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Top storyWeb News Today — July 18, 2026 WebNews · 5h ago

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Patreon stops asking AI bots not to scrape — and starts blocking them

Patreon is strengthening its defenses against AI scraping by working with Cloudflare to block bots that train AI models on creators’ content without permission. The move marks a shift away from relying on websites using robots.txt alone to actively block unauthorized AI training.

Brief techcrunch.com · 23h ago
The manosphere’s testosterone fever is coming for the troops

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here. I was in the middle of writing a different Optimizer column this

Brief theverge.com · 1d ago
Web News Today — July 17, 2026

Kalshi says it caught Trump’s teleprompter operator insider trading and more — today's web signal.

Brief WebNews · 1d ago
Kalshi says it caught Trump’s teleprompter operator insider trading

Kalshi users betting on what President Donald Trump would say during his speeches were reportedly up against tough competition: the president's teleprompter operator. ABC News reports that federal investigators believe Gabriel Perez - Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016 - us

Brief theverge.com · 2d ago
Google ordered to open Android and Search to rivals in Europe

Google must give rival AI assistants and search engines greater access to key parts of Android and Google Search after the European Union ordered the company to comply with the bloc's digital antitrust rules. The two decisions, handed down Thursday, could weaken Google's control

Brief theverge.com · 2d ago
Enshittification

Bryan, a food broker from Michigan, wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it to urgent care in time. He started feeling off on Thursday, and by Saturday, he was having to use the bathroom every 15 to 30 minutes. "It's no joke about the explosive diarrhea," Bryan, who asked that his

Brief theverge.com · 3d ago
Lucid’s bankruptcy rumor is a bad sign for the EV future

Lucid Motors found itself in a tough bind this week, fending off bankruptcy rumors and watching its stock price plunge as a result. The company quickly denied the report, calling it "completely false" and pointing to its available free cash flow as evidence that it has enough run

Brief theverge.com · 3d ago

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Patreon stops asking AI bots not to scrape — and starts blocking them

Patreon is strengthening its defenses against AI scraping by working with Cloudflare to block bots that train AI models on creators’ content without permission. The move marks a shift away from relying on websites using robots.txt alone to actively block unauthorized AI training.

techcrunch.com · 23h ago
Surprise! Facial recognition smart locks are actually good

Hands-free unlocking is the future of smart locks. The best smart home tech removes friction, and having your door unlock for you as you walk up is as frictionless as it gets - no passcodes to remember, no need to have a free hand to wave, press, or poke at the lock. One way to [

theverge.com · 48m ago
Sony’s flagship RGB LED TV is incredible

The Sony Bravia 9 II is the most anticipated new TV in years. It's an amazing RGB LED TV. I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on the new Bravia with my son, who has been getting into the roleplaying game but had never seen the movie. The landscapes of Faerûn looked

theverge.com · 2h ago
More games should be on rails (literally)

It's been a good few weeks for games on rails. Nintendo's Star Fox remake wisely kept the tightly scripted, action-packed levels from Star Fox 64 largely the same, and they're still fun to fly through nearly 20 years later. Denshattack!, a new game from Undercoders, similarly fea

theverge.com · 3h ago
The apps, gadgets, and tools every reader needs

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 136, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, hope your neighborhood isn't as smoky as mine, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been recording

theverge.com · 3h ago
Fine, electric mountain bikes don’t suck

Cheater, I'd grumble between huffs as yet another e-bike rider casually skittered past me on a steep ascent. It's this purist attitude that, for years, has left me blind to one simple fact: electric mountain bikes are fun! My attitude adjustment came a few weeks ago, the very fir

theverge.com · 8h ago
Neil Rimer thinks the AI money is coming back out

Neil Rimer, the venture capitalist who co-founded Index Ventures, predicts the historic wealth AI is generating in Silicon Valley will have to be redistributed, voluntarily or involuntarily.

techcrunch.com · 10h ago

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