TidBits Bookends 15.4.2
Introduces a new MCP server that enables you to use natural language prompts to perform complex tasks. ($74.99 new, free update, 143.8 MB, macOS 11+)
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TidBits TidBits BBEdit 16.0.2
Maintenance update that addresses reported issues for the venerable text editor. ($59.99 new, free update, 32.2 MB, macOS 14+)
Propublica Texas Democrats Ask for Investigation Into Ken Paxton After Our Reporting Found He May Have Violated Election Law
The post Texas Democrats Ask for Investigation Into Ken Paxton After Our Reporting Found He May Have Violated Election Law appeared first on ProPublica.
The Intercept ICE Officers at Maine Shooting Scene Were Wearing Body Cameras. They Were Not Turned On.
ICE officers were wearing body cameras they can’t turn on, four sources said. The Trump administration said there was no footage. The post ICE Officers at Maine Shooting Scene Were Wearing Body Cameras. They Were Not Turned On. appeared first on...
404 Media Scientists Discover Planet Has Everything to Host ‘Earth-Like Life’ In Breakthrough
For the first time, scientists found that a rocky planet in the habitable zone of its star has an atmosphere. It’s the best place to look for alien biosignatures, scientists say.
The Intercept Would-Be Platner Replacements in Maine Rally Around “Abolish ICE” (or Something Close)
After ICE killed Maine father Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, most of the serious candidates to replace Platner called for abolishing or “dismantling” ICE. The post Would-Be Platner Replacements in Maine Rally Around “Abolish ICE” (or Something...
In These Times Working People Are Being Fleeced to Pay for a Bloated Military Budget
While costs rise for everything, SNAP recipients who lost benefits—and the farmers who fed them—are being asked to shell out $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon.
404 Media How Cops Use Flock to Track People, Not Cars
Cops have used Flock's FreeForm search feature to look for people with tattoos and wearing specific sport shirts, and searches sometimes include the target's race, according to data reviewed by 404 Media.
Technology Review The Download: OpenAI unveils GPT-Red and heat pumps rise in the US
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer OpenAI has built an LLM super-hacker...
BBC - Innovation TikTok faces Ofcom investigation over child age checks
It follows a review by the regulator in May that criticised the platform for not being "safe enough" for children.
BBC - Innovation Teen hackers who live streamed cyber-attack on TfL jailed
Owen Flowers and Thalha Jubair were convicted for their roles in the attack, which led to large costs for Transport for London.
Propublica DHS Plans “All-Out War” on Immigration Scammers as Fraud Complaints Double
The post DHS Plans “All-Out War” on Immigration Scammers as Fraud Complaints Double appeared first on ProPublica.
Technology Review Why heat pumps are still so hot in the US
It feels as if it should be illegal to even think about heating appliances during the height of summer—seriously, these heat waves in New York have been brutal—but we need to talk about heat pumps. The appliances use electricity for heating,...
Propublica How to Research Private Schools Like an Investigative Reporter
The post How to Research Private Schools Like an Investigative Reporter appeared first on ProPublica.
Propublica Barns, Go-Karts and Strip Malls: The Wild West of Private Schools That Collect Taxpayer Dollars
The post Barns, Go-Karts and Strip Malls: The Wild West of Private Schools That Collect Taxpayer Dollars appeared first on ProPublica.
Unicorn Riot Inside Greece’s Refugee Camps, Gender-Based Violence Is Built Into the System
Since 2022, the German collective Rosa Rolling Safespace has been providing a mobile safe space for women living in refugee camps around Athens. Their work shows that gender-based violence in these settings is not incidental but structural, a...
BBC - Innovation SpaceX share price drops below stock market debut
Share trading in Elon Musk’s rocket company has been volatile since it went public a month ago.
Propublica FBI Has Looked at Using Questionable AI Tech to Review Signatures on Seized Mail-In Ballots
The post FBI Has Looked at Using Questionable AI Tech to Review Signatures on Seized Mail-In Ballots appeared first on ProPublica.
Technology Review Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer
OpenAI has built an LLM super-hacker called GPT-Red that it uses as a sparring partner to help its other models boost their defenses against cyberattacks. Last week the company released the latest version of its flagship LLM, GPT-5.6. OpenAI says...
