A synthetic Israel-funded think tank has published more than 100 articles since it launched less than a month ago. First spotted by Politico, the Hanover Institute for Public Policy is run by the American advertising firm Piro Inc, paid for by Israel, and appears designed to generate content for LLMs ...
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The Man Behind the Anti-Flock Darth Vader Mask Wants to Know: ‘When Will This End?’The Man Behind the Anti-Flock Darth Vader Mask Wants to Know: ‘When Will This End?’
Anthony Ralphs has been showing up to San Diego City Council meetings to speak against Flock’s presence in his city for a year. At first, he took the podium during public comment in business casual — dress shirts, pants, suits, “respectable” clothing — to voice his concerns about the city’s ...
Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock CameraMan Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera
A police department in Florida used “decoy” Flock cameras that an officer 3D-printed at home to “bait” would-be vandals. Police officers monitored the fake cameras for days, then charged a man with three felonies after he cut down and destroyed one of the plastic devices. The police department in question ...
Charges Dropped Against Person Who Clapped at a City Data Center MeetingCharges Dropped Against Person Who Clapped at a City Data Center Meeting
Emporia Kansas has dropped its criminal case against Lux Claridge, a high school teacher who was arrested for clapping during a city data center meeting. “Today, I was informed by my attorney that the city has dropped my charges and has passed my information along to the county. As far ...
How a Network of Volunteers Is Liberating Critical Court Records for EveryoneHow a Network of Volunteers Is Liberating Critical Court Records for Everyone
This article was republished from our friends over at Court Watch. Please consider subscribing to them if you want the early scoop on what’s happening in our court system, from the concerning to the bizarre. Madeleine O’Neill is a freelance reporter in Baltimore. Hundreds of street arrests that court records ...
Brand Hype Has Existed Since the Bronze Age, Scientists DiscoverBrand Hype Has Existed Since the Bronze Age, Scientists Discover
Welcome back to the Abstract! These are the studies this week that pottered around, ate well, shone bright, and went long in the tooth. First, scientists identified a Bronze Age tradition of pottery as one of the earliest “brands,” revealing that humanity’s love for reliable commodities has deep roots. Then: ...
Behind the Blog: Early Birthday ReflectionsBehind the Blog: Early Birthday Reflections
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss three years of 404 Media. JASON: Tomorrow is the third anniversary of the launch of 404 Media. If you haven’t been paying ...
Township Fights Nuclear Weapons Data Center By Passing a Moratorium on Electrical InfrastructureTownship Fights Nuclear Weapons Data Center By Passing a Moratorium on Electrical Infrastructure
Ypsilanti Township in Michigan passed a six month moratorium on “major electric utility infrastructure” on Tuesday night. The moratorium is a delaying tactic, the latest in the Township’s long fight to stop the construction of a $1.2 billion data center that’s backed by the University of Michigan and the Pentagon’s ...
Subtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual AI Images Are Taking Over XSubtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual AI Images Are Taking Over X
I can clearly remember the first time I saw a deepfake. I was waiting for the train on my way to the Vice office in 2017 when I got a Twitter DM from someone who saw it posted to Reddit. It was a short .gif from the start of a ...
‘Darth Vader’ Wants Flock in San Diego‘Darth Vader’ Wants Flock in San Diego
During the public comment portion of a recent San Diego city council meeting, the council called for the next comment to take the podium: “Darth Vader?” As he approached the microphone in his black helmet and cape, his heavy breathing reached the mic before he did. At the Public Safety ...