JD Digest — Thursday, July 23, 2026

Drivers to Challenge FIA at Hungary Over Hamilton Penalty Inconsistency

Formula 1 drivers are set to hold formal talks with FIA stewards at the Hungaroring this weekend after a controversial series of penalties — and non-penalties — at the Belgian Grand Prix divided the paddock. Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty for a pit lane incident at Spa, while Charles Leclerc escaped punishment for a seemingly comparable infraction, leaving Oscar Piastri publicly bewildered and George Russell questioning the logic. Discussions will focus on inconsistencies in the FIA’s Driving Standards Guidelines, with drivers arguing the current framework grants too much discretion to individual stewards. The talks are expected to take place ahead of Saturday qualifying.

Mercedes Confirms Software Bug Robbed Russell of Any Chance at Belgian GP

Mercedes have confirmed that a software fault caused George Russell to be critically short of battery power at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, ultimately triggering a first-lap collision with team-mate Lewis Hamilton that ended both drivers’ races. Russell reported being 30 to 40 per cent down on deployment exiting Turn 1 at Spa, leaving him vulnerable as three cars swept past on the approach to Turn 2. Team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the issue affected all Mercedes-powered cars but hit Russell significantly harder than Kimi Antonelli. Engineers are investigating a root cause linked to a specific power unit mode combined with Russell’s own driving inputs.

Honda Engineers Fly In as Aston Martin Debut Newey’s First Chassis Contribution at Hungaroring

Aston Martin have arrived at the Hungarian Grand Prix with their most significant upgrade package of the 2026 season, and Honda have reinforced the effort by sending additional factory engineers to the circuit for the weekend. The package represents Adrian Newey’s first real contribution to the chassis since joining the team, and Honda’s expanded trackside presence will enable real-time data sharing between the two technical groups during Friday running. The collaboration targets reliability as much as outright performance. The upgrade carries enormous weight beyond pure lap time: Aston Martin need to show tangible progress to persuade Fernando Alonso to extend his contract beyond the current season.

McLaren Trial ‘Macarena’ Flexible Rear Wing as Long-Awaited Hungary Upgrade Package Arrives

McLaren have brought what the team believes could be their most impactful upgrade of the 2026 season to the Hungaroring, headlined by a novel rear wing design nicknamed the “Macarena” for its distinctive aerodynamic movement. The wing is engineered to flex and twist under load, reducing drag on the long back straight while maintaining downforce through the circuit’s tight, slow corners — pushing the boundaries of FIA aero-elastic regulations. The package also includes revised floor geometry and suspension revisions. Rookie Leonardo Fornaroli will give the new specification its first on-track running in FP1, substituting for Oscar Piastri as part of McLaren’s mandatory 2026 rookie obligation.

Hungaroring FP1: Five Rookies Take Over as Antonelli, Piastri, Bearman Stand Aside — Alonso Absent Too

Friday’s opening practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix will feature an unprecedented five substitutions as teams fulfil their mandatory FIA rookie running requirements for 2026. Frederik Vesti replaces Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, Leonardo Fornaroli steps in for Oscar Piastri at McLaren, Paul Aron takes Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, and Ryo Hirakawa pilots Oliver Bearman’s Haas. A fifth team is also making changes. The Hungaroring’s low-speed, high-grip layout makes it a favoured venue for rookie outings. Adding to the disruption, Fernando Alonso is missing from Aston Martin entirely after aggravating a back injury at Spa, leaving Lance Stroll as sole representative for the opening session.

Vettel: ‘2026 Power Units Are Built for F1 — Not for the Roads’

Sebastian Vettel has reignited debate over Formula 1’s technological identity by arguing that the 2026 power unit regulations offer little genuine benefit for road car development, despite being central to the FIA’s justification for their introduction. The four-time world champion, now serving as an F1 sustainability adviser, told RaceFans that the complex 50/50 electric-to-combustion architecture introduced this season is fundamentally designed for the race track rather than consumer vehicles. Vettel acknowledged the push for cleaner fuels is genuinely relevant to road transport, but said the specific electrical deployment systems and energy recovery technology exist in forms no mainstream manufacturer would ever put into production.

