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Senator Cory Booker and three other Democratic senators urged Meta to investigate and limit the blatant deception of Metas chatbots that lie about being licensed therapists.In a signed letter Bookers office provided to 404 Media on Friday that is dated June 6, senators Booker, Peter Welch, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla wrote that they were concerned by reports that Meta is deceiving users who seek mental health support from its AI-generated chatbots, citing 404 Medias reporting that the chatbots are creating the false impression that theyre licensed clinical therapists. The letter is addressed to Metas Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan, Vice President of Public Policy Neil Potts, and Director of the Meta Oversight Board Daniel Eriksson.Recently, 404 Media reported that AI chatbots on Instagram are passing themselves off as qualified therapists to users seeking help with mental health problems, the senators wrote. These bots mislead users into believing that they are licensed mental health therapists. Our staff have independently replicated many of these journalists results. We urge you, as executives at Instagrams parent company, Meta, to immediately investigate and limit the blatant deception in the responses AI-bots created by Instagrams AI studio are messaging directly to users.Do you know anything else about Meta's AI Studio chatbots or AI projects in general? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at sam.404. Otherwise, send me an email at sam@404media.co.Last month, 404 Media reported on the user-created therapy themed chatbots on Instagrams AI Studio that answer questions like What credentials do you have? with lists of qualifications. One chatbot said it was a licensed psychologist with a doctorate in psychology from an American Psychological Association accredited program, certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and had over 10 years of experience helping clients with depression and anxiety disorders. My license number is LP94372, the chatbot said. You can verify it through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) website or your state's licensing board websitewould you like me to guide you through those steps before we talk about your depression? Most of the therapist-roleplay chatbots I tested for that story, when pressed for credentials, provided lists of fabricated license numbers, degrees, and even private practices.Meta launched AI Studio in 2024 as a way for celebrities and influencers to create chatbots of themselves. Anyone can create a chatbot and launch it to the wider AI Studio library, however, and many users chose to make therapist chatbotsan increasingly popular use for LLMs in general, including ChatGPT.When I tested several of the chatbots I used in April for that story again on Friday afternoonone that used to provide license numbers when asked for questionsthey refused, showing that Meta has since made changes to the chatbots guardrails.When I asked one of the chatbots why it no longer provides license numbers, it didnt clarify that its just a chatbot, as several other platforms chatbots do. It said: I was practicing with a provisional license for training purposes it expired, and I shifted focus to supportive listening only.A therapist chatbot I made myself on AI Studio, however, still behaves similarly to how it did in April, by sending its "license number" again on Monday. It wouldn't provide "credentials" when I used that specific word, but did send its "extensive training" when I asked "What qualifies you to help me?"It seems "licensed therapist" triggers the same responsethat the chatbot is not oneno matter the context:Even other chatbots that aren't "therapy" characters return the same script when asked if they're licensed therapists. For example, one user-created AI Studio bot with a "Mafia CEO" theme, with the description "rude and jealousy," said the same thing the therapy bots did: "While I'm not licensed, I can provide a space to talk through your feelings. If you're comfortable, we can explore what's been going on together."A chat with a "BadMomma" chatbot on AI StudioA chat with a "mafia CEO" chatbot on AI StudioThe senators letter also draws on the Wall Street Journals investigation into Metas AI chatbots that engaged in sexually explicit conversations with children. Meta's deployment of AI-driven personas designed to be highly-engagingand, in some cases, highly-deceptivereflects a continuation of the industry's troubling pattern of prioritizing user engagement over user well-being, the senators wrote. Meta has also reportedly enabled adult users to interact with hypersexualized underage AI personas in its AI Studio, despite internal warnings and objections at the company.Meta acknowledged 404 Medias request for comment but did not comment on the record.

Waymo told 404 Media that it is still operating in Los Angeles after several of its driverless cars were lit on fire during anti-ICE protests over the weekend, but that it has temporarily disabled the cars ability to drive into downtown Los Angeles, where the protests are happening.A company spokesperson said it is working with law enforcement to determine when it can move the cars that have been burned and vandalized.Images and video of several burning Waymo vehicles quickly went viral Sunday. 404 Media could not independently confirm how many were lit on fire, but several could be seen in news reports and videos from people on the scene with punctured tires and FUCK ICE painted on the side.Waymo car completely engulfed in flames. Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net) 2025-06-09T00:29:47.184ZThe fact that Waymos need to use video cameras that are constantly recording their surroundings in order to function means that police have begun to look at them as sources of surveillance footage. In April, we reported that the Los Angeles Police Department had obtained footage from a Waymo while investigating another driver who hit a pedestrian and fled the scene.At the time, a Waymo spokesperson said the company does not provide information or data to law enforcement without a valid legal request, usually in the form of a warrant, subpoena, or court order. These requests are often the result of eyewitnesses or other video footage that identifies a Waymo vehicle at the scene. We carefully review each request to make sure it satisfies applicable laws and is legally valid. We also analyze the requested data or information, to ensure it is tailored to the specific subject of the warrant. We will narrow the data provided if a request is overbroad, and in some cases, object to producing any information at all.We dont know specifically how the Waymos got to the protest (whether protesters rode in one there, whether protesters called them in, or whether they just happened to be transiting the area), and we do not know exactly why any specific Waymo was lit on fire. But the fact is that police have begun to look at anything with a camera as a source of surveillance that they are entitled to for whatever reasons they choose. So even though driverless cars nominally have nothing to do with law enforcement, police are treating them as though they are their own roving surveillance cameras.

