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A public spat between former Trump administration officials over alleged corruption in public health policymaking is the latest front in Republicans' postelection recriminations, a battle that has exposed fault lines within the White House and could reshape political alliances involving the influential Make America Healthy Again movement.The blowup began when Calley Means, a former top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a chief advocate for the MAHA movement, appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast Friday and accused Susie Wiles, James Blair and others of catering to foreign and domestic lobbyists at the expense of Americans' health.Wiles, who was recently replaced as White House chief of staff, and Blair, a top political adviser, have denied the allegations.Means’ remarks came days after voters cast ballots in midterm elections where government corruption was among the top issues for voters who ousted Republicans and handed Democrats control of Congress.The issue overlaps with concerns from MAHA activists, who have been focused on combating what they see as systemic and harmful corporate influence over policymaking. MAHA became an important part of Trump’s coalition after Kennedy endorsed him during the last presidential campaign, and fractures could create political headaches or new avenues for congressional investigations in the coming years.Zen Honeycutt, a former Kennedy campaign staffer and founder of the group Moms Across America, said Means is "amplifying the frustrations that a lot of MAHA folks have had the past few months and validating them.” She’s "excited for a new beginning" now that Trump has replaced Wiles with Stephen Miller, whom she views as more aligned with the movement.But Honeycutt hasn't ruled out working with Democrats, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom she met with in July to discuss shared environmental priorities, including the pesticide glyphosate and artificial intelligence data centers."The MAHA movement does not belong to any party or politician," Honeycutt said.Means alleges outside interests influenced policymaking On Rogan’s show, Means recounted a conversation he had with Wiles about her declining to support certain MAHA initiatives because she needed donations from the sugar industry. "Calley, we can't do this. I need sugar money,” he recalled Wiles saying to him. "I need the money from the sugar people to win the midterms.”“There is a very concentrated group in the Trump administration that are antagonistic to what people voted for,” Means said. Rogan’s show was released Friday, shortly before Trump announced Wiles would step down as White House chief of staff.Means was hired as a White House adviser early in the second Trump administration. He used his perch at the Health and Human Services Department to attack the nation's leading physician groups, federal agencies and government scientists, claiming they only protect their own interests. Means left the Trump administration in October, without stating a reason for his exit. "She has taken a stranglehold on any policy decision" impacting the MAHA movement, alongside her former lobbying firm Ballard Partners, Means said about Wiles.Referring to Blair in the Rogan interview, Means said he has "explicitly catered to special interests against the will of the voters.” He said he believed much of what he was alleging "happened without Trump's full knowledge."Blair, who previously served as a White House deputy chief of staff before taking an outside role in Trump’s political operation, responded on social media that he was contemplating suing Means over his statements. In text messages between Means and Blair, viewed by The Associated Press, Blair told Means "if you get near slandering or defaming me I will sue you," and "if you are gonna try to knife me, I’m happy to return the favor."The White House denied Means' accusations. "The Trump Administration has never allowed and will never allow outside groups to influence policy decisions," White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said. Brian Ballard, founder of Ballard Partners, denied communicating with top White House officials on glyphosate and other issues in a statement posted on social media. MAHA support may be up for grabsThe extraordinary public fight, which was continuing on social media Monday, comes after MAHA had grown disenchanted over some of the administration’s moves.In recent months, many grassroots MAHA activists who had initially hoped to collaborate with Trump's Environmental Protection Agency had soured on the agency and the administration, viewing them as infiltrated by lobbyist interests.They pointed to various insiders in the agricultural and chemical industries who'd secured high-level positions in the EPA and blamed them for the administration's failure to pass meaningful reforms to address microplastics in drinking water or pesticides on farms.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin promised last December to unveil a formal agenda of MAHA policies he would act on. But by the summer, the so-called MAHA agenda had never surfaced, and an EPA spokesperson told the AP that MAHA is an ongoing effort, rather than a single report.That apparent reversal prompted several activists to say they planned to vote on issues over party in November's elections."People are done with the profits of corporations being prioritized over public health," Alexandra Muñoz, a molecular toxicologist who collaborates with MAHA activists on certain issues, told the AP in July. "And I think that will have an important role in the midterms." Trump Administration Aug 21 MAHA activists urge Trump against promoting coal to power AI data centers FDA May 15 Trump's flavored vape push sparks backlash from some MAHA influencers and administration officials Trump Administration Sep 9, 2025 RFK Jr.'s new 'MAHA' report gives road map to improving kids' health but stops short of action The simmering MAHA frustration, coupled with Means’ allegations, could put MAHA support in play for Democrats, something Means himself suggested over the weekend."There's a lot of complicated issues that I'm sure Democrats are going to want to address. But when it comes to these issues on MAHA, I think there is huge opportunity in the next year to get some big things done,” he told CBS' "Face the Nation."But doing so poses its own complications.Democrats who will take over both chambers of Congress next year could use Means' statements as a vehicle to begin investigations into White House officials. Some Democrats have long sought to investigate Kennedy over his upending of vaccine policy and his vast cuts to science research, among other decisions. Pushing hard against Kennedy, however, could complicate efforts to build closer ties with MAHA supporters, many of whom still view the health secretary positively. Means' interviews included a profuse defense of Kennedy, who some have speculated could attempt another run for president in 2028. Means called Kennedy a "hero" on the podcast interview.
