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share and that he planned to review the deal personally.

    For its part, Netflix says it is confident Warner will reject the Paramount bid and that regulators, and Trump, will back its deal, citing multiple conversations that co-CEO Ted Sarandos has had with him about the streaming company’s expansion and hiring.

    “I think the president’s interest in this is the same as ours, which is to create and protect jobs,” Sarandos said Monday at an investor conference.

    Battle draws political attention in Washington

    The fight for Warner drew strong reaction in Washington, with politicians from both major parties weighing in on the likely impact on streaming prices, movie theater employment and the diversity of entertainment choices and political views.

    Paramount, run by David Ellison, whose family is closely allied with Trump, said it had submitted six proposals to Warner over a 12-week period before the latest offer.

    “We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry,” the Paramount CEO said in a statement. Ellison added that his deal would lead to more competition in the industry, not less, and more movies in theaters.

    A regulatory document released Monday suggested another possible Paramount advantage to win over Trump: An investment firm run by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would be investing in the deal, too.

    Also participating would be funds controlled by the governments of three unnamed Persian Gulf countries, widely reported as Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Trump’s family company has struck deals this year for buildings and resorts that bear his name in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, partnering in the former with a company closely tied to the government and in the latter with the government fund itself.

    Also possibly in Paramount’s favor are recent changes at CBS News since its October purchase of the news and commentary website The Free Press. The site’s founder, Bari Weiss, who has a reputation for fighting “woke” culture, was then installed as editor-in-chief in a signal Ellison intended to shake up the storied network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personification of a liberal media establishment.

    Trump is a wild card

    Still, Trump is a wild card given his tendency to make decisions based on gut and his personal mood.

    On Monday, he lashed out at Paramount for allowing “60 Minutes” to interview his ally-turned-enemy Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, writing on social media that “THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP.”

    The drama surrounding control of Warner began Friday when Netflix made the surprise announcement that it had struck a deal with its management to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter,” HBO Max and DC Studios.

    The cash and stock proposal was valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt that will be assumed in the deal. By contrast, the Paramount offer is for $30 per Warner share, and worth $108 billion, included assumed debt. Paramount’s offer is set to expire on Jan. 8 unless it’s extended.

    But comparing the two deals is complicated because they are not buying the same thing. The Netflix offer, if it goes through, will only close after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal, which is unlikely to close for at least a year, are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

    The federal government has the authority to kill any big media deals if it has antitrust concerns, but such matters are usually left to experts at the Department of Justice. In his decision to get involved personally, Trump has decided, as he has with other government norms, to make a sharp break with precedent.

    That worries Usha Haley, a Wichita State University specialist in international business strategy, who noted that Ellison is the son of longtime Trump supporter Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest person.

    “He said he’s going to be involved in the decision. We should take him at face value,” Haley said of Trump. “For him, it’s just greater control over the media.”

    But others are uncertain how big a role Trump will play.

    John Mayo, an antitrust expert at Georgetown University, said the scrutiny will be serious whichever offer is approved by shareholders and goes before the DOJ, and that he thinks experts there will keep partisanship out of their decisions despite the politically charged atmosphere.

    “That may affect at least the rhetoric that occurs in the press,” he said, “though I doubt it will affect the analysis that occurs at the Department of Justice.”

    Shares of Paramount surged 9% on Monday while Netflix fell 3.4%, and Warner Bros. closed up 4.4%.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky, David Bauder and Charles Sheehan in New York and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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  • NASA loses contact with its Maven spacecraft orbiting Mars for the past decade

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    This combination of ultraviolet spectrum images provided by NASA shows atmospheric features of the planet Mars in July 2022, left, during the southern hemisphere’s summer season, and the planet’s northern hemisphere in January 2023 after Mars had passed the farthest point in its orbit from the Sun, captured by the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft. (NASA/LASP/CU Boulder via AP)

    The Associated Press

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  • ‘We need to protect our children’: Georgia Senate study on impact of social media and AI on kids is approved

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    Georgia State Senator Shawn Still (R-48) serves as the co-chair of the study committee examining the impact of social media and AI on children. Looking ahead a bit, Still said of the report, “This is going to be a bipartisan bill.” Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The 2026 Georgia Legislative session is still a month away, but there are still discussions to be had on the Senate floor. 

