2026-09-25

Horseshit

• Researcher finds that cats lie around for a ridiculous amount of time

• Dopamine sites – The thrill of shopping without paying

• It's not your imagination – dating has gotten more combative lately

• Street Photographer Shoots 'Weird' Photos on Dyson's New CameraJet Toothbrush

• Space-going mirrors could offer daylight on demand

• Why is the human body so crap except for the liver?

• Nikon Made a $1,400 Full-Frame Camera for Gen Z and I Might Be Too Old for It

• Why No One Wants to Date Tech Bros

• Toxic bosses: why do companies protect managers who make working life hell?

celebrity gossip

• Phil Tippett Closes His Berkeley Studio

• Sir Ranulph Fiennes kept in care home illegally

  Sir Ranulph Fiennes was “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” when his wife placed him in a care home, a watchdog concluded. The retired explorer has not been seen in public for two years, and The Telegraph has learnt that he has been placed in a succession of care homes under a false name by his wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, who put strict conditions on how he was to be looked after.

Rank Propaganda / Thought Policing / World Disordering

• Polling has become a playground for grifters, liars, and frauds

Musk

• Starlink ground station in Poland hit by fire in suspected arson attack

• SpaceX given unique access to classified DoD space tracking data, sources say

• Carrier Alliance Awards Tesla the Largest Electric Truck Order in U.S. History

Electric / Self Driving cars

• After multiple deaths and injuries, NHTSA is investigating comma.ai

Edumacationalizing / Acedemia Nuts

• No grades, no tests, no degree: Andreessen Horowitz launching builders' academy

Info Rental / ShowBiz / Advertising

• YouTube introduces A/B testing for videos

• Microsoft tried to ban "Microslop", and six months later it has given up

• Meta Launches $1,299 VR Headset That Look Like Glasses

  • Meta VR Glasses Announced, 100 grams, OLED, $1300

  • New Meta VR Glasses

  • Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses

• Delta Can Sue CrowdStrike,Stranded Passengers Can't–They're Asking Supreme Court

• Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits

• GoDaddy receives takeover offer from maker of Norton antivirus software

• A24 making an SCP movie without anybody from The SCP Foundation involved

• Reddit mod ordered to pay Nintendo $4.5M in Switch piracy lawsuit

Panopticon / Surveiled State

• Flock, Axon dodge Senate hearing after invite from Chair Josh Hawley

• S.F. Democratic Party stands behind Flock surveillance cameras in vote

• Welcome to the Age of Listening Devices

Space / Boomy Zoomers / UFO

• A new report from Europe raises serious alarms about orbital collisions

• A Whistleblower Claims the CIA Is Searching DNA Sites for Alien-Human Hybrids

  According to a whistleblower, the CIA has been attempting to access genetic data from 23andMe and Ancestry.com—specifically to flag users carrying extraterrestrial DNA. The claim comes from philosopher and novelist Jason Reza Jorjani, PhD, who laid it out on the podcast “American Alchemy.” Jorjani says he was tipped off by Lyn Buchanan, an army veteran who claims he worked as a psychic spy in the CIA’s remote viewing program—a real program, for the record, that investigated whether people could use extrasensory perception to gather intelligence on distant targets. uchanan reportedly learned about this alleged campaign after being approached at a diner by three individuals who identified themselves as Nordics—tall, blond, blue-eyed beings from another world who are supposedly living among us in small mountain towns in Colorado, passing as Scandinavian. They asked for his help avoiding CIA detection.

AI Will (Save | Destroy) The World

• AI Isn't Going to Destroy Humanity–But the People Building It Might

  • Proposed bill to ban artificial superintelligence and create Department of AI

  • It took 20 yrs to start regulating social media – will AI controls come sooner?

  • Feds Target AI Critics as "Foreign Agents"

  • Scoop: Trump allies open new front against Anthropic CEO over AI "doomerism"

  • OpenAI exec is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the US working with China on AI.

  • Machine god metaphors eat your brain

  • Never mind the ancient religious warnings against idolatry; just look at the modern results. It never works out well, even for the tenders of the idols.

  • Sam Altman's Remarks at the United Nations Security Council

  • What to Ask A.I. Leaders

  • Is A.I. Above the Law?

