The Science Buzz - Science News and Information

House Democrats press tech leaders to curb hurricane misinformation

A group of House Democrats representing areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton are calling on the leaders of major technology companies to do more to combat the flurry of misinformation online about the extreme weather. In a letter sent Friday, Reps. Deborah Ross (N.C.), Kathy Castor (Fla.), Nikema Williams (Ga.) and Wiley Nickel (N.C.)...

Trump campaign, Musk coordinated to stop hacked material on X: Report

Former President Trump’s campaign worked with Elon Musk’s X to prevent links to hacked campaign materials from circulating on the social media platform last month, according to The New York Times. After independent journalist Ken Klippenstein shared a link to the materials allegedly obtained in an Iranian hack of the Trump campaign, X suspended his account...

Musk unveils long-awaited robotaxi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the electric vehicle (EV) company’s long-awaited robotaxi Thursday night, showing off a fleet of sleek self-driving cars with no steering wheels or pedals. The Cybercab is expected to be in production before 2027 and to cost less than $30,000, Musk said at the highly choreographed "We, Robot” event at Warner...

Senators press Commerce Department to boost transparency about CHIPS Act contracts

A group of senators are urging the Commerce Department to be more transparent regarding the terms of agreements made under the CHIPS and Science Act, arguing the agency must ensure the U.S. semiconductor industry is “safe and sustainable.” In a letter Friday to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and...

Oct 10, 2024

OpenAI sees continued attempts to use AI models for election interference

OpenAI has seen continued attempts by cybercriminals to use its artificial intelligence (AI) models for fake content aimed at interfering with this year’s elections, the ChatGPT maker said in a new report. According to OpenAI’s report, released Wednesday, the AI developer discovered and disrupted more than 20 operations this year that tried to influence the election...

Oct 10, 2024

Microsoft unveils health care AI tools

Microsoft unveiled several new artificial intelligence (AI) tools on Thursday aiming to support health care organizations through medical imaging models, health care agent services and an AI-driven workflow solution for nurses. The announcement detailed how each tool will improve workflow for busy health care professionals. The AI imaging tool, developed in collaboration with partners like Providence and Paige.ai, enables...

Oct 10, 2024

AI tracker charts growth in deepfakes ahead of election

The German Marshall Fund has launched a tool to track deepfakes created by artificial intelligence (AI) that are targeting elections and circulating in the U.S. and across the globe. The tool comes in a historic year for elections. More than half the globe has or will hold elections in 2024, a detail that collides with...

Greene takes fire for remarks about weather

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has again thrown herself at the center of controversy over her embrace of claims that the government and humans are “controlling” the severe weather as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida. In the wake of widespread devastation from Hurricane Helene, the Georgia Republican has shared various conspiracy theories online suggesting the government is in...

Musk steps up Starlink access as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida

SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk ramped up the rollout of Starlink's direct-to-cell service for areas expected to be hit Wednesday by Hurricane Milton, marking the latest assistance efforts by the aerospace company. The rollout is part of a new partnership between Starlink and T-Mobile to activate its direct-to-cell satellites for emergency alerts for all phones...

Ocasio-Cortez promises 'brawl' if 'billionaires' force out Lina Khan

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) vowed Wednesday there would be a “brawl” if wealthy Democratic donors attempt to force Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan out of a potential Harris administration. “Let me make this clear, since billionaires have been trying to play footsie with the ticket: Anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will...

Sanders: Mark Cuban wrong to call for Lina Khan to be replaced

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) publicly disagreed with Mark Cuban after he called for Federal Trade Commissioner (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to be replaced if Vice President Harris is elected president. In a post on the social platform X, Sanders said Cuban “is wrong” when he called for a new FTC chair. “Lina Khan is the...

Federal prosecutors eye asking judge to break up Google

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering asking a federal judge to order Google to break off its search business from other portions of the company to address its illegal monopoly over online search. In a filing late Tuesday night, federal prosecutors said they are looking at a variety of options, including structural remedies, in...

iPhone update allows users to text for help when there's no cell service. How it works

With Hurricane Milton barreling toward Florida's Gulf Coast, many Tampa Bay area residents are fearing widespread and potentially weeks-long power outages, which could affect cellphone service, as many saw during Hurricane Helene.

Top court rules X can be reinstated in Brazil

A top Brazilian Supreme Court justice ruled Tuesday that the social platform X can be restored in Brazil, more than a month after the high court suspended the site for failing to comply with court demands. The ruling by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, made public Tuesday, caps off a months-long feud between de Moraes and...

Furious officials say misinformation is harming hurricane response

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has sparked a flood of misinformation online, with federal, state and local leaders sounding the alarm that it is complicating an already difficult recovery process in the South. The false claims began shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina late last month, leaving widespread destruction and a long...

Harris backers praise Lina Khan at tech-focused fundraiser

Some Vice President Harris backers praised Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan at a tech-focused San Francisco fundraiser on Saturday headlined by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The reception, dubbed, “Little Tech for Harris,” was hosted by Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan and the CEO of enterprise cloud company Box,...

Judge rules Google must open Android app store to competitors

A federal judge ruled Monday that Google must open the Play Store to rival third-party Android app stores. U.S. District Judge James Donato ordered the tech giant to allow for the distribution of third-party app stores and platforms through its own Android app store for a period of three years. The ruling marks a...

States sue TikTok, alleging platform is addictive, harms kids' mental health

More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia sued TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the platform exploits and harms young users while "deceiving" the public about these dangers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James led the coalition of 14 attorneys general, who each filed suits in state court...

Musk, Tucker Carlson laugh about post discussing hypothetical Harris assassination

Conservative media pundit Tucker Carlson hosted tech mogul Elon Musk for an interview on his online video show this week, a sit-down that began with the two laughing about Musk's support for former President Trump and what he says was a "joke" he made about assassination attempts on political figures. "The Kamala puppet, I call...

Largest US water utility hit by cyberattack

The largest water and wastewater utility company in the U.S. was hit by a cyberattack, forcing it to temporarily pause billing for its customers, the company announced Monday. American Water became informed of "unauthorized activity" in its computer networks and systems Thursday, the company said in a press release. The New Jersey-based company later determined...

Musk to make more Pennsylvania appearances ahead of election

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk plans to make more appearances in Pennsylvania to boost former President Trump’s campaign in the final four weeks before the election. Musk’s appearances in the crucial battleground state will be backed by America PAC, the pro-Trump super PAC the billionaire helped found, a source familiar with the PAC’s efforts confirmed...

'Call Her Daddy’ podcast jumps into the political ring

Alex Cooper’s ultra-popular podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” usually features Hollywood celebrities, social media influencers or even therapists to discuss all things friendship, romance and mental health for millions of listeners each week. This week, Cooper sat down with a not-so-typical guest: Vice President Harris. “Call Her Daddy” is the top-listened-to podcast among women, according to...

FTC antitrust case against Amazon moves forward, several state claims dismissed

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust case against Amazon will move forward, but several state claims against the e-commerce giant were dismissed, according to a newly unsealed ruling. In a ruling filed last week under seal, U.S. District Judge John Chun dismissed claims brought by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Maryland. However, Chun denied Amazon’s...

Deloitte takes fire from Trump-Vance allies over leaked employee messages

Deloitte has come under fire from close allies of former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) after one of its employees shared private conversations with Vance from 2020 in which the vice presidential candidate criticized Trump. Donald Trump Jr., who identified the individual as Deloitte employee Kevin Gallagher, suggested that Republicans reevaluate the government’s nearly...