    On Wednesday, December 10, a study committee led by Senate Co-Chairs Sally Harrell (D-District 40) and Shawn Still (R-District 48), alongside committee members Marty Harbin (R-16), Sheikh Rahman (D-5), and Ed Setzler (R-37), explored the impact of social media and AI on children. During the public meeting, which was held in room 450 of the State Capitol, platform privacy protections were also discussed. 

    “We are very optimistic that we are going to have some legislation to protect our kids in this state,” said Still. 

    According to data in the report, the average time a child spends on their cellphones, whether on social media or communicating, is five hours. The committee is made up of parents and grandparents. 

    “Our kids instead are online constantly in a defensive state,” Harrell. “This comes at a great cost for our kids.” 

    The report brought forth by the committee featured five topics that made up the most important chapters. Those topics included education, parental controls, social media and gaming, privacy and design, and digital ownership. 

    One component of the report will address extending the bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions that were put in place last year to include high school students.

    The report was unanimously approved by the committee during the half-hour meeting. 

    “This is going to be a bipartisan bill,” Still said.

    “We need to protect our children, and hopefully this becomes a bipartisan bill,” said Sheikh Rahman (D-5) (right). Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Following the unanimous approval of the report, which now has to make its way down the pathway that is the Georgia Legislature, Still said there has already been internal and external pushback about the report, and to expect more. 

    “This will be one of the last times we are together and unscathed,” he said. “The technology companies don’t want this.” 

    Rahman added, “We need to protect our children, and hopefully this becomes a bipartisan bill.” After the meeting, Rahman told The Atlanta Voice about social media, “Our children know a lot more than we will ever know. Things change so fast.” 

    The first Muslim lawmaker in Georgia, Rahman, said that in private, the tech companies and their representatives have expressed equal amounts of concern for young people on social media and utilizing artificial intelligence. Still, in private, they don’t want bills like the one the committee will push forward to succeed.

    “The stock prices are their concern,” he said. “It’s about greed for them. We are looking to protect our children. We are going to need support from the people.”

    “He’s a smart kid, but I worry that the time spent crowds out the other things he likes to do,” Janice Mathis (above), an employee at Clark Atlanta University and a lawyer, said about her 13-year-old grandson. Mathis attended the meeting as a concerned citizen. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice 

    Janice Mathis was sitting in the gallery, taking notes and nodding along with the senators as they spoke about why the report, and ultimately a bill, was critical. A grandmother of a 13-year-old boy, Mathis, knows how much time her grandson spends on his phone and online. She, too, is concerned.

    He’s a smart kid, but I worry that the time spent crowds out the other things he likes to do,” Mathis, an employee at Clark Atlanta University and a lawyer, said. 

    In many cases, the amount of social media dependence has nothing to do with the quality of parenting, said Setzler. 

    “This report is a responsibility scheme, not a regulatory scheme,” he said. “It’s not either or, it’s both and.” 

    In 2026, an election year in which key Georgia seats, including the governor’s, are up for grabs, there will be many topics on the table this coming legislative session. Despite the Capitol being split by two Republican chambers, there might not be as much agreement as that would lead people to believe. 

    This is also the final legislative session for current Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. It may also be the final session for current State Senators Ruwa Romman (D-97) and Derrick Jackson (D-68), who are running for Governor. Former State Senators Jason Esteves (D-35) and John F. Kennedy (R-18) are no longer holding their respective seats as they focus on campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively. 

    “We are at a critical point when we can either turn this around or it’s going to get worse,” Harrell said. 

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  • Rural Michigan Broadband Access to Jump With $920M in Fed Funding

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    Efforts to expand high-speed internet across rural northern Michigan will get a $920 million boost from a federal grant, which over the next four years is expected to make broadband available to an additional 200,000 homes and businesses.

    Combined with $550 million in matching funds from providers, the almost $1.5 billion investment is a potential game-changer for rural counties, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

    The federal grant was announced in 2023, but it’s taken two years to get projects in local communities lined up for disbursement of those funds. In four years, the investment is expected to add 31,000 miles of fiber-optic lines across the state.

    “When we expand access to affordable, high-speed internet, we open doors to jobs, healthcare, education, opportunity and so much more,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We’re making historic investments across the state to ensure that no matter where someone lives or works, they have the connectivity they need to thrive and reach their full potential.”

