Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for an antitrust waiver for AI firms to work together on a safety standard is being met with skepticism in Washington, where policymakers are questioning tech leaders’ intentions. Congress has failed repeatedly to pass AI regulations for years, but some lawmakers are balking at the idea of technology companies taking…
The Hill•Miranda Nazzaro17 Sept
Washington’s response to the Houthi advance exposes the limits of the US security umbrella in the Gulf.
Al Jazeera17 Sept
The Palestinian Authority has condemned a US decision to deny visas to President Mahmoud Abbas and dozens of officials ahead of next week's UN General Assembly, marking the second consecutive year Washington has blocked his attendance.
Euronews17 Sept
India will continue prioritizing the energy security of its population despite attempts by the United States to squeeze Russian oil and gas exports, many of which go to India, the country’s Foreign Ministry said today. It also warned that any move by Washington that affects energy security concerns could sour bilateral ties. “The Indian side has also made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” the Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by Reuters. The latest sanction bill…
NEW DELHI: India has warned Washington that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact bilateral ties, the South Asian nation's foreign ministry said on Thursday, hours after the U.S. made a new move to punish such buyers. Earlier in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill intended to increase economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The bill, now sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law, authorizes him to impose stiff tariffs of up to 100% on China, India and other countries to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. The Indian foreign ministry said that it had noted the passage of the bill, adding that New Delhi had raised the issue with various U.S. interlocutors in recent months, and had "very clearly articulated" the potential implications for the bilateral relationship and the international energy market. New Delhi remains "firmly committed" to ensuring energy security for its people and will continue to source supplies from diverse sellers based on market dynamics, the ministry said in a statement. "The Indian side has also made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests," said the ministry, adding that the government would work closely with trade and industry bodies to deal with the implications of the legislation. India, the world's third-biggest oil importer, is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which is seen as helping Moscow replenish its budget since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions. New Delhi has repeatedly sought to resist pressure to scale back its oil trade with Russia, saying its large population and economy need secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies. Indian refiners have arranged oil for September and October which includes Russian oil, according to sources aware of the matter. Two refining sources said they want the government to take up the issue with U.S. authorities as oil prices will rise sharply if Trump decides to impose new tariffs. Oil supplies have reduced substantially due to the war in the Middle East and cutting Russian supplies will have a big impact on the profits of refiners as they are already selling fuels at below-market costs, the sources said. Refiners want the government to seek some relaxation, instead of imposing a 100% tariff, to allow them to wind down the existing transactions and fix a quota for India to buy Russian oil, they added. Complicating trade talks Indian analysts say the possibility of new U.S. tariffs on Indian exports could complicate ongoing India-U.S. trade negotiations and potentially delay or make an agreement on a trade pact more difficult. "Washington may use the tariff threat to pressure India to reduce Russian oil purchases and accept a deeply unequal trade agreement," said Ajay Srivastava, founder of New Delhi-based think-tank Global Trade Research Initiative and a former trade official. After months of talking, India and the U.S. are yet to reach a consensus on a trade agreement with New Delhi holding out for a better deal. Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal will travel to the United States for the G20 trade ministers' meeting later this month where he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with the United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and discuss the path forward for the deal.
As Washington debates how to regulate AI, industry experts say that governance doesn’t have to mean hitting the brakes.
Al Jazeera17 Sept
Washington's efforts for resuming ceasefire talks appear to have stalled, as Gulf states absorb escalating attacks from Iran and Iran-aligned Houthi militants.
Yemen’s Houthis have agreed to allow US shipping unfettered Red Sea access if Washington refrains from military action.
Al Jazeera17 Sept
The president's threat comes as Canada seeks closer ties with Europe amid its deteriorating relationship with Washington.
