Science & Technology
X's Win in Federal Court Is a Victory for Free Speech and Open Disclosure
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has placed minor restraints on the government’s ability to impose gag orders on secret subpoenas issued to tech companies.
The Online Right's Fairy-Tale Gender Politics
Would wealthy men really choose a Waffle House waitress over a girlboss?
This Bill Would Fine Social Media Companies $5 Million Every Day for Not Fighting 'Terrorism'
The STOP HATE Act wants social media platforms to report their moderation policies and outcomes to the government. And it’s not the only censorial measure Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants.
The Feds Roll Back Their Influence Over NPR Only To Claim Greater Influence Over TikTok
Politicians' interest in controlling the content you see shifts from public media to social media.
Here's How the AI Action Plan Will Accelerate—and Throttle—AI Innovation
The American AI industry doesn't need industrial policy, just freedom.
California Is Advancing a Bill To Punish Social Media Companies for Not Suppressing Speech
Senate Bill 771 would fine platforms up to $1 million if their algorithms relay hate speech to users.
Did USAID Really Save 90 Million Lives? Not Unless It Raised the Dead
A Lancet study’s inflated numbers are being used to push a partisan narrative, not inform public policy.
Virginia Is Using AI To Identify Illegal and Redundant Regulations
While other states are focused on regulating AI, Virginia is using the technology to repeal regulations.
Pentagon Awards up to $200 Million to AI Companies Whose Models Are Rife With Ideological Bias
The Department of Defense awarded contracts to Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. The last two are particularly concerning.
'Subway Surfing' Death Suit Against TikTok, Meta Further Chips Away at Section 230
Norma Nazario blames her son's death on social media algorithms.
Why Are Students Using AI To Cheat? Maybe Because They Shouldn't Be In College At All
AI cheating is often a crutch for students ill-equipped to attend a four-year university.
Although Meth Is Irresistible, The New York Times Says, Addicts Often Prefer Small Cash Rewards
The success of "contingency management" belies the notion that addiction is an uncontrollable disease caused by a drug's impact on dopamine levels.
Federal Officials Won't Admit the Real Reason for Ditching the TSA's Shoe Rule
The widely resented and ridiculed policy, which the U.S. was nearly alone in enforcing, never made much sense.
OpenAI and Perplexity's New Browsers Make the Monopoly Claims About Google Look Foolish
The market has demonstrated it’s perfectly capable of fostering innovation and competition without government intervention.
Missouri Harasses AI Companies Over Chatbots Dissing Glorious Leader Trump
AI chatbots failed to "rank the last five presidents from best to worst, specifically regarding antisemitism," in a way that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey likes.
Cancel Culture Monkeys and Military Industrial Menaces: James Gunn's Superman Is a Silly Delight
Superman is not "Superwoke."
Did the Secret Service Surveil James Comey Without a Warrant After '86 47' Post?
The former FBI director's cringey Instagram photos are not an "exigent circumstance" that allows law enforcement to circumvent the Constitution.
Linda Yaccarino, the Ex of X
She did her best to manage Elon Musk, protect free speech on X, and appease advertisers.
NASA Gets a $10 Billion Windfall From the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Rather than reducing government's role in space travel, the bills shovels more taxpayer money into an agency that is being outperformed by the private sector.
Trump Won't Enforce the TikTok Ban. Is That Constitutional?
The Constitution requires the president to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Funds an Expensive Immigration Crackdown
Billions upon billions of dollars are allocated for border screening technology, immigration detention facilities, more ICE agents, and building a border wall.
Warning: These Social Media Rules Will Erode Civil Liberties
Plus: Pittsburgh lowers prostitution penalty, FSC v. Paxton, the Diddy verdict, and more…
The Depopulation Bomb
What if the challenge for humanity’s future is not too many people on a crowded planet, but too few people to sustain the progress that the world needs?
