Dial it back
Five women’s lawsuits reveal the Hollywood network and key players wielding the power to destroy careers. / The New York Times [$]
An Arizona congressional candidate was attacked and raped while repairing campaign signs in Maricopa County. / Phoenix New Times
For rape survivors in America, seeking medical treatment can wind up costing thousands of dollars, which they often must pay out of pocket. (Content warning) / Cosmopolitan
Meta glasses are showing up in middle and high schools, where boys are harassing girls and posting the videos on TikTok. / Futurism
The European Parliament is displaying The Orange Plague, a gold-plated statue of Trump riding the shoulders of a “scrawny man straining under his weight.” / Hyperallergic
Even as Flock stands out as the most-known name in public surveillance, police departments have long had far more invasive—and invisible—tools at their disposal. / NPR
“We’re seeing hackers use AI to attack companies’ AI bots, to then use those AI bots to attack other companies.” The AI hacking ouroboros is upon us. / The Atlantic [$]
What it’s like to try and do good in the world by working for an edtech company that then tries to shoehorn AI into classrooms, and then replaces you with AI. / Oakland Review of Books
See also: When an agency’s job description for a “Reddit copywriter” seems to be more about making chum for LLMs. / Financial Times
If you enjoy these headlines, please join us as a Sustaining Member to support what we do and unlock access to paywalled links.
In West Virginia, one of America’s last remaining chestnut groves is scheduled to be cleared to make way for a data center. / Gadget Review
In much of the world, when ice melts, archaeologists find metal and pottery, but in the Alps they’re finding organic materials like leather and textiles—and a 2,500-year-old ski. / The New York Times [$]
The latest in home-improvement trends: adding a “Costco door” for pushing bulk purchases from the garage directly into the pantry. / The Washington Post [$]
“There’s just something fun about believing that the guy who invented your favorite hot sauce was kind of a wacky tinkerer.” How Tabasco accidentally on purpose became the world’s hot sauce. / Ravenous
UK payphones must make one call a week to remain in operation—and self-appointed “phone spotters” are doing just that to keep the phones alive. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
“Our eyes are not cameras. Seeing is something we do in the world, not a stream of input.” Taking a painting class in the age of AI. / Desire Paths
Animated ASCII art for webpages—go watch it, you’ll be glad. / ASCII dot rest
“If Louis is Rice’s grieving surrogate as she herself claimed, then at novel’s end, we have to accept that the journalist has completely missed the point of his story.” Fifty years of Interview With the Vampire. / Literary Hub
Watch: Elephants mining salt inside pitch-black caves on the Kenya-Uganda border. / The Kid Should See This