Artificial Unintelligence

Midterminal Velocity: Democracy on Life SupportTrump's approval rating hits 32% as Democrats build momentum ahead of the midterms.Pennsylvania House races tighten while Republicans defend unexpected Senate battlegrounds.Nearly 30 million Americans have already voted.Trump offers a $1 million reward for evidence of voter fraud.The DOJ prepares to deploy 1,000 election monitors while states prepare to monitor the monitors.Trump targets Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with inflammatory remarks about his Muslim faith.Vivek Ramaswamy spends $4 million promoting a controversial attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother.Elon Musk pours $446 million into the midterms as Latino voter dissatisfaction threatens Republican prospects in Texas.Politics, Lawsuits & Government ChaosTrump's $10 billion BBC lawsuit hits a snag when a judge orders him to testify.More than 167,000 Michigan residents lose SNAP benefits as new federal requirements take effect.Pete Hegseth's staff reportedly damages a historic Eisenhower-associated globe during an office move.Questions emerge over who restricted Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield access during the war.Tech, Entertainment & General NonsenseMeta faces a $25 billion privacy judgment tied to years of misleading statements.Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees amid its massive AI investment.Netflix expands its podcast ambitions, because apparently everyone needs a microphone.DoorDash reportedly considers a $17 billion Instacart acquisition.Apple introduces a $699 OLED iPad mini.Sacha Baron Cohen's new Ali G movie heads to streaming after one theatrical weekend.Remembering Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other iconic characters.Google's Halloween costume trends include dumplings, stress balls, Dolly Parton, and some deeply confused pets. LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MIDTERMS UPDATENew NYT/Siena polling shows Democrats surprisingly competitive in several traditionally Republican states.Democrats lead gubernatorial polling in Iowa, Ohio, Texas and Alaska, while Republicans hold the advantage in Kansas.Iowa Democrat Rob Sand posts the biggest lead at +11.Amy Acton narrowly leads Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio.Gina Hinojosa and Greg Abbott are locked in a close Texas race.Alaska’s ranked-choice system makes its numbers especially complicated.We break down what the polling means — and why nobody should confuse polls with Election Day results.JACK SMITH: “BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT”Former special counsel Jack Smith tells Congress his team believed it had enough evidence to convict Donald Trump.We revisit the federal 2020 election-interference case and classified-documents investigation.Why neither case ever reached a jury.Smith says he stands by bringing the charges and would make the same decision again.JACK SMITH’S POST-DOJ CONCERT ERADays after his Senate hearing, Smith turns up at the politically charged Power to the People Festival wearing a “No Kings” Springsteen shirt.Dave Grohl reportedly dedicates “My Hero” to “my new friend Jack.”Republicans seize on the optics.Plus: the bizarre Senate mix-up involving the Iowa Hawkeyes and Atlanta Hawks.CORNELL SEXUAL-ASSAULT INVESTIGATION REOPENEDA civil lawsuit brings renewed scrutiny to allegations surrounding a 2024 incident at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity.New York officials reopen the criminal investigation.Gov. Kathy Hochul appoints Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.Cornell agrees to an independent review of its response.Students demand greater transparency and changes to university sexual-assault procedures.We also examine the larger debate surrounding intoxication and consent under New York law.ELON MUSK, NEWT GINGRICH & THE FUTURE OF WARDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth launches Project Meridian.Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich will help study the technologies shaping future warfare.Topics include AI, autonomous weapons, robotics, directed-energy weapons, biotechnology and even warfare around the moon.We look at the potential conflicts of interest when defense contractors help advise the Pentagon on future technology spending.TRUMP VS. TIME MAGAZINEDonald Trump becomes frustrated during a wide-ranging TIME interview and complains that he hasn’t received “one positive question.”The interview covers Iran, press freedom, the Supreme Court, pardons, the midterms and White House renovations.Trump criticizes several Supreme Court justices he appointed and takes another shot at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.Somehow, presidential policy questions eventually turn into a discussion about crown molding.NYC EXPANDS FREE CHILD CAREMayor Zohran Mamdani announces that more than 10,000 children will be moved off New York City’s child-care voucher waitlist.The expansion is backed by major state funding from Gov. Kathy Hochul.We break down eligibility, remaining waitlists and Mamdani’s larger push toward universal child care and free 2-K.WINTER HEATING BILLS ARE ABOUT TO HURTHeating-oil households could spend nearly $900 more on average this winter.Maine and Vermont could see increases exceeding $1,000.Global oil disruptions, diesel shortages, shipping costs and the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz are pushing