ICE has been placing new recruits into training programs before the completion of the agency’s vetting process, a deviation from previous protocols. This change has occurred amidst a hiring surge to meet the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. As a result, ICE has dismissed over 200 recruits during training, with some having failed drug tests, possessing disqualifying criminal backgrounds, or not meeting physical or academic standards. Officials are concerned that this accelerated process may allow unsuitable candidates to be hired, especially as the agency aims to expand its workforce.
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During a meeting with military leaders, former President Trump suggested utilizing “dangerous” U.S. cities as training grounds for the military, specifically mentioning Chicago. He highlighted the city’s recent violence, criticizing Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and expressing the need for military intervention. Trump also referenced Portland, Oregon, comparing it to a “warzone,” and announced a deployment of troops to the city via a Truth Social post. Additionally, Trump recently signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” though such a change would require Congressional approval to be official.
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Following a controversial initial request for weekly work summaries from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), federal agencies, including DHS, Energy, and Treasury, sent similar emails instructing employees to submit five bullet points detailing their accomplishments. Unlike the first email, this iteration allowed employees handling sensitive information to opt out or state that their work was confidential. OPM advised agencies to independently manage the requests, granting them discretion over participation, which was part of a broader strategy to track employee work. This new directive follows President Trump’s efforts to streamline the federal government, which have faced legal challenges and widespread disruption.
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Apple acknowledged and is addressing a flaw in its iPhone’s Dictation feature where the word “racist” is transcribed as “Trump.” The company attributes the issue to difficulties distinguishing words with the letter “r,” a claim disputed by speech recognition expert Peter Bell. Professor Bell suggests intentional software manipulation as a more likely cause. A fix is being deployed.
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Newly unsealed emails in the *Kadrey v. Meta Platforms, Inc.* lawsuit reveal Meta employees knowingly downloaded at least 81.7 TB of copyrighted books via torrents, despite internal concerns about legal ramifications. These downloads, including at least 35.7 TB from sites like Z-Library, were conducted using methods designed to obscure Meta’s involvement. Meta has moved to dismiss the charges, denying any wrongdoing. This case highlights a broader trend of large AI companies utilizing copyrighted material to train their models, raising significant copyright infringement concerns and normalizing potentially illegal practices.
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ICE Recruits Arrive at Training Without Full Background Checks
ICE has been placing new recruits into training programs before the completion of the agency’s vetting process, a deviation from previous protocols. This change has occurred amidst a hiring surge to meet the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. As a result, ICE has dismissed over 200 recruits during training, with some having failed drug tests, possessing disqualifying criminal backgrounds, or not meeting physical or academic standards. Officials are concerned that this accelerated process may allow unsuitable candidates to be hired, especially as the agency aims to expand its workforce.
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Trump Suggests US Cities as Military “Training Grounds”: Backlash and Concerns
During a meeting with military leaders, former President Trump suggested utilizing “dangerous” U.S. cities as training grounds for the military, specifically mentioning Chicago. He highlighted the city’s recent violence, criticizing Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and expressing the need for military intervention. Trump also referenced Portland, Oregon, comparing it to a “warzone,” and announced a deployment of troops to the city via a Truth Social post. Additionally, Trump recently signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” though such a change would require Congressional approval to be official.
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Federal Workers Revolt Against Weekly Status Report Mandate
Following a controversial initial request for weekly work summaries from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), federal agencies, including DHS, Energy, and Treasury, sent similar emails instructing employees to submit five bullet points detailing their accomplishments. Unlike the first email, this iteration allowed employees handling sensitive information to opt out or state that their work was confidential. OPM advised agencies to independently manage the requests, granting them discretion over participation, which was part of a broader strategy to track employee work. This new directive follows President Trump’s efforts to streamline the federal government, which have faced legal challenges and widespread disruption.
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Apple AI Transcribes “Racist” as “Trump”: Bug or Bias?
Apple acknowledged and is addressing a flaw in its iPhone’s Dictation feature where the word “racist” is transcribed as “Trump.” The company attributes the issue to difficulties distinguishing words with the letter “r,” a claim disputed by speech recognition expert Peter Bell. Professor Bell suggests intentional software manipulation as a more likely cause. A fix is being deployed.
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Meta’s 81.7 TB of Pirated Books: Double Standard Justice for Big Tech?
Newly unsealed emails in the *Kadrey v. Meta Platforms, Inc.* lawsuit reveal Meta employees knowingly downloaded at least 81.7 TB of copyrighted books via torrents, despite internal concerns about legal ramifications. These downloads, including at least 35.7 TB from sites like Z-Library, were conducted using methods designed to obscure Meta’s involvement. Meta has moved to dismiss the charges, denying any wrongdoing. This case highlights a broader trend of large AI companies utilizing copyrighted material to train their models, raising significant copyright infringement concerns and normalizing potentially illegal practices.
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