Podcast
Podcast: AI Is Breaking Our Brains
This week we discuss a new Microsoft study that finds using generative AI is "atrophying" people's cognition and critical thinking skills, the right's war on Wikipedia, and, in the subscriber's section, the idea of posting against fascism.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia Prepares for 'Increase in Threats' to US Editors From Musk and His Allies
The Wikimedia Foundation says it will likely roll out features previously used to protect editors in authoritarian countries more widely.
archives
Trump Fires National Archives Director Colleen Shogan
“This evening, President Trump fired me. No cause or reason was cited."
FEMA
'For Immediate Compliance': FEMA Workers Responding to Wildfires Ordered to Say 'Alien' Instead of 'Immigrant'
"This is the most 1984 email I've ever seen," one worker said.
archives
National Archives Workers Unsure If Marco Rubio Has Secretly Been Their Boss for Weeks
The current Archivist of the United States held an all-hands this week in which she still seemed to be in charge, 404 Media has learned.
DOGE
DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA
Employees at Elon Musk's agency have been told "OMB is asking us to stop generating new slack messages starting now."
News
‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government
404 Media has obtained audio of a meeting held by Thomas Shedd, a Musk-associate who is now heading a team of government coders. In the call one employee pushed back and said one of the planned moves is an “illegal task.”
open source
Here's a PDF Version of the CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism
A 404 Media reader made a PDF version of the World War II-era manual that's going viral right now.
Github
‘Forbidden Words’: Github Reveals How Software Engineers Are Purging Federal Databases
A project called "Remove-DEI" shows the tweaks used to remove "forbidden words" from a database about childhood school readiness.
News
The CDC’s Website Is Being Actively Purged to Comply With Trump DEI Order
“CDC’s website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders.“
News
Musk’s DOGE Brings in HR Consultant Focused on ‘Non-Woke’ DEI 'Aligned With Our Faith’
“It’s simply just a non-woke version, offering employers an alternative approach to diversity and inclusion.”
Meta
'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio
"There are a bunch of things that I think are value-destroying for me to talk about, so I’m not going to talk about those."