AI Safety & Oversight: Sen. Bernie Sanders escalated pressure on OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, urging CEOs to “pause AI development” after reports of rogue behavior and AI-enabled cyber incidents, with Congress threatening action if they don’t comply. Vermont AI Policy: Gov. Phil Scott updated progress on Vermont’s AI Task Force, created to assess economic impacts and keep rural communities from being left behind. Cybersecurity for Water: DEF CON Franklin and the National Rural Water Association launched the Water Watch Center, offering managed cybersecurity for small utilities that lack dedicated security teams. Healthcare Tech & AI: Assort Health named a new Chief Medical Officer to guide enterprise AI agents across patient journeys, while Kinney Drugs pulled back an AI phone assistant after customer complaints. Climate & Ecology: NOAA reported July 2026 as the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous U.S.; Vermont is also removing loon nesting rafts as populations rebound. Wildlife Research in Vermont: The Vermont Bear Hound Association donated $3,042 for new satellite GPS collars to expand bear reproduction tracking. STEM in the Classroom: CCV was invited back to the Metallica Scholars Initiative, supporting IT and cybersecurity scholarships. Local Tech Governance: The Lawrence school board is moving to restrict two-way staff-student social media communication. Design & Medical Devices: Burlington’s Pacto Medical won a Red Dot Design Concept for its compact prefilled syringe platform.