Business

The Wall Street Journal reports on how a business litigator has become the Justice Department's leading figure in its efforts against transgender medical care. The profile traces the official's path from commercial litigation to overseeing a policy area at the center of fierce legal and political battles in the United States. Critics and supporters are weighing in on the department's approach to gender-affirming care cases.

YouTube and Meta have reversed their earlier decisions and will now accept advertising for the 'Musk' trailer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The shift means promotional material for the film can run on both major digital platforms, and the reversal is drawing attention as a notable about-face by two of the biggest players in online advertising.

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Tumblr, has reconstituted its board following a failed internal attempt to place its CEO on leave. The reported shake-up raises questions about governance and leadership control at the privately held firm, which has been at the centre of recent controversy. Tech observers are watching closely for what the new board means for the company's direction and its founder's authority.

OpenAI is recruiting a large network of social media influencers, sponsoring content on platforms like Instagram, as part of a marketing push to portray ChatGPT and its AI products as 'good for the world'. The strategy mirrors tactics used by consumer brands and raises questions about how the company shapes public perception of AI as it scales its commercial ambitions.

Meta is positioning AI agents as tools for ordinary consumers, not just corporate customers, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The move signals that conversational AI assistants are moving into everyday personal use, widening the market beyond enterprise software and putting consumer-facing agents at the center of the company's AI strategy.

Apple has been hit with a $5.7 billion verdict over allegations that it infringed a patent, according to a report by Engadget. The ruling, if it stands, would be one of the largest patent judgments against the company, and attention is turning to whether Apple will appeal.

Meta says it will run advertisements for a documentary about Elon Musk after previously declining to do so, according to TechCrunch. The reversal comes as attention around Musk and media coverage of him remains high, and the decision is drawing discussion among tech and social media watchers about Meta's ad approval practices and its relationship to Musk-related content.

A new analysis of 4,688 small-business websites reports that 49.7% meet none of seven standard HTTP security header criteria, highlighting widespread gaps in basic web security hygiene among smaller firms. The findings are drawing attention in developer and tech communities, where commenters argue many small businesses lack the expertise or resources to harden their sites against common attacks.

Meta has spent months working to turn Muse into a successful product, according to a Business Insider report. The story details the internal effort behind the project, though the report is new and specific claims about Muse's development and reception have not yet been widely picked up by other outlets.

Oil-field service companies are preparing to report quarterly results that are expected to show how the war has affected their business. Investors and analysts will be watching the earnings season in the energy sector for signs of how conflict-driven costs, supply disruptions and shifting demand for drilling and oilfield services have filtered through to the bottom line of major providers.

OpenAI has published guidance identifying the workplace skills it considers most valuable in the AI era. The company's findings are drawing attention from businesses and workers assessing how artificial intelligence is reshaping job requirements, with details of the report carried by Business Insider.