Axios

Attorneys general of three states in less than a week revealed separate lawsuits against social media giants for their platforms' alleged harmful effects on children, including sextortion, addiction and privacy violations.

Why it matters: Federal, state and local authorities have targeted Big Tech accountability over youth mental health concerns.

The whole world is falling in love with Moo Deng, a precocious 2-month-old pygmy hippo calf at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.

State of play: If you can't stop consuming Moo Deng viral videos and memes, you don't have to travel halfway around the world to get your hippo fix in real life. Even though pygmy hippos are endangered, with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild, there are a few calves living in the U.S.

Venture capitalist Ben Horowitz and his wife Felicia plan to make a "significant" personal donation to Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Horowitz and business partner Marc Andreessen stunned Silicon Valley in July by endorsing and donating to Donald Trump, saying he was the best candidate for technology startups.

@ D.C.

⭐️ The Department of Justice and Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit have taken action to disrupt the technical infrastructure used by Russian nation-state actors reportedly working for Star Blizzard. (Bloomberg)

🚗 A cyberattack has shut down all government websites in Detroit, affecting approximately 1.75 million residents in Wayne County. (The Record)

🧑‍⚖️ After an X user spreading parody videos of Vice President Kamala Harris sued California to prevent the state from enforcing its new AI law, a federal judge blocked the law, saying the state can't force people to take down election deepfakes. (Politico)

Twice a week I edit this newsletter and eagerly anticipate some dog content in this section. But it's always cats!

Here is a picture of my dog Gilbert, who passed away of old age last spring. Don't be sad, he had a long and excellent life, fully embodying the spirit of "1 fun thing."

Elon Musk will attend former President Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, the billionaire announced in a post on X late Thursday.

Why it matters: Trump's return to the scene of the first assassination attempt against his life had already raised concerns among local officials, per Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea.

Meta on Friday announced Movie Gen, a state-of-the-art generative AI video model that can create longer, more customizable videos than rival tools, a top Meta AI executive told Axios.

Why it matters: Video-creation models have emerged as a major focus for a number of tech giants, including Meta, OpenAI and Adobe — but Movie Gen, like many rival products, is a ways off from general public availability.

AI's huge power appetite is the talk of energy circles, but what's less certain is precisely how much it explains the wider data center growth underway.

Why it matters: It's a key question as policymakers and other stakeholders weigh AI's benefits against its carbon footprint.

A Google research tool called NotebookLM has been going viral thanks to a feature that transforms text documents into lively podcast-style conversations.

Why it matters: Businesses see AI's future in its power to streamline work processes — but the public keeps getting hooked by its ability to impersonate humans.