United States

OpenAI announced that it will begin testing advertisements for non-paying ChatGPT users in the coming weeks as part of a broader push to monetize the widely used AI chatbot. The San Francisco-based company, valued at about $500 billion and reporting significant operating costs, plans to introduce clearly labeled ads within the free version of ChatGPT while leaving paid tiers ad-free. OpenAI said it will work with selected advertisers during the initial rollout, publish detailed ad and data-use policies, and monitor user experience and regulatory compliance as it seeks to move the service toward profitability.

Texas U.S. Representative Jake Ellzey says Washington’s public threat of possible military action sends a deterrent message to U.S. adversaries worldwide and does not harm relations with allies, describing how American officials coordinate with partner nations, maintain defense agreements, and use military readiness and clear signaling as part of a broader national security and deterrence strategy.

A Texas appeals court on January 17, 2026, ruled that three Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates have standing to sue over the 2021 Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions after detection of cardiac activity and relies on private civil enforcement. The decision allows the providers’ lawsuit against Texas Right to Life and others to proceed in trial court, focusing on the law’s private enforcement mechanism and its potential to generate unlimited lawsuits. The ruling does not suspend the law or alter Texas’ near-total abortion ban that took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The global music industry logged an estimated 5.1 trillion streams in 2025 as listeners worldwide continued to turn to digital platforms for music consumption.