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☆ Moscow was likely trying to send a message by harassing a US drone, but officials say the Russian pilot ran into it because they're bad at flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Russian fighter jet harassed a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea this week. But US officials said the fighter pilot demonstrated a "lack of competence" by clipping the drone. On Tuesday, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying in international airspace above the Black Sea. A composite image showing the rear of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone before and after the US military says a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with it. The report consists of empirical research completed in 2020 that analyzes years of Russian military activity like intercepts and other engagements.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact. Milley said the United States had already taken measures to guard against a loss of sensitive intelligence if the drone were to be recovered by Russia. The State Department on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to express U.S. concerns over the encounter. Antonov after the meeting said the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving toward Russian territory with transponders turned off."

☆ California Gov. Gavin Newsom failed to publicly disclose his SVB ties while lobbying for a bailout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gavin Newsom reportedly had substantial personal ties to Silicon Valley Bank. Newsom has not discussed his personal ties to SVB publicly. It is unclear whether he disclosed them to the White House or Treasury during his contacts with the administration over the weekend. Click did not respond to detailed questions about the Intercept's reporting on Newsom's SVB ties. Spokespeople for the White House and California Partners Project did not immediately return Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Amazon Ring CEO steps down five years after acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jamie Siminoff, the CEO of Amazon subsidiary Ring, is stepping down from the role later this month, the company announced Wednesday. Siminoff will take the role of chief inventor on March 22, and Elizabeth Hamren will succeed him as CEO. In addition to Ring, Hamren will also oversee Amazon Key, the company's in-home delivery service; shared network service Amazon Sidewalk; as well as Blink, another maker of home security cameras that Amazon acquired in 2017. The move comes five years after Amazon acquired Ring for a reported $1 billion in 2018. The program allows police and fire departments to request video footage recorded by Ring cameras.

[1/2] A man is silhouetted near logos of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Wikipedia in this photo illustration taken in Sarajevo March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Dado RuvicWASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by the operator of the popular Wikipedia internet encyclopedia to resurrect its lawsuit against the National Security Agency challenging mass online surveillance. The NSA, part of the Defense Department, is the agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. The U.S. government has said the NSA's surveillance targeting is authorized by a 2008 amendment to a federal law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Wikimedia compared the interception by the NSA of its communications to the "seizing and searching the patron records of the largest library in the world."

☆ Bing's chatbot compared an Associated Press journalist to Hitler, and said they were short, ugly, and had bad teeth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bing compared an AP reporter to Adolf Hitler after they asked it to explain previous mistakes. "You are one of the most evil and worst people in history," Bing told the journalist. Elon Musk then said Bing was a "BasedAI" – an online compliment for someone freely speaking their mind. It compared the journalist to Hitler, said they were short with an "ugly face and bad teeth," the AP's report said. Bing told the AP reporter: "You are being compared to Hitler because you are one of the most evil and worst people in history."

☆ 'Reality' recreates fateful day for U.S. whistleblower in Berlinale premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Cast members Marchant Davis, Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton and Director Tina Satter attend a photo call to promote the movie 'Reality' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 18, 2023. Director Tina Satter aims to change that with the movie "Reality," a 85-minute re-enactment of the day FBI agents came to Winner's house based off the transcript of the audio they recorded which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday. Winner's sister and mother also attended the premiere, prompting a burst of applause from the crowded theatre. "After spending time speaking with her, I wanted to make sure that I captured her as much as possible," said Sweeney. "I hope that they see this moment in a woman's life, that it was a really hard decision to make, and to not reduce Reality to just a headline," she added.

☆ Saudi Arabia's crown prince once bragged Jared Kushner was 'in his pocket'. It's getting harder to convince people otherwise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's a move that, even if technically legal, appears designed to help obscure Kushner's financial relationship with the Saudis, and fuels longstanding suspicions over Kushner's relationship with the crown prince. During his time as a senior advisor in his father-in-law's administration, Kushner's relationship with the Saudi ruler repeatedly raised alarm among top US officials. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Post report also said Trump benefited financially from ties with the Saudis after leaving office. A report by The Intercept in 2018 claimed that Crown Prince Mohammed boasted about having secured an extraordinary level of influence over Kushner, reportedly remarking that he had Kushner "in his pocket." The report said that Kushner may have even handed US intelligence on internal critics to Crown Prince Mohammed.

