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Oracle Joins Growing List Of AI Firms Supporting Pentagon National Security Work

Zero Rss
3 months 2 weeks ago
Oracle Joins Growing List Of AI Firms Supporting Pentagon National Security Work

Summary:

  • Oracle Joins the growing list 

  • OpenAI, Google, SpaceX/xAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Reflection AI to deploy AI tools in "classified settings" at the Department of War

Oracle Added 

Department of War CTO posted on X that Oracle has officially joined the list of AI companies deploying AI tools to America's warfighters. 

BREAKING:

Following this morning’s announcement, the @DeptofWar is announcing that Oracle has officially agreed to join the list of AI companies deploying frontier capabilities on the Department’s classified networks. https://t.co/99nfrwXCzg pic.twitter.com/WwoA2aLJui

— Department of War CTO (@DoWCTO) May 1, 2026

The list now includes: Oracle, OpenAI, Google, SpaceX/xAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Reflection AI.

Shares of Oracle are up 6.5% and are at new highs on the DoW announcement.

List Revealed 

The Department of War has finalized agreements with OpenAI, Google, SpaceX/xAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Reflection AI to deploy AI tools in "classified settings." This means these tools will operate within secure government networks where sensitive or secret national security information is handled, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Anthropic's Claude had previously been one of the few AI tools available on Palantir's Maven platform. However, after the DoW labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk, the department pushed to broaden access to AI tools for top-secret work.

The deal with the seven AI companies to unleash these models for secret national-security work, such as intelligence reports, satellite imagery, drone feeds, signals data, battlefield updates, logistics data, or classified planning documents, merely reflects that Silicon Valley is coming around in supporting the DoD after years of rejecting work with the department.

Emil Michael, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, told the outlet, "We are equipping the warfighter with a suite of AI tools to maintain an unfair advantage and achieve absolute decision superiority."

A Reflection spokeswoman told the outlet, "This shared understanding with the Pentagon is a first step in supporting U.S. national security, and sets a precedent for how AI labs could work across the U.S. government, from supporting our servicemembers to our scientists."

The first indication that at least one Big Tech company had reached a deal with the DoW came on Thursday afternoon, when NBC News reported that Google had agreed to deploy its powerful Gemini AI systems on classified networks.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made AI a top priority for the armed forces, vowing to transform the military into "an AI-first warfighting force."

"We are proud to be part of a broad consortium of leading AI labs and technology and cloud companies providing AI services and infrastructure in support of national security," Google spokesperson Kate Dreyer said in an email to NBC News.

Hegseth on Thursday defended the DoW's use of AI tools in classified military operations, telling Congress that "humans make decisions" and that "AI is not making lethal decisions."

Hegseth called Anthropic's CEO an "ideological lunatic," which only shows the rift between the left-leaning AI startup and the military is widening. 

*HEGSETH SAYS ANTHROPIC IS RUN BY `AN IDEOLOGICAL LUNATIC'

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 30, 2026

According to Tech Crunch, Anthropic is in the process of closing another fundraising round, asking investors to submit applications over the next two days as the startup seeks $50 billion at a $900 billion valuation. The previous valuation of $380 billion was in February. 

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/01/2026 - 11:28
Tyler Durden

US Mortgage Debt Hits $13.2 Trillion, Average Household Owes Nearly $109,000

Zero Rss
3 months 2 weeks ago
US Mortgage Debt Hits $13.2 Trillion, Average Household Owes Nearly $109,000

Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times,

America’s mortgage debt continues to escalate, hitting the $13.2 trillion mark, according to an April 30 WalletHub report.

The personal finance website and app indicated that the average U.S. household owes nearly $109,000 in outstanding mortgage balances and that mortgage debt has remained on an upward trend over the past few years.

“Mortgage rates are the highest they’ve been in around a decade, and home prices have seen a meteoric rise in recent years as well,” WalletHub analyst John Kiernan said in the report.

“Even small increases in home prices can lead to thousands of dollars in extra mortgage interest costs for homeowners, so it’s important to choose wisely when deciding where and when to buy a house.”

Comparing the 50 states based on proprietary data from the third quarter of 2025 to the fourth quarter, WalletHub found that the northernmost state, Alaska, added the most mortgage debt during that time frame, in percentage terms. The average balance there rose by 2.52 percent to $248,013.

Meanwhile, Alaska residents still carry significant mortgage balances in general, with average monthly payments of $2,078. Homeowners in Alaska are also saddled with relatively high property taxes. According to Redfin, the current median list price in Alaska is $465,000.

Delaware ranked second for the most added mortgage debt during the same period, showing a 2.51 percent increase to $210,542 for the average balance. A typical homeowner in Delaware spends nearly $1,689 per month in mortgage costs. Redfin lists the median home price in the state at $460,000.

The third-highest state for added mortgage debt goes to Maine, with average balances rising by 1.98 percent to an outstanding balance of $209,936. Average homeowners there pay about $1,723 each month toward their mortgage. Maine’s median home price stands at $390,300, as per Redfin.

Nevada and California complete the top five states with the highest mortgage debt increases. South Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Texas round out the top 10.

On the opposite side, the report indicates that  mortgage debt decreased in 19 states during the fourth quarter of 2025. Vermont ranked the lowest in the nation for mortgage debt, followed by North Dakota, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Kansas.

Earlier this year, WalletHub reported America’s total household debt, including mortgage payments, car loans, credit card debt, and other expenses, at $18.78 trillion, with an average debt per household at $155,594.

Kiernan noted that since mortgage rates have recently become a bit more favorable, those currently paying higher rates could consider refinancing as a way of lowering monthly costs. As of April 23, Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.23 percent.

Other money-saving tips include making extra mortgage payments when possible to reduce total interest costs or switching to biweekly payments.

“This results in 26 half-payments per year instead of the usual 12,” Kiernan noted. “Over time, this can shave years off your mortgage term and save you money on interest.”

Finally, homeowners could consider putting unexpected windfalls such as tax refunds or work bonuses toward the mortgage payment, shortening the overall repayment period.

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/01/2026 - 11:20
Tyler Durden

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