Reported cap left some Ukrainian drones virtually useless
The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX founder Musk capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could remain connected to Starlink last week. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper attributed the order to Musk.
People familiar with the matter said Musk’s speed restriction rendered some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless. The restriction applied to Ukrainian hardware connected to the satellite-based network.
Two of the people said Musk and President Trump discussed the decision in a call soon after the slowdown became public.
Musk’s public response came hours after the restriction became public. He tweeted, “any limits are decided by the U.S. military and the president.”
SpaceX did not respond to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment. People familiar with the matter attributed the cap to Musk, while Musk’s public statement said the U.S. military and the president decided any limits.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk and Trump had expressed anger at Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries in recent weeks. Trump blamed the Ukrainian attacks for high energy prices.
Technology and companies
In a disclosure viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Anthropic expressed uncertainty over how it would prevent its AI models from causing harm and protect the company from those liabilities. Anthropic recorded an $80.7 billion net loss for the first half of 2026, which the company said reflected an accounting adjustment related to financing agreements.
Anthropic signaled that it could potentially spend $750 billion in the coming years obtaining more computing capacity, including through deals it was still negotiating. Anthropic declined to comment.
Netflix reported revenue of $12.9 billion, up 12% from the same period a year earlier. The increase represented Netflix’s lowest quarterly-revenue percentage growth in three years, and the stock fell about 5% in after-hours trading. Separately, SpaceX reported its first profit as a public company.
Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek was receiving monthly pay as a nominee for the board of Vail Resorts. The payment was coming from Oasis Management, an activist investor targeting Vail that named Chapek as one of four nominees to the ski company’s board.
Security and energy policy
Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said arrangements underpinning global security for decades were undergoing major transformation. Barrack said countries in the Middle East and elsewhere should focus on securing themselves through regional partnerships.
The newsletter said Barrack’s message came as Gulf states worried the U.S. would retreat from its conflict with Iran, leaving them to deal with “an angered and newly aggressive foe.”
The Wall Street Journal said planned payments under an Agriculture Department program were to come as U.S. farmers struggled with higher fuel prices, which the newsletter linked to Trump’s war in Iran. Higher fertilizer costs and a recent drop in selling prices for corn were also expected to drag on farmers’ profits.
Jason Furman, who served as Obama’s chief economist from 2013 to 2017, discussed how the United States has long dealt with energy-infrastructure problems.
“We wanted to throw a lot of money at the problem, and as we researched it, we realized that the problem was permitting, not money.”
Former officials from the Trump, Biden, Obama and other past administrations warned in a letter to congressional leaders that the U.S. must pass a sweeping energy-permitting bill or risk losing an industrial race with China.
Media and reader items
Last week, the What’s News newsletter asked readers about their favorite soda and the food they paired with it. The newsletter said the responses were condensed and edited.
“Pepsi! Sorry to learn that KFC is switching to Coke. I like my Pepsi with a chunky peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread.”
— Yvonne Moody, North Carolina
“A local gourmet shop has a broad selection of root beers. A few years ago I bought a bottle of almost all of them before concluding that Frostie Root Beer (made since 1939) is the best. It pairs well with pizza, naturally, or even with just a Sunday afternoon NFL game.”
— Jason Russell, Utah
“Topo Chico is my fave. But it must be in the glass bottle, not in plastic. Its appeal? It’s by far the fizziest soda, so much so it has a ‘flavor,’ even though it is just water. And it’s the perfect accompaniment for sushi, particularly nigiri.”
— Quentin Durward, South Dakota
“Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda with a crunchy delicatessen hot dog and round potato knish. Runner up: anything with a chocolate egg cream made with whole milk and Fox’s U-Bet syrup.”
— Alexander D. Greene, New York
The newsletter described Troy Aikman and Joe Buck as “an admired NFL TV duo” who had worked together for 25 years and said they appeared headed for an “unexpected, unhappy split.” Buck had recently reupped with ESPN for a new, nine-figure contract. Aikman had not.
The newsletter described the pair’s run as “smooth, drama-free,” called them “one of the best booths in NFL history” and said they were “more famous than most of the players on the field.” Amira McKee and Liz Webber curated the newsletter.