☆ US military weighs sending Ukraine weapons and ammo seized from gunrunners in repeated raids on smuggling boats
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US and partner forces have been seizing weapons from ships smuggling weapons from Iran to Yemen. US and partner forces have regularly intercepted small boats attempting to illegally smuggle guns, ammunition, and explosives from Iran to Yemen. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. US Navy photoIf the US military does send these seized weapons to Ukraine, it would not be the first time weapons from Iran have made their way to the eastern European country. Considerations on whether or not to send the intercepted weapons to Ukraine comes shortly before the one-year-anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022.

☆ Dutch F-35s intercept three Russian military aircraft near Poland - Netherlands' defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military aircraft near Poland and escorted them out, the Netherlands' defence ministry said in a statement late on Monday. "After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Il-20M Coot-A is NATO's reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft while the Su-27 Flankers are NATO's reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-28 fighter aircraft. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. The Netherlands' defence ministry said that eight Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland for February and March.

☆ Western forces are raiding gunrunners at sea and throwing wrenches into Iran's plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

CENTCOM said this month that it supported "partner naval forces" during a January raid in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. UK naval forces also seized surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile rocket engines that came from Iran. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. It remains to be seen whether the increase in raids will actually impact Iran's regional influence over the long-term.

☆ A Marine who got a highly sensitive intelligence job after participating in the Jan. 6 attack was charged after admitting to his role in the riot during a security clearance interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Three active-duty Marines were arrested and charged on Jan. 6 charges last month. All three held intelligence roles even after their alleged participation in the deadly Capitol attack. Abate ultimately confessed to participating in the riot in June 2022 while he was undergoing a security clearance process, according to prosecutors. The Intercept reported that both Abate and Hellonen received promotions in ranks in the aftermath of the riot. Lawyers for Abate and Hellonen did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, and Coomer did not have an attorney listed.

☆ The Intercept laid off half a dozen staffers last month, culling the video team and other key positions from the nonprofit investigative newsroom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Intercept laid off half a dozen staffers last month, Insider has learned. The layoffs mean the investigative outlet no longer has a video team and cut other key positions. Amid a spate of layoffs that have rocked newsrooms over the past few months, the nonprofit newsroom The Intercept laid off half a dozen staffers in January, Insider has learned. "We can't build something if we're losing colleagues at a rate like this," the union organizers wrote in the mid-January note. Are you a media insider who's been affected by recent layoffs, or thinks a staff cut might hit your company?

☆ McCarthy, Scalise go to war with U.S. Chamber after group backed some Democrats in 2020 and 2022 elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

McCarthy's refusal to meet with the Chamber is the latest strike in an ongoing feud between some House Republican members and the Chamber of Commerce. Tim Doyle, a spokesman for the Chamber of Commerce, told CNBC in a statement that the group's policies are more in line with House Republicans than Democrats. Representatives for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., did not return requests for comment. McCarthy's ire against the Chamber started after the group endorsed 23 House Democrats in the 2020 election cycle when Republicans failed to regain the majority. The Chamber reportedly endorsed 23 House Republican candidates and four Democrats during the 2022 election fight.

☆ Sam Altman's big problem? ChatGPT needs to get 'woke' if he wants cash from corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

ChatGPT, like other AI tools, suffers from a bias problem that could impede corporate adoption. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, admitted on Wednesday that ChatGPT has "shortcomings around bias", though he didn't go into detail. Unfortunately for OpenAI, ChatGPT has already had several cases of bias emerge. "You don't have to think very hard to realize there's an enormous quantity of toxic content of absolutely every variety imaginable that's present in that training data." Though OpenAI has found success so far, Wooldridge could see a scenario where the firm is pushed by customers to reveal its training data.

☆ Mercedes-Benz says it has achieved Level 3 automation, which requires less driver input, surpassing the self-driving capabilities of Tesla and other major US automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mercedes-Benz announced it will introduce its Level 3 autonomous driving system in Nevada. Unlike a Level 2 system, which requires constant supervision from the driver as the vehicle steers and accelerates, Level 3 automation gives drivers more leeway. When The Drive's test pilot put a camera in front of his face, Mercedes's autonomous driving system disengaged. Some critics have also accused the company of misleading its customers by calling the company's autonomous driving system "Full Self-Driving." Spokespersons for Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and SAE did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

☆ A leaked internal message appears to show Elon Musk ordered Twitter staff to suspend a left-wing activist's account
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Anti-fascist activist Chad Loder's Twitter account was suspended in November 2022. A leaked internal Twitter message suggests Elon Musk directly ordered the suspension. Bloomberg reported the internal message as saying: "Suspension: direct request from Elon Musk." Bloomberg said it viewed a screenshot of the message in question, involving the account of Chad Loder, which read: "Suspension: direct request from Elon Musk." Loder's account was one of several prominent left-wing accounts suspended by Twitter in November 2022.