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Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday life and business, and two Texas projects are working to give companies, researchers and students greater access to the computing power behind the technology.In Bryan, a 73-megawatt data center is being developed on 25 acres of Texas A&M’s RELLIS Campus. Austin-based ThisWay Global is building the Reveille AI Compute Center with a focus on sovereign artificial intelligence."Sovereign AI allows organizations to maintain greater control over their data and the information produced by AI systems,” ThisWay Global CEO Stephan Fable said.The center is also expected to have an educational component, including an eight-week course available to eligible students and community members.“You have full control and you retain control both over the input as well as the output,” Fable said. “That is extraordinarily important for research. It is extraordinarily important for regulated industry, for defense, for our mission that we are behind.”Fable said the goal is to provide training “across the entire spectrum of the professional, vocational and academic spectrum,” extending opportunities beyond Texas A&M students to the broader community.For students and researchers, access to computing power can be a significant hurdle."Usually if we want access to larger compute systems we have to partner with industry or whatnot," Texas A&M computer science Ph.D. student Sean Feeney said. "And so I think having that closer to campus and more accessible alongside some of the other computing resources we have here, it’s always a good thing. To kind of keep the research and the compute local."Arnold Castro, a professor of practice who teaches AI at Texas A&M, believes the center could give students and researchers another reason to remain on campus rather than leave in search of greater resources.“It’s going to allow our research to go to new levels,” Castro said. He added that RACC could also provide a place for students to learn how to operate an AI data center as the facilities become more common.The company plans to begin computing at the Bryan facility by June 2027.Dallas AI factory gives businesses a place to test technologyIn Dallas, another facility is taking a different approach to expanding access to AI.Dallas-based technology integrator GDT has created what it calls an “AI factory,” a supercomputer lab where businesses can develop and test artificial intelligence applications before investing in their own systems.From the outside, the facility may look like a glass room filled with cables, cords and racks. But GDT executives describe it as a new-age factory built around the computing infrastructure needed to run AI applications.“We’re now in the phase of where large enterprises are using AI to do work, and they have to deploy that,” GDT CEO Shawn O’Grady said. “And that’s a lot more complex than just searching ChatGPT on your iPhone.”The GDT lab uses NVIDIA GPUs, NetApp storage and Cisco networking. Companies can use the facility to determine whether an AI application works for their business before committing to the technology and infrastructure themselves.Chris Kapusta, GDT’s vice president of advisory and transformation, said the idea is to help companies move more quickly from exploring AI to determining whether a particular use has real value.“For organizations that come in and use our AI factory, what it is, is it’s really a way to accelerate that,” Kapusta said. “How can we test out their use cases? How can we test out what they want to do? Make sure it makes sense for their organization, for their business.”Kapusta said having the facility in Dallas also gives North Texas businesses local access to the technology while potentially drawing national attention to the region.“It allows a lot of Dallas local businesses to take advantage of what we’re building here,” Kapusta said. “We want to be a partner and help on this journey, but it also gives some national exposure because AI factories are kind of a hot topic right now.”Questions remain as AI expandsThe growth of AI and the infrastructure supporting it has not come without concerns, including questions about security and how the technology may be used.O’Grady compared artificial intelligence to any other tool whose impact depends on the person using it.“AI is not a bad thing in the way that a hammer is not bad. It’s a tool,” O’Grady said. “And it’s always in how the tool gets used. And you use a hammer to build a house; you can use a hammer to harm somebody. AI, the tool by itself, is not the problem."Cybersecurity is one area where the technology can work both ways.Kapusta said bad actors are already using AI to search for security vulnerabilities and digitally infiltrate organizations. At the same time, he said companies can use artificial intelligence to find and address weaknesses before they become widespread.“We can also use AI in a good way, so to speak, to combat those bad actors, to find and fix vulnerabilities before they become widespread,” Kapusta said.For those concerned about where the technology is headed, Fable said AI will increasingly become integrated into systems people already use, including payment systems, points of sale and other everyday technology.“AI will be part of everything that you’re already doing,” Fable said.While the Dallas and Bryan projects serve different purposes, both are designed around a similar idea: giving more people access to the computing resources needed to develop, test and understand artificial intelligence as its role in business, research and everyday life continues to grow.This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
