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Christina Applegate revealed on her podcast "Messy" with Jamie-Lynn Sigler that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which she announced she had in 2021. Nischelle Turner reports.

The comedian and actor is on trial for charges including rape and sexual assault, which he denies.

1. Russia says it freed American Stephen Hubbard, 74, as Trump envoy meets with Putin  NBC News
2. Russia Releases American Who Was Jailed for 4 Years, State Media Reports  The New York Times
3. Russia releases detained American Stephen Hubbard during a visit by Trump administration envoy  The Press Democrat
4. Trump hails Russia’s release of US teacher amid Witkoff’s visit – politics live  The Guardian
5. Witkoff asks Putin to resume direct peace talks, Russia releases U.S. detainee  Axios

The Bridget Jones Prize will go to the author of the funniest 1,000-word diary-style piece of writing.

The Grammy-nominated artist was due to start a run of shows for his latest album Bulldozer!! next month.

Europe weighs giving utilities, infrastructure companies more powers to bring down drones  ReutersSee more headlines & perspectives on Google News

—Douglas Rissing—Getty Images

From social media to sports betting, Americans have become remarkably willing to adopt new technologies without necessarily believing they're good for us or our health, our society, or our planet. Artificial intelligence may be the clearest example yet.

Just 39% of Americans say AI has a positive impact on society, compared with 44% who believe its impact is negative, according to a national survey conducted this month by my company, Outward Intelligence. Only 15% say they're excited about AI's growth.

But here’s the disconnect: While 58% of Americans don't trust the leaders of AI companies to make decisions in society's best interests, 41% say they use AI chatbots every day. Among Americans who believe AI harms society, roughly half use AI chatbots at least weekly.

In some ways, this shouldn't surprise us. People can appreciate the convenience of social media while questioning its effects on children. They can participate in the boom in sports betting while worrying about its consequences, from addiction to financial hardship. They can shop online while worrying about the decline of local businesses. And they can rely on smartphones while believing those devices have undermined attention and human connection.

But AI tests the limits of the U.S. consumer’s appetite for holding two contradictory ideas in their minds at once. And the implications are political as much as economic: What happens when Americans embrace a technology but don't trust the institutions responsible for creating it as well as overseeing and pacing its development?

In our survey, about two-thirds of Americans said a candidate's position on AI could influence their vote in the upcoming Midterm elections, although most acknowledged that other issues matter more. Roughly one in six said it could actually determine their vote.

Neither party appears to have established much credibility with independent voters on the issue. Nearly two-thirds of independents say they don’t trust either party to handle AI responsibly, or that they trust both equally, or that they’re unsure.

Data centers are where the broader debate over AI becomes much more concrete, and where opposition becomes more unified. More than half of respondents say they would oppose construction of a large data center near where they live. Nearly four in ten would strongly oppose it.

Their concerns are practical. Electricity costs rank first, followed by water usage and environmental impact. America's ability to compete internationally, which has become a central argument for expanding AI infrastructure, ranks much lower.

To a tech company, building a data center may represent an investment in America's economic future. To someone living nearby, it may mean worrying about electricity bills, local resources, and whether the community has much say in the decision. The result is a growing chasm between how the people building AI think about its benefits and how ordinary Americans think about its costs.

The associated political costs are significant, too. When asked about candidates who strongly support building more data centers, 42% of voters say that position would make them less likely to vote for a candidate, vs. 27% who say it would make them more likely. Among independents, the gap is even wider: 49% to 19%.

So while AI may not be a top issue for all voters in November, their attitudes toward AI expose a tension in the politics of technological progress. Promising innovation and economic growth doesn't answer questions about electricity bills and corporate accountability, and expressing concern about the technology doesn't explain how to capture its potential benefits.

AI companies now ask for an enormous amount of public faith. They're developing systems that could reshape employment, education, and the economy, while making major infrastructure investments that will affect communities across the country. Americans, meanwhile, are weighing who benefits, who bears the costs—and who is accountable when things go wrong.

Americans have already shown they're willing to use AI. The harder challenge, for Silicon Valley and Washington alike, is earning, and deserving, their trust.