    “We know that access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury,” said Eric Frederick, chief connectivity officer for the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office. “This funding … helps Michiganders get access to education, visit doctors, apply for jobs and so much more.”

    Currently, about 9 of 10 Michigan homes have access to internet service of at least 100 megabits per second, the minimum rate the Federal Communications Commission sets for high-speed internet, also called broadband. That puts Michigan in the middle of the pack among states.

    Yet there are 23 counties — mostly in northern Michigan or the Upper Peninsula — where under 60% of homes have broadband access, according to data from Connect Nation, a nonprofit working to close the digital divide.

    In Lake County, just 22% of homes have high-speed internet available; In Osceola County, it’s 28%.

    By comparison, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties all have broadband access surpassing 99%.

    Katy Xenakis-Makowski, superintendent of Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools in Otsego County, told Bridge Michigan that many of her students and half her teachers don’t have high-speed internet at home.

    “They just started to put broadband in my neighborhood this summer,” Xenakis-Makowski. “We had an ice storm and were out (of school) for eight days. “People say, ‘Oh, you should just make them up by going online,’ and we can’t.”

    Government support is needed to expand high-speed internet infrastructure to rural regions where there aren’t enough potential consumers to make the expansion financially viable. The UP’s Luce County, for example, has a population of about six people per square mile.

    Michigan has made notable progress in increasing access, as well as the speed of the internet available. In 2018, just 4.3% of households had access to 1 gigabit-per-second service, compared to 45.2% in 2025.

    After the announced expansions are complete, “Michigan will be closer to universal availability than ever before,” said Frederick. “There will still likely be extremely remote and rural locations that may still need to be connected, but nearly all Michigan households and businesses will be able to access high-speed internet after these investments are made.”

    Even when internet lines are laid, there’s the problem of service cost in areas that have a high poverty rate. Nationally, between 3% and 8% of households where broadband is available do not have internet in their homes, either because of cost or choice.

    As of 2023, more than 492,000 Michigan households had either no internet access or no availability of broadband, according to the Michigan Digital Equity Plan, published by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Another 730,000 households faced barriers related to affordability, device access or digital literacy.

    This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Musk says DOGE was only ‘somewhat successful’ and he wouldn’t do it again

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    Mega billionaire Elon Musk, in a friendly interview with his aide and conservative influencer Katie Miller, said his efforts leading the Department of Government Efficiency were only “somewhat successful” and he would not do it over again.

    The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who also owns the social media platform X, still broadly defended President Donald Trump’s controversial pop-up agency that Musk left in the spring before it shuttered officially last month. Yet Musk bemoaned how difficult it is to remake the federal government quickly, and he acknowledged how much his businesses suffered because of his DOGE work and its lack of popularity.

    “We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful,” he told Miller, who once worked as a DOGE spokeswoman charged with selling the agency’s work to the public.

    When Miller pressed Musk on whether he would do it all over again, he said: “I don’t think so. … Instead of doing DOGE, I would have, basically, built … worked on my companies.”

    Almost wistfully, Musk added, “They wouldn’t have been burning the cars” — a reference to consumer protests against Tesla.

    Still, things certainly have turned up for Musk since his departure from Trump’s administration. Tesla shareholders approved a pay package that could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

    Musk was speaking as a guest on the “Katie Miller Podcast,” which Miller, who is married to top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, launched after leaving government employment to work for Musk in the private sector. The two sat in chairs facing each other for a conversation that lasted more than 50 minutes and spanned topics from DOGE to Musk’s thoughts on AI, social media, conspiracy theories and fashion.

    Miller did not press Musk on the innerworkings of DOGE and the controversial manner in which it took over federal agencies and data systems.

    Musk credited the agency with saving as much as $200 billion annually in “zombie payments” that he said can be avoided with better automated systems and coding for federal payouts. But that number is dwarfed by Musk’s ambitious promises at one time that an efficiency commission could measure savings in the trillions.

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  • SpaceX successfully launches U.S. security satellite into orbit

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX successfully launched the NROL-77 mission from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 Tuesday afternoon.

    Rocket lovers may have heard a sonic boom, which was expected during SpaceX’s launch of a U.S. national security satellite.

    What You Need To Know

    • The takeoff took place at Space Launch Complex 40
    • This is a top-secret mission for the National Reconnaissance Office and U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command

     

    Going up

    This was the fourth mission for B1096, the name of this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster.

