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Federal surveillance operation targeted progressive groups, unions in Minnesota, documents show
Federal agents secretly monitored progressive groups and protesters during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, according to court documents filed Thursday. The surveillance, detailed in a 26-page motion filed in federal court in Minnesota, was part of two investigations dubbed “Operation Puppet Master” and “Project Whipple Shield,” which officials said were to track a…
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France’s top court strikes down social media ban for children under 15
France’s Constitutional Council has struck down a law that would have banned children under 15 from using social media, preventing France from becoming the first European country to introduce such a restriction. The court said the measure lacked sufficient legal safeguards because it would require all users, including adults, to prove their age without clearly…
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Judge gives Google one week to fix “anticompetitive” app store download in Google Play
A US judge has ordered Google to make third-party Android app stores easier to find and install through Google Play within a week, finding that its current approach adds unnecessary anticompetitive barriers. The ruling matters because it strengthens remedies from Epic Games’ successful 2023 antitrust case and could give Android users more practical access to…
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The 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme role Liam Neeson turned down: “I think he’d be terrific”
What might have been. The post The 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme role Liam Neeson turned down: “I think he’d be terrific” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.
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Does Mark Zuckerberg really believe AI is ‘for everyone’?
Meta has released Glimmer, an open-weight AI model that people can download and run on their own hardware, alongside Mark Zuckerberg’s argument that AI should be available to everyone rather than concentrated among a small number of laboratories. The article centres on a TechCrunch Equity podcast discussion questioning how far that claim holds, given Meta’s…
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Streamer And Specialty Distributor Cineverse Reveals Layoffs
Cineverse has confirmed layoffs affecting its workforce of about 300 employees, following the end of its fiscal first quarter on 30 June. The streaming and speciality film distributor said the reduction in force is intended to lower costs, though it did not disclose how many jobs were cut or which areas were affected. The company…
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Mangione pleads guilty to stalking and admits shooting UnitedHealthcare chief
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court to two stalking charges connected to the killing of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson, and told the judge that he had shot Thompson. The plea is significant because it includes an admission that Thompson died, but it does not settle the separate New York state murder case, which…
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3 Forgotten Rock Hits Even 80s Kids Don’t Remember
The article revisits three 1980s rock-related hits that have largely faded from popular memory. – “Pac-Man Fever” by Buckner & Garcia (1982), a Pac-Man tribute that reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. – “What About Me” by Australian band Moving Pictures (1981), a synth-led song about vulnerability and wanting to be noticed. -…
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Labour unveils plans to water down Net Zero targets on electric car sales as ministers admit they risk pushing up costs for drivers and won’t be hit
Labour has set out plans to relax Net Zero targets governing electric car sales, acknowledging that the existing approach could raise costs for motorists and that ministers themselves would not face the same impact. The move matters because it signals a potential shift in how the Government balances emissions reduction with affordability and consumer choice…
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Rideshare Stimulator finally gets its genAI disclosure after much Saber-rattling, and it turns out the game also uses the tech for in-game music
Saber Interactive has added a generative-AI disclosure to the Steam page for Rideshare Stimulator after a public dispute with former lead writer Stella Sacco. The disclosure says the game uses AI for passenger dialogue and in-game music, making the issue significant because Saber had initially denied replacing writers while acknowledging AI in an experimental mode.…