The day's headlines are dominated by legal and political developments, with a federal probe into Democratic lawmakers concluding without charges and the Trump administration advancing sweeping policy reversals on climate and immigration. Meanwhile, Big Tech continues its aggressive expansion into AI infrastructure, even as leadership turmoil roils one of the sector's most prominent startups.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS CLEARED IN MILITARY ORDERS PROBE

A D.C. grand jury has declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Mark Kelly and Representative Jason Crow, following a federal investigation into a video they released advising military members to reject "illegal orders" (Associated Press). The decision marks the conclusion of what had become a high-profile legal probe into the production and distribution of the footage. Federal prosecutors ultimately determined the evidence did not warrant criminal charges.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES ON CLIMATE, CENSUS, AND NAMING RIGHTS

President Trump is preparing a landmark repeal of key climate findings, with the EPA planning to roll back a foundational 2009 Clean Air Act determination that has underpinned federal emissions regulations for over 15 years (NPR). The regulatory reversal comes as a new analysis estimates that administration changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have already cost Americans $19 billion (Associated Press).

On the census front, immigrant rights organizations are mobilizing to block a Republican-led effort to exclude noncitizens from the official count, arguing the move would violate constitutional requirements and disrupt federal funding allocation (multiple outlets).

In a lighter but telling development, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Trump has proposed renaming Penn Station and Dulles International Airport after himself, defending the suggestions by asking "Why not?" (White House briefing).

BIG TECH BETS BIG ON AI

Google has acquired Intersect, a data center and energy developer, for $4.75 billion—a deal underscoring the tech giant's commitment to scaling the hardware infrastructure necessary for AI (industry reports). Amazon is also reportedly exploring a marketplace for AI training data as the competition for quality datasets intensifies.

But not all is well in the AI sector: Elon Musk's xAI is experiencing a leadership exodus, with half of its founding team departing amid IPO speculation (WIRED). OpenAI has abandoned the "io" name for its upcoming hardware project, while Sam Altman's Worldcoin venture has appointed a former X executive as its first head of privacy to address mounting regulatory scrutiny over its eye-scanning practices (multiple outlets).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Vice President Vance made a historic visit to Armenia as intelligence assessments point to Russia's expanding military posture toward NATO (Associated Press). British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has narrowly avoided a leadership challenge despite internal turmoil over his links to figures associated with Jeffrey Epstein, a scandal that continues to reverberate—Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is also distancing himself from Epstein connections amid resignation calls.

In Africa, reports indicate Ethiopia is hosting secret training camps for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, adding a new dimension to the ongoing regional conflict.

MASS SHOOTING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

A mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, has left at least nine to ten people dead, according to varying reports (Associated Press, NPR). The incident is among the deadliest in recent Canadian history, and authorities are continuing their investigation.

TECH AND SOCIETY

Major social media companies have agreed to independent safety audits focused on teen users, while Paris police raided X offices as part of a criminal probe. In the U.S., Meta heads to trial in New Mexico over child safety allegations. Australia has implemented new social media restrictions for minors, and Discord is rolling out age verification measures (BBC, WIRED).

NewsGuard has filed a legal challenge against the FTC, and internal dissent is growing at Palantir and Salesforce over their roles in ICE's rapid expansion across the country.