Republicans gain a House seat – and could lose it again by November
While much of the attention this week has focused on California’s governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral contest, another election with national implications has already been decided. Republicans gain a vote Republican State Assemblyman James Gallagher won California’s 1st Congressional District special election, capturing about 62% of the vote against Democratic State Sen. Mike […]
When aggregation goes bad: How a false report that Joe Rogan would join ‘60 Minutes’ went viral
It was a bombshell news story that spread on the internet like wildfire: Popular comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan was replacing longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Anderson Cooper, who parted ways with CBS News last month. If only it were true. Network executives “may have their sights” on the Austin-based podcaster, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday, […]
Judge orders Trump to restart asylum and immigration applications
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restart asylum and immigration processing after it left some migrants living in the U.S. in legal limbo. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island wrote in a 135-page opinion that the administration’s actions made it impossible for a large group of people to […]
Meta adds facial recognition code for its smart glasses without telling anyone
Meta’s AI app now includes facial recognition code for its smart glasses, despite the company’s previous assurances that it had not decided whether to introduce the technology. An analysis of the company’s AI app by Wired uncovered “an unreleased face-recognition system embedded in Meta’s smart glasses platform” designed to identify people whose biometric data has […]
What you need to know about the Senate’s $70B immigration bill
After an 18-hour vote-a-rama on the Senate floor, lawmakers passed a bill funding both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Senators from both parties proposed 29 amendments and motions before finally passing a rather simple, straightforward bill. But the back-and-forth that ran from Thursday into […]
Frenemies? Inside the media’s love-hate relationship with AI
As the rise of artificial intelligence threatens the revenue and reach of legacy news brands, can media executives have their cake and eat it, too? Leaders at McClatchy Media, the company behind local newspapers like the Miami Herald and The Kansas City Star, hope so. During a contentious “town hall” meeting, as Straight Arrow exclusively […]
UK lawmaker pushing for global change after xAI’s Grok was used to generate sexualized images of her
Millions of women and girls across the world have had their images manipulated and sexualized by artificial intelligence without their consent — with little recourse for those generating the images. And, as one British lawmaker recently learned, no one is safe from falling victim to this kind of harmful content. Now, she’s fighting back — […]
Trump attacks California elections as ballot counting continues
President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday, without proof, that Democrats were attempting to steal elections in California. The president railed against mail-in ballots, which are still being accepted in the state. California is notoriously slow to post election numbers, and these latest primary races are no different. So why does it take the state a […]
A $500 monthly cut? Social Security’s clock is ticking: Report
Millions of Americans could lose roughly $500 a month from their Social Security checks within the next seven years, and a new analysis finds no state would escape the impact if Congress leaves the program on its current course. The report from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates retirees would face an average […]
