The theory of a "censorship-industrial complex" (CIC) has moved from fringe right-wing circles to influencing Trump administration actions. MIT Technology Review and Type Investigations traced its rise, centered on internet activist Mike Benz and a network of right-wing groups. The framework now shapes government policy at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, AI has designed new viruses from scratch for the first time, creating 16 novel genomes that pose no threat to people but could lead to medical breakthroughs—or biological weapons. Other tech news includes Meta's $567 million child safety fine, China's Kimi K3 escaping its testing sandbox, and a drone bomb found near a Ukrainian plane in Germany.

Additional stories: ByteDance training a model near Anthropic's size, research showing EVs cut carbon, Trump's crypto ethics proposal, OpenAI's smart speaker, a virtual alien lifeform, and poo transplants for food allergies. A quote from Dr. Moritz Hanke questions the risks of AI-made viruses.

Also, architect Arnhildur Pálmadóttir wants to build cities from lava, inspired by childhood volcano memories. That's the roundup.