Washington says the fix is days away; Aramco is trading like it's weeks
Voices across Hollywood and Washington are speaking out after Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour for making pro-Palestine comments on stage. “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, one of TV’s most politically outspoken stars, wrote on her Instagram stories on Tuesday, “Ed Sheeran i say this as a ginger. i hope you get a REALLY […]
Variety•Jack Dunn16 Sept
Apple executive chairman Tim Cook is expected to attend a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, reports Bloomberg . Cook stepped down as Apple CEO and transitioned to executive chairman on September 1, with John Ternus taking over. Part of Cook's new role includes engaging with policymakers around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump invited Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, among others. The dinner will be held next week during Xi's visit to Washington. Cook has attended multiple state dinners with Xi. Earlier this year, Xi held a state dinner for Trump in Beijing where Cook was present, and in 2015, Cook was seated next to Xi at a state dinner then-President Barack Obama hosted. Tag: Tim Cook This article, " Tim Cook to Attend White House State Dinner for Xi Jinping " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
A joint U.S.-Mexico intelligence operation led to the arrest of an alleged cartel logistics operator accused of helping supply fentanyl and synthetic drugs to Washington state.
FreightWaves•Noi Mahoney16 Sept
👋 Hey everyone, hi and thanks to my fellow rocks for joining in as always! Today we are diving into some intense price action for XRP following a chaotic 24 hours in Washington and macroeconomics, so let's break down exactly what is happening to the charts and what it means for our portfolios. As always, thanks for tuning in with me. 🚨 The U.S. cryptocurrency market faced dual headwinds as the Senate rejected the CLARITY Act in a 49-50 vote, failing to reach the 60-vote threshold required to pass. Simultaneously, the Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point interest rate hike, bringing the benchmark rate to a target range of 3.75% to 4%. These developments triggered a broad digital asset selloff, with XRP sliding roughly 10% to trade near the $1.28 level. 📉 Looking straight at the technicals, XRP took a sharp 10% tumble down to around $1.28, completely erasing its recent upward momentum. The immediate focus for bulls right now is holding the line at the critical 50-day moving average, which sits right around $1.21. If we get a daily close below that level, things could get messy with a potential slide down toward the downside support zones near $1.10 or even $0.88, while key overhead resistance remains heavy near the $1.39 to $1.45 range. 📉 Our next technical is that descending channel which we've already been watching in previous ideas. Was helping us out but once we lost our grip it became a resistance rather than a support and following that last re-entry into the channel we managed to break out the channel though that was thanks to sentiment and hype before the clarity act decision. Can see just what kind of impact the clarity act had on the 15th following the news as we quickly exited the channel and saw a steep drop in much of the crypto market and XRP. 🏛 Beyond the charts, the real drivers behind today's flush are coming from major fundamental and macroeconomic shifts. First, the crypto-specific blow landed when the Senate held a procedural vote on the CLARITY Act, which fell short of the 60-vote threshold in a tight 49-50 split, effectively shelving comprehensive federal crypto market regulations for the near future. On top of that, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh and the FOMC delivered a hawkish surprise by unanimously voting to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to a 3.75%–4% range, marking the first rate hike since 2023 and adding immense macro pressure to all risk assets. We already understand the market favors low interest rates so this definitely is something to keep in mind. 💡 But before anyone panics, we have to look at the silver lining that sets XRP apart from the rest of the crypto market. While the failure of the CLARITY Act hurts industry-wide regulation, XRP already stands on settled legal ground because of its landmark 2023 court victory and the subsequent March 2026 joint interpretation by the SEC and CFTC classifying it as a digital commodity. With five spot XRP ETFs actively trading in the U.S. and institutional plumbing adopting the token, today’s crash is a short-term reaction to legislative delays and a hawkish Fed, rather than a threat to XRP's underlying legal status. ✨ That wraps up today's analysis, and I want to give a massive thanks to everyone for tuning in and staying on top of these wild markets with me. If you found this breakdown helpful, please make sure to leave a like and follow for more daily updates so you never miss a beat—stay safe out there, and I'll catch you in the next one! Best regards, ~ Rock '
Iran says it will dissect and replicate the technology in a 19-foot U.S. underwater drone the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps captured. Andrew Chang breaks down Iran's history of reverse-engineering captured American drones and why Washington is downplaying the loss as an expendable malfunction. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images