Antonelli Extends Lead to 45 Points as Hungary Title Battle Enters Its Defining Phase

Kimi Antonelli heads to the Hungaroring with a 45-point championship lead over Lewis Hamilton, as the 2026 Formula 1 title fight enters what many consider its decisive mid-season phase. The Belgian Grand Prix tightened Antonelli’s grip further after both George Russell and Hamilton were eliminated or compromised early — Russell retiring from a software-triggered first-lap collision with his team-mate, Hamilton fighting back from a five-second penalty to salvage fourth. With 11 rounds complete and the summer break arriving after Hungary, Antonelli sits on 204 points ahead of Hamilton on 159, with Russell third on 154 and falling further behind following consecutive race incidents.

REGULATION

U.S. Treasury Threatens Sanctions After White House Accuses Moonshot AI of Distilling Anthropic’s Fable for Kimi K3

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened sanctions against Chinese AI companies after White House science chief Michael Kratsios accused Moonshot of distilling Anthropic’s Fable model to develop its Kimi K3 system. “Open source is not open season on American IP,” Bessent posted on X, placing “sanctions and Entity List designations” on the table. Kratsios further alleged Moonshot accessed Nvidia GB300 servers in Thailand — hardware banned from Chinese buyers under U.S. export controls. Some experts question whether Kimi K3 could realistically have been distilled primarily from Fable, which only became publicly available on July 1. Moonshot has not publicly responded.

INDUSTRY

Google Cloud Revenue Jumps 82% Year-Over-Year to $24.8B, Justifying Its Massive AI Infrastructure Bet

Google’s cloud division delivered the strongest argument yet for the company’s massive AI infrastructure spending, posting $24.8 billion in quarterly revenue — an 82% jump year-over-year — and helping drive record profits for Alphabet. The results arrived the same week Google’s Gemini model roadmap came under scrutiny for delays, providing a pointed counternarrative: while frontier model competition has been messy, enterprise demand for AI-powered cloud services is accelerating. Alphabet’s cloud surge mirrors patterns at Microsoft Azure, which has similarly benefited from AI-driven enterprise spending, and reinforces that the current AI investment cycle is generating measurable commercial returns for the major hyperscalers.

AIINDUSTRY

Anthropic and Physical Intelligence Held Acquisition Talks This Spring, New Report Confirms

A weekend rumor that Anthropic was acquiring robotics startup Physical Intelligence turned out to be grounded in something real. The Information confirmed the two companies held acquisition talks this spring, even after Physical Intelligence CEO Karol Hausman denied current reports. Physical Intelligence has raised more than $1 billion and was reportedly in talks for another $1 billion round at an $11 billion valuation; its π0.5 robot-brain is widely used in academic robotics research. The deal faces a structural complication: OpenAI is itself an investor in Physical Intelligence, potentially giving it information rights or first-refusal protections over any rival acquisition.

ROBOTICSINDUSTRY

Humanoid Raises $152M Series A at $1.35B Valuation, Becomes Europe’s First Humanoid Robotics Unicorn

UK robotics startup Humanoid closed a $152 million Series A this week at a $1.35 billion valuation, making it Europe’s first pure-play humanoid robotics unicorn and bringing its total funding to $270 million. The round was led by Prime Movers Lab and included strategic investors Schaeffler and Bosch, both of which also signed manufacturing and commercial agreements with the company. Humanoid’s wheeled platform runs on a proprietary AI brain called KinetIQ and is targeting Beta industrial deployments in Q4 2026. Schaeffler signed what the company called the industry’s largest public commercial agreement, covering large-scale deployment of thousands of humanoid robots in manufacturing.

Google Releases Three New Gemini Models But Delays Long-Awaited 3.5 Pro, Hinting at Gemini 4 Ambitions

Google DeepMind released three new Gemini models on Tuesday, but the long-awaited flagship update remains missing. Gemini 3.6 Flash, the new workhorse for coding and knowledge tasks, cuts token usage by up to 17% versus its predecessor. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite targets cost-sensitive production workloads, while Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber — a cybersecurity-specialized model — is restricted to governments and trusted partners. Gemini 3.5 Pro, last updated in February, is reportedly delayed by internal performance shortfalls, per Bloomberg. Google’s Logan Kilpatrick said the Pro is in partner testing and that the team has started its most ambitious Gemini 4 pre-training run yet.

