Media News Daily: Top Stories for 07/20/2026

Madison Square Garden Sues Wired for Defamation

Madison Square Garden Entertainment has filed a defamation lawsuit against Wired over its report alleging that the Garden maintains a secret watchlist of LGBTQ celebrities, assigns “risk scores,” and tracks race and gender identity. Madison Square Garden contends that Wired relied on stolen data to create what it calls a false narrative. Wired says it stands behind its reporting. The lawsuit adds to ongoing disputes between major venues, media outlets, privacy concerns, and reporting based on leaked or disputed data. (Read More) (Mediapost Rating)

Anthropic CEO Gives $1 Million to AI Safety PAC

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei donated $1 million to Public First, a super PAC that supports candidates favoring stronger AI guardrails. Several other Anthropic employees contributed as well, bringing the company-linked total to more than $2.15 million last quarter. The donations come as Public First and another AI-focused super PAC, Leading the Future, have become active in midterm races amid growing political conflict over AI regulation. Public First has backed candidates supporting AI safety rules, while Leading the Future opposes candidates it says could slow AI innovation. (Read More) (The Hill Rating)

ICE Plans $125 Million Thomson Reuters Data Deal

404 Media reports that the Department of Homeland Security plans to pay Thomson Reuters $125 million over five years for access to databases of personal information to support ICE investigations into alleged voter fraud, immigration fraud, and national security matters. Procurement documents reviewed by 404 Media say the data may include names, addresses, Social Security numbers, ethnicity, social media posts, geolocation information, property records, license plate data, and other sources through Thomson Reuters Special Services and its CLEAR product. Thomson Reuters said it prohibits use of CLEAR to identify and locate noncriminal undocumented immigrants solely for deportation based on immigration status, while saying the tool supports investigations into public safety and national security issues. (Read More) (404 Media Rating)