    After the first-stage separation, it landed at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    And many may have heard it.

    “There is the possibility that residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” explained SpaceX in an email to the media.

    How the first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster lands at Landing Zone 2. (SpaceX)

    About the mission

    There is not much about the mission that can be released since it is a launch for national security.

    “The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) are partnering to launch NROL-77 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. This mission carries a national security payload designed, built, and operated by NRO,” stated the National Reconnaissance Office in a media release.

    This is SpaceX’s second NRO mission, with the first one being in 2017.

    The mission patch is of a flying squirrel, which the NRO has stated is a symbol of hard work and endurance.

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    Anthony Leone

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  • SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites Monday evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

    The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 p.m. EST, carrying over two dozen satellites. 

    The 32nd launch

    SpaceX said the Starlink Group 6-92 mission was the 32nd flight for the first-stage booster, B1067, which had previously launched:

    1. CRS-22
    2. Crew-3
    3. Turksat 5B
    4. Crew-4
    5. CRS-25
    6. Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G
    7. SES O3B mPOWER-A
    8. PSN SATRIA
    9. Telkomsat Merah Putih 2
    10. Galileo L13
    11. Koreasat-6A
    12. 20 Starlink missions

    Following the stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas on Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

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  • SpaceX receives lawsuit over Freeport valve explosion in machine shop

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    BRAZORIA COUNTY, TEXAS — A lawsuit has been filed against SpaceX and New Gen Products regarding injuries sustained from an explosion of a Freeport valve in a machine shop.

    The plaintiff in the suit, Humberto Benavides, filed the suit on Aug. 15 follwing the incident in July, according to court documents.

    The injuries were life altering, according to Benavides, who sustained injuries to his ribs, internal organs and head. SpaceX and New Gen Products have both denied the allegations.

    According to an article in the San Antonio Express-News, Benavides’ lawyers said that SpaceX and New Gen, the company that makes the Freeport valve, failed to hire or properly train qualified people. They also cite inadequate supervision, an unsafe work environment, failing to act to prevent the accident and violations of federal safety rules.

    The trial is set to commence on Nov. 9, 2026, according to court documents. Benavides will be represented by Noah M. Wexler, a personal injury lawyer from Arnold & Itkin.

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    Rhett Brady

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  • Jared Isaacman back before the Senate seeking NASA’s top job

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Billionaire spacewalker Jared Isaacman urged senators on Wednesday to take swift action on his bid to lead NASA, after being yanked and then renominated by President Donald Trump.


    Isaacman appeared before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in Washington eight months after his first nomination hearing. The tech entrepreneur who’s rocketed into orbit twice with SpaceX stressed the need for “full-time leadership” at NASA as the space agency prepares to send astronauts back to the moon early next year.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been filling in as NASA’s acting administrator since summer.

    Returning astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years will be “a challenging endeavor to say the least,” Isaacman told the committee led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

    NASA is targeting early next year for a lunar flyaround by four astronauts. They won’t land on the moon; that would happen in another mission. The goal is to beat the Chinese there by the end of the decade.

    “This is not the time for delay but a time for action because if we fall behind — if we make a mistake — we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman told the committee.

    Cruz agreed. “NASA cannot take its eyes off the ball,” he said, referring to China’s looming moon plans. “The United States must remain the unquestioned leader in space exploration.”

    Isaacman was within days of being confirmed by the Senate as NASA’s 15th administrator when Trump pulled his nomination in May. The move came soon after Trump’s falling out with SpaceX’s Elon Musk. The president renominated Isaacman last month.

    Cruz said Isaacman’s second appearance “feels a bit like Groundhog Day” and hopes to have him confirmed by the end of the year.

    In response to questioning by senators, Issacman described both the moon and Mars as priorities for exploration by U.S. crews, with parallel efforts underway. He said he supports Duffy’s recent move to reopen the contract for the lunar lander needed for the first touchdown by astronauts under NASA’s Artemis program.

    Elon Musk’s SpaceX won the original crew lunar lander contract with Starship, but the mega rocket remains in flight testing. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is hustling to gain the lead with its Blue Moon landers; a prototype is due to launch early next year.

    Isaacman assured the senators that NASA will go with the first company capable of delivering U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface.

    “The best thing for SpaceX is a Blue Origin right on their heels, and vice versa,” he said. He also supports competition among world powers — “just as long as we don’t lose.”