The Verge - TV Shows Netflix tries to recapture Stranger Things magic with nostalgic re-release
Netflix just can't let Stranger Things go. Since the final episode aired on New Year's Eve there's been a behind-the-scenes documentary, an animated series that expands the story, and now, on the 10th anniversary of the show's original release,...
404 Media Podcast: We Are Living in a ‘ChatGPT Flyer Pandemic’
ChatGPT flyers are everywhere; how Waymo drove some kids to the cops; and a $3,000 suit that electrocutes your muscles.
404 Media Hack Reveals Suno AI Music Generator Scraped YouTube, Deezer, and Genius
Hacked source code reveals how Suno scraped decades worth of music and podcasts from the internet to train its AI tool.
Technology Review The Download: a useful quantum machine and a record-breaking subsea tunnel
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. PsiQuantum has a plan to make a massive quantum computer out of light The machine that could change the world...
In These Times The People Fighting Back: Inside Maine’s Immigrant Defense Movement
An excerpt from 'Breaking ICE' on how Maine became the blueprint for an immigration defense movement that caught fire in the Trump era.
BBC - Innovation Midnight social media curfew proposed for UK teens aged 16 and 17
The government says it will improve teenagers' lives but campaigners call it a "missed opportunity".
In These Times Don’t Look Away from Cuba
The indictment of Raul Castro is the latest in a string of escalations aimed at building pretext for a U.S. invasion of the island nation.
404 Media Is the Best Game of the Year a Failure? (With Rob Zacny)
Remap Radio’s Rob Zacny and Emanuel dive deep into their current favorite game, Marathon, and what its middling success says about the future of games.
Unicorn Riot NYC Activists Maintain Boycott Against ‘Blood Money Rave’ Boiler Room
The fight for nightlife goes on as Boycott Room, a group of DJs, organizers and activists that have been calling for a coordinated boycott of the event series and video platform Boiler Room took another stand with protests and a counter-rave on...
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple sues OpenAI after ex-engineer allegedly used bug to steal trade secrets
OpenAI accused of conspiring with former Apple employees to steal trade secrets.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple and Samsung benefit as memory shortage pushes smartphone shipments to historic lows
The biggest smartphone makers keep on trucking in the face of component shortages and economic uncertainty.
Unicorn Riot In Athens, Albania’s Diaspora Watches a Revolt at Home, and Finds Its Own Voice
What started as an environmental protest in Albania related to Trump's son-in-law's business ventures became something bigger — addressing long-standing corruption, the right to information and transparency and who gets to decide Albania's future....
Groovy Post Claude Cowork could finally make AI agents make sense
You may have heard a lot about agentic AI but been to afraid to use it. Claude Cowork could be the answer.
Unicorn Riot Government Says Terabytes of Signal Chats are Central to the Case Against Minnesota 15
The Minnesota 15 case is about conversations, thousands of pages of it, harvested from encrypted group chats on Signal and loaded into an Everlaw database for prosecutors to build conspiracy charges against Trump's political opponents. The post...
In These Times How Europe’s Economic Collapse Is Fueling the War in Ukraine
A Marxist economist argues that the war in Ukraine cannot be understood without confronting the collapse of European capitalism and the loss of empire.
In These Times How Labor Journalists Contend With a Constricted and Polarized Media Landscape
A conversation with Maximillian Alvarez, Hamilton Nolan, Kim Kelly and Alex Press on the state of organized worker’s movements, unions and reporting in the age of AI.
In These Times AI’s Rise is Being Fueled by the Sprawling U.S. Military State
Can an increasingly precarious tech workforce be a site of antiwar resistance?
The Verge - TV Shows Of course viewers are giving up on Netflix shows
Even though Netflix is the world's most popular paid streaming service, the company has been struggling to keep viewers watching its series after their first seasons. Beef - the streamer's anthology about people locked in feuds - lost 70 percent of...
Unicorn Riot Then They Came for the Anarchists: Prairieland Defendants Sentenced to 562 Years
According to federal prosecutors, the defendants were the members of a murderous “North Texas Antifa Cell.” The Prairieland defendants received over 562 years in federal prison -- the longest sentence a U.S. court has ever given to a group of...
