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Anne Wojcicki’s nonprofit gets court approval to buy 23andMe for $305 million

Anne Wojcicki’s nonprofit gets court approval to buy 23andMe for $305 million

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By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

NEW YORK (AP) — Anne Wojcicki’s bid to buy 23andMe, the genetic testing company she cofounded nearly 20 years ago, has received the court greenlight.

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That means Wojcicki’s nonprofit TTAM Research Institute will purchase “substantially all” of San Francisco-based 23andMe’s assets for $305 million. The transaction — which arrives more than three months after 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — is set to officially close in the coming weeks.

“I am thrilled that TTAM will be able to build on the mission of 23andMe to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome,” Wojcicki said in a statement Monday — later adding that, “the future of health care belongs to all of us.” read more

Weather clears as SpaceX launches European satellite

Weather clears as SpaceX launches European satellite

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SpaceX was facing a poor forecast for its Tuesday launch attempt of a European satellite on the Space Coast, but the skies cleared and the rocket lifted off right on time.

A Falcon 9 on the MTGS1 mission carrying the second of EUMETSAT’s third generation of weather satellites took off from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 5:04 p.m.

The forecast had only predicted a 20% chance for good conditions, but the predicted coastal rain threat didn’t materialize and the countdown proceeded hitting the opening of what had been a 150-minute launch window.

This marked the ninth flight of the first-stage booster, which also flew two human spaceflights — Crew-9 and Fram2 — as well as the Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 that sent a successful lander to the moon. It made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic.

The European satellite aims to sample the atmosphere at hyperspectral resolution with an infrared sounder that will look at temperature and humidity profiles. read more

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismisses $95M overdraft case vs. Navy Federal Credit Union

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismisses $95M overdraft case vs. Navy Federal Credit Union

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By KEN SWEET, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Navy Federal Credit Union will no longer have to refund $80 million to servicemen and women for illegally charging them overdraft fees on their accounts, after the President Donald Trump-led Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved to dismiss the case.

It’s the latest example of how the Trump-led CFPB is undoing much of the work it did under President Biden, even in instances where the bad actors agreed to provide redress and compensation to victims.

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The case dates from late 2024 and deals with an issue known as “authorized positive overdraft fees,” which happen when a bank initially approves a debit card transaction but later charges the customer a overdraft fee when that earlier transaction settles, typically a couple of days later, and there’s insufficient funds in the customer’s bank account. Navy Federal was found to authorize these types of overdraft fees between 2017 and 2022, later stopping the practice and refunding some customers who were impacted. read more

Fireworks will light up this Fourth of July. Next year could be different if tariff talks fizzle

Fireworks will light up this Fourth of July. Next year could be different if tariff talks fizzle

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By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Like clockwork, Carla Johnson sends out letters every spring asking for donations to help pay for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show that draws tens of thousands of people to New Mexico’s largest lake.

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And she has no reservations about doling out verbal reminders when she sees her patrons around town. There’s too much at stake to be shy about fundraising when donations collected by Friends of Elephant Butte Lake State Park are what make the tradition possible.

But even Johnson’s ardent efforts as the group’s fundraiser might not cut it next year if the U.S. and China remain locked in a trade war. read more

AI ghosts: Researchers explore planning for death with new technology

AI ghosts: Researchers explore planning for death with new technology

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Imagine interacting with an AI video of a deceased friend that can talk, act and converse just like they did in life. Or, having access to a texting feature that can answer questions on behalf of a dead family member regarding their life experiences or last wishes.

Jed Brubaker, right, conducts an AI ghosts zoom meeting at the University of Colorado on Wednesday. He is joined by Dylan Doyle, left, and Camille Brutera in a Zoom meeting. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
Jed Brubaker, right, conducts an AI ghosts zoom meeting at the University of Colorado on Wednesday. He is joined by Dylan Doyle, left, and Camille Brutera in a Zoom meeting. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)

The reality is that this type of artificial intelligence, or AI, isn’t far off. In some cases, it’s already here.

“It’s not a question of if generative ghosts are coming, it’s a question of when,” University of Colorado Boulder professor Jed Brubaker said. “And so it’s really important that we start thinking about what that’s going to look like now so that we can design them to be the most pro-social, most positive version possible, and we can be thoughtful and avoid unanticipated and negative outcomes that we want to make sure we avoid.”

AI ghosts, also known as generative ghosts, are AI agents designed to represent a dead person by acting on their behalf or acting as them.

CU Boulder graduate student Daniel Sullivan said it’s exciting to be on the forefront of something so new and strange. read more