Senate advances bill to speed up projects from gas pipelines to clean energy
Key environmental groups come out against bipartisan Baaja bill over fears it could spur datacenters and ICE jailsThe Senate on Monday advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up permitting reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure projects, in the first major action since last week's election that soundly repudiated Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.It's a bill that would make it easier to build big infrastructure projects in America – everything from fossil fuel pipelines to transmission lines that would add more clean energy to the grid. And it would roll back environmental and social protections to achieve this goal. That is why climate advocates are torn over the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs act (Baaja). Continue reading...
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A public spat between former Trump administration officials over alleged corruption in public health policymaking is the latest front in Republicans' postelection recriminations, a battle that has exposed fault lines within the White House and could reshape political alliances involving the influential Make America Healthy Again movement.The blowup began when Calley Means, a former top adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a chief advocate for the MAHA movement, appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast Friday and accused Susie Wiles, James Blair and others of catering to foreign and domestic lobbyists at the expense of Americans' health.Wiles, who was recently replaced as White House chief of staff, and Blair, a top political adviser, have denied the allegations.Means’ remarks came days after voters cast ballots in midterm elections where government corruption was among the top issues for voters who ousted Republicans and handed Democrats control of Congress.The issue overlaps with concerns from MAHA activists, who have been focused on combating what they see as systemic and harmful corporate influence over policymaking. MAHA became an important part of Trump’s coalition after Kennedy endorsed him during the last presidential campaign, and fractures could create political headaches or new avenues for congressional investigations in the coming years.Zen Honeycutt, a former Kennedy campaign staffer and founder of the group Moms Across America, said Means is "amplifying the frustrations that a lot of MAHA folks have had the past few months and validating them.” She’s "excited for a new beginning" now that Trump has replaced Wiles with Stephen Miller, whom she views as more aligned with the movement.But Honeycutt hasn't ruled out working with Democrats, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom she met with in July to discuss shared environmental priorities, including the pesticide glyphosate and artificial intelligence data centers."The MAHA movement does not belong to any party or politician," Honeycutt said.Means alleges outside interests influenced policymaking On Rogan’s show, Means recounted a conversation he had with Wiles about her declining to support certain MAHA initiatives because she needed donations from the sugar industry. "Calley, we can't do this. I need sugar money,” he recalled Wiles saying to him. "I need the money from the sugar people to win the midterms.”“There is a very concentrated group in the Trump administration that are antagonistic to what people voted for,” Means said. Rogan’s show was released Friday, shortly before Trump announced Wiles would step down as White House chief of staff.Means was hired as a White House adviser early in the second Trump administration. He used his perch at the Health and Human Services Department to attack the nation's leading physician groups, federal agencies and government scientists, claiming they only protect their own interests. Means left the Trump administration in October, without stating a reason for his exit. "She has taken a stranglehold on any policy decision" impacting the MAHA movement, alongside her former lobbying firm Ballard Partners, Means said about Wiles.Referring to Blair in the Rogan interview, Means said he has "explicitly catered to special interests against the will of the voters.” He said he believed much of what he was alleging "happened without Trump's full knowledge."Blair, who previously served as a White House deputy chief of staff before taking an outside role in Trump’s political operation, responded on social media that he was contemplating suing Means over his statements. In text messages between Means and Blair, viewed by The Associated Press, Blair told Means "if you get near slandering or defaming me I will sue you," and "if you are gonna try to knife me, I’m happy to return the favor."The White House denied Means' accusations. "The Trump Administration has never allowed and will never allow outside groups to influence policy decisions," White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said. Brian Ballard, founder of Ballard Partners, denied communicating with top White House officials on glyphosate and other issues in a statement posted on social media. MAHA support may be up for grabsThe extraordinary public fight, which was continuing on social media Monday, comes after MAHA had grown disenchanted over some of the administration’s moves.In recent months, many grassroots MAHA activists who had initially hoped to collaborate with Trump's Environmental Protection Agency had soured on the agency and the administration, viewing them as infiltrated by lobbyist interests.They pointed to various insiders in the agricultural and chemical industries who'd secured high-level positions in the EPA and blamed them for the administration's failure to pass meaningful reforms to address microplastics in drinking water or pesticides on farms.