Missouri congressional map confusion and Tesla Cybercab safety concerns: Morning Rundown

Two legal fights stir confusion over which map should be used in Missouri elections. The leaders of a pro-AI super PAC say the battle over data centers is just beginning. And two Americans will face each other in the men’s U.S. Open semifinals.

Missouri’s congressional map in limbo after conflicting rulings

A fight in Missouri over whether Republicans can use a redrawn congressional map descended into chaos after two courts issued conflicting rulings, hours before the deadline to finalize ballots.

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The U.S. Supreme Court, in an order issued by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, left in place a state Supreme Court decision blocking the map’s use while a ballot initiative that could lead voters to reject the newly drawn district lines moves forward.

Soon after, a federal judge in Missouri ruled in favor of two GOP congressional candidates who argued that the new map must be used. The map was in place for last month’s primaries and therefore must be used in November to avoid constitutional violations, the candidates argued.

The two cases raise different legal issues; with the state Supreme Court focused only on state law while the federal case raises questions under the U.S. constitution.

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The biggest pro-AI group is ready to fight data center backlash

The backlash against the nationwide data center buildout has become one of the most prominent issues in the upcoming midterms. But the fight is only getting started, according to the lead strategists behind Leading the Future, one of the biggest pro-AI groups with backing from OpenAI’s co-founder and President Greg Brockman.

In a rare interview, strategists Josh Vlasto and Zac Moffat detailed some of their ambitions and addressed concerns over job losses to AI.

The super PAC has formed a group to support state and federal candidates aligned with its data center agenda, with about $50 million in cash on hand. They also support a national framework for regulating AI which opponents argue would be too light a touch. “We want Congress to pass a bill. We want states to put in clear policies,” Vlasto said.

Job losses are a fair concern, the pair said, but they contend that some unions and trade groups support data center development and that the centers create new jobs.

American Ben Shelton outduels Alcaraz in latest-ever U.S. Open finish

There’s leaving it late, and then there’s what American star Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz served up at the U.S. Open.

Shelton outdueled the defending champion in the latest ever finish at the tournament, a thriller that didn’t finish until 3:33 a.m. in front of a raucous New York crowd.

The five-set victory takes him to the semifinals, where he will face fellow American Francis Tiafoe.

That means there is guaranteed to be an American in Sunday’s final, hoping to end a drought that has seen no U.S. men’s player win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in New York in 2003.

Shelton, the No. 8 seed, ended Alcaraz’ 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments in a clash that lasted 4 hours, 28 minutes. At one point the Spaniard could be seen vomiting into a towel.

Tesla Cybercab draws concern over not having a steering wheel

Tesla is rolling out its new self-driving Cybercabs on the streets of Austin, Texas. But the vehicles’ lack of a steering wheel or other traditional human controls has the city’s fire department concerned about what would happen if firefighters needed to move one during an emergency.

In an interview, Capt. Matthew McElearney of the Austin Fire Department, said Telsa has provided training to the city’s first responders on how to move the vehicle using a touchscreen, but he doesn’t know how well the technology will work in the field. Officials have also raised safety concerns with Zoox, Amazon’s self-driving car company, as well as Waymo.

Why Cybercabs present unusual challenges for first responders.

Staff Pick: Families suing Roblox face a fight over the fine print

After a 9-year-old girl was groomed and blackmailed by an adult man on Roblox, her abuser was convicted in court. We talked to her mother, who says the family’s hardest legal battle in the years since has been with Roblox itself.

More than 150 families have sued the social gaming company over allegations that their children were sexually abused on the platform. But Roblox says these cases don’t belong in court , arguing that kids agreed to the terms of service — which include a forced-arbitration provision — upon creating their accounts.

It’s a dispute that raises the question of whether children can be bound by contracts they weren’t old enough to understand. — Angela Yang , trending reporter

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