Edition, 13 stories.
Morning NOISE, Sep 18
Tech, , 4 sources.
Anthropic relaunches Claude Code Projects for cloud agent teams
The Verge reports Anthropic relaunched Projects in Claude Code in beta for select Pro and Max subscribers, with a coordinator directing parallel cloud threads that each work on its own repo branch and resolve overlaps as merge conflicts. Users can direct threads individually or through the main project chat, and Anthropic says local code support is coming soon. Ars separately covers Google's experimental CC family agent rather than coding tools.
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TimeStorySources
U.S., 2 stories
House leaves early as midterm voting nears and Fed defies Trump
WaPo reports House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled Thursday votes to begin a seven-week recess ahead of November elections that will determine House control, a move criticized by Hakeem Jeffries. Bloomberg reports the Federal Reserve raised interest rates despite President Donald Trump calling for lower borrowing costs. The wire notes in-person midterm voting begins Friday in the final six weeks of the campaign.
2 sources
Judge requires 30-day notice before Kennedy Center demolition
A federal judge ruled President Trump cannot demolish the Kennedy Center without providing 30-day notice, NPR reported. The order follows a board vote to close the center and Trump's statement that it could be ripped down if his name is not displayed on its main building. The center's executive director described the closure as temporary amid concerns about construction activity at the site.
1 source
World, 2 stories
Russia votes in tightly controlled Duma election amid Ukraine war
The Guardian reports Russians began three days of voting for the State Duma, with Vladimir Putin's United Russia expected to retain its 23-year hold alongside Kremlin-aligned parties after the liberal anti-war party Yabloko was barred from the ballot. Putin has framed turnout as a show of unity behind soldiers fighting in Ukraine, as Ukrainian drone strikes and anxiety over a possible new mobilisation intrude on daily life. Analysts cited say the Kremlin has kept the campaign low key to depress turnout by disaffected voters while using the vote to claim public consent for the war.
3 sources
Reporting used
Carney embraces EU associate membership amid US trade tensions
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the European Parliament he welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for Canada to become the EU's first associate member, according to AP. He outlined deeper integration on trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy and other sectors as Ottawa seeks to reduce dependence on the United States amid tariffs and sovereignty disputes under President Trump. AP reports Canada sends about 70 percent of its exports to the United States, has joined the EU's SAFE defense procurement program, and will host EU leaders in Montreal on Oct. 29-30 for further talks.
2 sources
Business, 4 stories
Fed raises rates for first time since 2023 despite Trump pressure
The Federal Reserve raised rates by a quarter point for the first time since 2023 in a unanimous decision, with chair Kevin Warsh citing inflation above target for more than five years, the FT reported. Wire excerpts emphasized market reaction, with US stocks ending sharply higher Thursday as oil prices eased and the 10-year Treasury yield fell from above 5%. The FT noted the tension with President Donald Trump, who had called for lower rates, which Warsh declined to directly address at his press conference.
4 sources
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Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman
Warren Buffett, 96, will become chairman emeritus immediately and remain a director, with his son Howard becoming chairman. Axios emphasized Buffett's letter saying Greg Abel runs the company while Howard will guard its culture and values, while NPR emphasized Buffett's more than 50 year tenure as chairman since 1970 and Abel's tribute to his impact.
3 sources
KPMG advisory cuts prompt anger over severance pay
KPMG UK is cutting about 4 percent of Advisory staff in Tech and Data, with workers in AI, Cyber, SAP and Testing due to leave next month, according to The Register. One affected employee called the proposed severance package insulting and disgraceful, while another suggested protecting partner profits drove the reorganization. KPMG said it is adapting to market dynamics and low attrition to ensure it has the right skills for clients.
1 source
Japan raises rates to 31-year high to curb inflation
Japan's central bank raised its target rate from 1% to 1.25%, the highest since 1995, as it seeks to curb inflation linked to the war in Iran, the Guardian reported. The move follows tightening by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank this month. The decision was not unanimous, with two dissenters, and analysts said further tightening is likely to be cautious.
3 sources
Tech, 2 stories
Microsoft exec called AI scraping massive theft of labor
Unsealed filings in the New York Times copyright suit against Microsoft and OpenAI show internal warnings that scraping news to train AI threatened publishers and compensation for online work. Engadget highlighted Microsoft director Brent Hecht calling the practice the largest theft of labor in human history and OpenAI staff acknowledging an existential threat to publishers. Ars reported additional detail on a predicted doom loop, steep drops in click-through rates, alleged paywall workarounds and disputed reuse of licensed datasets, while noting Microsoft said the comments were one employee view and its products are transformative fair use.
2 sources
Waymo plans Singapore robotaxi launch in 2028
Waymo says it will launch a commercial robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, with vehicles arriving in the coming months for mapping and testing with human safety drivers in 2027. The company will need approval from Singapore's Land Transport Authority and a safety assessment at CETRAN before carrying passengers. The Verge reports the plan as part of wider international expansion that also includes London, Tokyo and Munich alongside recent US market additions.
2 sources
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Sports, 2 stories
Bills open Highmark Stadium with 41-31 win over Lions
The Buffalo Bills opened Highmark Stadium with a 41-31 win over the Detroit Lions to move to 2-0, building a 21-0 lead in the second quarter behind Josh Allen. Allen accounted for five touchdowns, while James Cook rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown, according to ESPN. ESPN reported Buffalo continued the vertical passing approach from its opening win over Houston, though receiver DJ Moore left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.
1 source
Rhyne Howard sets WNBA single-season record with 129 three-pointers
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard broke Sabrina Ionescu's WNBA single-season record with her 129th three-pointer in a 103-59 win over the Connecticut Sun, according to ESPN. Howard hit the milestone shot with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter in just 40 games and finished with 10 points. The win moved Atlanta to 27-14 as Angel Reese added 30 points and 10 rebounds for her 30th double-double of the season.