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin promised last December to unveil a formal agenda of MAHA policies he would act on. But by the summer, the so-called MAHA agenda had never surfaced, and an EPA spokesperson told the AP that MAHA is an ongoing effort, rather than a single report.That apparent reversal prompted several activists to say they planned to vote on issues over party in November's elections."People are done with the profits of corporations being prioritized over public health," Alexandra Muñoz, a molecular toxicologist who collaborates with MAHA activists on certain issues, told the AP in July. "And I think that will have an important role in the midterms." Trump administration Aug 21 MAHA activists urge Trump against promoting coal to power AI data centers FDA May 15 Trump's flavored vape push sparks backlash from some MAHA influencers and administration officials Trump administration Sep 9, 2025 RFK Jr.'s new 'MAHA' report gives road map to improving kids' health but stops short of action The simmering MAHA frustration, coupled with Means’ allegations, could put MAHA support in play for Democrats, something Means himself suggested over the weekend."There's a lot of complicated issues that I'm sure Democrats are going to want to address. But when it comes to these issues on MAHA, I think there is huge opportunity in the next year to get some big things done,” he told CBS' "Face the Nation."But doing so poses its own complications.Democrats who will take over both chambers of Congress next year could use Means' statements as a vehicle to begin investigations into White House officials. Some Democrats have long sought to investigate Kennedy over his upending of vaccine policy and his vast cuts to science research, among other decisions. Pushing hard against Kennedy, however, could complicate efforts to build closer ties with MAHA supporters, many of whom still view the health secretary positively. Means' interviews included a profuse defense of Kennedy, who some have speculated could attempt another run for president in 2028. Means called Kennedy a "hero" on the podcast interview.
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President Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI is investigating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese government agent, but said he doesn't think the executive who has helped to develop artificial intelligence has a reason to worry."I know the FBI is looking into it in terms of something else, and I think that he'll be in good shape," Trump said at a White House briefing.The sudden emergence of Huang’s infidelity has rocked the political class and America’s tech sector, creating new concerns about whether China has been able to access the cutting-edge chips designed by Nvidia that are powering the development of artificial intelligence.Trump suggested the extraordinary step of directly involving himself in a counterintelligence investigation, a sign of his friendly relationship with Huang and the possible geopolitical stakes."I did speak to him today just to see if he's feeling all right, how you're doing,” Trump said. “He said he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy."Huang — a singular figure in the technology landscape and one of the world's wealthiest people — has acknowledged he had an affair, issuing an apology to his wife and to the company in an open letter posted on Nvidia's website. The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence determined that the woman was gathering information for Beijing."I support the investigation and will cooperate fully. I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America's national security," Huang said in his letter.Nvidia announced Sunday it was conducting an independent investigation into reports that Huang was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."The episode also is attracting congressional scrutiny, with top Democrats Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries saying Monday they are interested in investigating it further. Jeffries said the Nvidia issue came up during a closed-door session with the CIA director and the Director of National Intelligence that was primarily about Iran."We're going to need a full briefing, specifically as it relates to the Nvidia issue, so we can all get to the bottom of what has happened," he said, "and what the implications are in terms of America's national security."China has denied a plot to ensnare Nvidia’s chiefTrump is slated to meet next week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but he was noncommittal about bringing up the situation with Xi."No, I don't think so," Trump said. "I mean, maybe. I'm sure President XI will ask me about it. I just know Jensen very well. I just think he's a very honorable man."FBI counterintelligence investigations often examine efforts by foreign powers to spy on the United States, whether by surreptitiously stealing technology designed by American companies, covertly waging foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion or cultivating relationships with powerful political and industry figures. Such investigations can take years and do not necessarily culminate in criminal charges. China has been regarded across presidential administrations of both political parties as a persistent