WIRED News Briefing: Elon Musk, AI Policy, and Election Preparations

Elon Musk Is Expected to Point His Money Machine at Texas Politics

Sources tell WIRED that Elon Musk is expected to spend up to $200 million in the midterms. It could be a big boost for GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who’s struggled to raise cash.

The White House Is Going to Expand Its AI Policy

Open models may soon be added to an updated AI framework, sources tell WIRED, as the White House continues to grapple with how to regulate a technology it has tried not to regulate.

Election Officials Are Preparing for Prediction Markets to Sow Chaos in the Midterms

From threats to the safety of poll workers to voters who can’t distinguish between odds and results, prediction markets are already scrambling the political process.

A Candidate Named ‘Count Binface’ Is the Most Normal Part of This Pivotal UK Election

Clacton's parliamentary race has it all: Nigel Farage, a man dressed as a trash can, a Union Jack bikini, white nationalist conspiracy theories, and 34 candidates on the ballot.

Candidates Are Signing a Pact Promising Action on Data Centers and AI Safety

More than 15 politicians from across the country have signed on to the AI Pact, vowing to regulate data centers and AI. “We’ve got to get this right,” says Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska.

A MAGA County’s Top Election Official Wants to Hire Election Denial Superstar Tina Peters

Tina Peters was convicted of seven counts related to election interference in 2024. Now, she’s fielding an offer from a county that’s become a hotbed of voting-related conspiracy theories.

It Looks Like Nothing Can Dent MAGA’s Support for ICE

Despite weeks of renewed press coverage and controversy around ICE, Donald Trump’s supporters appear to be standing by the agency no matter what.

MAGA Is In Turmoil Over Tucker Carlson’s Possible 2028 Presidential Bid

Joe Kent says that he and other anti–Donald Trump MAGA figures have formed a new movement. They want Tucker Carlson to run for the presidency in 2028.

The Single English County Saying No to Palantir

The UK government is facing calls to cancel a sprawling health care contract with Palantir. The region of Greater Manchester insists it can do a better job itself.

Census Proposal Would Stop Counting Undocumented Immigrants—and Ignore Race and Sexual Orientation

A draft rule reviewed by WIRED would prevent the census from counting undocumented immigrants. To protect against “distortions,” it would also bar questions about race and sexual orientation.

What’s Behind the Heat Wave Scorching Huge Parts of the World

A combination of El Niño, unusually hot ocean waters, and jet stream changes is sending temperatures soaring in the US, Europe, and Asia.