Only a day after a dormant bit of code that seemed to be a facial recognition algorithm was discovered in a companion app for its smart glasses, Meta released an update which removed that code, Wired reported.
OpEd: President Trump campaigned on a promise to wrest universities from "Marxist maniacs and lunatics." Since taking office, his administration has frozen billions in federal research grants, forced closures of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, revoked international student visas, threatened universities' tax-exempt status, and gutted the Department of Education.
The United States on Tuesday launched strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said Tehran had shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, deepening doubts over a potential peace deal and further straining a fragile ceasefire. "I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is," Trump told ABC News.
A case of New World screwworm previously believed to occur in Texas has now been reclassified by officials as a New Mexico case, involving a dog in nearby Lea County. As of Tuesday, there have been six confirmed cases: the one in New Mexico and five in Texas, including four calves and a goat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Texas cases were located in Gillespie, Zavala, and La Salle County, the tracker shows.
Kurt Olsen, who helped try to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 election loss, is now part of the Justice Department, working on a "grand conspiracy" investigation targeting the president's foes. read more
@#147 ... That's why it's the 4th largest economy in the world ...
California overtakes Japan to become world's 4th-largest economy -- here's what changed (April 2026)
economictimes.indiatimes.com
... Synopsis
California economy 2026:
California has surged to become the world's fourth-largest economy, surpassing Japan with a GDP exceeding $4 trillion.
Driven by a booming tech sector, robust venture capital, and a skilled workforce, the state's economic output has grown 40% since 2019.
Despite challenges, California's innovation and corporate activity continue to fuel its remarkable rise. ...
Curious ...
Trump-endorsed Brit Steve Hilton advances in California governor's race
www.bbc.com
... Steve Hilton, a former top adviser to ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron and a former Fox News host, will advance as one of two candidates in the race for California governor, US media outlets project.
After a week of counting ballots from the 2 June primary race, Hilton secured his slot to move ahead in the election, edging out billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat.
Hilton will face former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra in the general election in November.
President Donald Trump has backed Hilton, who, if he wins in November, would be the first Republican governor in 15 years to run the liberal-leaning US state. ...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
en.wikipedia.org
... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger[c] (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, film producer, politician, and former professional bodybuilder.
A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.[4] ...
@#141 ... There are more Republicans in California than any other state ...
State ... # of Republicans ... % of Republijcans
Most Republican States 2026
worldpopulationreview.com
...
California 5,776,356 25.22%
Florida 5,522,017 40.55%
Pennsylvania 3,631,497 41%
New York 2,845,295 22.94%
North Carolina 2,289,881 30.39%
New Jersey 1,624,437 24.7%
...
@#2 ... Trump's on it. ...
Flesh-eating parasite closing in on red state after Trump-backed cuts
www.msn.com
... President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency cuts are hitting the state of Texas hard, as a long-controlled pest is threatening to resurge and decimate the livestock industry. ...
"Back in the 1950s, the United States led a successful charge against screwworms by buggering up their breeding cycle. But that was back when divisions of the government, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture were well funded and well organized," noted Boing Boing in a piece published last month. ...
Attorney Blake Allen weighed in on the matter: "Screwworms coming back into the U.S. cattle herd/stock is going to potentially devastate the industry and jack up meat prices. Worst part is, this was preventable.
Trump & DOGE pushed funding cuts on/destroyed agencies that were directly responsible for fighting this pest." ...
My view ...
Pres Xi visited North Korea's Leader Kim to reinforce China's control over North Korea.
Lately, Leader Kim seems to have been getting a bit uppity, touting his relationship with Pres Putin and boasting about his nuclear power.
Pres Xi wanted none of that.
So he dropped in and read Leader Kim the riot act.
Now the story seems to be ...
China's Xi says he reached important consensus with Kim in North Korea visit, KCNA reports
www.reuters.com
... Chinese President Xi Jinping said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reached an "important consensus" and agreed to safeguard regional and global peace, in a message of thanks following his visit to Pyongyang, North Korean state media KCNA said on Wednesday.
In the message carried in full by KCNA, Xi said the two sides had "exchanged in-depth views on issues of common concern and reached a series of important joint consensus," reflecting their determination to further deepen ties.
Looking ahead, Xi said he was willing to work with Kim "based on fundamental and long-term interests" to "steadily safeguard, consolidate and develop" bilateral ties and contribute more to regional and global peace and development. ...
He also said the visit had been "successfully concluded" and that relations had entered "a new historical stage," while expressing hope to meet Kim again. ...
A New Way to Spot the Most Dangerous Narcissists (2022)
www.psychologytoday.com
...
Key points
- - - Going beyond ordinary narcissism, the malignant form of this set of personality traits involves extreme tendencies toward destructiveness.
- - - A new test provides a clear and behavior-based way to help you identify whose traits fall into the category of malignant narcissism.
- - - By knowing what to watch for in the malignant narcissist, you can be forewarned to avoid being ensnared by their manipulativeness.
You may be familiar enough with ordinary narcissism, a quality that characterizes people with self-aggrandizing tendencies as well as a lack of empathy and manipulativeness.
Beyond this level is pathological narcissism, a variant that also includes elements of psychopathy and is particularly harmful to those in relationships with such individuals.
People with its most extreme form, known as "malignant narcissism," can become even more threatening to your safety and well-being. ...
Older article ...
Understanding Trump's narcissism could be the key to opposing him (2017)
www.theguardian.com
... It may be unethical to declare the new US president to be mentally ill, but studying his personality is both legitimate and important
The debate around Donald Trump's mental health and his fitness to continue as US president rages on. Most recently Prof Allen Frances, the psychiatrist who wrote the book (or at least the diagnostic criteria) on narcissistic personality disorder has penned a letter to the New York Times stating that although Trump is a "world-class narcissist" he does not have a mental illness as he suffers no personal distress or impairment from his condition, which is a prerequisite for the diagnosis.
In the other camp, an American psychologist who believes Trump is a "malignant narcissist" has started a petition to remove him from office and a group of mental health professionals including psychiatrists have stated that his instability makes him incapable of serving safely as president.
In doing so, these psychiatrists have broken the much-cited Goldwater rule which prohibits American psychiatrists from commenting professionally on public figures without conducting a formal assessment, declaring it to be unethical to stay silent in the face of what they consider to be dangerous pathology. ...
@#12 ... Why would they do that?
Why bother nabbing the pilots? ...
Yeah, that was my thought also.
Aside from the bargaining benefit of hostages.
Maybe Iran thinks that was not a bargaining chip worth taking?