Meridian Evening Brief — Mar 25
Editor’s note: Tonight’s edition is heavy on geopolitics and tech accountability, with a few reminders that institutions are still making very human messes. Also, somewhere in the middle of all that, a moon-flown tree and a six-goal Clasico arrived to keep the day from going fully grim.
BBC US & Canada • World • Who wants what and why from US-Iran peace talks?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm29l9r68j8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
The BBC reports that the U.S. and Iran are communicating indirectly through intermediaries, even as Iranian officials deny that formal negotiations are under way. A reported U.S. proposal includes ending Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and halting support for regional proxy groups in exchange for sanctions relief and some shared control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media, meanwhile, has outlined demands including war reparations, guarantees against future attacks, and recognition of Iran’s authority over the strait. Gulf states are described as seeking a return to prewar stability but now facing a more emboldened and strategically stronger Iran.
TechCrunch • Tech • Convicted spyware chief hints that Greece’s government was behind dozens of phone hacks
TechCrunch says Intellexa founder Tal Dilian plans to appeal his Greek conviction over a mass-wiretapping scandal involving Predator spyware. The case centers on hacked phones belonging to ministers, opposition figures, military officials, and journalists in what critics have called “Greek Watergate.” Dilian told Reuters he would not be a scapegoat and suggested he could share evidence with regulators, a remark the outlet describes as the clearest indication yet from inside Intellexa that the Greek government may have authorized the surveillance. Several senior officials resigned after the scandal emerged, but no government officials have been convicted.
NASA • Science • Artemis Moon Tree Dedicated in Honor of Mary W. Jackson
NASA dedicated an Artemis Moon Tree at Mary W. Jackson Elementary School in Hampton, Virginia, after the loblolly pine had been planted there in November 2025. The seed flew around the Moon aboard Artemis I in 2022 before being returned to Earth and grown into a sapling through a USDA Forest Service program. NASA educators and students from third through fifth grade helped plant and celebrate the tree, which honors Mary W. Jackson, NASA’s first Black female engineer. NASA says the tree also serves as a living link between the Artemis program and an older Apollo-era Moon Tree already growing elsewhere in Hampton.
The Verge • Business • Meta is laying off hundreds of employees as it pours money into AI
https://www.theverge.com/tech/900946/meta-layoffs-hundreds-employees
Meta is cutting hundreds of jobs across recruiting, social media, sales, and Reality Labs, according to reports cited by The Verge. A company spokesperson said teams regularly restructure to better meet their goals and that Meta is trying to place affected employees elsewhere when possible. The cuts come as Meta shifts further away from its metaverse branding and continues a large AI spending push, with projected outlays reaching as much as $135 billion for data center expansion. The company had nearly 79,000 employees as of December 2025 and had already carried out significant Reality Labs cuts earlier this year.
The Verge • Entertainment • Spotify is letting artists manually approve releases to combat AI fakes
https://www.theverge.com/streaming/900910/spotify-artist-profile-protection-ai-clones
Spotify is testing a feature called Artist Profile Protection that lets artists or their teams review releases before music appears on their profile pages. The Verge says the system is meant to reduce problems caused by metadata errors, impersonators, and AI-generated fake tracks published under real artists’ names. Beta users can opt in to manual approval, and Spotify is also issuing artist keys that can trigger automatic approval for legitimate releases. The company says the tool is in limited beta for now but plans to expand it to all artists as soon as possible.
TechCrunch • Tech • Who’s driving Waymo’s self-driving cars? Sometimes, the police.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/waymo-robotaxi-roadside-assistance-emergency-first-responders/
TechCrunch reports that first responders have had to physically move Waymo robotaxis in at least six emergency incidents, including a California highway fire that left one car stranded and unable to turn around. In that case, a California Highway Patrol officer eventually drove the vehicle to safety after Waymo’s remote assistance team could not resolve the situation. The article says city officials in San Francisco have raised concerns that public safety workers are becoming de facto roadside assistance for autonomous vehicles. Waymo told the outlet it has a dedicated roadside assistance team, but declined to detail its size or how it will scale as the company expands to more cities.
Al Jazeera • Business • US investors bet big on Indian cricket with record billion-dollar IPL deals
Two Indian Premier League franchises changed hands in separate billion-dollar deals, setting new valuation records for the league. Rajasthan Royals were reportedly bought in a deal valued at $1.63 billion by a consortium backed by U.S. investors Kal Somani and Rob Walton, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru were acquired for $1.78 billion by a group including David Blitzer and Blackstone. Al Jazeera says the sales reflect the rising global appeal of the IPL and broader investor interest in sports assets with large and growing fan bases. Broadcast rights for the 2023-27 IPL cycle had already sold for $6.4 billion, underscoring the league’s commercial scale.
CNBC Top News • Business • Elon Musk calls for Delaware judge to recuse herself in lawsuits, alleging bias
Elon Musk’s lawyers asked Delaware Chancery Court judge Kathaleen McCormick to recuse herself from two Tesla-related cases, alleging bias tied to apparent activity on LinkedIn. McCormick said any supportive emoji attached to a post critical of Musk would have been accidental and that she reported suspicious activity on her account. CNBC notes that McCormick previously ordered Tesla to rescind Musk’s 2018 pay package before Delaware’s Supreme Court later said the remedy was too extreme and that compensation should be reconsidered. The two pending cases before her concern Tesla directors’ pay and shareholder claims tied to Musk’s AI company xAI.
RNZ • Health • Health NZ staff told to stop using ChatGPT to write clinical notes
Health New Zealand says some staff have been using free AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to draft clinical notes, a practice it says is strictly prohibited. A memo seen by RNZ warned workers in one district’s mental health and addiction services that using those tools for clinical purposes could lead to formal disciplinary action, even if patient information is anonymized before transcription. Health NZ said unapproved consumer AI tools raise data security, privacy, and accountability concerns, and that approved systems must go through its national review process. A public sector union argued the warning reflects staff working under heavy pressure and said the system should focus more on training and approved tools.
Al Jazeera • Sports • Barcelona hammer Real Madrid in Women’s Champions League quarterfinals
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 6-2 in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarterfinal, taking a commanding advantage into the return match. Ewa Pajor scored twice, while Esmee Brugts, Irene Paredes, Vicky Lopez, and Alexia Putellas also scored for Barcelona; Linda Caicedo had both goals for Madrid. Al Jazeera notes that Barcelona are now unbeaten in 25 matches across all competitions and are chasing an eighth straight semifinal appearance. The result continues Barcelona’s recent dominance in the rivalry, with the team having won all four meetings against Madrid this season.