1. Federal agents knock on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters ahead of midterms  CBS News
2. California residents accused by feds of voter fraud react with shock, confusion and anger  Los Angeles Times
3. DoJ’s suspected non-citizens list includes ‘high percentage’ of those born in US, LA officials say  The Guardian
4. 'High percentage' of DOJ's California noncitizen voters list born in US, preliminary LA County analysis shows  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
5. Petaluma woman arrested and charged in Trump DOJ's purge of alleged fraudulent voters  The Press Democrat

1. Orionid meteor shower 2026: cloud cover forecast by region  The Weather Channel
2. Starwatch: Catch the Orionid meteor shower streak across the night sky  The Guardian
3. Early birds will have the best chance to see the Orionid meteor shower  CNN
4. A meteor shower created by Halley’s Comet peaks tonight  The Boston Globe
5. The Orionid meteor shower is coming. Here’s how and when to watch  AP News

1. Hazardous chemical release prompts evacuation order near Ohio-Michigan border  ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4
2. WATCH LIVE: North Toledo evacuation order due to hazardous material release  WTVG
3. Evacuations and shelter-in-place orders issued in Toledo, Ohio, after chemical release  NBC News
4. One-mile evacuation zone ordered due to hazmat incident in north Toledo  wtol.com
5. Hazardous Materials Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Orders in Effect for North Toledo  City of Toledo (.gov)

1. Netflix Stock Drops. Why Wall Street Is Still Worried After Earnings Beat.  Barron's
2. Netflix Is Great at Making Money. Its Problem Is Keeping Viewers Hooked.  The New York Times
3. Traders are betting Netflix's stock drama may be coming to an end  CNBC
4. Netflix stock sinks after announcing Q3 earnings, Q4 revenue forecast falls short of estimates  Yahoo Finance
5. Netflix co-CEO Sarandos says 'we could do better' after weak forecast  Reuters

The former Doctor Who and Kidulthood star appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

1. Stock futures rise as traders evaluate latest raft of earnings; SpaceX shares surge: Live updates  CNBC
2. SpaceX earnings left one big question unanswered  Yahoo Finance
3. Elon Musk’s SpaceX posts first profit since going public  The Washington Post
4. SpaceX revenue soars 161% as AI business grows  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
5. SpaceX Swings to a Profit, as A.I. Business Grows  The New York Times

Roadkill, Meat Cereal and Raw Chicken: Inside the World of ‘Dark Nutrition’  The New York Times

The logo of Tesla is displayed on a smartphone screen with the SpaceX logo in the background. —VCG—Getty Images

The world’s richest man has publicly backed a potential combination of SpaceX and Tesla in what could be the biggest merger in history.

On Tuesday, Elon Musk, the CEO and largest shareholder of both companies, said the electric vehicle maker and the rocket company had formed special committees at the request of shareholders to discuss the idea.

“I do think there’s a lot of merit to combining the companies as we are pretty much in the superintelligence singularity, ​and there’s a lot to be gained from cooperating,” Musk told SpaceX investors on a conference call.

“I think it would be a good ​idea, but it’s really up to the special committees of both companies,” he added.

The committees, which are made up of independent directors, would need to agree on the transaction terms of any deal before putting it to shareholders for a vote. Musk said his conflict of interest prevents him from participating in their discussions.

Musk has previously teased a Tesla-SpaceX merger. On a July 22 earnings call, Musk said there was “more and more overlap” between Tesla and SpaceX as the companies expand into artificial intelligence and robotics. Last week, Barclays analysts suggested that a merger could be announced before Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in December.

Tuesday’s call was the first confirmation that the companies were formally exploring a combination.

A merger could create a company worth around $3.5 trillion, putting it among the world’s most valuable companies. It could also become the biggest merger ever by deal value, potentially surpassing SpaceX’s record-setting $250 billion acquisition of Musk-owned AI company xAI in February. SpaceX is currently valued at about $2 trillion, and Tesla at $1.5 trillion. A deal could also help propel Musk back into trillionaire ranks, depending on its terms and how investors value the combined company. Musk owns around 48% of SpaceX and 20% of Tesla.

The shares of both companies rose in after-hours trading on Tuesday. SpaceX, which went public in June, reported a quarterly net profit of $4.4 billion. Musk told investors he expects annual recurring revenue of between $500 billion and $1 trillion by the end of 2027.

Some analysts, however, have warned of regulatory and geopolitical hurdles, particularly in terms of Tesla’s Chinese operations and SpaceX’s U.S. defence work. Morningstar analysts said a merger could raise U.S. national security concerns involving the combined company’s supply chain. JPMorgan analysts also flagged regulatory approval in China as a potential stumbling block.

Any deal could also face congressional scrutiny, which could intensify if Democrats win control of either chamber in the coming midterm elections. Democratic lawmakers have previously questioned Musk over conflicts of interest and raised national security concerns about reported Chinese investments in SpaceX. Democrats have also challenged major acquisitions in the past on consumer protection grounds. In June, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D, Mass.) criticized SpaceX’s IPO, citing Musk’s concentrated voting power and weak investor protections—concerns that could resurface in a Tesla-SpaceX merger.