counterintelligence threat.China denied Monday that it engaged in an attempt to ensnare Huang. "The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.Beijing earlier had dismissed The New York Times report saying Huang had developed a close relationship with a Chinese citizen named Alice Huang, who ran a company that last year faced claims it was illicitly shipping advanced Nvidia computer chips into China. Artificial Intelligence Nov 8 Nvidia opens investigation after reports CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence Huang has had Trump’s ear on AI regulationHuang and Nvidia play a critical role in the artificial intelligence industry as many of the world's leading AI developers rely on the company's specialized chips to power their systems. Huang has also helped persuade Trump to take a lighter touch on regulating AI, arguing that existing laws could cover any security issues stemming from the technology and that individual companies should behave responsibly with the products they develop and release.Huang also has lobbied Washington to loosen limits on sales of Nvidia chips to China in recent years, winning Trump's approval for selling its H200 chips this year. It's unclear if Beijing would allow Chinese companies to buy those chips in large quantities. Nvidia said in a regulatory filing in August that it has sold only a small amount to China as such sales are restricted by the Chinese government.The H200 chips are not Nvidia's most cutting-edge models, but they are still advanced. Previously, Huang also lobbied Trump to be allowed to sell Nvidia's less-advanced H20 chips, which were designed to comply with U.S. export restrictions on China.In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in June, Huang said: "National security should always be the top concern of all technologies. But having said that, you know, you have to be very specific about the risk that you're concerned about, before setting up policies for export controls."Nvidia shares dropped more than 4% in trading Monday. Nvidia stock has shed roughly 11% of its value since last Wednesday.Attention turns to a data center company in SingaporeThe New York Times said Alice Huang was a former executive of a Singapore-based data center company called Megaspeed International, whose website prominently touts its partnership with Nvidia.Many offices in Singapore were closed Monday for a holiday. Megaspeed and the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately reply to requests for comment.Nvidia is one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies, alongside Apple and Microsoft. Its sales of computer chips to China have at times been targeted by U.S. regulators seeking to limit Beijing’s access to such technology."The key questions are whether he was aware of any espionage activities and whether any confidential or strategically sensitive information was compromised," said George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consultancy."Those questions require evidence rather than speculation," he added in a text message to reporters.Chinese media have largely focused on Huang admitting to the affair and state media outlets have mainly echoed the official government line. Some have said the New York Times report was aimed at destabilizing U.S.-China relations."Whenever China-US relations begin to improve, there are often those firing shots from the shadows," the state-owned Global Times said.Associated Press writers Chan Ho-him and Huizhong Wu in Hong Kong, Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and Eric Tucker and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. Huamani reported from Los Angeles.
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President Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI is investigating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese government agent, but said he doesn't think the executive who has helped to develop artificial intelligence has a reason to worry."I know the FBI is looking into it in terms of something else, and I think that he'll be in good shape," Trump said at a White House briefing.The sudden emergence of Huang’s infidelity has rocked the political class and America’s tech sector, creating new concerns about whether China has been able to access the cutting-edge chips designed by Nvidia that are powering the development of artificial intelligence.Trump suggested the extraordinary step of directly involving himself in a counterintelligence investigation, a sign of his friendly relationship with Huang and the possible geopolitical stakes."I did speak to him today just to see if he's feeling all right, how you're doing,” Trump said. “He said he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy."Huang — a singular figure in the technology landscape and one of the world's wealthiest people — has acknowledged he had an affair, issuing an apology to his wife and to the company in an open letter posted on Nvidia's website. The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence determined that the woman was gathering information for Beijing."I support the investigation and will cooperate fully. I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America's national security," Huang said in his letter.Nvidia announced Sunday it was conducting an independent investigation into reports that Huang was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."The episode also is attracting congressional scrutiny, with top Democrats Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries saying Monday they are interested in investigating it further. Jeffries said the Nvidia issue came up