Slotkin rejects Justice Department interview over video about 'illegal orders'

WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is refusing to voluntarily comply with a Justice Department investigation into a video she organized urging U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders” – escalating a dispute that President Donald Trump has publicly pushed.

TSMC to make advanced AI semiconductors in Japan

TOKYO (AP) – Taiwan’s chipmaker TSMC said Thursday it will be manufacturing some of the world’s most cutting-edge semiconductors in Japan to meet booming artificial intelligence-related demand, in a boost for the country’s chipmaking ambitions.

Bitcoin Plummets 46% Since October to $67,000

The price of bitcoin continued its monthslong slide Thursday, falling another 11% to $67,000, its lowest level in 15 months. The original cryptocurrency, pitched as “digital gold,” has lost 46% of its value since Oct. 6, when it hit a record high of $126,210.50, according to crypto trading platform Coinbase. As of 10:30 a.m. EST Thursday, its price had dipped to $67,245.

Editorials from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Anthropic, OpenAI rivalry spills into new Super Bowl ads as both fight for AI users

The two artificial intelligence startups behind rival chatbots ChatGPT and Claude are bracing for an existential showdown this year as both need to prove they can grow a business that will make more money than they’re losing.

Russia regrets expiration of last nuclear arms treaty

MOSCOW (AP) – The Kremlin said Thursday it regretted the expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States that left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

A timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation

For much of two decades, police, FBI agents and prosecutors investigated allegations that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused underage girls. Now, the Justice Department has released much of what they found to the public. The millions of documents comprise the most detailed look yet at the inner workings of the multiple investigations into Epstein.

Queen Máxima starts training to become a Dutch army reservist

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The Dutch military has got a new high-profile volunteer as it seeks to boost recruitment to counter growing fears about peace and security in Europe. Queen Máxima, the 54-year-old Argentinean-born wife of King Willem-Alexander, started training this week to become a reserve member of her adopted homeland’s army.

Europe's central bank maintains interest rate with economic growth resilient

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday as the economy in the 21 countries that use the euro chugs past the disruption from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs with modest yet resilient growth.