China Resets the AI Race
Plus, another primary win for Trump-backed candidates, and the World Cup reignites a long-running debate: Who lives better, Americans or Europeans?
1. China has matched Anthropic’s Mythos in cybersecurity.
Security researchers said that a new AI model released this month by China’s Zhipu AI, also known as Z.ai, can match the latest U.S. models when it comes to finding security bugs, a development poised to reset the global tech race and pressure the White House in its overhaul of U.S. AI policy.
2. Iran asserted sole control of the Strait of Hormuz after days of back-and-forth fighting with the U.S.
The latest comments by the Iranian foreign minister stand at odds with American arguments that the preliminary deal signed by the two countries doesn’t give Iran control of the waterway and that navigation must be unimpeded. Talks between the two sides were expected to resume this weekend but have been stalled by the fighting.
3. A father bankrolled a high-school football team for his son. The program fell apart as quickly as it took off.
The wealthy entrepreneur put millions into The First Academy as he tried to propel his son to a college career. The program pulled in elite players chasing rich endorsement deals but collapsed amid cheating accusations—and his son moved elsewhere.
4. Trump pick Julia Letlow won the GOP Senate runoff in Louisiana.
Letlow defeated state Treasurer John Fleming in the contest to succeed Sen. Bill Cassidy, who had run afoul of President Trump. Clinching the nomination in a safe Republican state marks a major victory for the congresswoman.
5. Crimea has gone from prize asset to liability for Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
A Ukrainian campaign of drone strikes has caused a fuel and electricity crisis in the occupied Black Sea peninsula just as the tourism season, the key driver of its economy, was kicking off. The flare-up adds an extra negotiating card for Ukraine as Russia struggles to advance in the eastern Donbas region, though it is far from certain that Moscow would be more ready to settle as a result.