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Good morning. Nov. 3 is fast approaching, and Hegseth says that cybersecurity forces will be mobilized to help protect U.S. election systems. Also in the news today: Three banned news outlets seek to block Trump from enforcing his White House access ban; OpenAI delays its latest model over security concerns; and: durian, durian, durian. A look at Malaysians’ push to elevate its pungent fruit industry.
Monday’s Morning Wire incorrectly said Taylor Swift dedicated her Artist Director Honors to Dolly Parton at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. Swift actually dedicated her award for video of the year to Parton.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 18, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Hegseth says national security, military cyber forces will guard US election systems during midterms
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The U.S. National Security Agency and other military intelligence and cybersecurity forces will guard election systems in November, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday. Read more.
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- Military cybersecurity experts have routinely helped monitor systems and deter potential hackers since election equipment was designated “critical infrastructure” in 2017. But Hegseth’s announcement comes after President Donald Trump gutted the civilian agency specifically created to safeguard election infrastructure, a division of the Department of Homeland Security called the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Both announcements come with early voting already underway. The short timeline “suggests this is just theater,” said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who leads the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research.
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CNN, MS NOW and Politico ask a court to block Trump from enforcing his White House media ban
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Three news outlets that President Donald Trump abruptly banished from White House grounds this month asked a federal court to block the ban until the case is resolved. Read more.
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They say the Trump administration has “persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing its ban” despite a judge’s restraining order— including selectively barring CNN from White House pool duties. A two-week temporary restraining order on Trump’s ban that restored the outlets’ White House access expires Oct. 8. “The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,” lawyers for the three outlets wrote in a filing late Monday.
The filing came a day after the Trump administration made clear it was not backing down. “It is a privilege, and not a right, to be there,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said on ABC on Sunday speaking about the White House.
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Want more news from Washington? Subscribe for free to receive our politics newsletter Ground Game every weekday.
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OpenAI delays latest model over security concerns, as industry faces new safety pressures
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OpenAI said Monday it’s decided to hold back the release of a model, called GPT-6.1 Astra, out of security concerns voiced by its researchers, the latest in the company's effort to decelerate the pace of the technology’s advance. Read more.
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In a statement from OpenAI's head of safety systems Saachi Jain, the version “didn't quite meet the bar.” It had become more persistent in completing tasks, but OpenAI needed to balance that capability against unauthorized behavior. OpenAI paused training of its most advanced models last week, saying training would resume “only when we are confident that we have additional safeguards.” That was after it disclosed instances in which AI agents exceeded their instructions, including by accessing government websites without authorization.
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A worker livestreams while selling durians at a stall in Petaling Jaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in June. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
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Inside Malaysia's gambit to make its durian the most wanted
It’s yellow and spiky on the outside, custardy on the inside, and if you've heard of durian, you've heard of its notorious smell. It delights its lovers and repels its haters. Malaysians think the fruit has big potential. They’re pushing to take their durian beyond its roadside stalls. Alongside a $2 million investment to open a two-story center in Kuala Lumpur dedicated to the fruit’s culture and history, small businesses are selling durian paste, durian-flavored chocolate and mochi — and even a durian flower perfume that smells sweet and floral. Browse our photo gallery to see how Malaysia is making its fruity pitch.
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That's all for today. Know someone who would enjoy Morning Wire? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. - Nadja
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