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Wikipedia's Existential Threats Feel Greater Than Ever

WIRED

As the free online encyclopedia turns 25, it's facing political opposition, AI scraping, dwindling volunteers, and a public that may no longer believe in its ideals. In 2010, the FBI sent Wikipedia a letter that would be intimidating for any organization to receive. The missive demanded that the free online encyclopedia remove the FBI's logo from an entry about the agency, claiming that reproducing the emblem was illegal and punishable with fines, imprisonment, "or both." Rather than back down, a lawyer for the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts Wikipedia, shot back a sharp refusal outlining how the FBI's interpretation of the relevant statute was incorrect and saying that Wikipedia was "prepared to argue our view in court." It worked--the FBI dropped the matter.


The REAL reason you're still single: Study reveals the biggest contributing factors - including being intelligent

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Mayor blames ICE for'creating chaos' in Minneapolis and tells protesters to go home after illegal migrant is shot Iran confirms protest hero will NOT be executed as Trump reveals Tehran told him'the killing has stopped' after he threatened to take military action'Heads will roll!' US Marshals under fire for sending'Fugitive Task Force' to raid Timothy Busfield's mountain home 60 minutes after he turned himself in on child sex charges My Heated Rivalry fantasy became a reality... and my secret hookup will soon be leading the country Banks seize 367,000 homes as housing pain spreads across US... and it is about to get much worse Shocking truth about Minneapolis woman dragged from car by ICE while screaming that she was on her way to a doctor's appointment Inside Tiger Woods' 50th birthday bash as he cozies up to girlfriend Vanessa Trump to watch Bon Jovi Somali'fraudsters' force out YouTuber who exposed massive scandal amid fraud investigation in Minnesota Shameless Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, pushes'miracle' $150 Goop serum... but plastic surgeon suggests she's neglected to mention a far more invasive secret behind her taut face and'TILTED' eyes Danes say Trump is still set on'conquering' Greenland after'frank' talks as Sweden accuses him of exaggerating threats posed by Russia and China to seize the island The reclusive life of Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe, 67, as more details emerge over who really fathered the singer's children Palm Beach elites break out in civil war over $200m'greed project'... as Don Jr's fiancรฉe furiously intervenes Suspended Ford worker who heckled Trump receives $600k as woke liberals call him'working class hero' White House responds to Joe Rogan's warning that ICE behavior in Minneapolis resembles Hitler's Gestapo Billionaire sports tycoon becomes America's biggest landowner with latest massive purchase Elon Musk's X stops its AI tool Grok from undressing pictures of real people after huge backlash over sexualised deepfakes MAGA goes wild for new scene in Landman with Glen Powell's glamorous love Michelle Randolph My night at America's'scariest' McDonald's that is so dangerous it does not even have a DOOR, with frightened locals renaming it'McStabby's' The REAL reason you're still single: Study reveals the biggest contributing factors - including being intelligent Whether you're happily on your own or desperate for love, you might wonder why you haven't yet met your perfect match. Now, a study has revealed the main factors contributing to remaining single - and it's bad news for those who went to university. A team from the University of Zurich recruited more than 17,000 people from the UK and Germany for their study. The participants were aged 16 at the start of the study and had no prior relationship experience. They were surveyed annually up until the age of 29 with questions aimed at capturing their characteristics, attributes and sociodemographic factors.


NASA carries out first-ever medical evacuation from ISS as astronauts return to Earth from space

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Mayor blames ICE for'creating chaos' in Minneapolis and tells protesters to go home after illegal migrant is shot Iran confirms protest hero will NOT be executed as Trump reveals Tehran told him'the killing has stopped' after he threatened to take military action'Heads will roll!' US Marshals under fire for sending'Fugitive Task Force' to raid Timothy Busfield's mountain home 60 minutes after he turned himself in on child sex charges My Heated Rivalry fantasy became a reality... and my secret hookup will soon be leading the country Banks seize 367,000 homes as housing pain spreads across US... and it is about to get much worse Shocking truth about Minneapolis woman dragged from car by ICE while screaming that she was on her way to a doctor's appointment Inside Tiger Woods' 50th birthday bash as he cozies up to girlfriend Vanessa Trump to watch Bon Jovi Somali'fraudsters' force out YouTuber who exposed massive scandal amid fraud investigation in Minnesota Shameless Gwyneth ...