    The 42-year-old founder of the payment processing company Shift4 performed the world’s first private spacewalk last fall. He bankrolled both of his spaceflights. Several astronauts were present for the hearing, including some of Isaacman’s own crewmates.

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  • Air Force clears SpaceX to build Starship launch pad at Cape Canaveral

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The U.S. Department of the Air Force gave SpaceX approval to build a launch and landing pad for its Starship at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX is one step closer to bringing Starship launches from Texas to Brevard County
    • Starship could launch up to 76 missions annually and conduct up to 152 booster landings
    • Super Heavy is the rocket booster part of the vehicle; the spacecraft is called Starship
    • When they are joined together, they are called Starship

    After months of input from the community, the decision was posted on the Air Force’s website, and it is the official green light SpaceX needed to bring its Starship to Brevard County.

    The rocket booster is called Super Heavy and the spacecraft is called Starship. When they are joined together, they are collectively called Starship.

    SpaceX confirmed on X that construction for the launch pad is already underway for Starship, which will return humans to the moon in NASA’s Artemis missions.

    Once that work is complete, the plan is for SpaceX to have three launch pads on the Space Coast.

    The company said the goal is to conduct both national security and future missions under the Artemis banner.

    There was some concern about Starship coming to Florida, with public meetings being held that included discussions on environmental impacts.

    The Department of the Air Force says it plans on implementing mitigation measures to account for environmental impacts associated with these new plans.

    In this case, mitigation requires habitat restoration.

    This decision still requires an additional analysis of the impact that Starship could have on aviation in Florida.

    Pending that analysis, Starship could launch up to 76 missions annually and conduct up to 152 booster landings.

    Space Launch Complex 37’s history

    The Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station has a long history, with the original plan being to support the Apollo program.

    Originally named Launch Complex 37, it was built during the Apollo era where Launch Pad 37A was never used, but it was Launch Pad 37B that saw all the action: From Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B launches to Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy takeoffs from 2002 to 2024.

    For more than 20 years, Space Launch Complex 37 was also home to Boeing’s Delta rockets until about six months ago.

    In June 2025, the blockhouse where the Delta rockets were stored at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station came tumbling down.

    At the time, Emre Kelly, media operations chief for Space Launch Delta 45, explained that once United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) lease of Space Launch Complex 37 expired, the infrastructure at the launch site was turned over to the U.S. Air Force.

    Kelly said the demolition of Space Launch Complex 37 was authorized by the U.S. Air Force “as being in the best interest of the government.”

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    Sasha Teman, Anthony Leone

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  • SpaceX skirts the weather to launch 29 Starlink satellites

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX found a window to launch nearly 30 Starlink satellites on Tuesday afternoon, despite some winds trying to change those plans.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX sent off Starlink 6-95 mission on Tuesday at 5:18 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
    • The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed

    The Falcon 9 rocket sent up the Starlink 6-95 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5:18 p.m.

    The launch window ran from 3:16 p.m. ET to 7:16 p.m. ET, meaning the California-based company had during this time slot to send up its Falcon 9 rocket.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 70% chance at the start of the window and up to an 80% chance of good liftoff conditions near the end.

    The concerns against the launch included cumulus cloud, disturbed weather and thick cloud layers rules.

    Besides showers and a possible isolated thunderstorm, winds were another concern, according to the squadron.

    “Breezy winds are expected in stronger storms, with gusts near 30 mph possible. Weather conditions currently look worse at the beginning of the primary launch window, then improve towards the end of the window as the front shifts south of the area,” the squadron stated.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    The 25th launch

    This will be the 25th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1077.

    Its previous missions included a crew launch and a boatload of Starlink ones.

    1. Crew-5
    2. GPS III Space Vehicle 06
    3. Inmarsat I-6 F2
    4. CRS-28
    5. Intelsat G-37
    6. NG-20
    7. Optus-X
    8. Starlink 5-10 mission
    9. Starlink 6-13 mission
    10. Starlink 6-25 mission
    11. Starlink 6-33 mission
    12. Starlink 6-43 mission
    13. Starlink 6-51 mission
    14. Starlink 6-63 mission
    15. Starlink 10-4 mission
    16. Starlink 8-11 mission
    17. Starlink 6-71 mission
    18. Starlink 12-8 mission

    19. Starlink 12-25 mission
    20. Starlink 12-23 mission
    21. Starlink 12-19 mission
    22. Starlink 10-28 mission
    23. Starlink 10-14 mission
    24. Starlink 10-21 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket should land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that should be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas of the round Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    • 9,093 are in orbit
    • 7,867 are in operational orbit

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    Anthony Leone

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  • Children who have smartphones by age 12 are at increased risk of health problems, new study finds

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    Having a smartphone may be harmful for children younger than 12, according to a new study. 