during a closed-door session with the CIA director and the Director of National Intelligence that was primarily about Iran."We're going to need a full briefing, specifically as it relates to the Nvidia issue, so we can all get to the bottom of what has happened," he said, "and what the implications are in terms of America's national security."China has denied a plot to ensnare Nvidia’s chiefTrump is slated to meet next week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but he was noncommittal about bringing up the situation with Xi."No, I don't think so," Trump said. "I mean, maybe. I'm sure President XI will ask me about it. I just know Jensen very well. I just think he's a very honorable man."FBI counterintelligence investigations often examine efforts by foreign powers to spy on the United States, whether by surreptitiously stealing technology designed by American companies, covertly waging foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion or cultivating relationships with powerful political and industry figures. Such investigations can take years and do not necessarily culminate in criminal charges. China has been regarded across presidential administrations of both political parties as a persistent counterintelligence threat.China denied Monday that it engaged in an attempt to ensnare Huang. "The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.Beijing earlier had dismissed The New York Times report saying Huang had developed a close relationship with a Chinese citizen named Alice Huang, who ran a company that last year faced claims it was illicitly shipping advanced Nvidia computer chips into China. Artificial Intelligence Nov 8 Nvidia opens investigation after reports CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese intelligence Huang has had Trump’s ear on AI regulationHuang and Nvidia play a critical role in the artificial intelligence industry as many of the world's leading AI developers rely on the company's specialized chips to power their systems. Huang has also helped persuade Trump to take a lighter touch on regulating AI, arguing that existing laws could cover any security issues stemming from the technology and that individual companies should behave responsibly with the products they develop and release.Huang also has lobbied Washington to loosen limits on sales of Nvidia chips to China in recent years, winning Trump's approval for selling its H200 chips this year. It's unclear if Beijing would allow Chinese companies to buy those chips in large quantities. Nvidia said in a regulatory filing in August that it has sold only a small amount to China as such sales are restricted by the Chinese government.The H200 chips are not Nvidia's most cutting-edge models, but they are still advanced. Previously, Huang also lobbied Trump to be allowed to sell Nvidia's less-advanced H20 chips, which were designed to comply with U.S. export restrictions on China.In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in June, Huang said: "National security should always be the top concern of all technologies. But having said that, you know, you have to be very specific about the risk that you're concerned about, before setting up policies for export controls."Nvidia shares dropped more than 4% in trading Monday. Nvidia stock has shed roughly 11% of its value since last Wednesday.Attention turns to a data center company in SingaporeThe New York Times said Alice Huang was a former executive of a Singapore-based data center company called Megaspeed International, whose website prominently touts its partnership with Nvidia.Many offices in Singapore were closed Monday for a holiday. Megaspeed and the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately reply to requests for comment.Nvidia is one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies, alongside Apple and Microsoft. Its sales of computer chips to China have at times been targeted by U.S. regulators seeking to limit Beijing’s access to such technology."The key questions are whether he was aware of any espionage activities and whether any confidential or strategically sensitive information was compromised," said George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consultancy."Those questions require evidence rather than speculation," he added in a text message to reporters.Chinese media have largely focused on Huang admitting to the affair and state media outlets have mainly echoed the official government line. Some have said the New York Times report was aimed at destabilizing U.S.-China relations."Whenever China-US relations begin to improve, there are often those firing shots from the shadows," the state-owned Global Times said.Associated Press writers Chan Ho-him and Huizhong Wu in Hong Kong, Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and Eric Tucker and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. Huamani reported from Los Angeles.
Donald Trump doubles down on defense of Pete Hegseth and attacks fresh effort to impeach him – as it happened
This live blog is now closed.Republican Thomas Massie moves to force vote to impeach Pete HegsethSign up for US Breaking News emailDemocratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, currently the House minority leader who is poised to become new Speaker next year, told CBS News that the Trump administration will hold a closed-door congressional briefing today to discuss Jensen Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese spy.Last week the Republican chairs of three key House committees also called on Huang to appear before lawmakers in a closed-door hearing on 18 November. Continue reading...