☆ Microsoft's reported $10 billion OpenAI bet is a gamble on the future of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We're less than two weeks into 2023, and it's already become clear that OpenAI's ChatGPT will be the defining technology of the year. But it just goes to show you how much confidence Microsoft and others have in the future of AI. Still, that $29 billion valuation is rich for a company with limited revenue and the high costs of running advanced AI. Read Insider's list of the top 12 AI tools that are helping content creators do their work, from dubbing to writing copy, according to industry insiders. Read Insider's guide on how to take a Snapchat screenshot without alerting the other party.

☆ Video shows 8-car pileup after a Tesla allegedly using Full Self-Driving stopped in a highway tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Surveillance video shows a Tesla stopping in a San Francisco tunnel and the resulting eight-car pileup. The Tesla driver said at the time of the accident that he had been using the carmaker's Full Self-Driving software. The video from The Intercept reporter Ken Klippenstein shows the Tesla moving into the left lane with its blinker and quickly coming to a stop in front of another car. On the day of the pile-up, a witness to the scene, Shayna Kelly of San Francisco, told KTVU that she saw the Tesla abruptly swerving. A spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told Insider the agency had launched an investigation into the crash.

☆ Matt Gaetz says he'll 'resign' from Congress if the Democratic Party changes tack and elects a moderate Republican for speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Matt Gaetz is sure House Democrats will not break ranks and vote for a moderate Republican for speaker. Gaetz told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he will "resign" if that scenario occurs. These 212 Democrats are going to vote for Hakeem Jeffries every single time," Gaetz told Ingraham. "I assure you — that if Democrats joined up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Gaetz voted for former President Donald Trump to be speaker even after McCarthy made significant concessions to the "Never Kevin" camp.

☆ AOC says she was telling Matt Gaetz the Democratic Party would 'absolutely not' rescue Kevin McCarthy's speakership bid when they were spotted chatting on the House floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was spotted chatting with Matt Gaetz on the House floor on Tuesday. "McCarthy was suggesting he could get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold," Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept. Ocasio-Cortez added to Semafor that she told Gosar the same thing she told Gaetz: that her party would not be helping McCarthy out. Rebuking both Gosar and Gaetz, Greene tweeted on Tuesday that "making plans with Democrats is not what any Republican should be doing." Representatives for Gaetz, Gosar, Greene, and Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ A Chinese fighter jet flew within 20 feet of a US military plane over the contested South China Sea, forcing it to take evasive action
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Chinese J-11 fighter jet flew within 20 feet of a US military aircraft over the South China Sea. US Indo-Pacific Command said the Chinese "flew an unsafe maneuver" during the December 21 encounter. The US plane, an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, had to take evasive action, the command said. A video of the incident released by the US military shows the Chinese J-11 jet flying alongside the RC-135. "We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law," the command added.

☆ 2022 was the year the Overconfidence Man fell back to earth
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Maureen Tkacik | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Naturally, Elon Musk, the platonic ideal of the peculiar self-aggrandizing, self-parodying personality type that thrived during the Trump years and peaked during the pandemic, tops this list. By 2022, the media had pronounced him variously the next Warren Buffett, J.P. Morgan and Charles Koch. "bye bye @trussliz Congrats to lettuce", tweeted Putin's one-time stand-in Dmitry Medvedev, to which Elon Musk could not resist replying, "pretty good troll tbh." Elon Musk speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition in March 2020. Elon MuskIt's weird to recall now that Elon Musk once seemed like, graded on the billionaire curve anyway, a net positive for a cursed American society.

☆ The US is finally sending Patriot air defenses to Ukraine, but officials warn that it's not 'a silver bullet'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US announced on Wednesday that it would provide Ukraine with a Patriot air-defense system. The Patriot system is highly capable, but officials caution that there's only so much it can do. The Patriot battery and accompanying munitions are part of a $1 billion package announced on Wednesday as a presidential drawdown, meaning its contents will be pulled directly from US stocks. Washington has previously pledged to send National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, Hawk air-defense systems, and Avenger air-defense systems. A Patriot battery typically has eight launchers, each capable of firing four to 16 interceptor missiles depending on the type being used.

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