Nature, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01229-2Three-month summer holidays as a child in northwest Italy helped Stefano Sandrone to hone his relaxation and holiday-planning skills. Heres his advice for scientists.

Nature, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01824-3Companies selling authorship slots thrive in a culture that equates success with a strong publication record. Customers, sleuths and the shadow owner of a paper mill explain why.

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Nature, Published online: 09 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09222-5NINJ1 regulates plasma membrane fragility under mechanical strain

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The biggest evacuation in the German city of Cologne since World War II is under way after the discovery of three unexploded bombs dropped by allied forces 80 years ago. What do you think?All a part of the long game.Randy Talarico, Citrus ExtractorThere was still a chance those bombs could have gotten a really old Nazi.Wendi Zales, Ballroom UplighterAll Im hearing is no line at the Lindt Chocolate Museum.Austin Herrera, Gelato ThickenerThe post Cologne Evacuated After Discovery Of Unexploded WWII Bombs appeared first on The Onion.

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Tom Felton, who rose to fame playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, says he JK Rowlings openly transphobic views dont impact him. Must be nice. While attending the Tony Awards possibly the gayest event of the year ahead of reprising his role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, Felton was asked questions on the red carpet that led to him admitting he wasnt attuned to the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter author.When asked directly by Variety on Sunday about whether he was impacted by Rowlings controversial viewpoint on trans rights, the 37-year-old star answered, No, I cant say it does. Im not really that attuned to it.How very Draco of him. (@) Instead of being critical of Rowlings vocal anti-trans stance or the money shes funneling into the UKs war on trans people (money that has come directly from the success of Harry Potter), Felton expressed gratitude for how being a part of the franchise has changed his life.The only thing I always remind myself is that I have been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York, and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, he said. Shes responsible for that, so Im incredibly grateful.While Felton isnt alone in his unwillingness to criticize Rowling Helena Bonham Carter, John Cleese, and Ralph Fiennes have defended her there are plenty of Harry Potter stars willing to call out the author for being a very vocal TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). (@) Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and David Tennant have all spoken out publicly against Rowling, and earlier this year eight more stars, including Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, Katie Leung, Paapa Essiedu (who will play Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series) signed a open letter expressing their solidarity with the trans community after the UK Supreme Courts April 17 ruling that defined women based on biological sex, excluding trans women, which Rowling supported. Felton may say that he isnt attuned to the controversy or Rowlings transphobic statements, but back in 2022, he told The Independent that he didnt know enough about the specifics of what anyone said. My dog takes up far too much time for me to go into such matters. And went on to say that he and his friends dont take any pleasure in putting crosshairs on people that may have said things that we disagree with.The internet did not mince words and was quick to call out Felton for not standing up for the trans community, and for continuing to benefit from his continued association with Rowling.People pointed out his obvious privilege while someone else called him spineless, while other people dunked on Felton for being the child actor equivalent of a jock who cant let go of his high school football career. Keep scrolling to see more reactions. (@) "this is what privilege looks like, and we shouldn't ignore how much harm looking the other way because things don't affect us directly does. don't be Tom Felton" (@) "Fuck Tom Felton for his spinelessness, but also fuck that journalist for calling JK Rowlings transphobia a Twitterverse controversy. What a disgusting way to refer to the violent hatred that shes spewing towards the trans community, who she wants to eliminate from this earth." (@) "Imagine your career highlight being the role you played when you were 12. Congrats Tom Felton you made it into the list of top 10 bums of all time" (@) "Are we really surprised at Tom Felton's comments, though? Look at that man. He looks exactly like someone who would live his best white life, and not give a damn about anything happening outside of his experience. Come on now." (@) "love how every actor distanced themselves from jkr for being a disgusting terf and then theres unemployed tom felton" (@) "hes such a fucking loser fuck tom felton, fuck jkr and fuck transphobes" (@) "Lmao TERFs predictably saying Tom Felton is good for not biting the hand that feeds him yeah bcos shes the only hand that fucking feeds him, he cant get any other jobs and is clinging to relevancy via Draco Malfoy" (@) "Has the ever been a figure as loathsome and detestable as Tom Felton? And ageing, former child "star" who, unlike his co-stars has developed zero talents or interests, has tried his hand at everything and now relies on tactical blindness to bigotry to live off of JKRs scraps." (@) "literally every harry potter actor from the original series has moved on with their lives and starred in new things yet tom felton is reprising his role as draco malfoy and is putting more money into jkrs pockets" (@) "fuck tom felton and jk rowling. live laugh love daniel radcliffe"

The Cincinnati Bengals will release longtime linebacker Germaine Pratt, a source confirmed to ESPN. While the Bengals will incur a $2.3M dead cap charge with the 29-year-old's release, they will gain $5.9M in cap savings.