    The study published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics found that owning a smartphone during early adolescence is associated with increased risks of mental health issues and obesity. As far as psychological impacts, it pinpointed higher incidences of depression and insufficient sleep among children who owned smartphones by ages 12 or younger, compared with others kids without the devices.

    Researchers at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia, the University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University arrived at those conclusions after analyzing data from more than 10,000 adolescents around the United States who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) between 2018 and 2020. That study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, describes itself as “the largest long-term study of brain development and child health” in the country.

    According to researchers, 63.6% of the ABCD study’s participants owned a smartphone, and the median age they received them was at 11 years old. Using that data, the researchers determined that younger children had greater risks than older participants of poor sleep or obesity linked to smartphone ownership, with increasingly worse health outcomes reported for kids the younger they were when they received their first smartphone.

    “We didn’t even look at what the kids did on the phone,” Ran Barzilay, the lead author of the study and a child psychiatrist with the Youth Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Research Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told CBS News. “We basically asked one simple question: does the mere factor of having one’s own smartphone at this age range have anything to do with health outcomes?”

    The Pediatrics study also compared children who had obtained a smartphone by age 12 and children who had not, and found that one year later, those without smartphones were experiencing better mental health than those who had them.

    “We did account for the fact that the kids may have had other technological devices like tablets or iPads, and it did not change the results,” Barzilay said in an interview on CBS News’ “The Daily Report.”

    In a separate statement, Barzilay said his study’s findings suggest that parents should see smartphones as having “a significant factor in teen health” and approach the decision to give children a phone with care and consideration. He noted that smartphones “can play a constructive role” in teens’ lives by strengthening their social connections and helping them learn, adding that some families see smartphones as necessary for their children’s safety. 

    Going forward, Barzilay said the researchers behind the study hope to investigate which aspects of smartphone use and ownership are connected with negative health effects for young people. Researchers intend to study younger children, who acquired smartphones before age 10, in an effort to understand who is most vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of smartphone use who and who could most benefit from it. Ultimately, Barzilay said the goal is to identify ways to protect children and adolescents who own smartphones from the consequences outlined in their findings.

    In recent years, a growing number of experts have sounded the alarm about increased screen time and the effect it has on kids and teens. In a 2023 advisory on social media use and mental health, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommended creating “tech-free zones” and encouraging kids to “foster in-person friendships.” Meanwhile, several states have taken steps to ban cellphones in schools.

    According to Pew Research Center, 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 owned a smartphone in 2024. More than half of parents with children between the ages of 11 and 12 who were surveyed by the research center at that time said their kids also owned smartphones. The same survey found that nearly 30% of parents with children between 8 and 10 years old said their kids owned smartphones, as did 12% of parents with children between 5 and 7 years old, and 8% of parents with children younger than 5.

    “Most probably, all teens will eventually have a smartphone,” said Barzilay. “Once this happens, it is advisable to monitor what our children do on their phones, ensuring they’re not exposed to inappropriate content and that smartphones don’t disrupt sleep.”

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  • Authorium Showcased at Texas Department of Information Resources’ Innovation Lab for Exploring Emerging Technologies

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    SAN FRANCISCO, December 1, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Authorium, the cloud-based technology platform for government administrative operations, today announced that the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) will host the company’s technology in its Innovation Lab.

    DIR’s Innovation Lab provides a secure and controlled environment where Texas officials and staff from all state agencies, higher education institutions, and local government entities can explore, demo, and utilize emerging technology in a no-risk environment before engaging in the procurement process. Authorium is making select components of its procurement workflow and AI-enhanced features available in the Lab.

    “Authorium is honored to be selected for inclusion in the Innovation Lab as the DIR team is tasked with leveraging the world’s most powerful technology to solve critical challenges,” said Jay Nath and Kamran Saddique, Authorium’s Co-CEOs. “City, county, state, and federal government teams recognize and rely on Authorium’s solutions for increased efficiency, effectiveness, visibility, and compliance and we look forward to showcasing these values in Texas.”

