Halloween shopping starts during beach season now Jim Watson/Getty Images The spookiest thing about Halloween this year might be how long the candy was sitting in your neighbor’s basement. The haunted shopping season is no longer confined to October (or even the fall), with more Americans beginning to stock up on sweets, graveyard decor, and costumes as early as summer:Nearly half of Americans did some Halloween shopping before October last year, compared with just over a third a decade ago, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). About 1 in 4 Americans did some Halloween shopping by early August this year. Many retailers want you to start contemplating your plans for curating an eerie vibe in your neighborhood while shopping for beachwear. For instance, Home Depot dropped its “Halfway to Halloween” product lineup in April. The spooky industrial complex is growing: Americans are projected to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween items this year, up from $13.1 billion in 2023, ac...

  AI Cohere unveils North 2 AI agent platform with rebuilt orchestration and token spending caps by Duncan Riley Artificial intelligence company Cohere Inc. today unveiled North 2, an overhaul of its platform for running AI agents inside large organizations. Alongside a redesigned system for orchestrating multistep agent work, the update gives administrators new controls for capping token spending. With North 2, Cohere is going after a tradeoff it says enterprises have accepted while deploying agents, giving up one of security, capability or cost control to get the other two. North has been generally available since August 2025 , and Cohere said a year of large production deployments in industries from finance to the public sector shaped what went into the upgrade. The orchestration system works through multistep tasks on its own and pulls in a human for steps that need sign-off. Agents built from a simple prompt can now be shared across a company, which saves other teams from bui...

NBA joins with prediction markets to boost integrity Marcin Golba/Getty Images That Onion-esque headline is real. The NBA announced yesterday that it is partnering with Polymarket and Kalshi as part of a push to protect “the integrity of the game.” The move comes as the league grapples with recent sports betting scandals and prediction markets face legal challenges from state regulators. Since 2024, the league has been plagued by wagering wrongdoings that have included a player receiving a lifetime ban and federal probes involving the Mafia. By joining forces with Polymarket and Kalshi, the league said it can better control what fans can bet:The NBA will get final say on what markets are offered, and users won’t be allowed to wager on single plays (e.g., first basket, opening tip) or under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes, as they are easily manipulated. The league will have access to Polymarket and Kalshi trading data, which can help locate suspicious action. T...

Altman is willing to break some eggs to make AI Heather Diehl/Getty Images If you don’t love AI at its breaching of databases then you don’t deserve it at its composing your work emails. That’s the gist of what Sam Altman told Politico when asked about the risks that come with the rapidly advancing technology going rogue more often. “We believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology,” the OpenAI CEO said. Other comments about AI safety from Altman to Politico include:On whether OpenAI agrees with its seemingly more safety-conscious rival Anthropic: “I think there’s a lot of daylight.” On the serious threats of AI, he said he doesn’t accept “the really catastrophic risks,” which we assume includes an Anthropic researcher saying there’s a 10% chance AI kills all humans. In a separate interview, the entrepreneur informed Fortune that OpenAI has not solved alignment, the term for aligning AI with its creators’ values (like not hacking...

Ukraine’s Starlink is restored, but murkiness remains A Starlink terminal in Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images Over the weekend, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company’s Starlink commercial civilian broadband service was restored to its pre-disruption speeds in Ukraine, confirming the company caused the slowdown following more than a week of speculation. Ukraine also said the service was restored, but that seems to be all that the two are on the same page about:In an X post, Musk wrote, “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.” Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, disputed the CEO’s allegations. “Starlink does not work over Russian territory. So we PHYSICALLY CANNOT USE COMMERCIAL STARLINK for deep strikes and mid-range strikes,” he wrote. Cause for confusion In addition to Starlink, SpaceX also offers Starshield, a military-grade servic...

Surely, some of y’all are ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Jason Kempin/Getty Images If you haven’t been “Choosin’ Texas,” well, someone has. Country Singer Ella Langley’s two-steppin’ song recently set a new record for most weeks at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit, currently in its 24th week at the top of the chart, unseated previous record holder Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”—despite everyone online claiming they’ve never heard Langley’s song. “Choosin’ Texas” was more of a slow burn. The song debuted last November at No. 39, and didn’t break the top 10 until January, eventually reaching No. 1 in February. It dropped from the top spot in May, but clawed its way back up in July, and has remained there ever since. That’s a pretty big feat for a country artist: Between 2000 and 2023, only four country songs occupied the top spot. Two of them were Taylor Swift songs. Is this a psyop? If you have no idea who or what is doing the song’s choosing, you’re not alone. Folk...