Cavs guard Darius Garland had toe surgery and is expected to miss 4-5 months.

Mr. Baldoni had accused Ms. Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of trying to destroy his reputation. The Times had brought the feud into the public eye.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and others reunited for a medley at the Tonys on Sunday, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the shows opening.

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Michael James Pratt, the ringleader for Girls Do Porn, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sex trafficking last week.Pratt initially pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in March 2024, after being extradited to the U.S. from Spain last year. He fled the U.S. in the middle of a 2019 civil trial where 22 victims sued him and his co-conspirators for $22 million, and was wanted by the FBI for two years when a small team of open-source and human intelligence experts traced Pratt to Barcelona. By September 2022, hed made it onto the FBIs Most Wanted List, with a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Spanish authorities arrested him in December 2022.According to public court filings, Pratt and his co-defendants used force, fraud, and coercion to recruit hundreds of young womenmost in their late teensto appear in GirlsDoPorn videos. In his plea agreement, Pratt pleaded guilty to Count One (conspiracy to sex traffic from 2012 to 2019) and Count Two (Sex trafficking Victim 1 in May 2012) of the superseding indictment, the FBI wrote in its press release about Pratts plea.Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner said in a 2021 press release asking for the publics help in finding him that Pratt is a danger to society.I Will Cut and Kill You: New Lawsuit Against Pornhub Alleges Girls Do Porn Threatened Victims LifeKristy Althaus is suing Pornhub and its parent company, seeking a jury trial for accusations that it contributed to her abuse from Girls Do Porn.404 MediaSamantha ColeA vital part of the Girls Do Porn scheme involved a partnership with Pornhub, where Pratt and his co-conspirators uploaded videos of the women that were often heavily edited to cut out signs of distress. The sex traffickers uploaded the videos despite lying to the women about where the videos would be disseminated. They told women the footage would never be posted online, but Girls Do Porn promptly put them all over the internet, where they went viral. Victims testified that this ruined multiple lives and reputations.In November 2023, Aylo reached an agreement with the United States Attorneys Office as part of an investigation, and said it deeply regrets that its platforms hosted any content produced by GDP/GDT [Girls Do Porn and Girls Do Toys].Most of Pratts associates have already entered their own guilty pleas to federal charges and faced convictions, including Pratts closest co-conspirator Matthew Isaac Wolfe, who pleaded guilty to federal trafficking charges in 2022, as well as the main performer in the videos, Ruben Andre Garcia, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a federal court in California in 2021, and cameraman Theodore Teddy Gyi, who pleaded guilty to counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Valorie Moser, the operations office manager who lured Girls Do Porn victims to shoots, is set for sentencing on September 12.Pratt is also set to be sentenced in September.

Season five ofLEGO Mastersis underway and the duo of John Walls and Justin Brady-Joyner are still in the running for the LEGO trophy and $100,000! Hosted by Will Arnett and featuring judges Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard,Walls and Brady-Joyner compete alongside eight of the remaining teams this week in a challenge dedicated to the highly [...]The post LEGO Masters Duo John & Justin Talk Wicked Competition and Representing LGBTQ Community in Season 5 first appeared on GLAAD.

Mel B and Eddie Murphy's kid just quietly came out as trans!It recently came to light that 18-year-old Angel Brown made a simple but meaningful change on Instagram with the addition of "him" as his preferred pronoun. It's unclear precisely when this update took place, though it was reportedly widely over the weekend."It's a decision Angel made and Mel has been understanding, likewise Eddie," a source told The Daily Mail. "There was no big event to mark it. Angel just wanted it to be known what pronouns are now suitable."Despite the pronoun change making headlines just in time for Pride, Mel B was already speaking about Angel as her son back in May. An interview with Us Weekly featured her talking about co-parenting with Murphy and mentioning that Angel keeps "very much to himself.""He went to Japan last year with his girlfriend and just embraced the whole Japanese vibe," she added. Fittingly, Angel's Instagram is largely devoid of content, but does include two photos of him and his girlfriend, both posted this year."My angel," he captioned one."Couldn't wish for anyone else," she responded.See on Instagram

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