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Milo Yiannopoulos Detained by ICE in Louisiana
Immigration

Milo Yiannopoulos Detained by ICE in Louisiana

The longtime far-right operator and troll, a UK citizen, is being held in ICE custody pending his removal from the United States.
Miles Klee
Mice, a Caved-In Ceiling, and Cloudy Water: The GSA’s New Office Is Falling Apart
Structural Problems

Mice, a Caved-In Ceiling, and Cloudy Water: The GSA’s New Office Is Falling Apart

Zoë Schiffer
There Are So Many Conspiracy Theories About Dolly Parton and Vaccines
Vaccine Vaccine Vaccine

There Are So Many Conspiracy Theories About Dolly Parton and Vaccines

David Gilbert

Inner Loop

Democrats Just Might Win the Senate

Democrats Just Might Win the Senate

Strategists in both parties have long thought that everything would need to go right for Democrats to take over Congress this fall. Their map, though, is becoming more forgiving.
Hugo Lowell
Elon Musk Is Expected to Point His Money Machine at Texas Politics

Elon Musk Is Expected to Point His Money Machine at Texas Politics

Sources tell WIRED that Elon Musk is expected to spend up to $200 million in the midterms. It could be a big boost for GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who’s struggled to raise cash.
Hugo Lowell
The White House Is Going to Expand Its AI Policy

The White House Is Going to Expand Its AI Policy

Open models may soon be added to an updated AI framework, sources tell WIRED, as the White House continues to grapple with how to regulate a technology it has tried not to regulate.
Hugo Lowell
The National Design Studio Became a DOGE Landing Pad. Now ‘Big Balls’ Is Recruiting

The National Design Studio Became a DOGE Landing Pad. Now ‘Big Balls’ Is Recruiting

WIRED spoke with an engineer who was interviewed by Edward “Big Balls” Coristine for a government engineering role at the NDS, the White House agency staffed by other DOGE veterans.
Vittoria Elliott

Policy

FTC Strikes Deals to Ignore Unlawful Credit Discrimination

FTC Strikes Deals to Ignore Unlawful Credit Discrimination

The agency signed agreements to not enforce parts of three federal court orders against auto dealers accused of discrimination—and didn’t notify judges or at least one of its coplaintiffs.
Maddy Varner
Census Proposal Would Stop Counting Undocumented Immigrants—and Ignore Race and Sexual Orientation

Census Proposal Would Stop Counting Undocumented Immigrants—and Ignore Race and Sexual Orientation

A draft rule reviewed by WIRED would prevent the census from counting undocumented immigrants. To protect against “distortions,” it would also bar questions about race and sexual orientation.
Vittoria Elliott
The White House Is Keeping Its AI Cybersecurity Framework Secret

The White House Is Keeping Its AI Cybersecurity Framework Secret

The Trump administration shared the details of its plan with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI labs on Tuesday. For now, the public remains in the dark.
Maxwell Zeff, Lauren Goode, and Will Knight
DHS Official Resigns, Citing ‘War on Immigrants’

DHS Official Resigns, Citing ‘War on Immigrants’

The outgoing executive director of the Office of Homeland Security Statistics is one of very few federal officials to speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Noah Shachtman

Disinformation

Waffle House Teleporter Gregg Phillips Is Still on the Trump Administration’s Payroll

Waffle House Teleporter Gregg Phillips Is Still on the Trump Administration’s Payroll

In June, a FEMA official infamous for claiming to have teleported to a Waffle House was reportedly ousted. He’s still employed by the government, though—and meeting with a Trump fixer.
David Gilbert
A MAGA County’s Top Election Official Wants to Hire Election Denial Superstar Tina Peters

A MAGA County’s Top Election Official Wants to Hire Election Denial Superstar Tina Peters

Tina Peters was convicted of seven counts related to election interference in 2024. Now, she’s fielding an offer from a county that’s become a hotbed of voting-related conspiracy theories.
David Gilbert
The Group Behind 2000 Mules Is Back With Another Election Conspiracy Film

The Group Behind 2000 Mules Is Back With Another Election Conspiracy Film

True the Vote is working with a Detroit pastor to produce a new documentary called Trapped, based on claims that have already been thrown out in court.
David Gilbert
China Didn’t Make Americans Hate Data Centers