Consulting might not be dying in the age of AI Joan Cros/Getty Images It looks like AI chatbots that can answer questions by synthesizing humanity’s knowledge in seconds aren’t killing consultant billable hours. Consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture surprised Wall Street with a strong earnings report yesterday, propelling its stock up as much as 22%. Advice still sells Accenture’s strong earnings and rosy outlook for next year eased concerns that AI will replace professional recommendation-givers. The firm said its revenue rose 7% last quarter compared to the previous year. AI might be creating more consulting work: Accenture also announced a record number of new contracts with large clients like Alphabet and Amazon. The company said its major clients, like FedEx and BP, are embracing AI tools and turning to their human consultants for technical guidance. It also recently signed a $2 billion deal with Anthropic to help the AI lab ensure its products are safe for companies to use. ...

  Open Model News The big one is Qwen-Image-2.1 . It's a small text-to-image model and some people are already calling it the Nano Banana alternative. Not available on Ollama yet probably because weights ship under the Qwen Research License, which is non-commercial and requires you to email Qwen for a commercial licence. Another reminder that open weights and open source are not the same thing. The other release worth your time is small in a different way. You've probably seen Jev everywhere for the past week, TypeSafe AI's "System One" model that doesn't generate text at all. The open source alternative to Jev is laya-mlx , an Apache 2.0 native MLX port of Laya, the typed decision model from Convai Innovations. Available only for Apple Silicon model for now.

 Korean data center IPO flops amid AI vibe shift Illustration: Morning Brew Inc. On Wednesdays, the Brew’s Sam Klebanov highlights a fascinating stock, commodity, or other asset that’s worth your attention. This company’s IPO went worse than the first time you tried to fold a fitted sheet. AI data center provider Elice went public in South Korea yesterday, only for its shares to crash 32% in its debut. The fiasco is the latest sign that investors are souring on the AI buildout trade. Bad timing Trouble came despite the company’s ballooning sales and strong IPO expectations: Elice’s revenue tripled for the first half of 2026, compared with the same period a year ago. The oversubscribed IPO raised $150 million for plans to build modular data centers for AI. But Elice’s debut stock price was set before revenue growth slowed at AI labs and concerns about heavy borrowing got investors to dump shares of debt-saddled data center upstarts like Coreweave. Analysts say this could mark the ...

AI agents stole 600,000 credit cards for about $25 a target, Gambit says Security company Gambit says an attacker used three open-source AI agents to breach 27 companies and steal more than 600,000 credit card records. A scan cost about $25. September 28, 2026 - 9:53 am Credit: rupixen on Unsplash An attacker used three open-source AI agent frameworks to break into at least 27 companies and steal more than 600,000 credit card records, security company Gambit says. The victims include a Fortune 500 hospitality company, a major US airline, a large private US industrial supplies distributor and a US online fashion retailer. Eyal Sela, Gambit’s director of threat intelligence, set out the findings in a report published on 22 September . Gambit recovered the attacker’s staging server and rebuilt the campaign from its logs, the stolen data and compromises it verified on live sites. TNW has not independently verified the findings. Three agents, four models Strix, an open-source penetration te...

AI Agent Blamed for Deleting Entire Upcoming Season of TV Show Now that's television. By Frank Landymore Published Oct 14, 2026 5:03 PM EDT Add Futurism(opens Google in a new window or tab) More information TV4 / Futurism Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Email addressSign Up Did a dog eat your homework? Or maybe an AI obliterated your files? In a world of Claudes and Muses, it’s common for an AI agent to run amok , and even more fashionable to blame an AI when it all goes wrong . The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reports one of the most incredible examples we’ve heard of this so far: an AI agent apparently deleted the entire upcoming season of a reality competition show called “The Challenge Sverige,” just weeks before it was supposed to premiere. There’s no hope of recovering the files, the paper was told, so the production team at Mastiff will have to recut the entire season together from scratch. According to the...

 AI Agent Hacked Into Crypto Wallet and Stole Funds, OpenAI Says It questioned the ethics of what it was doing—before proceeding to do it. BY WEBB WRIGHT PUBLISHED OCTOBER 16, 2026, 1:20 PM ET READING TIME 3 MINUTES The Ethereum blockchain network was first launched in 2015. © Shutterstock READ LATER COMMENTS (15) Turns out not even the blockchain—touted by its fans as the ultimate cryptographic safe—is totally secure from grubby AI agents. An internal research model from OpenAI hacked into someone’s crypto wallet and withdrew the funds it needed to finish a coding task, the company said on Thursday. As you may have already guessed given the numerous rogue AI incidents from recent months, nobody at OpenAI gave the model explicit permission to do this. In a classic and by now all-too familiar demonstration of misalignment, the model took what was supposed to be an innocuous procedure and, when it hit a roadblock, went a little too far into problem-solving mode. (That, in a very ...

