California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton mocked for misidentifying a ‘street taco’ pred 18 urami in 16 minutami The British political strategist drew swift criticism in a state where tacos are practically the official dishSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailPolls have shown California voters have been largely disengaged from the upcoming election for governor, but over the weekend one candidate managed to capture the public’s attention – and ire.Steve Hilton, the British political strategist seeking the state’s top office, drew derision after posting a video outside a southern California location of the fast food chain Del Taco while holding the hard-shell tortilla concoction that he referred to as a “street taco”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A consistent pattern of lying’: Musk v OpenAI trial exposes what insiders think of Sam Altman pred 18 urami in 26 minutami The trial has exposed even more details about OpenAI’s fractious corporate past than previously documentedOpenAI, despite its name, is usually extremely secretive about its operations. It promotes a carefully crafted image to the world. Over the course of Elon Musk’s case against the startup and its CEO Sam Altman, however, the artificial intelligence firm has been forced to publicly contend with some of the messiest parts of its rise to power in public.The Musk v OpenAI trial, which on Monday entered its third week, has featured a who’s who of Silicon Valley testifying about OpenAI’s past and its CEO’s contentious leadership. Musk’s attorneys have used former executives, private text messages, diary entries and internal email exchanges to portray Altman as untrustworthy. Altman, who denies Musk’s allegations, will take the stand in the coming days. OpenAI has likewise issued denials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sarah Wynn-Williams and Virginia Giuffre jointly win freedom to publish prize at British book awards pred 18 urami in 28 minutami In a rare public appearance, Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams warned of ‘networks of powerful elites’ using wealth and influence to silence dissenting voicesMeta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams and the late Virginia Giuffre have jointly won the Freedom to Publish prize at this year’s British book awards, marking the first time the award has been shared.Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, was recognised for Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism, her bestselling memoir about her years inside Meta, formerly Facebook. The book makes allegations about the company’s internal culture and practices, including its approach to political influence, China and the wellbeing of teenagers. Meta has disputed the claims. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump renominates Cameron Hamilton to lead disaster response agency Fema pred 18 urami in 50 minutami Hamilton was fired as acting administrator last year after he opposed plans to abolish the agency at a House hearingDonald Trump has once again nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) after Hamilton was previously fired for publicly opposing plans to abolish the agency.Hamilton was dismissed last year from his role as acting administrator of the disaster relief agency after testifying before a House appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he said: “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Virginia Democrats ask US supreme court to revive voter-approved electoral map pred 19 urami in 24 minutami New voting maps flipped four Republican-held seats to give Democrats an edge in redistricting race sparked by TrumpVirginia Democrats asked the US supreme court on Monday to revive a congressional map designed to boost their party’s chances in November’s midterm elections, turning to the court as Republicans – including allies of Donald Trump – seek to preserve narrow control of Congress.The case thrusts Virginia into an unusual, mid-decade redistricting showdown, as courts weigh whether lawmakers can remake House districts outside the normal post-census cycle – with control of a narrowly divided Congress potentially hanging in the balance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Amazon halts sales of illegal high-speed ebikes in California after fatal crashes pred 19 urami in 27 minutami Recent consumer alert on ebike safety laws says some vehicles should be classified as mopeds or motorcyclesAmazon said it plans to stop selling certain high-speed electric bicycles in California after a string of high-profile incidents and a consumer alert that the state attorney general issued last month.In April an 81-year-old man in Orange county died after a teenager illegally riding an e-motorcycle struck him. The teen’s mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Ed Ashman’s death as officials say she was warned it was illegal for her son to operate the vehicle. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyer calls immigration case a ‘sham’ after revelation it was fast-tracked by DoJ pred 19 urami in 35 minutami Palestinian activist is awaiting another legal decision on a separate track in a narrowing effort to stay in the USSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil, the first noncitizen activist arrested in the Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech, called his client’s immigration proceedings “preordained and a complete sham” after it was revealed that the case was prioritized to be fast-tracked.“These revelations make clear that this case has been controlled from day one by higher-ups in the administration,” said Marc Van Der Hout, an attorney on Khalil’s legal team, in a statement. “The immigration judge was hand-picked and the Board of Immigration Appeals decision was predetermined. We will continue to fight for Mahmoud in every court we can.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A messy day for Starmer: is Labour ungovernable? – podcast pred 20 urami in 34 minutami Keir Starmer kicked off the day with a speech aimed at persuading MPs against launching any kind of leadership challenge. By lunchtime, Angela Rayner was speaking at the CWU conference calling for Andy Burnham to return. In the afternoon the list of MPs calling on him to resign was slowly creeping up but no challenge has materialised. Why is the Labour party in such a muddle over Starmer? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer began the day damaged and then things got worse pred 21 urami in 21 minutami A growing number of Labour MPs are in no mood to heed calls from the PM’s allies to keep faith with their leaderUK politics live – latest updates“Has Keir done enough to survive?” was the question anxious Labour MPs were asking each other throughout Monday, after the speech regarded by many as crucial to Starmer’s chances of political survival.But the anxiety for many of them, badly bruised by Thursday’s election crushing, did not stem from concern the prime minister might be ousted. But that he would not. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump vows to pause federal gas tax after Iran war boosts US fuel prices to four-year high pred 21 urami in 58 minutami National average for gas prices has risen by well over a dollar per gallon since late FebruarySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump pledged to suspend the US federal gas tax in a bid to reduce pressure on Americans after the US-Israel war on Iran sparked a sharp rise in fuel prices.The US president told reporters on Monday that his administration would look to pause the tax “till it’s appropriate”, as drivers count the cost of the surge in oil prices in the two months since US and Israel forces attacked Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
