A coalition of states has opened a wide-ranging investigation into the artificial intelligence start-up OpenAI, the company said Saturday, adding to a growing backlash over A.I.
State attorneys general subpoenaed OpenAI on Friday asking for internal documents on its practices, including its handling of user data, safety of minors and advertising activities, according to the company. New York, Colorado and other states are involved in the investigation, according to two people familiar with the probe, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing legal matter.
“We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously and intend to engage constructively with their offices,” OpenAI said in a statement. The company added that the newest version of its model, ChatGPT, includes more safeguards like parental controls to protect children.
“None of this changes what families have gone through, but we are committed to learning, improving, and getting this right,” the company said.
OpenAI declined to provide further details on the investigation, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
A.I. has drawn increasing scrutiny as the number of cases of children harming themselves after using the technology has grown along with A.I.-generated scams. Concerns about the technology’s ability to replace humans, as well as soaring energy costs from the data centers that power it, have added to the angst.
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The week that ends tomorrow easily ranks at the very top when it comes to the sheer amount of public statements made by Xbox and Microsoft executives in the span of a few days.
Through a series of interviews, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball outlined a bold plan to rescue the division from its low margins (and the potential spin-off, joint venture, or sale by the parent company). Yesterday, in a video interview with Hard Fork, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claimed no one could accuse the company of not having invested in Xbox throughout the past 25 years, but now the time has come to make it sustainable and monetize the content. Nadella even went so far as to quip that YouTube currently monetizes Xbox games better than Microsoft itself.
Asha is really 100 days in, and she put out a post saying, in the next 100 days, she’s going to take a fresh look and make sure we deliver on what our fans expect of us both on the hardware side and on the publishing side. The challenge now for us is to think about how do you innovate both in hardware as well as in the games going forward in a world in an economically viable way.
We’ve invested a lot. No one can accuse Microsoft of not having invested for the last 25 years. And now we have to turn this into a sustainable business that delivers what is fundamentally one of the best sources of entertainment. The challenge we have is that we’ve not been monetizing that entertainment. If anything, we’ve been subsidizing that entertainment. In fact, there’s more monetization of Xbox games happening on YouTube than at Microsoft.
From Nadella’s statement, it’s clear the gloves are off, and Xbox must live (or die) on its own, as Microsoft will no longer bankroll it indefinitely. Later in the interview, Nadella added that Asha Sharma and her fellow execs must define a new model that somehow merges all the various Xbox platforms, from the console to PCs, from mobile to cloud.
Unfortunately, because of what’s happening with the cloud and AI, the prices have gone up. It’s happening with PCs, it’s happening with phones, and Xbox is impacted as well. The scarcity of semiconductor supply and memory in particular is having a massive impact on consumer electronics. That’s a temporal thing that I think we’ll get through. It is not going to be permanent. There is a permanent thing, which is: what’s the Xbox model going forward? PCs and consoles both have their place, obviously, mobile has people playing elsewhere, and so we have to now bring it all together while staying true to what we’ve always done.
It’s no easy feat, though the road appears to be already paved with Project Helix, which will allow users to play PC games on an Xbox console. The software situation is perhaps more problematic: Sharma confirmed that Xbox cannot afford more than one or two exclusives (for now, and Clockwork Revolution) until the business becomes healthier. And then there’s the output issue: the new Xbox CEO openly wants to invest more in big franchises like Halo, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls while reducing funding for smaller games.
It will take some time before the new leadership’s actions can actually affect the bottom line. Until then, Xbox must hold fast.

The prices of groceries, gasoline, and pretty much everything else seem sky-high these days and are getting higher. There’s a silver lining to this cloud, however — at least for some people. That is, since Social Security’s monthly payments are adjusted for inflation, beneficiaries should see a sizable increase in their payments in the foreseeable future.
You’re not just imagining those inordinately high — and rising — prices
Just when you think price increases can’t get any worse, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the United States’ annualized consumer inflation rate reached a three-year high of 4.2% in May, up from 3.8% in April. Food and fuel prices led the charge, although even without these two categories, prices were still up 2.9% year over year.
And the nation’s factories, assemblers, and packagers aren’t feeling any less miserable. The BLS reported on Thursday that the U.S. Producer Price Index jumped 6.5% year over year last month, or a still-hefty 5.1% when excluding energy and food. Both figures are also at least three-year highs.