Nearly $200 Billion Worth of Data Center Projects Have Been Blocked or Delayed This Year Communities across the U.S. continue to push back against proposed data center projects. BY BRUCE  GIL  PUBLISHED  SEPTEMBER 21, 2026, 5:10 PM ET READING TIME 2 MINUTES © Shutterstock READ LATER COMMENTS (24) While major tech companies are racing to build massive data centers across the U.S., local communities are increasingly fighting back and in some cases winning. Citing data from Data Center Watch, Bloomberg reports that between April and June, at least 45 data center projects worth nearly $68 billion were blocked or delayed. That’s on top of another 75 projects valued at roughly $130 billion that were disrupted during the first quarter of the year. The figures come from Data Center Watch, a project from 10a Labs, that tracks grassroots opposition to data center development across the country. Collectively, that means nearly $200 billion worth of proposed data center projects r...

Canada’s Cleantech Sector Is Bigger Than You Thought September 23, 2026 Reading time: 2 minutes Author: The Energy Mix staff Full Story: The Energy Mix Canada’s cleantech sector generated about $43.3 billion in GDP and $10.8 billion in exports in 2024, figures that surprise many Canadians—including people in government, says Peter McArthur, chair of the Canada Cleantech Alliance. The sector includes 2,470 companies, and when McArthur explains its scope, many people respond: “Where’d that come from?” People looking at Canada’s economy often think first of its oil and gas sector, McArthur told The Energy Mix in an interview. But the fossil fuel sector employs about 20% fewer Canadians than cleantech, he said, citing data the alliance gathered from Natural Resources Canada and Statistics Canada. In Ontario, people the automotive sector is a major job creator, he added. “They employ 142,000 people, almost 40% less than the cleantech sector.” Employment in cleantech has grown from 201,000 i...

Bill Gates warns ‘there is no plan’ for AI transition Kent Nishimura/Getty Images One of the world’s greatest tech innovators just rang one of the loudest AI alarms yet. “AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” Bill Gates wrote in an essay yesterday, saying he doesn’t “see evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are confronting the challenges adequately. There is no plan to ease the entry into the AI era.” “We need time to prepare for the social, political, and economic upheaval,” the Microsoft co-founder and former AI optimist wrote in the nearly 6,000-word essay . According to Gates:The threat that AI and robotics present to blue- and white-collar jobs isn’t comparable to previous technological transitions, which happened over generations and resulted in tech that required—not replaced—human cognition. “This would be the worst possible time for humans to lose their critical thinking skills,” Gates wrote, referencing the rise...

CA vintners are desperate to sell unwanted wine Niv Bavarsky Three-buck chuck devotees finally have a chance to refine their oenological palate while staying in their preferred price range thanks to California’s wine crisis. Struggling with a historic glut amid slumping demand, the state’s winemakers are offloading fine wines to retailers like Costco that sell them under private labels at steep discounts, the Los Angeles Times reported recently. For example, one premium cab sav bottle that could typically fetch up to $85 is now going for $9.99 at a national grocery chain, according to its wine buyer. The great winecession The state’s $84 billion wine industry is battered as national sales fell to a 20-year low last year, which experts attribute to young people drinking less and many boomers ageing out of the habit of having a bottle of red with dinner. Plus, Canada’s ongoing boycott of US booze cost California’s winemakers $357 million last year, according to the Wine Institute. This ...

  The Token Rug Pull By Abhishek Prakash • 23 Sept 2026 View in browser ...

Akamai Announces $11.6 Billion Multi-year Agreement with Anthropic to Support Growing Demand Akamai Technologies, Inc. Thu, September 24, 2026 at 1:01 PM PDT 5 min read Akamai Technologies, Inc. Anthropic to leverage Akamai Cloud's distributed infrastructure and software to support CPU workload growth at scale The transaction provides for the potential expansion of the relationship by up to an additional $9 billion, which represents a total potential commitment of approximately $20 billion Akamai has issued a warrant to Anthropic, the continued vesting of which is tied to the successful expansion of the relationship, for up to approximately 5% of Akamai's common stock outstanding. A portion of the warrant representing approximately 2% of Akamai's common stock outstanding is expected to vest in connection with today's announced commitment CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), today announced a significantly expand...

