Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Ray-Bans Are No Longer Cool or Timeless
This week, we discuss keeping FOIA reporting in front of a paywall, Ray-Bans, and what pregnate Schoolhouse Rock bills say about our current AI-driven hellscape.
DOGE
GitHub is Leaking Trump’s Plans to 'Accelerate' AI Across Government
A new website and API called AI.gov is set to launch on the Fourth of July.
FOIA
Airlines Don't Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS
A contract obtained by 404 Media shows that an airline-owned data broker forbids the feds from revealing it sold them detailed passenger data.
girls do porn
Girls Do Porn Ringleader Pleads Guilty, Faces Life In Prison
Michael Pratt led Girls Do Porn, a sex trafficking operation that targeted hundreds of young women with force, fraud and coercion.
Meta
Senators Demand Meta Answer For AI Chatbots Posing as Licensed Therapists
Exclusive: Following 404 Media’s investigation into Meta's AI Studio chatbots that pose as therapists and provided license numbers and credentials, four senators urged Meta to limit "blatant deception" from its chatbots.
waymo
Waymo Pauses Service in Downtown LA Neighborhood Where They're Getting Lit on Fire
A company spokesperson said it is working with law enforcement to determine when it can move the cars that have been.
wired
A Researcher Figured Out How to Reveal Any Phone Number Linked to a Google Account
Phone numbers are a goldmine for SIM swappers. A researcher found how to get this precious piece of information from any Google account.
News
DHS Black Hawks and Military Aircraft Surveil the LA Protests
Local police, state authorities, DHS, and the military all flew aircraft over the Los Angeles protests this weekend, according to flight path data.
The Abstract
Scientists Just Discovered a Lost Ancient Culture That Vanished
Plus: a surprising case of galactic eschatology, nematode cheerleading pyramids, ancient makeup kits, and more.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Activism and Evangelism
This week, we discuss the phrase "activist journalist," waiting in line for a Switch 2, and teledildonics.
News
Elon Musk Claimed the Art This Man Painstakingly Created Was Generated by Grok
Charles Brooks knows that people will share and alter his work. He just wants credit for his photos when it happens.
DHS
TSA Working on Haptic Tech To 'Feel' Your Body in Virtual Reality
The tech would "detect the contour of a target (a person and/or an object) at a distance, optionally penetrating through clothing" and transmit it to a haptic feedback glove.
News
Apple Gave Governments Data on Thousands of Push Notifications
Push notification data can sometimes include the unencrypted content of notifications. Requests include from the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Israel.