Of course, even if they didn’t know the exact numbers, almost everyone who eats, owns a car, pays utility bills, or is looking for a place to live knows everything is now getting more expensive at an accelerated pace. Seniors and retirees who count on Social Security income that’s less than what most working-age people earn may be feeling particularly pinched.
The good news is that relief is on the horizon for this particular crowd.
A strict, specific procedure
You likely realize that Social Security beneficiaries receive payment increases regularly. But, do you know how — if one is put in place — it’s determined?
It’s rather firmly structured, actually. Indeed, the Social Security program is required by law to provide an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ aforementioned consumer inflation data. And not just a hand-picked, estimated figure. The Social Security Amendments of 1972 specifically require a COLA to be effective at the beginning of a new calendar year, based on the BLS’s average annualized inflation rate for the months that comprise the third calendar quarter of the previous year. This allows the Social Security Administration time to make its necessary payment adjustments.
But what about (the rare) years when there is no inflation? The program is off the hook in those years; there is no required COLA then, as was the case in 2015 (for 2016) and in 2009 and 2010 (for 2010 and 2011) due to the deflation stemming from the subprime mortgage meltdown and subsequent recession.
Fortunately, cost-of-living adjustments aren’t cumulative, meaning Social Security’s beneficiaries don’t necessarily have to wait for the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) to “catch up” to a previous peak after a slump. The calculations are made every year for the next year alone, irrespective of prior years’ numbers.
So far, 2027’s COLA is on track to be a pretty big one
At first blush, the process appears to risk undercalculating — or even overcalculating — any given year’s cost-of-living adjustment. After all, three months isn’t a very long time compared to a full year. It’s conceivable that something unusual could take shape in just the third quarter of any given year to undermine or overinflate the following year’s COLA.
But that’s kind of the whole point of doing it this way.
While the Social Security Administration considers only the consumer inflation rates for July, August, and September when determining the following year’s COLA, those are year-over-year rates, each covering a full 12 months’ worth of price changes. They’re also the most recent price increases the program can consider in time to implement a payment increase beginning in January of the following year. Given this, these are arguably the only data inputs that retirees would want Social Security to consider… to ensure the cost-of-living adjustment is as relevant and timely as possible.
This, of course, means we don’t yet know what next year’s COLA will be; we won’t know for sure until early October, when September’s inflation data is available.
It somehow seems unlikely prices will fall dramatically between now and the end of Q3, though. To this end, assuming the average annualized consumer inflation rate of nearly 3.8% for the past three months reflects the figures that will still be in place through the third quarter of this year, look for an average monthly payment increase of about $78 for 2027, or nearly a 3.8% improvement on this year’s typical Social Security benefit of $2,071 per month.
Just bear in mind that the bigger or smaller your current benefit is, the bigger or smaller your payment bump will be when the time comes.

Topline
The northern lights may make yet another appearance along the U.S.-Canada border this week, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting mild auroral activity in some of the northernmost U.S. states Saturday night.
Key Facts
Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible?
As of late Saturday morning, there are “low” chances of seeing the northern lights in northern Washington, the northern tip of Idaho, northern Montana, North Dakota, northern South Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Much of Alaska, as usual, will have a much better chance of northern lights visibility.
What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?
Viewing the northern lights from high vantage points and places with little to no light pollution can improve chances of seeing them. The aurora is typically most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Little to no moonlight can also help visibility, and Saturday night’s waning crescent will bring just that with the moon only being 3% illuminated.
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
Tripods can help stability for all camera types, while smartphone users should avoid flash and use night mode when snapping photos. Low apertures can also help if devices are capable, as can wide-angle lenses on traditional cameras.
Key Background
There have been several northern lights showings throughout the month of June so far despite the sun getting farther away from the peak of its 11-year solar cycle in 2024. The benchmark has triggered frequent northern lights showings since then, though auroral activity is expected to lessen the more time passes from the cycle’s peak.
Further Reading

Pekic | E+ | Getty Images
With a bit of strategy, federal student loan borrowers can lower their monthly bills on the U.S. Department of Education’s new repayment plan, coming July 1.
Under the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, borrowers pay a higher percentage of their income as their earnings grow. That means that finding ways to lower your pretax income by even a small amount can reduce your monthly student loan payments, said Landon Warmund, a certified financial planner and certified student loan professional at Reliant Financial Services in Kansas City, Missouri.
“There’s definitely some unique opportunities with it,” said Warmund, a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council.
