Entertainment
Trump orders Pentagon to stop using woke Anthropic in fiery Truth social post
Negotiations between the Pentagon and the AI company Anthropic were severely complicated on Friday when President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the government would stop utilizing the company’s tech. The president ordered the Pentagon to begin a six-month phase-out, accusing Anthropic of being run by “Leftwing nut jobs.”
The Truth Social post said that Anthropic wanted the government to abide by its terms of service.
“THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS!,” Trump wrote. “That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military. The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution.”
Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Truth Social
The federal government and Anthropic have been at odds for weeks as they tried to hammer out an agreement on how the military can use Claude, Anthropic’s AI model. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has been firm that he will not allow the Pentagon to use Claude for mass surveillance of Americans or to create autonomous weapons, like pilotless drones.
The government reportedly agreed to those terms, according to the New York Times, but the contract’s legal language provided too much wiggle room for Anthropic’s comfort. Anthropic is known for taking a more cautious approach to AI development, and its founders famously left OpenAI over AI safety concerns.
On Thursday, Amodei explained his stance in a blog post:
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“Anthropic understands that the Department of War, not private companies, makes military decisions. We have never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner.
However, in a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values. Some uses are also simply outside the bounds of what today’s technology can safely and reliably do.”
A deadline of Friday evening was set for an agreement between the Pentagon and Anthropic. It’s not clear if Trump’s announcement of a phase-out will equate to more time for negotiation or if the government is truly moving forward with firing Anthropic by declaring it a supply chain risk. The government may also seek to compel Anthropic to agree to its terms through the Defense Production Act, according to the Times. The government may also choose another AI partner, like Elon Musk’s Grok, but CIA officials believe that product is inferior to Anthropic’s, the Times reports.
Following the president’s Friday afternoon announcement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared on CNBC and voiced support for Anthropic. “For all the differences I have with Anthropic, I mostly trust them as a company and I think they really do care about safety, and I’ve been happy that they’ve been supporting our war fighters,” Altman said, according to a clip of the appearance posted to X.
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Meanwhile, dozens of employees at Google and OpenAI, both competitors of Anthropic, signed letters backing Amodei’s stances. And outside Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters, words of support appeared in chalk on the sidewalk, according to a post on X.
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This week, Anthropic softened its safety policy — often viewed as one of the strongest in Silicon Valley — citing competitors’ reluctance to do the same and the federal government’s disinterest in prioritizing security.
“The policy environment has shifted toward prioritizing AI competitiveness and economic growth, while safety-oriented discussions have yet to gain meaningful traction at the federal level,” the company wrote. “We remain convinced that effective government engagement on AI safety is both necessary and achievable, and we aim to continue advancing a conversation grounded in evidence, national security interests, economic competitiveness, and public trust. But this is proving to be a long-term project—not something that is happening organically as AI becomes more capable or crosses certain thresholds.”
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Entertainment
The 75-inch Hisense U8 Mini LED TV is officially the cheapest its ever been at 50% off
SAVE $1,250: As of April 22, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for just $1,249.99. That’s a savings of 50% from its original list price of $2,499.99 and its best price ever.
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If a new TV with a big screen, stunningly bright picture, and affordable tag is what you’re after, the 75-inch Hisense U8 TV is a great pick — especially now that it’s at a record-low price.
As of April 22, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV is down to just $1,249.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy. Its original list price is $2,499.99, which means you’ll save 50% or a full $1,250. That’s officially the best price we’ve ever seen on this model. Previously, it dropped to $1,297.99 during Cyber Week, but this price beats that one by nearly $50.
CNET (Mashable’s sister site, also owned by Ziff Davis) reviewer Ty Pendlebury called the 2025 U8 TV the brightest TV he’s ever reviewed, but added that it “complements that brightness with excellent contrast and well-saturated colors.” It’s remarkably vibrant no matter the environment and no matter what you’re watching. The ice during the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs will be absolutely glistening on this TV, with its 5000 nits peak brightness, up to 5,600 local dimming zones, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. The 165Hz native refresh rate doesn’t hurt either. It won’t have any of the glitching and stuttering your old TV did.