prices higher.Lawmakers are already discussing releases from emergency heating-oil reserves.And higher fuel costs could eventually ripple into groceries, trucking and other everyday expenses.411 ON THE 405The Batman Part IIProduction pauses while director Matt Reeves steps away for a family matter.The film has already been delayed multiple times, with its current release scheduled for 2028.Avengers: EndgameA theatrical rerelease pushes Endgame past Avatar again for the worldwide box-office crown.DiggerTom Cruise’s expensive original film opens to just $8 million domestically.Its massive budget makes the weak debut particularly painful.Tulsa KingParamount+ renews the show for Season 5 before Season 4 premieres.Production moves to New York.Scarlet Rose Stallone becomes a series regular.The franchise is also expanding with Frisco King starring Samuel L. Jackson.Hollywood Production CrisisEntertainment unions warn that U.S. film and television production is being hollowed out.Foreign tax incentives, lower costs, the end of Peak TV and years of industry disruption are squeezing American production workers.Industry groups are now pushing for federal incentives to keep more filmmaking in the United States. LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on It’s News To Us:Lauren Boebert pushes back against a House Ethics complaint alleging inappropriate relationships with staffers and a reported $200,000 payment to a former aide. We break down what’s actually alleged, what Boebert and the people named in the complaint are denying, and why the ethics questions go beyond the more sensational headlines.CNN, MS NOW, and Politico sue the Trump administration after being barred from the White House, while major television networks refuse to fill CNN’s spot in the presidential press pool. We look at the First Amendment fight, the 1977 Sherrill v. Knight precedent, and the surprising return of the same judge involved in CNN’s 2018 Jim Acosta case.Joe Rogan criticizes some of Donald Trump’s most devoted supporters as “rabid” and “f***ing nuts,” despite endorsing Trump in 2024. We dig into Rogan’s increasingly complicated political identity and his recent criticism of both Trump and Bernie Sanders.Trump’s approval rating falls to 32% in new Reuters/Ipsos polling, with some of the steepest declines coming from Republicans dissatisfied with the economy and cost of living.The FBI warned immigration agents about an alleged scheme involving fake “tradwife” dating profiles designed to lure and potentially dox law-enforcement officers. The catch: the FBI itself described the intelligence as not fully evaluated, and the memo did not identify any confirmed victims.Poland warns that Russia could deliberately launch ambiguous drone or missile attacks against NATO countries and then claim they were accidental, potentially forcing NATO to decide how to respond to increasingly dangerous “gray-zone” incidents.More than 70 people are involved in a proposed lawsuit against Meta over claims that its smart glasses captured highly private footage and that some AI-related imagery may have been reviewed by human workers. We get into the much larger consent problem created by wearable cameras and AI.On The Horse’s Mouth, Red Leather and WesGhost join the show to talk about their new collaborative project REDGHOST, their debut EP WASTEDYOUTH, the strange reality of becoming famous while remaining anonymous, building music for outsiders, balancing accessibility with mystery, and taking the project LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Newly released 9/11 records suggest officials had serious concerns about toxic contamination around Ground Zero while New Yorkers and first responders were being reassured that the air was safe.Internal documents also show officials discussing potential legal liability connected to toxic exposure.Trump sparked controversy after appearing to fall asleep during the Pentagon’s 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony; the White House says he was “solemnly reflecting.”Trump proposed a $5,000 payment for American adults if Republicans retain control of Congress, despite major unanswered questions about funding and congressional approval.AI safety becomes one of the episode’s biggest stories as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis and others warn that increasingly autonomous systems may require serious safeguards.Anthropic researchers have gone even further, publicly discussing non-trivial risks of catastrophic AI outcomes.Trump dismisses many of those concerns and argues that winning the global AI race should take priority.Mitch McConnell returns to the Senate after roughly three months away following a serious fall, hospitalization and rehabilitation.Elon Musk threatens legal action over Alex Gibney’s new documentary Musk, particularly over suggestions involving Starlink and the 2024 election.Mariska Hargitay hosts the Emmys.Stephen Colbert returns to late night as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!Netflix, Amazon and YouTube form a new lobbying alliance as Washington increases scrutiny of streaming costs and sports fragmentation.Prime Video adds short-form news clips as streaming services increasingly chase TikTok-style viewing habits.Apple releases iOS 27 with the long-awaited Siri AI overhaul.Waymo launches driverless rides in Las Vegas as the robotaxi race continues expanding nationwide. LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.