    Unlike commercial platforms adapted for government use, Authorium was designed exclusively for public-sector use and 60% of the public benefit corporation’s staff served in government themselves. The platform is hosted in AWS GovCloud, TXRAMP certified, and SOC 2 verified, ensuring compliance with the State of Texas’ highest security and data protection standards.

    Authorium is fully cloud-based, allowing agencies to explore and test capabilities with no installation or IT overhead. Texas government employees looking to explore emerging technology in the DIR Innovation Lab can email innovation@dir.texas.gov for more information.

    About DIR
    DIR’s mission is to serve the Texas government by leading the state’s technology strategy, protecting state technology infrastructure, and offering innovative and cost-effective solutions for all levels of government. Learn more about DIR at dir.texas.gov.

    About Authorium
    Authorium is a no-code, cloud-based platform exclusively for government administrative operations. Government teams rely on us to support budget and grant administration, contract lifecycle management, HR processes, procurement, and legislative analysis. As a public benefit corporation, we serve the government workers that serve their communities, including Washington Technology Solutions, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Florida Department of Children and Families. Learn more at authorium.com.

    ###

    Source: Authorium

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  • Airlines adopt software fix for Airbus A320 after plane has sudden altitude drop

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    Airlines around the world canceled and delayed flights heading into the weekend to fix software on a widely used commercial aircraft after an analysis found the computer code may have contributed to a sudden drop in the altitude of a JetBlue plane last month.

    Airbus said Friday that an examination of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.

    The FAA joined the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in requiring airlines to address the issue with a new software update. More than 500 U.S.-registered aircraft will be impacted.

    The EU safety agency said it may cause “short-term disruption” to flight schedules. The problem was introduced by a software update to the plane’s onboard computers, according to the agency.

    In Japan, All Nippon Airways, which operates more than 30 planes, canceled 65 domestic flights for Saturday. Additional cancellations on Sunday were possible, it said.

    The software change comes as U.S. passengers were beginning to head home from the Thanksgiving holiday, which is the busiest travel time in the country.

    A COMAC C919 aircraft flies during the first day of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, Feb. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)

    American Airlines has about 480 planes from the A320 family, of which 209 are affected. The fix should take about two hours for many aircraft and updates should be completed for the overwhelming majority on Friday, the airline said. A handful will be finished Saturday.

    Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel.


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    American expected some delays but it said it was focused on limiting cancellations. It said safety would be its overriding priority.

    Air India said via the social platform X that its engineers were working on the fix and completed the reset on more 40% of aircraft that need it. There were no cancellations, it said.

    Delta said it expected the issue to affect less than 50 of its A321neo aircraft. United said six planes in its fleet are affected and it expects minor disruptions to a few flights. Hawaiian Airlines said it was unaffected.

    Mike Stengel, a partner with the aerospace industry management consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said the fix could be addressed between flights or on overnight plane checks.

    “Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend,” Stengel said from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Although again the silver lining being that it only should take a few hours to update the software.”

    At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after the Oct. 30 incident on board the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.

    Airbus, which is registered in the Netherlands but has its main headquarters in France, is one of the world’s biggest airplane manufacturers, alongside Boeing.

    The A320 is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737, Stengel said. Airbus updated its engine in the mid-2010s, and planes in this category are called A320neo, he said.

    The A320 is the world’s bestselling single-aisle aircraft family, according to Airbus’ website.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed.

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  • Airlines work to fix software glitch on A320 aircraft and some flights are disrupted

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    Airlines around the world reported short-term disruptions heading into the weekend as they fixed software on a widely used commercial aircraft, after an analysis found the computer code may have contributed to a sudden drop in the altitude of a JetBlue plane last month.

    Airbus said Friday that an examination of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.

    The FAA joined the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in requiring airlines to address the issue with a new software update. More than 500 U.S.-registered aircraft will be impacted.

    The EU safety agency said it may cause “short-term disruption” to flight schedules. The problem was introduced by a software update to the plane’s onboard computers, according to the agency.

    In Japan, All Nippon Airways, which operates more than 30 planes, canceled 65 domestic flights for Saturday. Additional cancellations on Sunday were possible, it said.

    The software change comes as U.S. passengers were beginning to head home from the Thanksgiving holiday, which is the busiest travel time in the country.