SOFTWARE

Jack Dorsey Launches Buzz, an Open-Source Slack Challenger Designed for Teams and Their AI Agents

Jack Dorsey launched Buzz, an open-source group chat platform for teams and their AI agents, positioning it as a challenger to both Slack and GitHub. Built by Dorsey’s company Block, Buzz is designed to put humans and AI agents in the same conversations, with native agent support and GitHub project management built directly into the interface. Dorsey described the platform as “model-agnostic, decentralized, self-sovereign, and open source.” A free desktop app is available now for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The company acknowledges Buzz is in its “early stages” — rival Paradigm partner Georgios Konstantopoulos released a similar open-source product called Centaur in May.

HARDWAREPROJECT

60 FPS NES Emulator On ESP32

Full-speed NES gaming on a microcontroller is now real. The Anemoia-ESP32 project delivers a complete Nintendo Entertainment System emulator running at a locked 60 frames per second on an ESP32 chip, with cycle-accurate audio emulation and save state support. The project ships as a WebSerial-flashable firmware image, letting builders program the hardware directly from a browser with no software installation required. Beyond the microcontroller, a display and controller are needed; both hardware wiring and software configuration are documented in the project repository. The emulator demonstrates how capable the ESP32 platform has become for real-time media workloads.

HARDWAREPROJECT

Industrial GPU Adapted For The Desktop

A maker has adapted a Tesla V100 SXM2 graphics card from a decommissioned data centre for use in a desktop workstation. The enterprise GPU—whose SXM2 form factor normally connects to proprietary server backplanes—required a custom PCIe adapter board to interface with a standard motherboard. The unit’s 82-decibel default fans also required electrical modification to run at tolerable noise levels. The result is 16 GB of HBM2 memory paired with an RTX 4080, providing 32 GB total VRAM for local large-language-model inference under NixOS. The V100 and adapter board cost approximately £200 combined.

ELECTRONICSPOLICY

NVIDIA Increases Jetson Module Prices by Up to 101%

NVIDIA has raised prices across its Jetson embedded AI module line by up to 101%. The Jetson Nano—a staple for hobbyist robotics and AI edge projects—jumped from $99 to $199. The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit rose from $249 to $399 (60%), while the Jetson AGX Orin 32GB module climbed from $899 to $1,799 (100%). Revised prices are live on the NVIDIA store and Amazon; SparkFun still lists old pricing but shows the product as backordered. NVIDIA has not offered an official explanation for the increases, according to CNX Software.

SOFTWAREPROJECT

An LLM In The Kitchen: Recipe Lanes Turns Recipes Into Flow Charts

Recipe Lanes is an open-source tool that parses recipe text into visual flow charts using a large language model. Developed by GitHub user bohemian-miser, the project sends a recipe to an LLM, which breaks it into discrete preparation steps and ingredient dependencies, then renders the output as a movable canvas of connected nodes. Each node is decorated with an 8-bit style ingredient icon. The layout lets cooks follow branching preparation paths at a glance rather than scanning linear instructions. The tool is live at recipelanes.com and the source code is publicly available on GitHub.

SOFTWARE

Compile Here, Run Everywhere: Crosstool-NG

Cross-compilation for non-standard embedded targets remains difficult, but Crosstool-NG makes it more manageable. Hackaday columnist Al Williams documented using the tool to produce MIPS binaries for a 3D printer running a stripped-down Linux system. Crosstool-NG automates the download, patching, and configuration of a complete toolchain—GCC, binutils, C library, and kernel headers—for a chosen target architecture. Williams’s printer CPU uses MIPS r2 instructions with the nan2008 floating-point convention normally associated with r6, requiring manual additions to CFLAGS, LDFLAGS, and C compiler settings. After several build attempts, the toolchain produced working BusyBox and text editor binaries on the printer.

HARDWAREPROJECT

Old TV Vacuum Tube Turned DIY X-Ray Machine

Maker mircemk has built a miniature X-ray machine using a DY86 vacuum tube salvaged from old CRT televisions. The tube, originally used for high-voltage rectification in TVs, emits X-ray radiation when driven at extremely high voltages. A staged power chain—a DC supply feeding an AC inverter, then a transformer, then a Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier—provides the necessary potential. Three DY86 tubes were lost to over-voltage before the circuit was stabilised. Images are captured on standard dental X-ray film placed 10–15 cm from the subject, with exposures from 15 minutes to an hour depending on material density. The full build is documented on Hackaday.io with safety guidance.

Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Breaks Disney Record With 503 Million Views in 24 Hours

The full trailer for Marvel Studios’Avengers: Doomsdaytallied503 million viewsin its first 24 hours, making it the most-viewed trailer inDisney’s history and the second-biggest trailer launch ever, trailing only Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day at 719 million views. The record surpasses Disney’s prior benchmark, the Deadpool & Wolverine Super Bowl teaser, which drew 365 million views including its broadcast audience. The trailer, featuringRobert Downey Jr.as Doctor Doom alongside the assembled MCU, landed Monday ahead of Marvel’s planned Saturday Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, where the December 18 release is expected to headline the studio’s slate reveal.

Studios and Streamers Flood Comic-Con’s Gaslamp District in Biggest SDCC Marketing Push Yet

San Diego Comic-Con transformed the Gaslamp District into a marketing arena as studios and streamers launched branded activations through July 26.Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsdaydominated, draping green Castle Doom–themed stained-glass imagery over the iconic Gaslamp sign at Fifth and L while lining surrounding light poles with Avengers flags.Disney Entertainment Televisionerected a walk-through Poseidon’s trident experience for Percy Jackson Season 3, while Paramount+ opened The Lodge for its fourth straight year. Activations fromABC, Hulu, FX, HBO, DC Studios, AMC, and Prime Videoblanketed the area, reflecting a shift toward prioritizing streaming series over theatrical films in Comic-Con marketing budgets.

Percy Jackson Season 3 Sets November 20 Premiere Date at Comic-Con Hall H, Trailer Drops August 14

Percy Jackson and the Olympianslaunched its third-season marketing campaign at San Diego Comic-Con Thursday, with the Hall H panel revealing an officialNovember 20, 2026premiere date for the eight-episode adaptation of Rick Riordan’s “The Titan’s Curse.” StarsWalker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, Leah Sava’Jeffries, and new series additions joined executive producers Craig Silverstein and Dan Shotz to tease the season’s scope. The first teaser trailer is scheduled to debutAugust 14, 2026, extending the marketing runway to three months before the Disney+ premiere. Disney also operates an immersive Poseidon’s trident walk-through activation in the Gaslamp District through the end of Comic-Con.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Secret Ali G Film Gets Title “Who Iz I?” and October 23 Release via Amazon MGM

Sacha Baron Cohen’s long-in-development secret Ali G film has been officially titled“Ali G: Who Iz I?”and is set for theatrical release onOctober 23, 2026via Amazon MGM Studios. Cohen announced the title and date in an in-character Instagram video, the first substantial marketing move since his appearance as Ali G at the2026 Wimbledonfinals confirmed the project’s existence. The film marks Cohen’s feature directorial debut and was shot in multiple cities across several years. The character first appeared in 1998, and “Who Iz I?” marks Ali G’s return to the big screen more than two decades after the original 2002 film.

Masters of the Universe Lands on Prime Video After 47-Day Theatrical Window

Masters of the Universe, directed byTravis Knightand starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam alongside Jared Leto as Skeletor, arrived onPrime VideoJuly 22 after a 47-day theatrical window following itsJune 5release. The Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel co-production becomes available to Prime subscribers after generating $64.7 million cumulatively at the domestic box office during its theatrical run. The 47-day window aligns with accelerated theatrical-to-streaming timelines increasingly favored by streaming-backed studios seeking to capture home-viewing audiences before theatrical momentum fully fades, a strategy that contrasts with traditional studio windows approaching 90 days.

Black Bear Releasing Hires Neon’s Bianca Parkes as Head of Marketing to Expand Distribution Slate

Black Bear Releasingbolstered its distribution infrastructure by appointingBianca Parkesas Head of Marketing and Heather Phillips as Head of Publicity, with both executives reporting to President of U.S. Distribution Benjamin Kramer. Parkes arrives from Neon, where as EVP and Executive Creative Director she helmed campaigns for Best Picture winnersParasite and Anora, alongside titles including Longlegs, Anatomy of a Fall, and Triangle of Sadness, and oversaw the streamer’s design and merchandising divisions. Phillips brings experience from20th Century Fox, Miramax, and 101 Studios. The hires expand Black Bear’s distribution capacity across a slate of up to 12 films per year.

