Leap Second Debate Threatens Global Timekeeping | JQJO

SpaceX plans to launch its 15th Starship test flight in November from Starbase in South Texas. During an earnings call, Elon Musk and COO Gwynne Shotwell said the company will attempt to catch both the Super Heavy first stage and the Starship upper stage on the same flight, a maneuver that would land the vehicle back at the launch site over land, including northern Mexico. Shotwell noted that the FAA license for Flight 15 will cover the return‑to‑launch‑site and tower‑catch requirements. After this test, SpaceX intends to refly a Starship upper stage early next year and conduct a Starship‑to‑Starship refueling demonstration in early 2027 to validate orbital refueling for lunar missions.

Meta was ordered to pay twenty‑five billion dollars in penalties by a New Mexico court. The judgment stems from a data privacy case linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal that erupted in 2018. A jury in Santa Fe found Meta liable for over forty‑three million violations of the state’s unfair practices act. The state originally awarded two hundred nineteen point five billion dollars, but the judge reduced the fine to twenty‑five billion dollars. Interest will accrue at fifteen percent annually until the fine is paid.

San Clemente is confronting a volatile winter on two fronts: a wildfire destroyed at least six nearby homes, while forecasters put the chance of a very strong El Niño at virtually 100%, raising fresh risks of erosion and flooding along its vulnerable coast.

Google’s Face Unlock works well in light but fails in darkness. The company is testing a new feature that simply raises screen brightness to enable Face Unlock when ambient light is low. Android 17 QPR3 Beta 2 includes a setting titled “Brighten screen in low light.” The feature can adjust brightness levels for reliable or comfortable use and may activate during Bedtime mode, Do Not Disturb, or driving. Google has not announced a public rollout date yet.

Anthropic (ANTH.PVT) is set to publicly file its S‑1 investor prospectus as soon as Friday, according to three people familiar with the artificial intelligence firm’s plans.

The filing would clear a key procedural hurdle toward a potential November listing, though the timing remains subject to market conditions.

Anthropic confidentially submitted a draft IPO registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, and under SEC rules must make its registration materials available 15 calendar days before the start of its formal investor roadshow.

The company pulled in $16.3 billion in revenue over the first six months of 2026 and reported a net loss of over $80 billion, according to a Tuesday Wall Street Journal report.

Wall Street is anticipating that the company could raise as much as $100 billion at a $2 trillion valuation, Reuters previously reported.

Anthropic is spending billions on AI infrastructure to train and run its suite of Claude models, working with Google and Amazon and renting GPU capacity from SpaceX’s Colossus 1 data center.

Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders was carted off the field with a season‑ending knee injury on Monday night, ending his 2026 campaign. The same day, the Indianapolis Colts announced the dismissal of general manager Chris Ballard, who had served in the role since 2017. The Colts lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The news comes as the league prepares for Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season.

The UK government approved production from the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, a decision that has sparked intense debate over environmental and economic impacts. Ministers said the first gas could be produced by the end of this month, helping heat millions of homes, and announced the creation of a new energy wealth fund. Environmental campaigners warned the decision would hamper efforts to tackle climate change and make no meaningful difference to UK energy security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of dithering on Jackdaw and urged the repeal of a ban on new oil and gas licences. Andy Burnham defended the decision, saying the previous Tory government had messed up the original choice.