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he is a 'hard yes' on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday life and business, and two Texas projects are working to give companies, researchers and students greater access to the computing power behind the technology.In Bryan, a 73-megawatt data center is being developed on 25 acres of Texas A&M’s RELLIS Campus. Austin-based ThisWay Global is building the Reveille AI Compute Center with a focus on sovereign artificial intelligence."Sovereign AI allows organizations to maintain greater control over their data and the information produced by AI systems,” ThisWay Global CEO Stephan Fable said.The center is also expected to have an educational component, including an eight-week course available to eligible students and community members.“You have full control and you retain control both over the input as well as the output,” Fable said. “That is extraordinarily important for research. It is extraordinarily important for regulated industry, for defense, for our mission that we are behind.”Fable said the goal is to provide training “across the entire spectrum of the professional, vocational and academic spectrum,” extending opportunities beyond Texas A&M students to the broader community.For students and researchers, access to computing power can be a significant hurdle."Usually if we want access to larger compute systems we have to partner with industry or whatnot," Texas A&M computer science Ph.D. student Sean Feeney said. "And so I think having that closer to campus and more accessible alongside some of the other computing resources we have here, it’s always a good thing. To kind of keep the research and the compute local."Arnold Castro, a professor of practice who teaches AI at Texas A&M, believes the center could give students and researchers another reason to remain on campus rather than leave in search of greater resources.“It’s going to allow our research to go to new levels,” Castro said. He added that RACC could also provide a place for students to learn how to operate an AI data center as the facilities become more common.The company plans to begin computing at the Bryan facility by June 2027.Dallas AI factory gives businesses a place to test technologyIn Dallas, another facility is taking a different approach to expanding access to AI.Dallas-based technology integrator GDT has created what it calls an “AI factory,” a supercomputer lab where businesses can develop and test artificial intelligence applications before investing in their own systems.From the outside, the facility may look like a glass room filled with cables, cords and racks. But GDT executives describe it as a new-age factory built around the computing infrastructure needed to run AI applications.“We’re now in the phase of where large enterprises are using AI to do work, and they have to deploy that,” GDT CEO Shawn O’Grady said. “And that’s a lot more complex than just searching ChatGPT on your iPhone.”The GDT lab uses NVIDIA GPUs, NetApp storage and Cisco networking. Companies can use the facility to determine whether an AI application works for their business before committing to the technology and infrastructure themselves.Chris Kapusta, GDT’s vice president of advisory and transformation, said the idea is to help companies move more quickly from exploring AI to determining whether a particular use has real value.“For organizations that come in and use our AI factory, what it is, is it’s really a way to accelerate that,” Kapusta said. “How can we test out their use cases? How can we test out what they want to do? Make sure it makes sense for their organization, for their business.”Kapusta said having the facility in Dallas also gives North Texas businesses local access to the technology while potentially drawing national attention to the region.“It allows a lot of Dallas local businesses to take advantage of what we’re building here,” Kapusta said. “We want to be a partner and help on this journey, but it also gives some national exposure because AI factories are kind of a hot topic right now.”Questions remain as AI expandsThe growth of AI and the infrastructure supporting it has not come without concerns, including questions about security and how the technology may be used.O’Grady compared artificial intelligence to any other tool whose impact depends on the person using it.“AI is not a bad thing in the way that a hammer is not bad. It’s a tool,” O’Grady said. “And it’s always in how the tool gets used. And you use a hammer to build a house; you can use a hammer to harm somebody. AI, the tool by itself, is not the problem."Cybersecurity is one area where the technology can work both ways.Kapusta said bad actors are already using AI to search for security vulnerabilities and digitally infiltrate organizations. At the same time, he said companies can use artificial intelligence to find and address weaknesses before they become widespread.“We can also use AI in a good way, so to speak, to combat those bad actors, to find and fix vulnerabilities before they become widespread,” Kapusta said.For those concerned about where the technology is headed, Fable said AI will increasingly become integrated into systems people already use, including payment systems, points of sale and other everyday technology.“AI will be part of everything that you’re already doing,” Fable said.While the Dallas and Bryan projects serve different purposes, both are designed around a similar idea: giving more people access to the computing resources needed to develop, test and understand artificial intelligence as its role in business, research and everyday life continues to grow.This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
Silicon Valley and Trump rally behind Nvidia CEO after his affair with alleged Chinese spy
Elon Musk and other finance moguls defend Jensen Huang after he admitted to the affair, as Trump says FBI 'is looking into it' Nvidia's board needs to do some succession planning – sharpishDonald Trump, Elon Musk and prominent finance moguls have expressed their support for embattled Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as the head of the world's most valuable chip company faces an internal investigation over a romantic relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.Trump said he has spoken to Huang on Monday as the scandal reverberated across Silicon Valley and the Nvidia CEO faced an uncertain future. Continue reading...
Judge sets summer 2028 trial for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk will stand trial in the summer of 2028, a Utah judge ruled Monday. Attorneys for defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, proposed a trial starting in 2029. But District Judge Tony Graf faced pressure from Kirk's family and supporters, including President Donald Trump, to [...]