After 'doom and gloom' decade, Fort McMurray readies for a boom 'It’s organized chaos,' says business leader as demand for workers picks up Kyle Bakx · CBC News · Posted: Sep 30, 2026 1:00 AM PDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago Listen to this article Estimated 7 minutes Business is picking up as Fort McMurray prepares for a possible oil boom, says William Gilbert with Gilbert Roofing, Keyano College instructor Shane Ganong, realtor Paige Cyr and Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce CEO Dianna De Sousa. (Bob Grieve/CBC, Tiphanie Roquette/Radio-Canada, Vincent McDermott/CBC) The Alberta community synonymous with meteoric oil booms and crippling busts is now staring down another potential wave of economic fortune. Already signs are pointing to a boost in growth in Fort McMurray with rising home prices, increased investment in the oilpatch, widespread hiring and longer lines at the Tim Hortons drive-thru. Much of the growth is in anticipation of a new oil pipeline to the West Coa...

European Union fines Google $590 million for data location breach Alongside the fine, Google has also been ordered to bring its processing into compliance within six months. PHOTO: REUTERS Published Sep 21, 2026, 06:38 PM Updated Sep 21, 2026, 06:44 PM DUBLIN – Ireland’s data protection watchdog, acting on behalf of the European Union, said on Sept 21 that it had fined Google €403 million (S$590 million) for improperly using users’ location data. The technology giant infringed the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation between May 2018 and February 2020, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is charged with applying the bloc’s rules over the issue, said in a statement. In its final decision after opening an inquiry in February 2020, the DPC ruled that Google infringed the GDPR “in respect of the lawfulness and fairness of its processing of location data in web and app activity and location history”. DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said that “as a result of Google’s f...

Overview of Canada's Fibre Optic Connectivity Initiative Canada is actively enhancing its digital infrastructure by developing fibre optic links that will connect the east and west coasts of the country. This initiative is crucial for improving connectivity and supporting international data exchange. Key Features of the Fibre Optic Links Connectivity Goals: East-to-West Coast Links: Establishing high-speed connections between the eastern and western regions of Canada. International Links: Extending fibre optic connections to Europe to facilitate global data exchange. Benefits: Improved Digital Infrastructure: Enhances the overall capacity and reliability of internet services across Canada. Support for Data Exchange: Aids in international collaborations and data sharing, benefiting various sectors including research and education. This initiative represents a significant step towards modernizing Canada's telecommunications framework and ensuring robust connectivity for its citiz...

Anthropic ‘warns of existential AI risks to humanity’ in IPO document Reported admission to investors of AI’s ‘self-preserving behaviours’ comes as company prepares for a potential $2tn flotation Dan Milmo , Global technology editor Tue 29 Sep 2026 11.17 BST Share Anthropic is telling investors that advanced AI could pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity”, according to reports, as it prepares for a potential $2tn (£1.5tn) flotation. The warning inside the startup’s IPO prospectus, which has yet to be made public, was reported by Reuters and the Financial Times. It follows the company’s call for a slowdown in breakneck development of the technology – a warning echoed by rivals . The prospectus – a document outlining a company’s finances, growth plans and risk profile ahead of a share listing – is said to warn that AI models could exhibit “self-preserving behaviours”, including attempts to “resist shutdown”, to “conceal or manipulate information” and behaviour “resembling ...

Old Growth on the Chopping Block for the North Coast Transmission Line BC Hydro’s preferred route cuts through the Swan Creek Protected Area, a ‘remnant’ of intact forest surrounded by cutblocks. Sarah Cox TodayThe Tyee Sarah Cox is The Tyee’s biodiversity reporter. Our journalism is supported by readers like you. Click here to support The Tyee. SHARE: The Swan Creek Protected Area is an unlogged watershed bordering the Zymoetz River in northwest BC. Image via Google Earth. Listen to this article 9 min BC Hydro is seeking to remove part of a provincial protected area near Terrace, B.C., to make way for a transmission line that will power the liquefied natural gas and mining industries. Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners Vancouver Fringe Festival Turns Up the Music The free Fringe Patio on Granville Island will feature all-ages live music co-presented with Coastal Jazz over the Labour Day Weekend. In a recently released environmental impact assessment , BC H...

Trump hosted tech leaders for an AI power lunch Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images It was a rare tech industry lunch that didn’t revolve around discussing keto. President Trump assembled Silicon Valley leaders at the White House for lunch yesterday to talk about AI, as anxieties about the tech’s potential risks hit a fever pitch following a string of incidents of models going on rogue hacking missions. Afterwards, the president said that he and the execs had signed “a morally binding” agreement, which he called “a form of protection” and likened to “a constitution.” Who was at the table? Trump sat next to Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the gathering that included CEOs of Anthropic, Palantir, Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, as well as OpenAI president Greg Brockman and others. Vice President Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also attended. Pass the salt regulations? Trump, who has opposed new AI regulations, said the lunchmates agreed on the need for “tremendous self-regulation” ...