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A federal judge in San Francisco has struck down the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic as a supply chain risk, ruling that the government's actions violated Anthropic's constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment by designating Anthropic a supply chain risk “based on a desire to make a public example” out of the company, and its actions were not founded on any “articulable basis.” Lin wrote in her order: “Defendants claim that because of Anthropic’s ‘increasingly hostile manner through the press’ and its criticism of the Department of War’s views on AI use, Defendants ‘cannot trust Anthropic to ensure the integrity of its models’  . . . Neither the Constitution nor the federal statute invoked by Defendants allows them to impose sweeping penalties based principally on Anthropic’s critique of the Administration’s views.” CNBC notes that Anthropic's litigation in Washington D.C. is still ongoing, and until that case is resolved, the company still technically remains a supply chain risk.

 

CNBC

NBC News

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The Office of the Comptroller of ​the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance ⁠Corporation say they have finalized rules that set formal ‌definitions for "unsafe and unsound" practices by banks, providing examiners with firm guidelines for how to police ​lenders. The rules, which were ​first proposed in October, mark the first ​time a bank regulator has formally defined what actions government examiners should consider improper. Reuters notes that ​regulatory ⁠heads have opined that examiners need to refocus on core financial risks, saying they have become too focused on minor issues.

 

Reuters

More than 100 companies, including tech giants Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI, have signed an open letter urging a global effort to strengthen AI-powered cybersecurity threats. "We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defenses," the letter reads. "In the coming months, AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models around the world become increasingly capable." The companies call on national governments to provide "capable, defensive AI" and testing to hospitals and water utilities, and on technology companies to aid such efforts. Collectively, tech firms and government "should bring the full weight of their technology, resources, and expertise to this effort," the letter says.

 

Deutsche Welle

TechCrunch

New York Times

BBC News

Boston Scientific has reported a cybersecurity incident that disrupted its information technology systems and business applications. The company said in an SEC filing that the incident occurred on August 25, leading to global operational disruptions, including challenges in processing and shipping customer orders. Boston Scientific is working to restore its systems, but the timeline for resolution remains uncertain.

 

U.S. News

Fierce Biotech

Anthropic has launched a research preview of "Model Hardware Standard", ​a framework for AI agents ‌to operate physical devices in scientific research and advanced manufacturing. The company said it aims to help companies reduce the amount of time it takes to set up and integrate their hardware; companies will be able to integrate AI into their equipment in “hours or minutes,” whereas such a process would typically take “weeks, if not months,” and require specialists to do a custom build, Anthropic said. The standard works ​on any ​device that ⁠has a programmable interface and allows devices and agents ​to communicate across networks, according to the company.

 

CNBC

Fortune

Reuters

Alphabet-owned self-driving technology company Waymo has announced tests of its autonomous ​vehicles in Munich in the coming ‌weeks, ahead of a planned commercial ride-hailing service in Germany that it aims to launch toward ​the end of next year. The vehicles would initially drive ⁠manually throughout the city to map local ​roads and test with trained autonomous specialists. Waymo said it plans to create high-skilled local jobs ​as ⁠it prepares to launch in Munich.

 

Euronews

Reuters

A U.K.-based cryptocurrency executive who is wanted in the U.S. on wire fraud and market manipulation charges could be delivered to the U.S. to stand trial after losing a legal challenge against extradition. Manpreet Kohli, a 45-year-old Indian national and the former chief executive of cryptocurrency company Saitama, was arrested in London in 2024 after U.S. prosecutors accused him and more than a dozen others of carrying out a widespread fraud. Kohli ​remains free on £200,000 ($272,420) bail and can appeal against the ruling.

 

Reuters

Brazil's government has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, seeking 500 million reais (approximately $97m) for alleged failures in protecting children. The legal action follows a suicide case linked to the platform, prompting the government to demand stronger parental controls and better cooperation with law enforcement. The Solicitor-General's office said that Discord had committed "direct violations" of Brazilian law regarding the safety of vulnerable groups. Discord has called the lawsuit "disproportionate," asserting that it does comply with local regulations.

 

AP News

The U.S. merchandise-trade deficit widened 17.2% in July to $118.8bn, according to the Commerce Department, its largest level since March 2025, as imports rose 3.7% and exports declined 2.9%. The increase in imports was driven by the largest rise in capital goods since 1993, including computers, semiconductors, telecommunications equipment, and other products linked to strong artificial intelligence investment. Retail inventories increased 0.7%, while wholesalers continued to build inventories. The wider-than-expected trade gap is expected to weigh on third-quarter GDP growth, although Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic said the deterioration reflects strong demand for AI-related products rather than weakness in the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, U.S. wholesale inventories have risen 1.3% significantly exceeding economists’ expectations for a 0.2% increase and accelerating from the previous 0.2% rise.

 

Yahoo Finance

Bloomberg

Reuters reports that California-based Taylor Farms, North America's largest salad producer and the company that is the focus of a cyclospora outbreak, frequently ​failed to disclose federally mandated workplace injury tallies in recent years, including for at least four facilities where workers suffered fatal or otherwise serious injuries. A Reuters review of federal records found that the data indicate an overall reporting rate well below the industry average of 78%. Taylor Farms said in a statement: "Employee safety is a core operational priority across Taylor Fresh Foods’ 30 facilities and 25,000 team members, and gaps in the electronic submission of our  . . . summary forms have been addressed." 

 

Reuters

Missouri voters’ 83% rejection of a proposal to phase out the state’s individual income tax could signal waning momentum for similar efforts nationwide. Several states, including Kentucky and Mississippi, are pursuing gradual phaseouts tied to fiscal and revenue triggers, while others have reduced rates or adopted flat-tax systems. States have generally taken cautious approaches after Kansas’ aggressive 2012 tax cuts contributed to major budget shortfalls and were largely reversed in 2017. Although reforms have primarily targeted individual income taxes, they can affect businesses through pass-through liabilities, investment decisions, employee recruitment, and state tax structures. Businesses should continue monitoring state tax reforms, particularly as policymakers weigh income tax reductions against greater reliance on consumption taxes.

 

Bloomberg Tax

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has joined the U.S. Department of Justice’s new National Fraud Detection Center (NFDC), committing analysts and investigators to a prosecutor-led effort aimed at identifying tax fraud and other complex schemes targeting federal programs. The center will bring together federal law enforcement agencies, inspectors general, and state partners to share information, analytical capabilities, and technology, generate criminal leads, and support prosecutions, including cases involving overseas actors and fraud spanning multiple government programs. TIGTA Deputy Inspector General for Investigations John Kirk said the partnership will strengthen agencies’ ability to identify emerging schemes, connect information across government, and act quickly to protect taxpayers and IRS programs. Inaugural NFDC participants also include the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, FinCEN, the Treasury Department, and numerous federal inspectors general, alongside several state government partners.

 

Bloomberg Tax

Accounting Today

Law360

Tax Notes