The Verge - TV Shows ABC tells the government to get out of its newsrooms
ABC is firing back at the Federal Communications Commission after the agency opened an investigation into The View's airtime of political candidates. In a letter to the FCC on Tuesday, ABC argues that the agency's actions pose a risk to editorial...
In These Times The Elite ‘OK’ to Police Our Every Thought and Move
Adam Johnson joins Steven Thrasher to deconstruct the functions of liberalism, a theme deeply explored in each of their new books.
Unicorn Riot Activists Drop ‘Stop Line 5’ Banner From Stone Arch Bridge, Urge Michigan to Block Enbridge Line 5 Tunnel Permits
Minneapolis, MN — Stop Line 5 activists dropped a huge banner that read “Stop Line 5” from the Stone Arch Bridge, which spans across the Mississippi River on Tuesday morning and called on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to “Deny the Line 5...
In These Times Your 4th of July BBQ Is More Expensive Due to Trump’s Policies, Reports Claim
“Thanks to Trump’s tariffs and foreign wars, Americans won’t find any independence from inflation this Fourth of July.”
The Verge - TV Shows Apple TV is hitting its stride
Since its inception, Apple TV, née Apple TV Plus, has built a reputation on quality over quantity. It has far fewer shows and movies than the likes of Netflix or Disney Plus, but generally speaking, the projects it does put out are quite good. It's...
In These Times On America’s 250th Anniversary, Democracy Is On the Ropes
The Trump administration is attacking the foundations of our democracy—but Americans are increasingly fighting back.
The Verge - TV Shows Mystery box shows are complicated for everyone — even the actors
Silo is such a complicated show that even its showrunner gets confused sometimes. While filming the final seasons of the Apple TV sci-fi thriller, Graham Yost remembers two instances where he messed up details: once it was an actor who realized...
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple takes Epic fight over app store fees to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court will weigh if Apple contempt finding in Epic case is “erroneous.”
The Verge - TV Shows Netflix is using an AI-generated Gene Wilder voice in its Willy Wonka reality show
A new teaser trailer confirmed that Wonka's The Golden Ticket will premiere on Netflix on September 23rd, following its Squid Game reality show in the trend of creating real competitions based on fictional torture scenarios. While the sets seen in...
The Verge - TV Shows The Cube is Jim Henson’s little-known proto-Black Mirror masterpiece
I'm sure we're all familiar with Dark Crystal, so we know that Jim Henson can be weird and tackle slightly more mature subject matter. But there is little in his oeuvre that is quite as mind-bending as the Muppetless The Cube. This 1969 teleplay...
The Verge - TV Shows How to end a TV show
Ending any story is hard, but that's especially true of mystery-packed TV shows. Series like Lost initially hook viewers with constantly building secrets and questions, to the point that they can often seem incomprehensible. But the promise is that...
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Russian citizens told "switch to Android" after Apple blocks key Russian apps
Russian government lashes out at Apple's "bizarre" decisions.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple ratchets up prices, blames the cost of memory
Some Macs are hundreds of dollars more expensive today than yesterday.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple patches high-severity eavesdropping vulnerability in Beats Studio Buds
The vulnerability, disclosed 12 months ago, affects multiple manufacturers.
The Verge - TV Shows In season 2 of Sugar, Colin Farrell’s quirky detective becomes much more human
When Colin Farrell was doing press for the first season of the detective series Sugar, he had to be very careful with how he spoke. Sugar is a story about a quirky private detective, but it's also secretly a work of science fiction, something that...
Groovy Post Claude Code is the AI coding tool that finally lives where developers work
An AI chatbot isn't always the best option for coding. Here's why the Claude Code AI coding tool hits different.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop 20 years of Intel Macs: Why Apple switched, and why it switched again
Remembering the ups and downs of the Intel Mac era as it finally winds down.
Groovy Post Claude Code’s GitHub Action could make pull requests less painful
Are GitHub pull requests a constant source of frustration? The Claude Code Action for GitHub could be the answer you've been looking for.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Say hi to "Siri AI"—Apple announces new, more "conversational" voice assistant
New features coming this fall alongside two-tiered, Google-powered AI model overhaul.
Groovy Post Claude’s new creative app integrations could change how designers use AI
Claude now includes creative app integrations with popular tools such as Photoshop and Canva. Here's what you need to know about the connectors.
