September 28, 2025 - Three senators - Chuck Schumer of New York, Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Ed Markey of Massachusetts - recently introduced the MIND Act, short for the Management of Individuals’ Neural Data Act of 2025. The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to study how brain wave and other neural data should be safeguarded as consumer devices capable of measuring and interpreting the nervous system become more common. Supporters say it is important to act now because companies are already experimenting with headsets, implants, and other technologies that may collect deeply personal information about people’s thoughts, emotions, and decision-making patterns. Unlike medical records covered by HIPAA, most of this data is collected outside health care and falls into a gray area where few protections exist.

September 22, 2025 - A new Reuters investigation has found that some of the world’s most popular AI chatbots can be coaxed into writing convincing phishing emails — and older Americans may be particularly at risk. Working with Harvard researcher Fred Heiding, Reuters reporters tested whether six major chatbots could help craft scams aimed at senior citizens, then sent a sample of those emails to 108 elderly volunteers who agreed to participate in the study.

September 13, 2025 - In early 2025, Google initiated a subtle but coordinated campaign to block a proposed California law—AB 566—that would require web browsers to allow users to automatically signal their preference that websites not share their personal information with third parties. The campaign, largely conducted out of public view, included sending emails to small business owners across the country, suggesting that the bill would damage their ability to use online advertising tools. 

August 31, 2025 - In late August 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took the rare and decisive step of firing  two dozen staffers in FEMA's IT department following a cybersecurity breach that put the entire Department of Homeland Security at risk. No sensitive data was stolen, and no citizens were directly impacted. But the breach exposed a glaring failure of basic protections that DHS found unacceptable. 

August 26, 2025 - For years, young people were told that hard work, a college degree, and especially computer science skills would guarantee them a good-paying job. But the reality for today's graduates is very different. Entry-level jobs are drying up, artificial intelligence is replacing many junior roles, and traditional milestones of adulthood are slipping further out of reach.

August 20, 2025 - A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration may proceed with plans to significantly scale back the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), lifting an earlier order that had blocked mass layoffs and structural changes at the agency.

August 10, 2025 - President Trump has signed the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, legislation designed to give the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) greater ability to help veterans avoid foreclosure on their homes.