Buoy, oh buoy

An American congressman needs to be rescued after being detained by armed settlers in the West Bank. / Al Jazeera

The United States and Iran exchange attacks for a third weekend in a row. / The Guardian

In Afghanistan, the Taliban bans government employees, judges, police, and members of the military from using smartphones. / NPR

Some thoughts on “affordability” as a cringe political term, not a useful economic one. / Lift High the Muse

“AI family” videos become popular on Chinese social media: sending daily blessings, telling viewers how much they miss them. / rest of world

Once restricted from selling chips in China, Nvidia successfully lobbies Trump by playing up a threat that isn’t there. / The Wire China

LinkedIn is found to be rife with AI-generated slop, especially longform posts. / Pangram

Google’s AI search summaries leave publishers with no good choices but to smash Google. / AdWeek, SFGate

Arianna Huffington: Those in the AI business tend to mix up intelligence and consciousness. / Noema

Philip Ball: To say that living things are goal-directed isn’t really a controversial statement. / Quanta Magazine

Australia looks to import human composting, or “terramation,” currently only legal in Germany and 14 US states. / ABC News

“Surprise billing” explains why sick Americans, when possible, might be smart to avoid ambulances, thanks to American laws. / David Oks

See also: Fifty parting thoughts from this year’s Wimbledon. / Sports Illustrated

A businessman explains how he survived for six days after slipping into the sea. / Sixth Tone