2026-04-16 05:31:08
When asked if Objection could make it harder for media to publish important stories holding power to account, he said “If it raises the standards of transparency and trust, that’s a good thing.”
There is so much wrong with this whole thing that I don't even know where to start. Using AI models that are known for making things up, getting things wrong, and hallucinating to fact-check journalists is obviously insane. The fact it costs $2,000 to file an objection means only people who have 2 grand laying around will ever have the opportunity to do so. This means the rich and corporations will be the only ones taking advantage of this “system” to sow doubt in pieces that are unfavorable to them. And for what it's worth, I don't think the standards of transparency and trust were broken before racists like Trump started getting involved in politics and making things up and calling actual journalism fake news. So maybe we just make it easier for people to go after those like Trump who make false claims and don't do anything to back them up not the journalists and whistleblowers who help keep power accountable.
2026-04-16 03:03:41
Today, when asked if he were comfortable with Trump’s threat of last week that an entire civilization would die if it did not meet his demands, Senate majority leader John Thune (R-SD) changed the subject by saying: “You’ve got to…look at what the president is doing, and I think right now he’s trying to open the Strait of Hormuz, which…we are all supportive of.” The strait was, of course, open before Trump attacked Iran.
Feels like the perfect time to remind people of the wonderful writing that Heather Cox Richardson has been doing for a while. As things get crazier, I think Heather does a wonderful job summarizing what's happening. Given all the craziness, it's just impossible to keep track of what new nonsense has happened today, and she's able to put it down on paper in a concise way that makes sense. It's clear, but still leaves you thinking the world is going to end very soon. Which...
2026-04-16 02:56:42
It’s naïve to imagine the government can continue to function without the tireless dedication of our best and brightest rapists. ... The American voter isn’t stupid. They know what they’re getting into when they cast a vote for a man. ... In other words, we, the American people, were asking for it.
There are way too many perfect lines in this piece. I can't pick just one.
2026-04-15 10:57:03
Essentially, the firm creates networks of social media pages (typically on TikTok) and uses them to drive the band’s music into the recommendation algorithm. Songs are dropped into the backgrounds of videos. Live clips are shared. Sometimes, burner accounts, comments, and whole ecosystems of interactions can be fabricated out of digital cloth, stoking—and in some cases, completely manufacturing—discourse around an artist
In a perfect world we wouldn't have to resort to this to get the word out about good music, but unfortunately that's the world we live in. So I really don't have a problem with this. I mean, if their music was crap, it wouldn't matter how much they pushed it on social media—people wouldn't listen to it.
Are there some people influenced by the repetitive visibility of something? Sure. But I think the proof is in the pudding when it comes to the music and the people who actually go out to shows and spend real dollars. They're not doing that for music they don't like, but were fed constantly through the algorithms. Unfortunately, the algorithms are a necessity in today's world if you want to get the word out about something.
2026-04-15 09:00:02
The NBA was said to be seeking a sliding scale of investment, depending on the market, between $500 million and $1 billion for a “license,” or permanent entry into the new European league, and two sources familiar with the bids said several came in meeting or exceeding the $500 million threshold.
I'm a bit nervous about American sports ruining some of the tradition in Europe. I'm not sure how basketball leagues works today, but relegation is incredibly important to soccer. The NBA expanding to Europe probably won't have relegation—If anything, we should bring relegation into our sports. If you want to prevent people from tanking, that's the perfect way.