California State

Google has reached with California lawmakers to fund local news in the state after previously protesting a proposed law that would have required it to pay media outlets. Under the terms of the deal, Google will commit tens of millions of dollars to a fund supporting local news as well as an AI “accelerator program” in the state.

Google strikes a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news

The Atlantic

California State Senator Scott Wiener responds to his many critics.

Silicon Valley Is Coming Out in Force Against an AI-Safety Bill

Google’s new deal with California lawmakers will pay newsrooms across the state up to $250 million over the next five years, while also helping the tech giant avoid an even bigger bill. The first-in-the-nation agreement, funded by taxpayers, Google, and potentially other private sources, allows the search giant to evade a proposed state bill that would force it to pay for linking Californians to news articles.

Google reaches a $250 million deal to skirt proposed journalism bill

Kentucky State

The Washington Post reports Jesse Kipf pleaded guilty to computer fraud and identity theft charges for using a doctor’s login to falsify a death certificate and attempting to sell access to death registry systems. US attorney Carlton S. Shier IV called it “a cynical and destructive effort, based in...

Kentucky hacker receives a six-year prison sentence for trying to fake his own death.

Colorado State

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David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Palantir just reported another stellar quarter of robust growth that validates its long-term opportunity. Microsoft is enjoying momentum as it rolls out Copilot and other AI services across its business. These stocks can help you cash in on this burgeoning new industry. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) promises to...

2 Artificial Intelligence Stocks You Can Buy and Hold for the Next Decade

Georgia State

The US government has charged a member of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as reported earlier by BleepingComputer. In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice claims 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs of Moscow, Russia, conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion. As outlined in the...

Feds charge alleged negotiator for Russian ransomware group

Ohio State

The Lantern

On Tuesday, licensed Ohio dispensaries began legally selling non-medical marijuana to consumers; however, the drug’s possession, growth and/or usage are still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS [Original caption: Four citizen-led petitions with proposals to update Dallas’ charter hit the 20,000 valid signature threshold to make it on the Nov. 5 election ballot, including one that would ban police officers from arresting or citing people carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.] As of Tuesday, students 21 and older can now legally purchase marijuana in Ohio.

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

A high school in London, UK will let students around the age of 15 use AI tools before taking standardized exams next year, despite experts warning that they make for a poor replacement for human teachers. As Business Insider reports, David Game College's pilot project is meant to help students...

High School Starts Replacing Teachers With AI

The company has a target of making all of its hardware packaging without plastic by 2025. Packaging for new products it made and launched in 2023 was at least 99 percent plastic-free, according to the company’s latest sustainability report. It’s replacing plastic with paper, which can be included in curbside recycling programs unlike most plastic packaging.

Google’s new packaging for Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest devices are plastic-free.

In a recent interview at Stanford University, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt shared his candid views on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), sparking widespread debate both for his ambitious predictions and his critical assessment of Google’s current corporate culture. The interview, which was quickly removed from public access due to its controversial content, has nonetheless ignited conversations across the tech world about the direction of AI and the challenges facing tech giants like Google.YouTuber Matthew Berman breaks Schmidt’s talk down in a recent report.

Eric Schmidt’s AI Vision: A Deep Dive into Controversy and Innovation

Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

A historic marker could be erected to honor the victims of the racist mass shooting at the Dollar General store in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood nearly a year ago. If approved by the Jacksonville City Council, a marker would be installed at Kings Road and Canal Street on Aug. 25, a day before the first anniversary of the shooting, when a white gunman took the lives of three Black people.

Memorial considered to honor Dollar General victims

Salem, OH

Northern Kentucky Tribune

Every day, 8-year-old Emma sits in a small garden outside her grandmother’s home in Salem, Ohio, writing letters to her mom and sometimes singing songs her mother used to sing to her.

Thousands of parents die of overdoses; advocates say their kids need more help

Virginia State

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Kentucky Vibes.net

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software. On July 28, 2024, a TikTok video posted by Erica W., known as @tasteofmelanin on the platform, garnered significant attention after she exposed disturbing racist decorations in an Airbnb rental. The incident occurred in a rental property that Erica had booked, although the exact location remains unspecified. The video has since gone viral, prompting widespread concern and leading to the removal of the listing from Airbnb's platform.

Airbnb Listing Taken Down After Black Woman Finds Hanging Monkeys and Cotton Used As Decor

TechRadar

Following criticism over the accuracy of its AI tools, Microsoft is now cautioning users against putting too much trust in its services.The company has unveiled an updated Service Agreement indicating its AI is best seen as guidance rather than a replacement for professional advice.The updated agreement, which is set to come into play at the end of next month, also contain warnings over its Health Bots, among concern users are placing too much trust in the advice being delivered.
Microsoft says AI is no replacement for professionals
Microsoft’s revised terms specifically address the limitations of its Assistive AI: “AI services are not...

"Not a human replacement" — Microsoft alters terms of service to remind users its AI services should not be taken too seriously

Denver, CO

In addition to collecting more than 8,000 used needles in the past year from Denver drug users, the Harm Reduction Action Center passed out 10,000 meth pipes and “snort kits,” according to a newsletter sent to its supporters Thursday. They also connected about 1,700 people to medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Denver group hands out 10K meth pipes, ‘snort kits,’ connects 1,700 to treatment annually

San Francisco, CA

The robotaxi company says its doing 100,000 paid trips a week, up from 50,000 a week last May. This comes after the company got rid of its waitlist in San Francisco, and expanded its service area in the city. Saswat Panigrahi, chief product officer, had this to say about the milestone:

Waymo hits 100K.

South Carolina State

Colleton County, SC

Explore Beaufort SC

Some beachgoers were in for a surprise this week when a bizarre looking prehistoric fish washed ashore in Colleton County along Edisto Beach at Edisto Beach State Park. It turned out to be an atlantic sturgeon.

Rare Atlantic sturgeon washes ashore on South Carolina beach

Back in 2017, Equifax announced that hackers stole half of the US population’s Social Security numbers in what, we said, “will likely end up being one of the worst data breaches to ever affect the country.” Perhaps — until this year, when about 2.9 billion rows of data were collected through a breach at National Public Data (NPD), a company that resells collected personal data for background checks. This data included names, Social Security numbers, and other personal information.

How to freeze your credit after a data breach

Montana State

Wyoming State

WyoFile

To increase the genetic diversity of an island population of grizzly bears , Wyoming and Montana wildlife managers recently worked together to import fresh bloodlines into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Two Montana grizzly bears trucked to Wyoming to bolster genetic diversity, help states’ delisting case

NewsBreak

OpenAI exec says California’s AI safety bill might slow progress

In a new letter, OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon insists that AI regulations should be left to the federal government. As reported previously by Bloomberg,...

OpenAI exec says California’s AI safety bill might slow progress

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