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Washington Post : Some news creators and journalists, who moved to Threads from X, criticize Meta after it announced it would stop recommending political content on Threads   —  The platform announced it won't recommend “social commentary” or political news.  —  Meta announced on Friday it would stop proactively …

Bloomberg : Crypto startups like Blast are offering airline-like loyalty points to attract users without defining rewards; Blast lured $1.3B in crypto since November 2023   —  - Blast has lured $1.3 billion worth of crypto since November  — Most programs haven't said what their points can be used for

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher announced Saturday that he will not seek re-election to his post in the House. "Eight years ago, when I first ran for Congress, I promised to treat my time in office as a high-intensity deployment. Through my bipartisan work on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, we’ve accomplished more on this deployment than I could have ever imagined," Gallagher said in a statement. "But the Framers intended citizens to serve in Congress for a season and then return to their private lives," the congressman continued. "Electoral politics was never supposed to be a career and, trust me, Congress is no place to grow old. And so, with a heavy heart, I have decided not to run for re-election ." LEADING HOUSE REPUBLICAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS: 'PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE' Earlier this week, Galla...

Wes Davis / The Verge : Sundar Pichai says Google One crossed 100M subscribers, highlighting Google's efforts to move users away from free plans; YouTube Premium recently hit 100M subs   —  Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced Friday that his company has logged 100 million subscriptions to Google One …

Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo : A Canadian minister says the country plans to ban devices that copy wireless signals for remote keyless entry, like Flipper Zero, to combat auto theft   —  The tiny hacking device has been viewed as a threat by law enforcement.  Now it looks like a major western government is trying to ban it.

A Washington, D.C., jury found conservative commentator Mark Steyn guilty of defaming a prominent climate scientist, ordering him to pay $1 million in punitive damages this week. In a sprawling verdict delivered on Thursday afternoon after a multiweek trial, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia jury determined that Steyn and fellow commentator Rand Simberg defamed scientist Michael Mann, the creator of the famed "hockey stick" graph, more than a decade ago. The jury additionally ordered Simberg to pay Mann $1,000 in punitive damages, and both he and Steyn were ordered to pay just $1 each to Mann in compensatory damages. "I hope this verdict sends a message that falsely attacking climate scientists is not protected speech," Mann said in a statement issued after the verdict was delivered late Thursday. "We consider this a win for the truthful reporting of climate science matters," Mann's lawyer John Williams added in an email to Fox News D...

FIRST ON FOX : Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., is endorsing former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy in the Montana Senate race, citing his "willingness to serve and sacrifice for our country." "As a former Navy SEAL and combat veteran, Tim has proven his commitment and love for America, and he has shown his willingness to serve and sacrifice for our country," Noem said Friday in a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. "Navy SEALs are the best of the best. Not only must you be willing to serve, but you must be able to perform and execute at the highest level. That's Tim. He sets goals and accomplishes missions, which is exactly what we need more of in Washington." Noem made the coveted endorsement just hours after Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., announced he was running in the highly competitive contest for the GOP nomination. The South Dakota governor highlighted the importance of the Montana Senate race in 2024, as Democrats grip onto their slim majority in th...

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore rolled out a data-driven plan he will use to help meet his administration's goals during a town hall with state employees on Thursday. Moore, the former head of the anti-poverty Robin Hood Foundation, described the nonprofit as a data-driven organization and said he wanted to bring his experience using data as a tool from his former job to guide his leadership as governor. "This is going to guide us," Moore, a Democrat, said. "It’s going to show exactly how we need to move, and it’s going to make sure that we have core benchmarks as to what success looks like ... and we’re going to have data that backs up our process." MARYLAND JUVENILE JUSTICE AGENCY NOW FACING 200 SEX ABUSE SUITS Moore pivoted from his State of the State address a day earlier to describe how his data-oriented plan will help meet four goals he has been highlighting: improving public safety, making Maryland more affordable as well as more competitive for business, an...

The Supreme Court appeared very wary Thursday of the state of Colorado’s effort to kick former President Trump off its primary ballot, and questioned how a ruling in its favor would not lead to an "unmanageable situation" for the nation. The court is considering for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who "engaged in insurrection" from holding public office again. Colorado argued that because they determined Trump’s behavior related to 2020 election interference – culminating with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots – amounted to an "insurrection," he should be removed from the state’s ballot.  In more than two hours of spirited, often tense arguments, the justices asked tough questions of both sides about whether the president or a presidential candidate is exempt from the constitutional provision adopted after the Civil War. TRUMP REACTS TO SUPREME COURT ORAL ARGUMENTS: 'GOOD NEWS IS WE...

Shirin Ghaffary / Bloomberg : A profile of OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap, tasked by Sam Altman with striking a deal with Axel Springer, which may offer a road map for additional media deals   —  Brad Lightcap helped seal the startup's deal with publisher Axel Springer.  Now he's experimenting with the company's business model.

