Aggregator

California faces potential water shortages if the states that use the Colorado River can’t make a deal.

They’re on the other side of the whistle now.

How often do Democrats thunder that “people will die” if Republicans get their way on issues such as healthcare, climate change and gun control?

Babylon Bee Sues New Mexico Over Restrictions On AI Satirical Posts

Authored by Kevin Stocklin via The Epoch Times,

The Babylon Bee, a satirical online publication, is suing the state of New Mexico over a law that bans artificial intelligence-created misrepresentation of political figures and issues, including satire and parody, in the months leading up to an election.

(L-R) Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition talks with Seth Dillon, CEO, of the Babylon Bee and Kyle Mann, editor and chief, at the annual "Road To Majority Policy Conference" held by the Faith & Freedom Coalition at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., on June 18, 2022. Seth Herald/Getty Images

In a lawsuit filed on Aug. 11, the Babylon Bee charged that the law criminalizes speech that is protected by the First Amendment.

"We're used to getting pulled over by the joke police, but comedy isn't a crime," Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

"The First Amendment protects our right to create AI satire poking fun at political candidates," Dillon said. "We'll never stop fighting to defend that freedom."

New Mexico's law, passed in 2024, makes it illegal to post "materially deceptive media" generated with AI, within 90 days before an election, without a state-mandated warning label. The law specifically includes satire and parody, and covers flyers, social media posts, and memes, with violators liable for fines up to $20,000.

AI has become increasingly adept at creating media that is difficult to distinguish from actual photos and videos, prompting many officials to call for restrictions on AI-generated posts in order to shield the public from false information.

But New Mexico's law also aligns with other efforts by government officials to control what they deem to be "misinformation." This includes efforts by the Biden administration to pressure social media companies to suppress statements during the COVID-19 pandemic that conflicted with official narratives on topics like the source of the virus and vaccines, as well as the creation of a Disinformation Governance Board within the Department of Homeland Security in 2022.

Similarly, the European Union's Digital Services Act, which also applies to American companies, contains provisions that compel tech companies to suppress what the act calls "disinformation."

Attorneys representing the Babylon Bee say that laws like these often violate Americans' First Amendment rights.

"When these laws are framed as broadly as they are, it really is state censorship of political speech, which is the highest rung of speech that our Constitution protects," Logan Spena, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom who is representing the Babylon Bee, told The Epoch Times. "We want to make sure the government is not in the business of trying to decide what's true and false in the matter of political debates."

The lawsuit against New Mexico states that, while there are exceptions to the First Amendment, such as obscenity, incitement, defamation, and threats, "the government's declaration that speech is false does not empower it to restrict that speech."

"As [AI] gets more realistic, I think states are getting a little more concerned, but the problem is that they're overreacting in ways that unconstitutionally restricts protected speech," Spena said. As artificially generated images proliferate, people will become more discerning about what they see online, he said.

New Mexico officials did not respond to a request for comment as of press time. A statement provided to media outlets by a state Ethics Commission spokesperson said that "the Commission has never taken action to enforce the AI-disclaimer requirements in Section 1-19-26.4 of the Campaign Reporting Act, much less for political parody and satire. While the Babylon Bee has a First Amendment right to mock New Mexico, it does not have a right to extract attorneys' fees from the State."

Tyler Durden Thu, 08/13/2026 - 21:45

This season has the potential to be a bit better, though it is more likely that plenty more losses are on the way. 

Time stopped when Malachi Fields left his feet to catch a dig route over the middle of the field.

Given that Matthew Stafford’s last preseason snap predates his arrival in Los Angeles by two years, the chances of seeing him take the field against the Chiefs on Saturday are less than zero.

Capt. Mathew Loe was relieved as commanding officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore on Aug. 7.

Kevin Sussman noted that because of their behind-the-scenes relationship, it was “very fitting” for Mayim Bialik to appear on the "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe."

As the Mets return to Citi Field on Friday to open a series against the Nationals, they’ll open a stretch of four of their next five series at home.

Murderers on death row in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama were executed within hours of each other through lethal injection, USA Today reported. 

US Creates New 'Multinational' Attack Drone Task Force Amid Iran War & Lessons Learned In Ukraine

Compared to what Ukraine and Russia are learning in the context of their grinding years-long war, the Pentagon is a bit late in putting together comprehensive drone swarm battle plans and tactics, but it seems to be the clear direction of future conflict spaces.

On Thursday US Central Command unveiled that it is officially establishing America's first-ever multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force.