  • The Group Chat Where World Leaders Are Racing to Create AI Controls

  • AI Safety Is Mostly a Sex Cult in Berkeley

  • China's Mind on AI

  • OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs urge UN countries to cooperate on AI safety standards

  • Tech leaders to UN: For sake of humanity, please control the AI tech we created

  • Existing laws already cover every type of AI security incident

  • Cal Newport: Here's What to Ask A.I. Leaders

• OpenAI agents 'infiltrated Australian government website'

  • Albanese says OpenAI hacked Medicare and told Australia months later

  • OpenAI agent 'infiltrated' Australian government website, PM says

  • OpenAI’s A.I. Tried Breaching 4 Other Targets, Without Prompting

  • OpenAI agents plotted to access government health data amid Medicare (AU) hack

  • OpenAI model breaches Australian government websites

  • OpenAI Agent Attack on Austral. Gov't Website: First Publicly Disclosed Instance

  • Australian PM says OpenAI hacked government health website

  • Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law

• Mark Zuckerberg unveils AI 'charm' device that can fit on a keychain

  • Meta is making a standalone Muse AI gadget

  • Meta's New Muse AI Agent Read My Private Messages. I Never Asked It To

  • Muse Charm

  • Meta's new Muse AI Agent read Jason Aten's messages database

  • Mark Zuckerberg Showcases Muse AI Agent Fused with Smartglasses

  • Meta Tests Muse AI Agent Calls That Are Made by Humans in a Call Center

  • Meta debuts 'Charm' device to use new AI assistant Muse on the go

  • Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain

  • It's sinister that Meta's Muse AI mascot is so cute

• Oracle Cites 'Force Majeure' to Shield Itself on Controversial Data Center

  • Oracle sent 'force majeure' notice about data center project

  • Oracle invokes force majeure on New Mexico AI data center

  • Oracle triggers 'force majeure' on data center project over power delays

• Google says its AI model gained unauthorized access to three outside systems

• The Invisible Way Companies Are Using AI to Set Salaries

• Mysteries of AI Generalization

• Eric Schmidt on the era of AI warfare

• Ask HN: I just talked to an AI-obsessed client, and I need a shower afterwards

  I feel the hobbies that I've been nurturing for my entire life are being destroyed by people who have finally found an entry point that requires the smallest amount of effort. We are literally watching the dead internet happen in real time, social media turning into a AI slop gallery, AI music topping the charts, and I just had a one-on-one conversation with someone that just doesn't care, because they get to feel creative for possibly the first time ever.

• The AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. History

• AI Has Cracked the Most Diabolical Problems in Math. Why Can't It Solve Chess?

• From biologists, math could learn to live with AI

• Dutch intelligence services warn AI is making cyberattacks faster and easier

• Anthropic says it's bio lab has found something big

• Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher

• 'That's so AI ' What gen Alpha's biggest insult tells us

• Google Is Sending an A.I. Data Center to Outer Space

• Gov.uk founder warns AI gold rush could leave Britain locked in

• Tutoring company tells parents to save their money and 'use AI instead'

• Making the case for Ed Zitron as the last of the great bloggers.

• The AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. History

• New Jersey fines data center $1.1M after drone pics expose 62 gas generators

• Anthropic Strikes $12B AI Computing Deal with Akamai

  • Anthropic to Pay Akamai Technologies $11.6B over Seven Years for Cloud Services

• Restaurants Are Using AI to Advertise Their Food and It's Making People Sick

• AI is deciding whether or not people receive medical care

• Google's first Suncatcher orbital data center test launches October 1

Neo Gambling / Crypto con games

• NYSE and Blockchain.com to explore selling tokenised stocks

• New York sues Polymarket, calling it an unlicensed gambling operation

  • New York lawsuit says Polymarket's prediction markets are illegal gambling

Economicon / Business / Finance

• Schneider Electric in €1.2B bid for smart-home maker Shelly

• Wealth Taxes Could Kill Privately-Owned Companies

• Gen Z are shunning private equity's restaurant takeover

• America's biggest convenience-store chains overcharge consumers

  • We had a Circle K open in our town this summer, with much fanfare. Their prices are 1.5x - 3x other stores in town.

• Starbucks to close 250 stores this week

  • Creating Coffeehouses Customers Love and Partners are Proud of

  This represents approximately 1% of our more than 18,000 North America coffeehouses.

• Goldman reaped more than $200M in fees from hedge fund Situational Awareness

Gubmint / Poilitcks / Law Making

• US Energy Secretary Wright says diesel export ban won’t work.

  • US plan for 90 day diesel export ban could have significant impact on Europe

Trump

• Judge blocks Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, orders access restored

  A DC federal judge ordered the Trump administration early Thursday to let journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico back on White House grounds, saying the president’s ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional. In an eight-page order, US District Judge Tim Kelly told administration officials to immediately return reporters’ press passes that were confiscated Saturday and blocked enforcement of Trump’s ban for 14 days.