Ars Technica - Infinite Loop Apple working to cram massive Gemini model into iPhone to power new Siri
As Apple tries to shrink Gemini for the iPhone, a cloud component is probably inevitable.
Groovy Post 5 things Claude does better than you might expect
Different AI chatbots have different strengths. Here are some of the things that Claude does better than you may expect.
Groovy Post I tried using Claude as my daily AI assistant, and these features surprised me
I tried out Claude as my AI chatbot for daily use. These were the Claude features that I was surprised by the most.
Groovy Post 5 Microsoft 365 tools that can help you clean up Outlook faster
Is your email inbox a mess? Here are some of the useful Microsoft 365 tools that can help you clean up Outlook.
Groovy Post 5 hidden iPhone features that make everyday tasks much easier
Your iPhone is packed with features you may not be using. Here are some useful hidden iPhone features for completing common tasks.
Groovy Post These 5 iPhone privacy settings are worth changing today
There are several settings that can make your iPhone more private. Here are some of the iPhone privacy settings you should change now.
The Crossover Appeal February 11: A weird ghostly light on the whole composition
Meanwhile, right now I can turn on the television and watch an absolute lunatic strap two fiberglass sticks to his feet and fly literally half the length of a football field.
The Crossover Appeal February 5: A moment of reflection, always within reach
It's a workout routine for the muscles you need to stick it out with the people you have in the places you live.
The Crossover Appeal January 28: Humans are meat (beautiful) / Humans are meat (grotesque)
I've always been a hobby guy, but now I was a manic little Vitruvian dude, collecting interests like a Hoover-branded teenager.
The Crossover Appeal January 21: Machinery Constantly Churning
It's like looking at a broken tree limb, seeing the gnarled path it took after part of it snapped off in a windstorm.
The Crossover Appeal January 14: Hammock in a Deprivation Tank
I don't want to say that because the games are good, things will be all right. But what I will say is that because the games are good, I am all right. Or at least, I can be for a while.
The Crossover Appeal January 7: A Question of Attention
I like my singer-songwriter music to put a lump in my throat I can't get rid of until I've sung the song all the way through.
47 Watch Blog The Real Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
TL;DR The 2025 National Security Strategy’s “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine” may be vague defense talk on the surface, but when read through the lens created by the Jan 3, 2025 assault on Venezuela, it proves to actually be a blueprint for...
47 Watch Executive Orders Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence
Type: memorandums TLDR This memorandum directs federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute “domestic terrorism and organized political violence,” specifically targeting “anti-fascist” movements through Joint Terrorism Task Forces,...
47 Watch Executive Orders Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers
Type: proclamations TLDR This executive order restricts H-1B visa entry for foreign workers unless employers pay a $100,000 fee per petition, effective September 21, 2025, for 12 months. The order claims the H-1B program has been abused to...
The Crossover Appeal Down Bad for Speed Racer
Speed Racer follows this template - periods of intense, visceral action, all of it as bright as the sun and subtle as a gun, followed by slower narrative vignettes that serve only to affirm that Speed is right, good, and hot.
The Crossover Appeal arboretum: feeling your choices among the trees
Games gives us the thrill of making big choices with the safety net of fiction - a simulation of the emotional intensity that comes with failure and success.
The Crossover Appeal mewithoutYou - Catch for Us the Foxes
A revolt against the homilies by which this world is run, a wilting carnation memorializing a dream of abundance and belonging.
The Crossover Appeal OlliOlli World is a gnarly tombstone worth returning to
My earliest video games obsessions split the difference between two genres: platformers and action sports games. Sonic the Hedgehog on my friend’s Sega Genesis and later on my own Sega Game Gear better matched my hyperactive brain’s sensory...
47 Watch Blog Current ICE Expansion Provisions In What The Senate Just Passed
TL;DR H.R. 1's ICE provisions represent a transformative expansion that would create the most extensive immigration enforcement apparatus in U.S. history. The verified $75 billion investment over four years, available through September 30, 2029,...
47 Watch Blog The Los Angeles Immigration Crisis & National Guard Deployment: A Constitutional Confrontation
In Paramount, Calif., protesters squared off with federal immigration agents after at least two immigration raids took place on Saturday. — Eric Thayer/Associated Press Understanding the Crisis Through Multiple Lenses To fully grasp the...
