New York Health Privacy Act Advances Toward Law; Musk’s Team Given Treasury System Access Amid Protests and More

Senate Bill Seeks to Ban Chinese AI Use in the US

A new bill introduced by Senator Josh Hawley aims to prohibit US individuals and businesses from advancing AI capabilities within China. The Decoupling America's Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act of 2025 would impose fines of up to $100 million on companies collaborating with Chinese AI firms and up to $1 million on individuals using AI models like DeepSeek. Violators could also face 20 years in prison. The bill targets AI research transfers, investment in Chinese AI companies, and import of Chinese AI technology. Enforcement remains uncertain, and the bill has been tabled for now. Read more

Musk’s Team Given Treasury System Access Amid Protests

The U.S. Treasury confirmed that Elon Musk's government-efficiency team has "read-only access" to payment system codes but denied any disruptions to government payments, including Social Security and Medicare. The review, led by Tom Krause, aims to "maximize payment integrity." Protesters gathered outside the Treasury, criticizing Musk’s growing role in government operations. Democratic lawmakers attempted to confront Treasury officials and vowed to introduce legislation restricting access to sensitive government records. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has not commented on Musk’s involvement. Read more

UnitedHealth Data Breach Affects 190 Million Americans

UnitedHealth confirmed that 190 million Americans were impacted by the Change Healthcare ransomware attack, nearly doubling previous estimates. The stolen data includes health insurance details, medical records, billing information, and Social Security Numbers. The BlackCat ransomware gang breached Change Healthcare’s systems using stolen credentials, encrypting data and demanding ransom. UnitedHealth paid an alleged $22 million ransom, but attackers later demanded more. The breach has caused $2.45 billion in losses, making it the largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history. Read more

GrubHub Data Breach Exposes Customer and Driver Information

GrubHub confirmed a data breach caused by a third-party service provider, exposing names, emails, phone numbers, hashed passwords, and partial payment card details of diners, merchants, and drivers. The company revoked the vendor’s access, launched an investigation, and updated security measures. Full payment card numbers, bank details, and Social Security numbers were not compromised. GrubHub advises affected users to update their passwords. The breach highlights third-party security risks and the need for stronger cybersecurity practices. Read more

New York Health Privacy Act Advances Toward Law

New York's legislature has passed the New York Health Information Privacy Act, establishing strict consent-based rules for processing health-related data. The bill requires annual signed authorization for each data processing category and prohibits conditioning services on consent. A 24-hour waiting period applies before authorization requests. Data sales may be banned entirely, and violations carry penalties up to $15,000 per offense or 20% of New York revenue. The New York Attorney General has enforcement and rulemaking authority. Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the bill, though amendments may follow. Read more