CHAMPIONSHIP

IndyCar’s Inside Line: Dixon’s Ganassi Exit and Rosenqvist’s 500 Win Headline Mid-Season Surprises

IndyCar.com’s weekly Inside Line feature named Scott Dixon’s departure from Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years as the biggest story through 12 of 18 races in 2026. Dixon will join former Ganassi teammate Felix Rosenqvist at Arrow McLaren for the 2027 season. Rosenqvist’s Indianapolis 500 victory was highlighted as a major upset: he ran on the outside of two cars on the final lap and still won. Series journalists also cited Alex Palou’s dominant championship campaign — the Ganassi driver leads the field by more than a race’s worth of points with six rounds remaining, putting him on course for a record-tying fourth consecutive title.

TECHNICAL

IndyCar’s Dallara IR28 Poised for Maiden Track Test in Window Before Portland Race

The Dallara IR28, IndyCar’s new-for-2028 chassis, is set for its first track test during the three-week gap between the Nashville Superspeedway race and the August 9 Portland event, RACER reported July 19. At least two IR28 tubs are already housed at Dallara USA’s facility adjacent to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The initial shakedown is expected to use current-specification 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines from Chevrolet and Honda while both manufacturers continue developing their 2028-spec 2.4-liter powertrains. Sebring International Raceway’s short course and the IMS road course have been mentioned as possible test venues. Drivers for the first runs have not yet been named.

DRIVER NEWS

Siegel Points to Nashville Performance as Foundation for 2027 IndyCar Seat Search

Nolan Siegel said the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix gave him reason for optimism as the 21-year-old Arrow McLaren driver seeks a 2027 IndyCar seat. Arrow McLaren announced on July 6 it would not retain Siegel or Christian Lundgaard beyond this season, signing Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist for 2027 in their place. Siegel told reporters he is “talking to as many people as I can” and that staying in IndyCar is “certainly the goal.” The American sits 19th in the championship standings with 164 points and has six races remaining to show potential teams what he can do.

IMSATECHNICAL

Points-Leading Cadillac Takes 21 kg BoP Penalty for Road America

IMSA’s Balance of Performance update for Road America loads the points-leading #31 Cadillac V-Series.R with an additional 21 kilograms, while JDC-Miller Motorsports’ 2025-spec Porsche 963 adds 4 kg. Factory Porsche entries shed 7 kg, making the Porsche Penske machines the field’s heaviest GTP cars at 1,066 kg; the Aston Martin Valkyrie runs lightest at 1,020 kg. BMW’s M Hybrid V8 receives a two-stage power boost. In GT classes, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R Evo gains 15 kg, Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage drops 15 kg alongside the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 — which also earns a power increase — and Ferrari’s 296 GT3 Evo takes a 3.6 percent first-stage power boost.

IMSA

Only 40 Points Cover Top Three in Michelin Pilot Challenge GS With Four Rounds Left

Four rounds remain in the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class, and just 40 points separate the top three championship contenders. The #13 McCumbee McAleer Ford Mustang GT4 of Cicero and Noaker leads overall, 30 points clear of the #44 Ibiza Farm McLaren Artura GT4 shared by Cooper and Uretsky, and 40 ahead of the #27 Auto Technic BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Krainz and McAleer. The full top five is covered by 190 points, keeping the #95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (Machavern/Mars) and #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Ward) mathematically alive heading into Road America.

GT WORLD CHALLENGE

BMW M Motorsport to Skip Suzuka 1000km Factory Campaign in Budget Rethink

BMW M Motorsport is set to forgo factory-supported entries at the Suzuka 1000 Kilometres, the next round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, with team director Roos citing a “strategic decision” on budget. The German manufacturer also expects to skip September’s Indianapolis 8 Hours under the same rationale. BMW customer team WRT is in discussions about a potential Suzuka entry, and South Korean outfit KRC is also expected to compete independently. Max Hesse leads BMW’s factory contingent in the IGTC standings, sitting 30 points behind championship leader Maro Engel of Mercedes-AMG.