47 Watch Executive Orders Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions
Type: memorandums TLDR This executive order federalizes at least 2,000 National Guard personnel for 60 days to protect ICE agents from what it characterizes as “violent protests and acts of rebellion,” while also authorizing deployment of...
47 Watch Blog Trump's Recent Cybersecurity Executive Order: The [Likely] Hidden Agenda Behind the Cuts
TLDR: Trump's cybersecurity executive order eliminates key collaborative requirements between federal agencies, removes the government's ability to sanction domestic cyber criminals, and strips away specific technical security mandates. While...
47 Watch Executive Orders Sustaining Select Efforts to Strengthen the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Amending Executive Order 13694 and Executive Order 14144
Type: executive-orders TLDR This executive order amends two previous cybersecurity orders by removing various provisions, explicitly naming China as the primary cyber threat, establishing new timelines for NIST cybersecurity standards...
47 Watch Blog Understanding Yesterday's Presidential Actions: Three Executive Orders That Signal Major Policy Shifts
TLDR The Harvard Order - This is unprecedented: the federal government has singled out Harvard University specifically and banned new international students from enrolling there for six months. The government claims Harvard hasn't cooperated with...
47 Watch Executive Orders Restricting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats
Type: proclamations TLDR This executive order imposes travel restrictions on nationals from 19 countries effective June 9, 2025, with full suspension for 12 countries (including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen) and partial...
47 Watch Executive Orders Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University
Type: proclamations TLDR This executive order suspends entry of foreign nationals seeking to study at Harvard University under F, M, or J visas for 6 months, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to provide DHS information about foreign students,...
47 Watch Executive Orders Reviewing Certain Presidential Actions
Type: memorandums TLDR This executive order directs an investigation into former President Biden’s alleged use of autopen technology to sign official documents while staff allegedly concealed his cognitive decline and unconstitutionally...
47 Watch Executive Orders Adjusting Imports of Aluminum and Steel into the United States
Type: proclamations TLDR This executive order doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50% effective June 4, 2025, citing national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The UK maintains 25% tariffs...
47 Watch Executive Orders Sequestration Order for Fiscal Year 2026 Pursuant to Section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, As Amended
Type: memorandums TLDR This executive order mandates automatic spending cuts (sequestration) to federal programs starting October 1, 2025, after Congress missed the April 30 deadline for passing appropriations. The cuts affect non-exempt...
47 Watch Blog The Trump Administration's Nuclear Strategy
The Trump Administration is pursuing an aggressive nuclear renaissance strategy that intertwines national security, economic dominance, and technological supremacy. Four recent executive orders reveal a multi-faceted approach that goes far beyond...
47 Watch Executive Orders Restoring Gold Standard Science
Type: executive-orders TLDR This executive order establishes “Gold Standard Science” requirements for federal agencies, mandating transparent, reproducible research practices and public disclosure of data used in policy decisions. Agencies...
47 Watch Blog GOP 2025 Budget Proposal: Breakdown and Medicaid/Medicare Cuts
The GOP released their compromise budget proposal, which is aimed at enriching billionaires and killing off millions of poor Americans. Overall Scope and Goals The GOP budget proposal aims to reduce federal spending by about $912 billion over the...
47 Watch Blog Trump Administration Weeks 14 + 15 • Executive Blitz: Two Weeks of Rapid Federal Transformation
A trash truck with compressed gas cylinders caught fire in Sawtelle on Feb. 26, 2025. (KTLA) It's been a whirlwind two weeks in Washington as the Trump administration continues a persistent attempt to reshape federal policy through executive...
47 Watch Blog Trump Administration Week 13 • The Great Federal Purge: How America's Civil Service Is Being Rewritten
The Great Federal Purge: How America's Civil Service Is Being Rewritten A trash truck with compressed gas cylinders caught fire in Sawtelle on Feb. 26, 2025. (KTLA) So, you know how every workplace has rules about how people can be fired? Well,...
47 Watch Blog The Department Of Government [Data] Exfiltration?
The Department Of Government [Data] Exfiltration? On April 14, 2025, Daniel Berulis, a DevSecOps Architect at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), filed a whistleblower disclosure to several members of Congress. The disclosure alleges that...