Hunters and Veterans Are Fighting Trump’s Pick to Oversee Public Lands – The New York Times

Hunters and Veterans Are Fighting Trump’s Pick to Oversee Public Lands – The New York Times

An unusual coalition of hunters, military veterans and environmental activists is opposing President Trump’s choice to lead the Bureau of Land Management, Steve Pearce, calling him a threat to public lands. Mr. Pearce, 78, a Republican and former member of Congress from New Mexico, would oversee about 245 million acres of federal land, and 700 million acres of minerals beneath the ground. . He would also manage the government’s coal, oil and gas leasing programs at a time when President Trump wants to substantially increase drilling and mining on public lands. Mr. Pearce is expected to field questions Wednesday about his views on the use of federal lands when the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources considers his nomination. Critics said they were concerned about actions Mr. Pearce had taken as a lawmaker to try to sell public lands to private interests. The Vet Voice Foundation, an advocacy group made up of military veterans, is helping to organize a campaign against Mr. Pearce’s confirmation and has created a “Sell-Off Steve” website. Advertisement

Pentagon Gives Anthropic Ultimatum and Deadline in AI Use Standoff – WSJ

Pentagon Gives Anthropic Ultimatum and Deadline in AI Use Standoff – WSJ

Anthropic doesn’t allow its models to be used for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. Hegseth is pushing for Anthropic to give the military permission to use its AI models in all lawful use cases, a move the company has resisted.

Axios previously reported on the Tuesday meeting.

The schism between the two sides is a key moment for the AI industry. Before the recent tension with the Defense Department, Anthropic was the only developer whose models had received approval for use in classified settings. ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Google and Elon Musk’s xAI also have agreements with the Pentagon and could benefit from a souring of Anthropic’s relationship with the military.