OpenAI on Thursday released its most capable model, GPT-5.5, codenamed "Spud," just one week after competitor Anthropic launched its latest model . Why it matters: AI releases are getting faster, more efficient and more powerful. What they're saying: "This is a new class of intelligence. It's a big step towards more agentic and intuitive computing," OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman told reporters in a briefing. - GPT-5.5 is a "faster, sharper thinker for fewer tokens" compared to 5.4, he added, and can handle multi-step workflows more autonomously with less user input. - Despite the jump in capability, OpenAI says GPT-5.5 matches GPT-5.4's response speed in real-world use. - It's available starting Thursday in ChatGPT and Codex, with…
A U.S. special forces soldier was arrested and charged with using classified information about the raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to profit from prediction market bets, the Department of Justice announced Thursday. Why it matters: The case lands as regulators and lawmakers intensify scrutiny of prediction markets — offering a real-world test of how aggressively authorities pursue insider trading tied to sensitive government information. - This is the first time the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed charges of insider trading in connection with event contracts, per a CFTC statement. The big picture: The indictment accuses Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a master sergeant based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, of…
You can learn a lot about the indomitable nature of the human spirit by training for and tackling a marathon. Why it matters: It's a tremendous physical feat. But standing at the finish line — watching thousands of people arrive after 26.2 miles of pain, doubt and persistence — may be even more gratifying, Axios' Bill Kole writes. - I witnessed it this week at the atmospheric end of the Boston Marathon. Zoom in: I've spent years chasing finish lines myself. - A Massachusetts native, I ran track and cross country at Boston University. I'm a nationally certified distance running coach who has run 18 marathons , including three Bostons. - In 2014, one year after bombs placed near the finish line killed three people and wounded 260…
The disappearances and deaths of at least 10 scientists, researchers and staffers who worked on nuclear and space programs are raising alarms on Capitol Hill. The big picture: The cases date back to at least 2023, but national security concerns prompted a House Oversight Committee investigation. - Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) sent letters to FBI Director Kash Patel, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeking information on the deaths and disappearances, and "the processes and procedures in place to protect American scientific secrets and ensure personnel safety." What prompted the probe? The committee's letter did not cite a specific reason…
Senior Republican officials called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday after a new crypto super PAC seeded by his former firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, indicated in a FEC filing that it planned to spend $1.75 million backing Ken Paxton in Texas, Axios has learned. Why it matters: GOP leaders were alarmed that the new group, Fellowship PAC, was wading into a contentious primary runoff in which President Trump has famously dithered about taking a side between Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn. - While Lutnick's sons now run Cantor Fitzgerald, from which Lutnick divested last year, senior Republican officials appealed to the Commerce secretary to help reverse what they viewed as a silly political blunder, according to three people familiar…
Commanders are concerned about the Pentagon’s shift of long-range precision weapons from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East, congressional officials say.
The federal Department of Education said it would begin a civil rights investigation, reviewing teachings by a group known as N.Y.C. Educators for Palestine.