Figuring out how to reduce your monthly loan bill under RAP may be especially important for the millions of borrowers now forced to leave the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. A federal appeals court ended SAVE, the most affordable repayment plan to date, earlier this year.
Student loan borrowers need to exit SAVE within roughly 90 days of July 1, and many will see higher required payments under other plans.
“Borrowers can look to avoid these payment jumps by exploring what pre-tax benefits they have available to them at work to reduce their taxable income, which keeps them under key income numbers,” Warmund said.
Here’s how borrowers can try to reduce their payments under RAP.
How RAP calculates your monthly bill
Under RAP, monthly payments will typically range from 1% to 10% of your earnings; the more you make, the bigger your required payment. There will be a minimum monthly payment of $10 for all borrowers.
Current income-driven repayment plans, or IDRs, offer certain very low-income borrowers a $0 monthly payment.
RAP also doesn’t shield a portion of a borrower’s income for necessary expenses in its bill calculation, as other IDR plans do; instead, it determines the payment based on adjusted gross income. AGI is your total earnings before taxes, minus certain deductions.
For those who enroll in RAP, “even a single dollar difference in AGI could lead to a several-hundred-dollar impact in regard to total student loan payments over a year,” Warmund said.
For example, due to RAP’s formula, a student loan borrower with an AGI of $59,999 a year could pay about $50 a month, or $600 a year, less than a borrower who has a $60,000 AGI, he said.
How to reduce your adjusted gross income
There are several ways that borrowers may be able to reduce their AGI, and therefore lower their monthly RAP bill, said Carolina Rodriguez, director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York, a nonprofit that assists borrowers.
Directing a portion of your paycheck to your workplace 401(k) retirement plan or a traditional IRA — or increasing your contributions to these accounts — is one method, Rodriguez said. Keep in mind: To lower your AGI, those contributions need to be pretax or deductible, so money put into a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) wouldn’t help here.
If a single student loan borrower contributed an additional $1,001 in a year to a pretax retirement account, lowering their AGI to $69,999 from $71,000, their monthly payment on RAP would fall to $350 from $414, Warmund said.
The RAP plan does have a lot of nice benefits if you plan accordingly.
Landon Warmund
Certified financial planner
Making pretax contributions to a health savings account, or HSA, or a flexible spending account, or FSA, are additional options to bring down your taxable wages, Rodriguez said. Companies can offer several kinds of FSAs, including for qualifying healthcare, dependent care and commuting expenses.
Meanwhile, if you’re self-employed, claiming legitimate business expenses and deductions on your Schedule C can have the same outcome, Rodriguez said.
“This can include ordinary and necessary business costs, retirement contributions and health insurance deductions,” she said.
Other “above-the-line” deductions can also lower your AGI, including the break on student loan interest.
Per-dependent savings of $50
Under the RAP plan, federal student loan borrowers can also get their monthly bill reduced by $50 for every dependent they claim, Rodriguez said. Dependents are often minor children, but can also include siblings or other relatives in specific cases, according to IRS guidelines.
Those savings should be automatic and tied to your tax filing.
“It’s based on the number of dependents the borrower claims on their federal tax return,” she said.
You may still pay more over time
Even if you’re able to lower your monthly payment under RAP, you may end up paying more than you would on other plans over the life of the loan, Rodriguez said. That’s because RAP leads to student loan forgiveness only after 30 years, compared with the typical 20- or 25-year timeline on other IDR plans.
As a result, some borrowers may want to compare their monthly bill and total payment amount on RAP to other repayment plans. However, RAP will be the only IDR plan available to student loan borrowers who take out a loan after July 1.
Borrowers with existing federal student loans may maintain access to some current IDR plans, including the Income-Based Repayment plan, or IBR. IBR borrowers are eligible for debt forgiveness after 20 years or 25 years, depending on the age of their loans.
While the Income-Contingent Repayment plan, or ICR, and PAYE, or the Pay As You Earn plan, will also remain available to current borrowers until mid-2028, neither program now results in debt forgiveness. The only reason you’d want to be in either plan, then, is if it brings you the lowest monthly payment, Rodriguez said.
If that’s the case, you can remain in ICR or PAYE until the plans expire on July 1, 2028. Afterward, if you switch into IBR or RAP, you’re entitled to credit toward forgiveness for your previous payments.
“If RAP will be your lowest option, wait for it to become available,” Rodriguez said. “But be mindful of the plan’s implications.”