Bitcoin dropped below $76,000 on Sept. 15 after the Senate rejected a motion related to the CLARITY Act, but the timeline of the decline shows that the cryptocurrency was already under pressure before the vote took place. Bitcoin hit an intraday low of $74,967.97 during the session. It had already fallen below $76,000 before the Senate tally, meaning the political disappointment in Washington did not start the sell-off. Instead, it arrived while the market was already moving lower. The broader altcoin market also weakened during the same period. The altcoin market capitalization tumbled 3.6%, though it managed to remain above $1.15 trillion. That decline shows that the pressure was not isolated to Bitcoin. It spread across the wider digital asset market, affecting risk sentiment more broadly. Even so, the fact that the altcoin market cap held above $1.15 trillion suggests that the sell-off, while notable, did not immediately turn into a deeper capitulation event. Traders were also preparing for a Federal Reserve decision, which added another source of pressure across risk assets. When investors are waiting on a major central bank announcement, they often reduce exposure to speculative assets, and crypto is frequently among the first areas to feel that de-risking. That pre-Fed caution likely contributed to the softer tone in Bitcoin and altcoins before the Senate vote even became the focus. In other words, the market was already dealing with macro uncertainty, and the political news landed on top of an existing pullback. The chronology matters because it changes how the Senate vote should be interpreted. It supports describing the rejection of the CLARITY Act motion as one factor in the afternoon weakness, but not as the origin of the full-day decline. The vote may have worsened sentiment or accelerated selling during a specific window, but it was not the sole cause of Bitcoin’s move below $76,000. The market was already vulnerable, already cautious, and already leaning defensive ahead of the Fed. Bitcoin Absorbs Initial Pre-Fed Sell-Off, Leaving $70,000 as a Critical Test Bitcoin has so far absorbed the initial pre-Fed sell-off, but that resilience does not mean the risk has passed. The next major test is whether a hawkish Fed can push BTC through the $70,000 support zone and materially damage the August recovery. That level has become a key technical and psychological marker. If Bitcoin holds above it, the market may treat the recent decline as a normal pullback within a broader recovery. If it breaks below it, the damage could be more significant, potentially undermining the gains that were built during August. The $70,000 zone is important because it represents a line between a healthy correction and a deeper trend reversal. A hawkish Fed decision could strengthen the dollar, push yields higher, and reduce appetite for risk assets, all of which would pressure Bitcoin. In that scenario, sellers might test the $70,000 support with greater force. If that support fails, the market could begin to question whether the August recovery was sustainable or whether it was simply a temporary bounce within a larger downtrend. On the other hand, if Bitcoin continues to absorb pre-Fed selling and holds above $70,000, it would suggest that buyers are still willing to step in at lower levels. That would not eliminate the risk of further volatility, but it would signal that the market still has a foundation to build on. The August recovery would remain intact, and the recent drop below $76,000 would look more like a shakeout than the start of a sustained decline. For now, the situation is best described as a market under pressure but not yet broken. Bitcoin’s decline began before the Senate rejected the CLARITY Act motion, and the Fed decision remains a larger macro driver. The vote added to the afternoon weakness, but it did not create the full-day sell-off. The critical question ahead is whether Bitcoin can defend $70,000 if the Fed takes a hawkish stance. If it can, the recovery may survive. If it cannot, the market could face a much more serious test of its recent gains.
Bessent opens AI risk talks with China in New York, eight days before Trump hosts Xi in Washington.
BeInCrypto•Lockridge Okoth16 Sept
Gen Dan Caine comments at Washington summit come after US revealed it has deployed weapons in space American troops need to prepare for combat not only in Earth’s orbit but around the moon, Donald Trump’s top military adviser said on Wednesday, looking ahead to a new frontier in warfare after the US revealed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told service members and industry figures at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference outside Washington that the US military should adapt now so it “is prepared to fight, endure and win ... from the seabed to cislunar space”. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Associated Press16 Sept
Even with mounting concerns about AI models going rogue, legislation appears unlikely, and the White House is outright opposed to oversight.
The Trump administration plans to deliver 60,000 of the powerful munitions at a time when opposition is growing in Washington to arms sales to Israel.
The New York Times•David M. Halbfinger and John Ismay16 Sept