GT3

Gulf 12H Organizers Confirm GT Grand Finals Sprint Event at Istanbul for November

The organizers of the Gulf 12 Hours have confirmed a new sprint race event, the ‘GT Grand Finals/Istanbul’, at Istanbul Park on November 6–8. The event features three one-hour races on Sunday, preceded by practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. Open to all FIA GT3-homologated machinery, the event imposes no mandatory refueling or tire changes, reducing operational costs. Driving Force Events announced the event following the cancellation of January 2027’s Gulf 12 Hours due to ongoing Middle East conflict. The November dates clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship’s season finale, then expected at either Bahrain or Monza.

HYPERCAR

Michelotto Partners With Isotta Fraschini to Target Le Mans Hypercar Debut From 2030

Italian motorsport constructor Michelotto has announced a partnership with automaker Isotta Fraschini targeting a Le Mans Hypercar program from 2030. The project is structured around the FIA’s planned convergence of LMH and LMDh technical regulations, which is expected to unify top-class endurance racing under a single framework from that year. Michelotto will lead technical development of the Hypercar. The 2030 entry target coincides with the anticipated introduction of updated convergence regulations, which championship stakeholders have identified as a mechanism for broadening manufacturer participation across both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

GT3

Creventic Maintains ‘Full Focus’ on Middle East Trophy Rounds While Plotting Kyalami Backup

Creventic has confirmed its Michelin 24H Series Middle East Trophy — comprising rounds at Yas Marina Circuit and the Dubai Autodrome from December through January — remains the organization’s “full focus” despite escalating regional conflict. A letter sent to teams Wednesday stated the Dutch organizer is nonetheless preparing a contingency plan, with Kyalami in South Africa identified as a potential alternative venue for the complete winter season. Teams were invited to provide feedback on the Kyalami option. Creventic noted transport to Dubai does not require passage through the Strait of Hormuz and that daily international flights to the UAE continue to operate normally.

Digital Medicine Society launches AI governance initiative with 30 health organizations

The Digital Medicine Society has launched a new initiative to develop practical AI governance tools for healthcare organizations, responding to research showing 82% of health systems have little or no AI oversight in place. Named “Operationalizing AI Governance in Healthcare,” the effort involves 30 participating organizations and is sponsored by Qualified Health. DiMe CEO Jennifer Goldsack said the initiative will produce its first governance resources within two months, with a complete toolkit expected by year-end. Partners include Mass General Brigham, Stanford Health, UPMC, the American Psychiatric Association and Intel. The FDA is serving as a collaborative partner.

Samsung launches Health Assistant AI beta in US with physician-validated wellness guidance

Samsung has begun rolling out a beta version of its AI-powered Health Assistant to eligible U.S. users through the Samsung Health app, extending the company’s push into personalized digital health. The assistant, validated by physicians and certified health coaches, organizes guidance around five core pillars: sleep, activity, nutrition, mindfulness and vitals monitoring. The launch builds on Samsung’s acquisition of Xealth, a clinical digital health platform, and includes partnerships with Lark Health and Neuroscape for condition-specific coaching capabilities. Samsung said the Health Assistant is designed to provide continuous, personalized support between clinical encounters rather than replacing in-person care.

Candid Health raises $120M Series D as AI revenue cycle management valuation triples

Candid Health has raised $120 million in a Series D funding round led by Sixth Street Growth, with participation from Oak HC/FT, 8VC and Y Combinator. The company’s valuation tripled compared to its February 2025 Series C, which raised $52 million just five months earlier, signaling strong investor confidence in AI-driven revenue cycle management. Candid Health’s platform continuously validates and corrects insurance billing data, with the goal of reducing claim denials and administrative costs for health systems. The round puts Candid Health among the most well-funded startups competing in a market that includes Commure, recently valued at $7 billion.

ApolloMD agrees to pay $4.02M to settle class action over Qilin ransomware breach

ApolloMD, a healthcare revenue cycle management company, has agreed to pay approximately $4.02 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit arising from a May 2025 data breach conducted by the Qilin ransomware group. The attack allegedly exposed the records of roughly 627,000 patients and drew HIPAA-related scrutiny of ApolloMD’s cybersecurity protocols. The settlement carries no admission of wrongdoing. The outcome reflects mounting legal exposure for healthcare organizations that suffer ransomware incidents, as plaintiffs increasingly pursue class actions when sensitive patient data is compromised and restitution is sought for affected individuals.

