ISSUES

In A Surprise To Exactly No One, Meta’s New AI Is Better At Surveillance Than Help

“Muse’s default avatar is a beige-colored cross between an Ewok and a Labubu, with its arms outstretched, presumably to scoop up all my data.” - Wired

Sally Rooney (And Irish Law) Versus A Data Center

“Rooney—the author and Mayo native whose novels have become a cultural phenomenon over the past decade—lodged an objection to the proposed data center back in January, writing to Mayo County Council that permission for the facility would increase carbon emissions and create a risk of blackouts.” - LitHub

Ed Sheeran Speaks About Mistakes In His First Concerts Back From The Macklemore Debacle

The English singer apologized while blaming his promoter for dropping the U.S. musician. In addition, “he described the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks as ‘horrific’ and called the situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable.’” - BBC

The President’s Obsession With Monuments

To himself, of course. - The Atlantic

A Full Report From Inside The U.S. Administration’s Commitment To Breaking The Kennedy Center

So much art was planned to be decommissioned. For instance: “The removal plan targeted 15 artworks in the African Lounge. ... The lounge’s textiles, artwork and a carved wood sculpture from Ghana representing Africans’ grief over Kennedy’s death were removed without public explanation.” - The New York Times

Another White House Attack On The First Amendment Sees CNN, MS NOW, And Politico Banned

CNN is not OK with press passes being revoked: “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right.” - CNN

Machines Writing Their Own Code Might Be The Third Great Phase Of Human History

“Life on Earth has evolved in two phases: first, biological, then cultural. But we may now be on the verge of the next critical juncture in the history of life.” - The Guardian (UK)

Unless You Manage To Opt Out, Your TV Is Definitely Spying On You

At the least, the very least, create a burner account for the email you use to log into the device, and prefereably all of the streaming services as well. - The Verge

A Deeply Skeptical Austria Gets A New ‘Sound Of Music’ Museum

“For decades, many residents  didn’t even know about the blockbuster musical that put their city on the map for global audiences. Those who did often dismissed it as kitsch.” - The New York Times

Kennicott: The Cultural Significance Of the Kennedy Center

Although the president caricatured it as an elite institution, and slandered it as anti-American and a danger to youth, the Kennedy Center was perhaps the most authentically populist major arts center in the country. - Washington Post

Study: LLMs Respond Differently To Harmful Prompts When AI Watermarking Is Present

New research shows that SynthID-Text can change not just word selection but also the tools a model invokes and the chances it will adhere to or disregard safety guardrails it has been trained to follow. - Ars Technica

Plaintiffs In Kennedy Center Case Ask Judge To Consider Putting It In Receivership Or Replacing Board

A joint statement from the plaintiffs said, “If the current leadership of the Kennedy Center is unwilling or unable to exercise its fiduciary duty to protect the historic building and the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the court should consider appointing a receiver or replacing that leadership.” - ARTnews

Judge Orders Trump Not To Tear Down Kennedy Center Without 30 Days’ Notice

“A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it as President Donald Trump has threatened.” - AP

Photogs Get Picture Of Trump Studying Headlines About Demolishing Kenned Center

Late Wednesday night, photojournalists captured images through the windows of Air Force One that showed President Trump reviewing a large poster board with what looked like a rendering of a construction site beneath three very visible words: “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.” - The New York Times

What Happens Now For The Kennedy Center?

Outside, digital signs that typically advertise upcoming performances instead flashed a red “Emergency alert” announcing the building was closed to the public. Guards stood at the doors. On Wednesday, fencing was erected around the building. - Washington Post

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