Why a merger matters

A merger could bring two of Musk’s biggest businesses under one corporate umbrella, making it easier for the companies to move investments and resources between projects. “This would allow him to run all their operations under one roof without tripping on as many governance issues,” wrote Morningstar analysts Seth Goldstein and Nicolas Owens in June. “For example, Musk could move Tesla software developers or engineers to work on SpaceX AI projects, and vice versa, or have Tesla and SpaceX supply one another without the need for related party transaction disclosures or risking shareholder lawsuits claiming the resources of one firm are being diverted for the benefit of the other.”

Analysts noted that Tesla’s robotaxis could benefit from Starlink connectivity, while its autonomous vehicles and Optimus humanoid robots could more closely integrate SpaceX’s AI technology. SpaceX’s planned orbital data centers, meanwhile, could potentially benefit from access to Tesla’s battery and energy storage products.

A combined company could also mean greater control of several stages of the AI value chain, from chip design and planned manufacturing to computing infrastructure, AI software, and its deployment in vehicles and robots.

The companies already collaborate. In March, they announced Terafab, a joint semiconductor manufacturing project intended to produce chips for Tesla’s vehicles and humanoid robots and SpaceX’s planned AI satellites. SpaceX technologies have also been used in some Tesla products, including the new Roadster prototype, which uses SpaceX-developed thrusters.

David Nicholson, chief technology advisor at market research firm The Futurum Group, told the BBC that a merger also appears to align with Musk’s long-held ambition of colonizing Mars. Musk previously outlined plans to send Tesla’s Optimus robots to the planet aboard SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft.

A merger could also strengthen Musk’s influence over Tesla’s direction. Barclays estimated that a SpaceX acquisition of Tesla could give Musk around 37% of the combined company while controlling around 56% of its voting power. He currently controls around 82% of voting power at SpaceX and 20% at Tesla. That could represent either a benefit or a risk for shareholders, as decision-making would become faster but have fewer checks.

“One thing I don’t think people talk enough about with SpaceX and Tesla as well: You do still have a huge amount of key-man risk here,” wrote Morningstar analyst David Sekera earlier this month. “God forbid anything were to happen to Elon Musk.”

1. Ukraine ‘Wouldn’t Exist’ Without Support From US, Rubio Says  Bloomberg.com
2. U.S. restores intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Zelensky says  The Washington Post
3. Zelenskyy says early warning system for Russian missile attacks resumes for Ukraine following call with Rubio  ABC7 Los Angeles
4. US has resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine about Russian strikes, says Zelenskyy  The Guardian
5. Zelensky says intelligence sharing on Russian strikes 'works now' and Ukraine 'thankful' to US  BBC

1. Elon Musk confirms he is considering merging Tesla and SpaceX  BBC
2. Musk says Tesla and SpaceX formed special committees to discuss merger: Live updates  CNBC
3. Elon Musk Says SpaceX and Tesla Are Exploring a Merger  The New York Times
4. Elon Musk says Tesla-SpaceX merger would be 'a good idea' as companies form special committees  Fox Business
5. Tesla-SpaceX deal: Wall St says inevitable but Musk says it's not certain  Reuters

1. Xbox's next-gen console to reportedly cost up to $1,800, with a Helix handheld coming in 2027 and a full release in holiday 2028  Eurogamer.net
2. Microsoft reportedly projects $1,200 to $1,800 price for 2028 Project Helix  Ars Technica
3. Windows and Xbox teams reportedly clashed over OS experience for gaming, as next-gen Xbox Helix console slips into 2028  Windows Central
4. Xbox Helix Console Reportedly Headed for Holiday 2028 at $1,200 to $1,800  TechPowerUp
5. The Next Xbox Might Cost $1,800, Report Says  Engadget

1. The history behind France’s proud tradition of protests  AP News
2. France’s crisis sounds familiar. Is America next?  CNN
3. French government faces fresh test as Yellow Vests mobilise  Reuters
4. How France’s worst rioting in years erupted and how the government responded  AP News
5. France announces nightly curfews 'for as long as necessary' in Paris and other cities  NPR

1. Exclusive | Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Blindsided Ukraine  WSJ
2. Musk ordered slowdown of Starlink service used by Ukraine's military, WSJ reports  Reuters
3. Musk Ordered Starlink Slowdown That Crippled Ukraine’s Drones and Sowed Panic in Kyiv  WSJ
4. Musk chose to restrict Ukraine's access to SpaceX satellite network, sources say  CBS News
5. The big questions about who’s to blame for Starshield disruptions in Ukraine  CNN