Sheera Frenkel

My editor of (nearly) a decade, Pui-Wing Tam is ascending to become Business editor of the NYT.

From the @nytimes.com Business desk: We're thrilled Pui-Wing Tam will lead the charge as our next Business editor. She's been a guiding force behind many of our most ambitious tech and business stories. Now, she'll guide the Business desk’s next chapter. www.nytco.com/press/pui-wi...

Earlier this week I was in the car with my kids when my 7-year-old said, “Look Mama, it’s a death garden.” I looked out the window to see we were passing by a cemetery. Anyway, this is my official petition to rename them death gardens.

I am old enough to remember when the White House gathered tech company executives in DC to figure out how to remove execution videos from the internet. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shee...

NEW- OpenAI ignored warnings from its own employees and independent security researchers who said they needed better safety measures at the company. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/t...

“Largest theft of labor in human history.” What a quote.

As A.I. is rapidly advancing, companies are also seeing their bots go rogue and committing cyberattacks. It boils down to two issues researchers say we haven’t solved (nor necessarily know how to): safeguards and alignment. My latest with @sheeraf.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/t...

I won’t name names, because I don’t want to add to the obvious opsec/privacy problems, but posting photos of what Meta’s new AI bot is doing to help organize your life is not a great idea. Seeing people post the name of their therapist, their kid’s tutoring schedule, and wife’s restaurant pick.

Made 1/12th of my future dish set.

How a conspiracy-minded podcaster installed at the FBI by Trump helped instigate a sprawling investigation targeting Fauci and other scientists in connection with the COVID pandemic based on unproven theories. @benjmueller.bsky.social @glennthrush.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/h...

NEW- Judge rules government decision to ban Anthropic was illegal, and violated constitutionally protected activities. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/t...

A.I. Is Becoming So Powerful That It’s Stumping Those Trying to Contain It Via @sheeraf.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/t...

Journalism Job Alert: there are three jobs open on the NYT tech team in San Francisco. We are hiring for reporters to cover Anthropic, xAI, and a general AI business reporter. Message me if these interest you and you want to apply! job-boards.greenhouse.io/thenewyorkti...

Just a reminder that without real journalists out there doing… journalism… these AI-journalism bots would have nothing to aggregate.

I’m listening to Anthropic vs. Pentagon court case today in the SF district court, and the judge’s opening remarks were very pointed. “I worry about the government’s position.”

I, too, went to see the Odyssey this weekend. Couldn’t help but notice that all four movie previews we saw, (presumably for films that Hollywood movie studios are betting are the next big thing), did not pass the Bechdel test. What are we doing here?

Astonishing. RFK Jr. adds 8 members to a 6 member FDA advisory panel. 6 of them were sellers of peptides, and the 7th a compounding pharmacist. In an 8-6 vote with all 8 votes coming from these new panel members, the panel approved 4 peptides against the objections of FDA scientists.

www.nytco.com/press/the-ne...

Our look into the recent Anthropic vs. Trump administration dispute, where some employees are asking why the White House seems to be targeting their company. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/t...

Currently watching the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, where they are discussing the expansive surveillance powers of ICE. They are citing reporting by myself, as well as colleagues at the Wpost, Wired, 404, and other news outlets: www.c-span.org/event/public...

New: The liberal billionaire @tomsteyerhq.bsky.social's campaign has been paying influencers to champion his run for California governor - and many are doing so without disclosure. One big TikToker, who called the 68-year-old a "vibe," didn't mention he'd been paid $10,000 wapo.st/4twTpOh

Life on other planets seems totally feasible to me. It also seems like quite the moment to distract everyone with that idea.

Breaking News: The Trump administration is discussing vetting new A.I. models before they are publicly released.

NEW- NEW- The White House is reversing course and considering vetting AI models before they are released. With @trippmickle.bsky.social @julianbarnes.bsky.social and @dustinvolz.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/t...

NEW- The White House is reversing course and considering vetting AI models before they are released. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/t...

Hundreds of Fake Pro-Trump Avatars Emerge on Social Media www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/b...

WOW: Jodi Kantor & Adam Liptak have the memos that describe the origins of SCOTUS shadow docket - the 2016 order halting Obama’s Clean Power Plan @jodikantor.bsky.social @adamliptak.bsky.social @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

New story with @julianbarnes.bsky.social and @tylerpager.bsky.social: Anthropic had talks at the White House today to try and see if there is a compromise to be had. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/t...

Want to announce that I am finally a good enough gardner to grow flowers for home-made bouquets!

"Each nation is aiming to amass the most advanced technological stockpile in case they need to fight drone against drone and algorithm against algorithm in ways that people cannot match, defense and intelligence officials said."

Our look at how the sprint for A.I.-backed weapons is the new nuclear arms race. Joined forces with @paulmozur.bsky.social in Taiwan and Adam Satariano in London for this global story. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/t...

Nothing like a week of this.

A week in paradise, aka Zihuatanejo

I need advice. I have a slot to buy tickets for the 2028 summer Olympics. I have two daughters I want to bring who will both be under 10. They don’t follow any sport particularly closely, I just want them to experience badass female athletes. Which event should I buy tickets for?

Anthropic just won its preliminary injunction against the Trump admin. Judge writes that, “Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government.”

NEW: A District Court judge has blocked the Pentagon policy restricting journalists' access, ruling that it violated the 1st amendment & granting an injunction sought by the @nytimes.com.

Illuminating story from @sheeraf.bsky.social @nytimes.com, situating the Iran war in Silicon Valley’s decade-long push to transform warfare. Who stands to lose the most when industry bets big on war? Civilians and taxpayers. @brennancenter.org explains why: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Tahini as a salad dressing. Tahini as a dipping sauce for crudite. Tahini as a lubricant on bread in any sandwich. I 100% support all of these decisions. But I won’t be talked Tahini in my coffee.

Honored to be in the company of these women.

No, YOU spent over hour elbow-deep in trash, looking for the retainer your kid accidentally threw away in a school trash can. At the end of a workday. That started at 6am.

+1

An ongoing military investigation has determined that the US was responsible for a Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian school that killed 175, refuting Trump's claim that Iran did it. @julianbarnes.bsky.social @tylerpager.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/u...

Five-byline alert: 🚨 “.. An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/u...

Thomson Reuters is best known for its media outlet and legal research tools, but it is also a huge data broker that provides investigative tools to the government, including ICE. Its Minneapolis workers aren't happy about that: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/t...