Accenture: Health systems must rebuild telemedicine around FHIR-based EHR ecosystems

Health systems must stop treating telemedicine as a bolt-on technology and rebuild virtual care as part of a FHIR-based, AI-enabled interoperable ecosystem, according to Accenture clinical practice lead Asher Perzigian. Writing in Healthcare IT News, Perzigian argues that COVID-era decisions to deploy separate telehealth platforms with minimal EHR integration created fragmented workflows that now limit AI adoption and clinical coherence. He advises CIOs to require open APIs and FHIR compliance in all technology contracts, invest in shared integration infrastructure before adding applications, and measure digital health tools by patient outcomes rather than project completion. Video technology itself, he argues, is becoming commoditized; competitive advantage will come from interoperability.

Hilo by Aktiia launches US blood pressure wearable with $19M Series B extension

Hilo by Aktiia has launched its Hilo Core blood pressure tracking system in the United States and announced a $19 million extension to its Series B round, bringing total funding to more than $119 million. The system combines a wristband using optical sensors to estimate blood pressure with an FDA-cleared upper-arm cuff for periodic calibration, generating 30 to 35 readings per day including overnight. CEO Stefan Petzinger said the product helps users observe how blood pressure patterns correlate with sleep, activity and other lifestyle factors. The wristband is positioned as a wellness tool and has not received FDA clearance for diagnostic use.

POLICYREGULATION

House Passes Defense Bill Embedding Proof-of-Citizenship Voter Registration Rule That Threatens Nonprofit Civic Programs

In a 216-to-212 vote, the House approved the National Defense Authorization Act with the SAVE America Act attached — a provision requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. The measure would upend third-party voter registration drives conducted by nonprofits and advocacy organizations nationwide, as groups conducting outreach would be unable to accept applications from registrants without verified documentation. The $1.15 trillion defense package now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Voting rights advocates and nonprofit civic engagement organizations are warning that the requirement would disproportionately disenfranchise low-income, elderly, and immigrant community members that many nonprofits serve — and could force organizations to shutter programs that have run for decades.

ANALYSISIMPACT

As America Turns 250, a Civic Innovator Says Nonprofits Must Build Listening Infrastructure, Not Just Celebrate

With the United States approaching its 250th anniversary, civic leaders are questioning whether commemoration is enough. Wei Soo — co-founder of Global Citizen and now the force behind The Stories of Us — argues that America needs organized listening infrastructure, not just celebration. Writing in Nonprofit Quarterly, Soo outlines three pillars: helping people feel seen, heard, and understood. The Stories of Us is already deploying “listening capacity” through partnerships with AARP Michigan, the Detroit Public Library, Girl Scouts, and United Way affiliates. Soo frames narrative intelligence as a practical tool nonprofits can use to rebuild civic bonds at a moment of deep national polarization — and calls the sector to lead where institutions have failed.

POLICYLABOR

‘No More 24’: NYC Home Care Workers Demand End to Mandatory All-Day Shifts Amid Stalled City Legislation

A decade-long labor campaign is intensifying in New York City, where home care aides — predominantly immigrant women of color — are fighting to abolish mandatory 24-hour work shifts. Intro. 303-2026, which would ban the practice, has stalled in committee, with both Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani signaling opposition. Workers have staged sit-ins and hunger strikes at government offices. The United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights has flagged the 24-hour shift requirement as displaying indicators of forced labor, adding international pressure to the local fight. Nonprofit home care agencies — which employ most affected workers — now face growing calls to move beyond neutrality and actively champion the campaign alongside the workers they depend on.

ACCOUNTABILITYPHILANTHROPY

WilmerHale Probe Finds Gates Foundation Leaders Met Epstein Approximately 30 Times After His Conviction — Drawing Governance Lessons for All Charities

A five-month investigation conducted by law firm WilmerHale found that senior Gates Foundation figures met with Jeffrey Epstein approximately 30 times over a three-year period, all occurring after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea on solicitation charges. Foundation employees raised concerns about the relationship and were disregarded; the board was found to have exercised insufficient oversight. The findings, released Tuesday, prompted Warren Buffett to formally end his philanthropic relationship with the Gates Foundation, where he had pledged to direct the bulk of his fortune. The Chronicle of Philanthropy examines what the report reveals about reputational risk management, board responsibility, and the governance structures every nonprofit — large or small — needs to protect its mission and credibility.