Musk's Grok to bar users from generating sexual images of real people

Al Jazeera

Musk's Grok to bar users from generating sexual images of real people Elon Musk's X has said it will "geoblock" users of xAI Grok from creating images of people in "bikinis, underwear, and similar attire" amid a global backlash against the chatbot's sexualised images. "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis," X's safety team said in a statement late on Wednesday. The statement did not elaborate on the nature of the geoblocking or other safeguards. X claimed to have "zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content". X's Grok faces investigations and bans from regulators and governments around the world following a deluge of sexualised AI images on the platform in recent weeks.


Wikipedia's 25 most popular entries of all time

Popular Science

A lot of people wanted to know who's dead. Wikipedia currently contains over 7.1 million entries in English alone. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. It's hard to imagine the internet without Wikipedia . But in the immediate years following its debut in 2001, many critics scoffed at the idea that a free, volunteer-run online encyclopedia could ever be considered a reputable source of information.


ICE agent shoots Minneapolis man in the leg

BBC News

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has shot a man in the leg in the US city of Minneapolis, where an ICE agent shot dead a woman last week. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said federal officers initially pursued the man in a car chase because he was illegally in the US from Venezuela. The City of Minneapolis confirmed a man was shot and taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries. An ICE officer was also taken to hospital to be treated for injuries, the DHS said. Minneapolis city officials said on X: We understand there is anger.


Labubu toy manufacturer exploited workers, labour group claims

BBC News

A labour rights organisation claims it has found evidence of worker exploitation in a Chinese factory that makes the viral Labubu dolls. China Labor Watch (CLW), a US-based non-governmental organisation, alleges that its investigation found that one of Pop Mart's suppliers made employees work excessive overtime shifts, sign blank or incomplete contracts and did not give them paid leave. The furry Labubu dolls have surged in popularity around the world in recent years and are best known for selling toys in blind boxes, which hide its content from buyers until it is opened. Pop Mart told the BBC that it is investigating the claims. The Beijing-based toy retailer said it appreciated the details from the review and that it will firmly require companies making its toys to correct their practices if the allegations are found to be true.


Musk's X to block Grok AI tool from creating sexualized images of real people

The Guardian

Elon Musk said he was'not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Elon Musk said he was'not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Musk's X to block Grok AI tool from creating sexualised images of real people UK government claims vindication after Keir Starmer criticised earlier decision to keep functionality as'horrific' The UK government has claimed "vindication" after Elon Musk's X announced it had stopped its AI-powered Grok feature from editing pictures of real people to show them in revealing clothes such as bikinis, including for premium subscribers. Following a fortnight of public outcry at the tool embedded into X being used to create sexualised images of women and children, the company said it would "geoblock" the ability of users "to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X", in countries where it was illegal. It said it would do this in the UK in line with law changes ministers have pledged to introduce.


Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,421

Al Jazeera

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a state of emergency was being declared for Ukraine's energy sector, after repeated Russian attacks destroyed electricity and heat infrastructure. Zelenskyy said he asked the government to review curfew restrictions during "this extremely cold weather".


Trump Imposes Limited Tariffs on Foreign Semiconductors

NYT > Economy

President Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday to impose a 25 percent tariff on a narrow list of foreign semiconductors, providing a way for the government to earn revenue off the sale of lucrative chips used in artificial intelligence. The tariff, which would take effect Thursday, is far more limited than what the president initially threatened. Last year, the administration began an investigation aimed at encouraging tech companies and chip makers to buy semiconductors made in America. But instead of approving sweeping tariffs that would affect the industry, Wednesday's announcement showed the administration has settled for narrower levies that allow it to take a cut of artificial intelligence chips sold to China. A document released by the White House said a 25 percent tariff would be put on A.I. chips made by companies like Nvidia and AMD that are imported into the United States and then re-exported to other countries. The tariff would not apply to semiconductors that are brought into the country to be used domestically in data centers or in products for American consumers, industry or the government.