An announcement identified the initiative as Force Falcon Strike, which "will employ one-way attack drones consisting of unmanned systems from above, on, and below the sea operated by military support staff from the United States and regional partners."

Already the Pentagon has been deploying one-way attack drones in the context of ongoing Middle East Operations, which has been dubbed Task Force Scorpion Strike.

"Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners," stated Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon."

The broader initiative will invite regional partners to coordinate and cooperate with Pentagon operations, and it will ultimately be commanded from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

The aforementioned example of Ukraine war has been dominated by literally hundreds of thousands of small UAVs, sometimes hitting in waves of 'drone swarms' on either side - and China too is said to be bulking up its arsenal with AI drone swarms with an eye on potential Taiwan action.

Consider for example, the following observation related to the recent Ukraine battlefield:

Ukraine just mounted an attack that marks a turning point in the history of warfare Hundreds of drones were pre-deployed and then struck 40+ aircraft 1000+ km inside of Russia >$1B in damage by <$1m of drones Critical infra is no longer safe," Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire wrote on X. 

This is the new face of warfare — covert, mobile, and nearly impossible to detect until it's too late. Also, the US now faces growing vulnerabilities, not only from irregular warfare but also from potential internal security lapses. And as the battlefield leaves the era of conventional 'fronts' - the Pentagon wants to catch up on holding the edge on weapons tech.

US Central Command graphic

Many independent observers fear that with all the recent leaps in AI in the context of military applications, a futuristic and dangerous SkyNet scenario could be just around the corner.

Tyler Durden Thu, 08/13/2026 - 21:20

The three-year deal he signed in December 2023 includes a club option for the 2027 season. 

A little-known California fault line — already considered one of the most dangerous in the country — was rattled by another earthquake Thursday morning, shaking communities across the Bay Area and setting off a pair of aftershocks.

"We're living in frankly medieval times," he said.

A Frontier Airlines flight faced a medical emergency Thursday morning after four of the five flight attendants on board mysteriously became sick midair.

State Department Launches Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force

Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times,

The Department of State on Wednesday announced the existence of a task force that has already revoked hundreds of visas from foreign nationals accused of exploiting U.S. immigration laws.

Migrants, including a pregnant Haitian woman seeking to give birth in the United States, are apprehended by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Yuma, Ariz., on Dec. 7, 2021. John Moore/Getty Images

The announcement of the Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force comes as President Donald Trump issued new orders in response to a June 30 Supreme Court decision that overturned his bid to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are illegal immigrants or temporary visitors.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew attention to the issue of visa abuse on X.

"Elaborate birth tourism rings are profiting off the exploitation of America's laws - coaching foreigners to defraud the U.S. visa system, arranging travel and housing, and even forging documents, all to enable foreign nationals to obtain citizenship for their children," he said.

The activity of visa holders worldwide is under review. According to a fact sheet, the department stands ready to revoke the visas of individuals suspected of engaging in or facilitating birth tourism. The goal is to dismantle any networks involved in such abuses and hold them accountable.

Using State Department information and data from other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the task force has revoked more than 600 visas in one month.

The federal government and consular officers at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world have reported widespread examples of deception in visa applications, according to the State Department.

It noted a foreign couple who twice lied on visa applications - claiming a conference and a vacation - then gave birth to two children on U.S. soil on separate occasions.

The couple's visas were revoked.

Another foreign national applied for a visa to vacation in Orlando. She instead flew to Los Angeles, where she gave birth five days after her arrival.

Spotlight on Citizenship Rules

In one of the most consequential opinions of the Supreme Court's 2025-2026 term, the justices ruled 6-3 to strike down Trump's executive order that aimed at excluding children of illegal immigrants and temporary visa holders from obtaining U.S. citizenship at birth.

"A child born on American soil and subject to American law was made an American citizen," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.

Trump had vowed to ask the high court to rehear the case, although such requests are almost never granted.

"This miscarriage of justice will destroy America if they don't change their absolutely insane decision," the president said at the time.

However, the administration missed the July 27 deadline to file its petition.

Trump's two new executive orders, signed Aug. 6, attempt to limit birthright citizenship by banning birth tourism and expanding the definition of people considered ineligible for birthright citizenship, according to Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asked a federal judge on Aug. 11 to block enforcement of Trump's new executive orders.

Tyler Durden Thu, 08/13/2026 - 20:55

LSU cornerback DJ Pickett is keeping what he says is rightfully his — the No. 5 jersey number.

The new plan is a brutal 214% jump, hitting locals hard.

Rams rising star Nate Scheelhaase will call plays against the Chiefs, giving the coveted young coach another major opportunity to impress.