Former President Trump has recommended North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to replace RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel after the South Carolina Primary, Fox News Digital has learned. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that there will be "a change" in leadership at the Republican National Committee after the Feb. 24 South Carolina Primary. The source told Fox News Digital that Trump is pushing for Whatley to replace McDaniel — specifically because he was "so powerful on election fraud" in 2020. RNC CHAIR RONNA MCDANIEL TO STEP DOWN AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARIES: REPORT Whatley has served as the North Carolina GOP chair since 2019. Whatley also serves as the general counsel for the Republican National Committee.  Trump won North Carolina in 2020. The source said that Whatley "kept the fraud down" in the state, "despite having a strong Democrat governor."  The source stressed that Trump is focused on ensuring the votes in the 2024 genera...

Carl Franzen / VentureBeat : Microsoft updates Copilot with a redesigned look, a new AI model for Copilot's Balanced mode called Deucalion, and new image creation and editing features   —  In a startling move, Microsoft today announced a redesigned look for its Copilot AI search and chatbot experience on the web …

Ron Miller / TechCrunch : Apple releases a beta version of visionOS 1.1, which brings enterprise device management to the Vision Pro   —  It's been hard to avoid news about the Apple Vision Pro, the company's entry into the virtual reality market, in recent days.  It was officially released on Friday to much fanfare, but how will it fare in the enterprise?

A pair of California lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday to allow people 21 and older to consume psychedelic mushrooms under professional supervision as part of an agenda to tackle the state's mental health and substance use crises. It comes after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year vetoed legislation that would have decriminalized the possession and personal use of several plant-based hallucinogens, including psychedelic mushrooms. It was the first time the proposal by Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener made it through the legislature after years of stalling. In his veto message, Newsom, who championed legalizing cannabis in 2016, asked lawmakers to work on therapeutic guidelines and regulations. Now Wiener has teamed up with Republican Assemblymember Marie Waldron on a proposal to allow participations to consume psilocybin — the hallucinogenic component in what’s known as psychedelic mushrooms — under the supervision of a licensed therapist. The bill also would incl...

Niamh Rowe / Fortune : Consensys announces MetaMask integration with Robinhood, letting MetaMask users purchase USDC, ether, bitcoin, and other crypto via Robinhood's order engine   —  Blockchain software company ConsenSys and investment platform Robinhood today announced the integration of Robinhood Connect with MetaMask …

Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., announced she will run for re-election this year, reversing the retirement announcement she made in 2023. Spartz had said in February of last year that she would not seek re-election and planned to spend more time with her family. The two-term lawmaker explained her decision in a Monday statement. "Looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on," Spartz said. "As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand the significance of these challenging times for our Republic, and if my fellow Hoosiers and God decide, I will be honored to continue fighting for them," Spartz said in her statement. LARGE MAJORITY OF ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS SHIFT TO ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA, PIVOTING AWAY FROM TEXAS The announcement puts a damper on campai...

Ron Miller / TechCrunch : Cloud native container management platform Weaveworks, which raised over $61M, shuts down after facing uneven sales and failing to get acquired   —  Weaveworks, a startup focusing on cloud native development tooling, announced today on LinkedIn that it would be shutting down, a sad day for any startup.

President Biden, on Sunday, sent a formal notification to Congress about executing airstrikes, saying his actions were "consistent" with the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Biden’s letter was sent just days after he directed U.S. military forces to attack targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that are used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and affiliates to attack U.S. forces. On Friday, the U.S. launched retaliatory attacks in the two countries in response to drone attacks in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. During the attacks, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, airstrikes were conducted against over 85 targets, and after the attacks were confirmed, Biden warned, "If you harm an American, we will respond." In the letter, Biden said attacks he reported previously against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria, have continued, expanding to a third country and putting U.S. personnel and Coalition forces at risk. WHAT ARE ...

Umar Farooq / ProPublica : US police departments are using AI software from Chicago-based Truleo and other companies to analyze millions of hours of unreviewed body-cam footage   —  Black Boxes: How Police Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras  —  Body-worn cameras were supposed to deliver a revolution in transparency and accountability to policing.

Former President Trump teased possible rallies in New York City at Madison Square Garden and in the South Bronx during an interview with Fox News that aired Sunday.  "Sunday Morning Futures" host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump if he believes he could flip blue states like New York and New Jersey, noting there is a rumor he is planning a rally in the South Bronx. "Yeah, I think I will do that," Trump said of the South Bronx rally. "And I think I'll do one maybe at Madison Square Garden." "Do I think we have a chance? New York has changed a lot in the last two years. We have migrants all over the street. They are living on Madison Avenue," Trump said. "Nobody can believe what's happened to New York. The people of New York are angry. People that would have never voted for me because I'm a Republican. I mean, they're Democrats. Their parents were Democrats. They would vote for Democrats. I think they're going to vote for me...

President Biden's team reportedly is fearing photos included in Special Counsel Robert Hur's imminent report on the handling of classified documents could impact his 2024 re-election bid.  Axios reported that Biden's aides do not expect criminal charges as a result of the investigation, but they are concerned about potentially embarrassing photos included in Hur's expected report that could be released as soon as this week. The images could show how Biden stored classified materials, which were discovered in late 2022 in the garage of Biden's Delaware home, as well as in a private office he used. The classified documents were carried over from Biden's time as former President Obama's vice president.  Biden's aides told Axios that they are fearful former President Trump's campaign could use the photos against the Democrat incumbent ahead of their likely 2024 rematch.  Trump himself is facing more than 40 counts, including obstruction of justice a...