China Didn’t Make Americans Hate Data Centers

GOP lawmakers, tech investors, and even OpenAI have tied the anti-data-center movement in the US to Chinese interference. Experts say it’s much more complicated than that.
Molly Taft

Extremism

A White Supremacist Youth Group Helped Orchestrate the Belfast Riots

A White Supremacist Youth Group Helped Orchestrate the Belfast Riots

After Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson stoked anger over a horrific knife attack in Belfast, a youth group linked to a global neo-Nazi movement quietly orchestrated anti-immigrant riots.
David Gilbert
US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows

US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows

As Americans stew over the looming risk of job-stealing AI and data centers in their back yards, the feds are raising the alarm about a new category of threat, documents obtained by WIRED show.
Daniel Boguslaw
Senators Want Extremism Researchers to Surrender Documents Linked to Right-Wing Grudges

Senators Want Extremism Researchers to Surrender Documents Linked to Right-Wing Grudges

The Senate homeland security committee's chair has asked researchers to turn over troves of documents related to the January 6 attack, vaccines, and more, according to a letter reviewed by WIRED.
Ali Winston
An Anarchist’s Conviction Offers a Grim Foreshadowing of Trump’s War on the ‘Left’

An Anarchist’s Conviction Offers a Grim Foreshadowing of Trump’s War on the ‘Left’

As the Trump administration ramps up its targeting of left-leaning people and groups, the prosecution and harsh sentencing of Casey Goonan may provide a glimpse of things to come.
Ali Winston

Global Elections

The Supreme Court’s Mail-In Ballot Ruling Is a Step Toward Chaos in the Midterms

The Supreme Court’s Mail-In Ballot Ruling Is a Step Toward Chaos in the Midterms

The Supreme Court has removed one roadblock from the Trump administration’s attempts to impose severe restrictions on voting.
David Gilbert
Election Officials Are Preparing for Prediction Markets to Sow Chaos in the Midterms

Election Officials Are Preparing for Prediction Markets to Sow Chaos in the Midterms

From threats to the safety of poll workers to voters who can’t distinguish between odds and results, prediction markets are already scrambling the political process.
David Gilbert and Kate Knibbs
A Candidate Named ‘Count Binface’ Is the Most Normal Part of This Pivotal UK Election

A Candidate Named ‘Count Binface’ Is the Most Normal Part of This Pivotal UK Election

Clacton's parliamentary race has it all: Nigel Farage, a man dressed as a trash can, a Union Jack bikini, white nationalist conspiracy theories, and 34 candidates on the ballot.
Isabella Ward
Trump Endorsed the MyPillow Guy as Minnesota Governor. The State GOP Isn’t Buying It

Trump Endorsed the MyPillow Guy as Minnesota Governor. The State GOP Isn’t Buying It

After Trump publicly backed pillow salesman turned election denier Mike Lindell for governor of Minnesota, the local GOP pushed back strongly.
David Gilbert

Politics News

A Judge Has Blocked the Pentagon’s Attempt to Blacklist Anthropic

A Judge Has Blocked the Pentagon’s Attempt to Blacklist Anthropic

A federal judge has called the Department of Defense’s designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk “illegal and baseless.”
Hugo Lowell
Candidates Are Signing a Pact Promising Action on Data Centers and AI Safety

Candidates Are Signing a Pact Promising Action on Data Centers and AI Safety

More than 15 politicians from across the country have signed on to the AI Pact, vowing to regulate data centers and AI. “We’ve got to get this right,” says Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska.
Molly Taft
‘Darth Vader’ Wants You to Know He Definitely Supports Flock Surveillance

‘Darth Vader’ Wants You to Know He Definitely Supports Flock Surveillance

Anthony Ralphs was frustrated by the San Diego City Council's support for Flock. He decided it would take something more than reasoned argument to get their attention.
Vittoria Elliott
Meta Ran Ads for an App That Promised to Nudify Female Politicians

Meta Ran Ads for an App That Promised to Nudify Female Politicians

One advertisement featured a pornographic video with a deepfake closely resembling a prominent US politician. Apple removed the app from the App Store after an inquiry from WIRED.
Vittoria Elliott and Matt Burgess

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