    American Airlines has about 480 planes from the A320 family, of which 209 are affected. The fix should take about two hours for many aircraft and updates should be completed for the overwhelming majority on Friday, the airline said. A handful will be finished Saturday.

    American expected some delays but it said it was focused on limiting cancellations. It said safety would be its overriding priority.

    Air India said on X that its engineers were working on the fix and completed the reset on more 40% of aircraft that need it. There were no cancellations, it said.

    Delta said it expected the issue to affect less than 50 of its A321neo aircraft. United said six planes in its fleet are affected and it expects minor disruptions to a few flights. Hawaiian Airlines said it was unaffected.

    Pope Leo XIV is on his inaugural foreign trip, to Turkey and Lebanon, and is flying along with the papal delegation and press corps aboard an ITA Airways Airbus A320neo charter.

    The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said Saturday that ITA was working on the issue. He said the necessary component to update the aircraft was on its way to Istanbul along with the technician to install it. Leo was scheduled to fly from Istanbul, Turkey to Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday afternoon.

    In France, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the situation has stabilized as several software updates had already been installed. He said the impact was limited in the country with an “almost complete return to normal in French airports.”

    In the U.K., disruption also was minimal. British Airways, for example, said only three of its aircraft required the update, while EasyJet indicated there may be changes to its flying schedule as a result of the update, in which case passengers will be informed.

    Germany’s Lufthansa said most software updates were completed during the night and on Saturday morning. No Lufthansa Group Airlines flights are expected to be canceled due to the current situation, but there may be minor delays over the weekend, it said.

    Scandinavia’s SAS said its flights were operating as normal Saturday, after teams worked overnight to install the required software.

    Mike Stengel, a partner with the aerospace industry management consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said the fix could be addressed between flights or on overnight plane checks.

    “Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend,” Stengel said from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Although again the silver lining being that it only should take a few hours to update the software.”

    At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after the Oct. 30 incident on board the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.

    Airbus, which is registered in the Netherlands but has its main headquarters in France, is one of the world’s biggest airplane manufacturers, alongside Boeing.

    The A320 is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737, Stengel said. Airbus updated its engine in the mid-2010s, and planes in this category are called A320neo, he said.

    The A320 is the world’s bestselling single-aisle aircraft family, according to Airbus’ website.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Pan Pylas in London and Nicole Winfield in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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  • Airlines adopt software fix for Airbus A320 after plane has sudden altitude drop

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    An aircraft heavily used by commercial airlines around the world needs a software fix to address an issue that contributed to a sudden drop in altitude of a JetBlue plane last month, the manufacturer and European aviation safety regulators said Friday.

    The step may result in some flight delays as U.S. travelers return home from the Thanksgiving holidays.

    Airbus said an analysis of the JetBlue incident revealed intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive requiring operators of the A320 to address the issue. The agency said this may cause “short-term disruption” to flight schedules.

    American Airlines has about 480 planes from the A320 family, of which 209 are affected. The fix should take about two hours for many aircraft and updates should be completed for the overwhelming majority on Friday, the airline said. A handful will be finished Saturday.

    American Airlines expects some delays but it said it’s focused on limiting cancellations as customers return home from Thanksgiving holiday travel. It said safety would be its overriding priority.

    Delta said it expected the issue to affect less than 50 of its A321neo aircraft. United said six planes in its fleet are affected and it expects minor disruptions to a few flights. Hawaiian Airlines said it wasn’t affected.

    Mike Stengel, a partner with the aerospace industry management consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said the fix could be addressed between flights or on overnight plane checks.

    “Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend,” Stengel said. “Although again the silver lining being that it only should take a few hours to update the software.”

    At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after the Oct. 30 incident on board the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.

    Airbus is registered in the Netherlands but has its main headquarters in France.

    It’s one of the world’s biggest airplane manufacturers alongside Boeing.

    The A320 is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737, Stengel said. Airbus updated its engine in the mid-2010s and planes in this category are called A320neo, he said.

    The A320 is the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family, Airbus’ website said.

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  • Data centers aren’t new, but seem to pop up everywhere

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    While it may seem like a new buzzword generating debate across the nation, data centers are nothing new.

    The large facilities, some of which can house millions of servers, have been around for decades. Construction is booming across the country, largely due to the growth of artificial intelligence.

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