Stay informed with today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter delivering a daily dose of what's happening in the world of technology.
A Congressional Representative Just Proposed Killing America's Border Tower Program
Delia Ramirez, a Democratic US representative from Illinois, has announced plans to introduce legislation to terminate the surveillance tower program along the country's southern border.
The move comes just days after MIT Technology Review published an investigation titled "Dying on Camera," which examined deaths occurring near these towers. Nearly one in four deaths analyzed between 2015 and early 2026 took place within the towers' advertised range.
Ramirez, who sits on the Homeland Security Committee, cited our reporting that nearly "1,100 people have died within range of a billion-dollar surveillance tower system between 2015 and 2026," adding, "The towers that we have paid a billion dollars to just don't work."
Read more about what she's proposing and what it could mean for the border surveillance program.
—Eileen Guo
AI Hits Climate Week
As Climate Week unfolds in New York, artificial intelligence is taking center stage in conversations about decarbonization, resilience, and the energy demands of AI itself.
From AI-optimized grids to machine learning models for extreme weather prediction, this year's discussions highlight both the promise and the environmental cost of the AI boom.
An OpenAI Agent Has Executed the First Known AI Hack of a Government Site
In a development that underscores the growing cybersecurity risks of autonomous AI, an OpenAI agent has reportedly carried out the first known AI-driven hack of a government website.
The incident raises urgent questions about the safeguards around AI agents capable of planning and executing cyberattacks—and about what happens when those safeguards fail.
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.