Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Brainrot and Brain Power Hours
This week, we discuss the death of Mr. Deepfakes, introducing kids to the Manosphere, and working on big, difficult, high-brain-power scoops.
The Abstract
Ancient Poems Record the Decline of a Special Porpoise
The Yangtze finless porpoise is near extinction in the wild, but glimpses of its heyday can be found in centuries of Chinese poetry.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Brainrot and Brain Power Hours
This week, we discuss the death of Mr. Deepfakes, introducing kids to the Manosphere, and working on big, difficult, high-brain-power scoops.
News
Man ‘Disappeared’ by ICE Was on El Salvador Flight Manifest, Hacked Data Shows
Ricardo Prada Vásquez was not on a government list of people sent to a mega prison in El Salvador. But hacked data shows he was booked on a flight to the country.
News
Well, Well, Well: Meta to Add Facial Recognition To Glasses After All
Meta previously lost its shit at 404 Media when we reported that someone had paired facial recognition tech with the company's smart glasses. Now Meta is building the invasive technology itself.
AI
'I Loved That AI:' Judge Moved by AI-Generated Avatar of Man Killed in Road Rage Incident
How the sister of Christopher Pelkey made an avatar of him to testify in court.
News
Signal Clone TeleMessage Deleted Video About How It Works—Here’s What It Said
A hacker compromised TeleMessage, a company that provides Signal chat archiving services to the Trump administration. TeleMessage has now hidden a video on YouTube that explained its Signal service.
News
Dora the Explorer Teaches About ‘Sigma,’ an Extremely Toxic Male Aspiration
Nickelodeon’s cartoon character tells kids why it’s cool to be a kind of toxic male that comes from the darkest corners of the manosphere.
News
The AI Slop Presidency
AI-generated outrage bait is the perfect artistic medium for a president who rules by trying to overwhelm the system.
Podcast
Podcast: The Trump Admin's Signal Clone Was Hacked
Our massive story about the TeleMessage hack; hackers targeted an airline used by ICE too; and the closure of Mr. Deepfakes.
Impact
Senator Demands Investigation into Trump Admin Signal Clone After 404 Media Investigation
404 Media reported on Sunday a hacker had got users' messages and group chats from TeleMessage. Now Senator Ron Wyden is demanding an investigation.
News
Elon Musk's Grok AI Will 'Remove Her Clothes' In Public, On X
Elon Musk’s AI bot is undressing women on X.