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The Ratepayer Protection Act failed to advance in the US Senate, falling three votes short of the margin needed. The bill was intended to shield electricity ratepayers from costs tied to environmental regulations. Its defeat highlights the narrow partisan divide over energy and climate legislation, with supporters criticising the outcome and opponents welcoming the bill's failure.

The Protect College Sports Act has advanced in Congress, according to employment law firm Littler Mendelson, which flagged the bill's progress for employers and stakeholders. The legislation concerns college sports, though details of its provisions and the vote that moved it forward were not provided. The development is being watched in the context of ongoing debates over the regulation of collegiate athletics.

Los Angeles organisers are seeking $650 million in insurance coverage for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to Sports Business Journal. The move highlights the scale of financial risk tied to hosting the event, protecting against potential disruptions. Details about insurers or coverage terms were not disclosed, and it is not yet clear how the policy would fit into the Games' broader budget and risk planning.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is calling for a new legally binding treaty recognising the right to a healthy environment. The assembly argues that Europe needs stronger legal tools to protect citizens from environmental harm, including pollution and climate change. The move follows growing international momentum, with the UN General Assembly having recognised the right to a healthy environment as a universal human right in 2022.

A bipartisan-sounding group of 26 state attorneys general has called on Congress to regulate frontier artificial intelligence models while preserving states' own authority to act. The attorneys general argue federal rules are needed on advanced AI, but that states must keep their powers to enforce consumer protection and address harms within their borders. The push comes amid ongoing debate in Washington over whether to pre-empt state AI laws with a single federal framework.

A Senate education committee has moved forward with measures designed to strengthen protections against bullying, particularly in schools. The legislation would tighten existing safeguards and reporting requirements aimed at protecting students. Details of the specific bills, their provisions, and the vote's outcome remain limited, but the advancement signals legislative momentum on student safety and anti-bullying policy.

Google has announced improvements to Advanced Protection, the Android security mode aimed at users at higher risk of cyber attacks. Some of the new protections will only be available on Android 17. The news, reported by Italian tech outlet Punto Informatico, highlights Google's ongoing effort to strengthen mobile security for its most exposed users.

Google's Android 17 Advanced Protection mode will restrict accessibility services so they can only be enabled for verified accessibility tools. The change is aimed at closing a common abuse vector, since malware frequently exploits accessibility permissions to take over devices, read screen content and perform unauthorized actions.

Junior college (JUCO) athletes are set to have a voice in the proposed Protect College Sports Act, according to Queen City News. The inclusion means two-year college athletes would be represented in discussions shaping the legislation, which concerns the regulation of college sports. Details of what the act would change, and how JUCO athletes' input would be gathered, have not yet been laid out.