Mixed News: AI Deals and Regulatory Rulings

Elon Musk's xAI has signed a $200m contract with the Pentagon to provide its AI chatbot, Grok, as part of a wider rollout of AI tools for government use. The deal comes despite recent controversy surrounding Grok's antisemitic posts and Musk's deteriorating relationship with President Donald Trump.

A federal judge has ruled that medical debt can remain on Americans' credit reports, overturning a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule introduced by the Biden administration to remove medical bills from credit reports. The ruling was seen as a blow to the CFPB and advocacy groups, while credit bureaus welcomed the decision as a means to protect lenders.

Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin has written to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging the revocation of high-level access granted to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to a sensitive database controlling tens of billions of dollars in payments and loans to American farmers and ranchers. The access, held by DOGE staffer Jordan Wick, allows for viewing, altering, or canceling payments and loans with minimal oversight, raising concerns about privacy, national food security, and potential disruptions or mistakes.