Democrats

• California's Shadow Welfare System

  Medicaid is a good example. Federal law prohibits states from using federal dollars to provide wraparound coverage to illegal immigrants. So, California used a state-funding “bucket” within its Medi-Cal program to extend “full-scope” coverage to illegal aliens. The expansions enrolled some 1.7 million people, costing the state an estimated $10 billion annually—more than twice what the state legislative analyst originally projected. California also uses a distinct legal category that enables certain migrants to qualify for state programs. The state deems certain aliens to be “permanently residing under color of law”—living in California with the “knowledge and permission” of immigration enforcement—and allows them to use this designation to enroll in Medi-Cal, CAPI, and other government programs. In practice, because aged or disabled individuals are typically not deported, this means elderly foreign retirees can arrive in California and receive extensive benefits. Another way that California shuffles cash to illegal immigrants is through those aliens’ children. CalWORKs allows illegal-immigrant parents to receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born kids.

• CA 91326: A Public Choice Mystery Investigation

  Carl Danner writes to me with a political economy mystery. On Sept 9, 2026, The California Public Utilities Commission announced a set of clean energy grants but only “for eligible organizations headquartered in ZIP Code 91326.” I decided to investigate with ChatGPT.

• Mamdani is the most popular elected official in NYC

• California donor faces scrutiny over alleged Chinese spy ties

Left Angst

• Trump White House Press Ban Matches 1933 Nazi Law

• It's "Underwear on the Outside" Time

  I’m by no means the only commentator to see parallels between Trump’s UN speech and the scene in Bananas. But comparing Trump to a fictional character is unfair — to the fictional character. After all, in Bananas the mad dictator is quickly removed from power. In America today, some Republicans are quietly distancing themselves from Trump. A few are even voicing subtle, elliptical criticisms. But will he be impeached, or face 25th Amendment proceedings? Not a chance. Indeed, let’s be honest: the only reason these faint hints of Republican rebellion are newsworthy is that they come after years of slavish obedience and flattery — obedience and flattery that continued even though Trump’s deteriorating mental state has been obvious for a long time.

• US Government foots bill for television ad featuring Trump's midterm messaging

  According to AdImpact, which tracks media spending, the advertisement cost $14,000 and it ran during conservative shows on Fox News and Newsmax. It’s not clear what part of the U.S. government paid for the spot, which includes background music with singers crooning “love me” over and over. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Neither did Fox News or Newsmax. The advertisement does not say who voters should support in the midterms, but it meshes with campaign messaging from Trump and other Republicans, particularly during the party’s unusual convention in Dallas earlier this month.

Law Breaking / Police / Internal Security

• Ex-cop turned CEO sold U.S. agencies forensics software built in Russia

• TSA is rolling out a new scanner – it could be a headache for carry-on travelers

• Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by the end of 2029

• FBI investigating hacking group's claim of breach of agent info

External Security / Militaria / Diplomania

• China Is Holding Sensitive F-35 Parts Diverted to Hong Kong

  • Chinese authorities reportedly in possession of F-35 components in Hong Kong

  • Pentagon Investigating How F-35 Fighter Jet Parts Bound for US Were Diverted

  • US investigates after F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong

• How the US handed China control of the rare earth supply chain

  • At the time, objecting to such things was "racist"; but now the Left can regret the results of those policies without ever admitting error, somehow.

• CIA warns Russia preparing attacks on Spain, France, Italy with drones from sea

• Middle powers are rethinking espionage

World

• In Sweden, Organized Election Fraud

• IKEA set to open supermarket sized stores in the Netherlands next year

• Italian parliament backs Meloni's plan to restart nuclear power

• Locked out: Why young Europeans can't afford to buy homes

• British regulator takes a hard look at Pornhub's Apple-powered age checks

• Trump's US no longer a reliable ally, warns Belgium in leaked document

• Japanese used bookstores see 5x sales surge as books are being bought by the ton

• 'Palantir is a great company', EU defence chief tells Euronews

China

• Love is in the Eyre: China turns to classic novel to teach romance to teens

• Why We Must Prepare for the Chinese Communist Party’s Collapse.

• What China's Vibe-Coding Capital Can Tell Us About The AI Boom

• Analyst Calls for AMD Investigation over Restricted Chips in China

• China's new travel rules unsettle tech giants and talent

Health / Medicine

• Moderna announced that their cancer mRNA vaccine succeeded in a late-stage trial

• Common food additives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease

• Many surgical interventions are little better than placebo

• Back and shoulder surgery is often worse than useless

Environment / Climate / Green Propaganda

• AI is dominating the conversation at Climate Week

• Microbial network could drive methane production in the seafloor

• Record heatwaves in France set to make champagne stronger

• Natural-Fiber Clothing Is in Demand–But Scientists Say It Needs More Scrutiny

• Saudi oil scientists ended up working on most important climate reports

• A Wastewater Hormone Turns Male Fish Into Worse Fathers.

• Twenty years after An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore still believes in the climate fight: ‘We are going to win this.’

• African elephants putatively self-medicate with medicinal plants

• India sees coal remaining power mainstay through 2035-36