Extra, Extra
A Distinct Extinct Possibility: Were you hoping that all the AI experts would come out and say the recent warnings about the threat to humans has been totally overblown? Well, this headline won’t help. Top AI pioneers reaffirm Anthropic researcher’s human extinction warning. Meanwhile, lawmakers are at a loss for how to regulate AI as insiders warn of impending doom. Lawmakers are woefully late to a problem that would be difficult to address under any circumstances. If you missed it yesterday: This is life Between the Hammer and the Anvil. “Imagine you’re standing in front of a button. If you push that button, it will set off a Rube Goldberg machine series of events that will wow the world with unimaginable advances in science, health, and other endeavors, empower like-minded nations, and result in unthinkable riches. But the machine’s final step is to drop a massive anvil on you and the rest of humankind. Would you push the button?”
+ Hornet’s Nest Stirred: “To hear the Trump administration tell it, the war with Iran is all but over. U.S. military posture tells a different story: Naval forces are being positioned for a sustained presence at least through the end of the year, keeping open the option of escalation.” Trump Is Preparing for a Long War. That preparation is necessary, in part, because the US isn’t necessarily driving the course of the war at this point. “Houthi forces in Yemen are making a concerted drive to take over the country’s Red Sea coast fully, claiming control of the key port of Mocha in the most serious wave of fighting with the Saudi-backed government in years, bringing the Iran-aligned group closer to full control of a key shipping route.”
+ Outbreaking News: The current Ebola crisis isn’t getting as much attention from the media (or the US government) as past outbreaks. That doesn’t mean it’s not bigger. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ — A U.S. doctor treats Ebola’s youngest victims.
+ We’re Really Cooking Now: “Earth cooked to its hottest month on record in August, blowing far past a key climate threshold, due to the dangerous double whammy of human-caused climate change and a supersized El Niño.” Some humans still may try to deny climate change. Gray whales are all pretty much believers. Gray whales are washing up dead on the West Coast. The reason is alarming.
+ OM(L)G: “The company’s TV sets scan Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, record audio logs through their microphones, and use audio and video sampling to recognize exactly what you’re watching from across the TV.” LG TVs caught spying even when offline or on standby.
+ Ocean Ography: From surfers to sea creatures, here are the Winners of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026