On TV

Nothing airing worth remote control today. The screen can rest.

New Music

John Williams — "Seven for Luck & Other Music for Film and the Concert Stage" (Urania Records)

In theaters

No new releases hitting theaters today. Your popcorn can wait.

Launching today
Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-627 — SpaceX (03:03 UTC)
A classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bus, based on locations of rocket stage drop zones being exact fits with previous Starlink Group 15 launches.
Useless Fact

A lion in the wild usually makes no more than 20 kills a year.

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7081
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CAD → EUR
0.6320
▼ 0.0037
Today In History
911 — Conrad I elected German king after Louis the Child's death
Conrad Iwas elected German king at Forchheim, after the death of Louis the Child, the last of the East Frankish Carolingians
2019 — Evo Morales Resigns After Disputed Bolivian Election
Bolivian labour leader Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, resigned under pressure after monitors claimed that the election—for his fourth term in office—had irregularities, a claim later challenged
2015 — Death of Helmut Schmidt, Former Chancellor of West Germany
German politician and publisher Helmut Schmidt—who, as chancellor of West Germany (1974–82), was one of the most respected and influential of western Europe's leaders—died at age 96.How much do you know about German history?German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv), B 145 Bild-F048644-0025
2007 — Norman Mailer, New Journalism Pioneer, Dies in New York
American novelist and journalist Norman Mailer, a pioneer of the New Journalism literary style that blended imaginative subjectivity with journalistic objectivity, died in New York in 2007.
2001 — China and Taiwan Join the World Trade Organization
After 15 years of negotiations, China's membership in the World Trade Organization was approved, and the following day Taiwan's membership was approved
1990 — Home Alone Premieres, Becomes Christmas Classic
The American comedy Home Alone, written by John Hughes and starring Macaulay Culkin, had its world premiere; a huge hit, it spawned a number of sequels and became a TV staple during the Christmas holidays
1982 — Leonid Brezhnev, Soviet Leader, Dies at 75
Soviet statesman and Communist Party leader Leonid Brezhnev died in Moscow after presiding as the leader of the Soviet Union for more than 18 years.How much do you know about Russian history?World History Archive/age fotostock
1975 — Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior
The American freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 aboard; its mysterious demise inspired a Gordon Lightfoot song that helped make it the most famous shipwreck in the Great Lakes
1969 — Sesame Street Debuts on National Educational Television
The American children's TV series Sesame Street—which featured a cast of puppet characters that included Elmo, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster—debuted on the National Educational Television network (later PBS)
1958 — Hope Diamond Donated to Smithsonian
The Hope diamond, one of the largest blue diamonds known, was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., becoming one of its most-popular attractions
1938 — Death of Kemal Atatürk, Founder of the Republic of Turkey
Turkish reformer Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president (1923–38) of the Republic of Turkey, died in Istanbul
1925 — Birth of Welsh Actor Richard Burton
Welsh actor Richard Burton—whose best-known performances were of highly intelligent and articulate men who were world-weary, cynical, or self-destructive—was born in 1925.
1918 — Józef Piłsudski declares Poland independent
Józef Piłsudski, Polish revolutionary and first chief of state of the newly reconstituted Poland, arrived in Warsaw in 1918 to officially declare Poland an independent state after over a century of partition.
1898 — The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898
The multiracial Fusionist (Republican and Populist) city government of Wilmington, North Carolina, was violently overthrown, and as many as 60 Black Americans were killed in a premeditated murder spree that was the culmination of an organized months-long statewide campaign by white supremacists. How much do you know about American history and politics? mccool/Alamy
1879 — Birth of Poet Vachel Lindsay
American poet Vachel Lindsay, who, in an attempt to revive poetry as an oral art form of the common people, wrote and read to audiences compositions with powerful rhythms that had an immediate appeal, was born
1871 — Dr. David Livingstone found by Henry Stanley
On this day in 1871, according to his journal, explorer Henry Stanley greeted David Livingstone, the fellow explorer in search of the source of the Nile River, with the famous words "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
1775 — Founding of the U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps was founded when the Continental Congress ordered that two battalions of marines be raised for service during the American Revolution. How much do you know about military history? Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc
1444 — Ottoman Victory in the Battle of Varna
Turkish forces defeated the Hungarians in the Battle of Varna, securing Turkey's control over Constantinople (Istanbul) and assuring the Ottoman conquest in the Balkans

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.