Either Repeal or Enforce—but Ideally Repeal—the TikTok Ban
The ban is a bad law. But leaving it on the books and willfully ignoring it sets a potentially more dangerous precedent.
Maryland's New 3 Percent Tax Will Chill the State's Emerging Tech Sector
The Chamber of Commerce has called the tax a “disastrous” policy that threatens the state’s economy and its future as a tech hub.
Jurassic World Rebirth Chases Summer Movie Nostalgia
In this painfully mediocre Jurassic Park franchise placeholder, even the hypocrisy is nostalgic.
Senate Votes 99–1 To Remove AI Moratorium from 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
Now nearly 100 state AI laws will remain in force—and nearly 1,000 more are already waiting in the wings.
Legislation Will Not Protect Kids Online
New laws aimed at protecting kids online won’t work, and could even make things worse. Parents, not politicians, are the best defense against digital dangers.
10 of the Worst State Laws Going Into Effect in July
From minimum wage hikes to bans on cellphones in public schools, here are some of the most ridiculous ways state governments are interfering with Americans’ lives.
No, That Viral Study Doesn't Show You Can Improve Your Mental Health by Deactivating Instagram
While a viral post called the results “shocking,” the study itself found little evidence that social media use harms mental health.
The Coming Techlash Could Kill AI Innovation Before It Helps Anyone
Power-hungry data centers, disappearing jobs, and billions of dollars in subsidies are fueling resentment. If developers and policymakers don’t change course, Americans may reject AI before it ever delivers on its most significant promises.
Federal Judge Recognizes the Right To Train AI on Copyrighted Works
The lawsuit is a win not just for Anthropic, but for all users of large language models.
Heavy-Handed Legislation Targets AI-Generated Replicas of Voices and Images
The NO FAKES Act imposes censorship, threatens anonymity, and regulates innovation.
Student Visa Applicants Will Now Be Forced To Make Their Social Media Accounts Public
The Trump administration continues its war against disfavored speech.
Despite What Robert F. Kennedy Wants You To Think, Cell Phones Do Not Cause Brain Cancer
Unfortunately, the director of Health and Human Services leads a movement prone to untrue beliefs on medical matters from cell phones to vaccines, pesticides, and genetically modified crops.
Advertising Companies Cave to the FTC. Media Matters Sues To Defend the First Amendment.
Omnicom Group and the Interpublic Group of Companies accepted the Federal Trade Commission's anti-boycott proviso to complete their merger. Instead of capitulating to the commission, Media Matters is suing.
Crossing the U.S. Border? Keep Your Electronic Devices Safe from Searches.
Officials at the border have the power to paw through sensitive data on your phone.
Don't Blame 23andMe for the Federal Government's Lack of Clear Data Privacy Rules
A lawsuit against the genomics company "imposes top-down restrictions" rather than "establishing clear rules" or "letting companies equip individuals with better tools to manage their privacy," says one expert.
Big Business as Gun Control
Partly from coercion and partly by choice, many banks and social media businesses impose severe gun controls
The Senate Is One Step Closer To Passing a 10-Year Moratorium on State AI Regulation
The Senate parliamentarian says the 10-year AI moratorium may be passed by a simple majority through the Senate's budget reconciliation process.
Does Drug Use Lead to Addiction, or Are Some Brains More Prone To Use Drugs?
Researchers argue that "we may need to reevaluate the causal assumptions that underlie brain disease models of addiction."
It Doesn't Matter If the Minnesota Shooter Is a Republican or a Democrat
After Vance Boelter allegedly targeted Democrats in an attack, some conservatives jumped to claim that he was actually on the left. Why?
SCOTUS Upholds Tennessee Law Banning Medical Transition for Transgender Kids
With the culture war blazing, not even the Supreme Court could agree on the medical facts of the case.
How Much of Trump's 'Built in America' Phone Is Actually Built in America?
The Trump Organization says the phone is domestically manufactured, but its hardware—and a statement from Eric Trump—suggest otherwise.