It’s not just great for watching sports, either. Those dim-lit scenes in your favorite shows and movies will actually pop with the U8’s ultra-bright Mini LED panel. It’s even IMAX-enhanced for cinema-like picture quality. The Google TV smart platform provides a streamlined interface covering all the major streaming services, as well as Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, and Google Assistant for hands-free control.
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On a normal day, we’d say the 75-inch Hisense U8 TV is too expensive for most folks, but as of April 22, it’s finally down to a price that won’t cause sticker shock.
Entertainment
Apples excellent AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale for just $200 — a $50 savings
SAVE $49.01: The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are 20% at Amazon and Walmart as of April 22. Snag a pair for just $199.99 (normally $249).
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Our very own Stan Schroeder is fresh off reviewing the new AirPods Max 2, Apple’s updated over-ear headphones. While he thought their noise cancellation has improved since the last generation, they still can’t block out sounds as well as the AirPods Pro 3: “Wearing them on a busy street makes the outside noise vanish in a spectacular fashion,” he writes of the earbuds.
So, if you’re an Apple user looking for best-in-class ANC, stick with the AirPods Pro 3. Right now, they happen to be on sale for just $199.99 at Amazon and Walmart — that’s a savings of nearly $50 and one of their best deals to date. They briefly hit $184 on Amazon back in February, but never since. (And they were $219.99 everywhere last Black Friday.)
For comparison’s sake, the AirPods Max 2 are up to $350 pricier depending on the color.
The AirPods Pro 3 actually have the same H2 chip as the AirPods Max 2, so they support the same suite of smart features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. On top of that, they come with a built-in heart rate monitor that “worked perfectly,” per Mashable contributor Adam Doud. (Read his full review.)
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On their own, the AirPods Pro 3 will net you up to eight hours of battery life per charge with their ANC enabled. Their included charging case adds an extra 24 hours of use.
I can personally assure you that you won’t find the AirPods Pro 3 on sale for anywhere cheaper — even if you go for a used pair. In new condition, they’re $239.99 at B&H Photo and full price at Best Buy and Target. Then there’s Best Buy’s open-box AirPods Pro 3, which are are $204.99 in fair condition. Pass.
Entertainment
LA public schools pass screen time limits for students in a first
Los Angeles public school students may be returning to the age of college-ruled notebooks and Scantrons, following a Tuesday school board vote that will limit the use of computers, laptops, and tablets in classrooms.
Titled “Using Technology with Intention,” the new resolution mandates the creation of grade-level and subject-specific screen time limits across Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, including a complete ban on device usage for kindergarten and first grade. The use of one-to-one devices, like individual Chromebooks, will be discouraged for second through fifth grades, as well.
Revised guidelines will also address video-aided lesson plans, access to video streaming platforms like YouTube, and expanded restrictions on gaming and social media platforms.
District staff must present the revised tech use policy by June, which will go into effect for all LAUSD students beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Guidelines will be reevaluated every year, and schools are tasked with tracking and sharing student screen time numbers with parents.
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The resolution cites increasing concern about the effect of screen time on young minds and alleged screen addiction, including recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies that show a correlation between high screen time and adverse health effects. The board was unanimously in favor of the tech restrictions, with one recusal.
“We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time and screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best,” board member Nick Melvoin said during Tuesday’s meeting.
“This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time…”
Advocates, parents, and even students have spent the last year lobbying for greater tech restrictions following the passing of a 2025 bell-to-bell cellphone ban restricting the use of personal devices during school hours. Schools Beyond Screens, a national classroom tech safety coalition founded by LAUSD parents and teachers, helped craft the resolution in collaboration with board members and co-sponsors Melvoin, Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Jerry Yang, Kelly Gonez, and Rocío Rivas.
“Now is the time for a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology, one that is not guided by Big Tech talking points like screen value over screen time,” the organization wrote in a press release following the decision.
“There is much work to be done, and this is only the beginning, but today, we are proud, grateful, and – for the first time in a long time – hopeful. Our kids may yet have the kind of public education that they deserve — one that is proven effective and free of undue digital distraction, harmful content, and corporate exploitation.”
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Social Good
Family & Parenting
The 75-inch Hisense U8 Mini LED TV is officially the cheapest its ever been at 50% off
Apples excellent AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale for just $200 — a $50 savings
