The USDA announces $759M in grants and loans for 49 recipients in 24 states for rural high-speed internet access, as part of the $65B infrastructure law (Josh Boak/Associated Press)

Jon Porter / The Verge:
Xiaomi announces the flagship €599 12T, featuring a 108MP camera, and €759 12T Pro, featuring a 200MP camera, both with 6.67-inch displays, available October 13  —  Xiaomi has officially announced its flagship smartphone lineup for the second half of the year — the Xiaomi 12T and 12T Pro.

Ana Swanson / New York Times:
The US Commerce Department releases its plan for the $50B CHIPS Act: $28B for grants and loans, $10B for expanded manufacturing, and $11B for R&D  —  The Commerce Department issued guidelines for companies angling to receive federal funding aimed at bolstering the domestic semiconductor industry.

NBC News:
US public school districts in seven states are piloting or have introduced Starlink internet access to rural students’ homes, as some question the affordability  —  SpaceX’s Starlink aims to expand rural communication from space  —  CUBA, New Mexico — Tech magnate Elon Musk’s satellite …

Rachael Levy / Reuters:
Sources: the US Department of Agriculture is probing Neuralink for potential animal welfare violations after complaints that its animal testing is being rushed  —  Elon Musk’s Neuralink, a medical device company, is under federal investigation for potential animal-welfare violations amid …

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
WhatsApp announces Communities, a group messaging feature for larger, more structured groups of up to 1,024 people, rolling out worldwide in the coming months  —  WhatsApp today is officially launching Communities, the new feature offering larger, more structured discussion groups that first entered into testing earlier this year.