Top I.R.S. Officials Said to Resign After Deal to Give ICE Migrants’ Data
The agreement is a major departure from the Internal Revenue Service’s previous stance encouraging migrants to file their taxes.
UK Creating 'Murder Prediction' Tool To Identify People Most Likely To Kill
New submitter toutankh writes: The UK government is developing a tool to predict murder. The scheme was originally called the "homicide prediction project", but its name has been changed to "sharing data to improve risk assessment". The Ministry of Justice hopes the project will help boost public safety but campaigners have called it "chilling and dystopian".The existence of the project was uncovered by Statewatch rather than announced by the UK government. PR following this discovery looks like uncoordinated damage control: one stated goal is to "ultimately contribute to protecting the public via better analysis", but a spokesperson also said that it is "for research purpose[s] only". One criticism is that such a system will inevitably reproduce existing bias from the police. What could go wrong?
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Ken Paxton Says He Will Challenge Senator John Cornyn in 2026
The announcement by Mr. Paxton, the attorney general of Texas and a firebrand conservative, set up what is expected to be a blockbuster showdown in Texas.
Microsoft Cancels $1 Billion Ohio Data Center Projects
Microsoft has scrapped plans to build three data center campuses in Licking County, Ohio, in a $1 billion investment pullback, the company said. The canceled developments in New Albany, Heath, and Hebron join a growing list of Microsoft data center project cancellations across the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the United Kingdom.
Microsoft will retain ownership of the land and plans to eventually develop the sites at an unspecified future date. Two properties will remain available for farming in the interim.
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Razer Pauses Direct Laptop Sales in the US as New Tariffs Loom
Razer's upcoming Blade 16 and other laptops are no longer available for preorder or purchase on its US site. From a report: The configurator for preordering its new Blade 16 laptop was available as recently as April 1st, according to the Internet Archive -- one day before the Trump administration announced sweeping US tariffs on China, Taiwan, and others that make laptop components.
When asked recently if tariffs might affect Razer's prices or availability, its Public Relations Manager, Andy Johnston, told The Verge, "We do not have a comment at this stage regarding tariffs." Razer may not be openly talking about the impact of tariffs, but Framework halted sales of its entry-level Laptop 13 in the US on April 7th, and Micron reportedly confirmed surcharges for its memory chips will apply once the tariffs take effect after midnight tonight.
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Death of Palestinian American Boy in West Bank Sparks Outcry
Amer Rabee, 14, was fatally shot Sunday by Israeli forces in the West Bank, according to his family. On Tuesday, community leaders gathered in New Jersey to demand justice.
Panama Canal Ship Pilot Navigates Tricky Waters, and Trump
For over 40 years, Capt. Efraín Hallax, 73, has been steering vessels through the canal, and he has seen it all, from a dictator’s fall to the rise of U.S. interest in retaking the waterway.
U.S. Commanders Worry Yemen Campaign Will Drain Arms Needed to Deter China
American military officials say the Pentagon might need to dip into stockpiles in Asia to replenish supplies in the Middle East, congressional aides say.
The Loose Screws, Hot Flames and Infinite Joy of William Finn
The composer and lyricist of “A New Brain,” “Falsettos” and other shows answered the pains of life with jaunty songs. He died this week at 73.
The Skin on Mysterious Medieval Books Concealed a Shaggy Surprise
The material on the covers of books from a French abbey was too hairy to have come from calves or other local mammals. Researchers identified its more distant origin.
Panama Official Accuses Hong Kong Port Operator of Misconduct
The controller general of Panama said CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong conglomerate, did not properly renew its license to operate two ports that are part of a $19 billion deal involving BlackRock.
Guterres, at U.N., Denounces Israel’s Gaza Aid Blockade
“The floodgates of horror” have been opened for Palestinians since the collapse of the temporary cease-fire, Secretary General António Guterres said.
Trump and Netanyahu Steer Toward an Ugly World, Together
The president and the Israeli prime minister are following the same track toward autocratic government and an abandonment of ideals.
How Do You Rebuild a Place Like the Palisades?
It was an idyllic pocket of Los Angeles where people knew their neighbors — and homes sold for $5 million. The fire ignited competing visions for its future.
In Trump Cases, Supreme Court Retreats From Confrontation
In a series of narrow and technical rulings, the justices have seemed to take pains to avoid a showdown with a president who has challenged the judiciary’s legitimacy.
A New Push to Open the Doors on Childhood Sexual Abuse
A man abused as a child at a Missouri Christian camp agreed to remain silent, and took his own life. His sister is pushing several states to ban such nondisclosure agreements.
Supreme Court Pauses Ruling Requiring Trump to Rehire Thousands of Federal Workers
A federal judge in California had ordered the Trump administration to rehire government employees fired as part of its efforts to slash the federal work force.
Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town
Children in a small Japanese town are obsessively collecting trading cards featuring local elderly men rather than popular fantasy creatures, helping bridge generational gaps in an aging rural community.
In Kawara, Fukuoka Prefecture, the "Ojisan TCG" (Middle-aged Man Trading Card Game) features 28 local men with assigned elemental types and battle stats. The collection includes a former fire brigade chief and a prison officer-turned-volunteer whose card has become so sought-after that children request his autograph.
Created by Eri Miyahara of the Saidosho Community Council, the initiative has doubled participation in town events. "We wanted to strengthen the connection between children and older generations," Miyahara told Fuji News Network. "So many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures."
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China's Biotech Advances Threaten US Dominance, Warns Congressional Report
China is moving fast to dominate biotechnology, and the U.S. risks falling behind permanently unless it takes action over the next three years, a congressional commission said. WSJ: Congress should invest at least $15 billion to support biotech research over the next five years and take other steps to bolster manufacturing in the U.S., while barring companies from working with Chinese biotech suppliers, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology said in a report Tuesday. To achieve its goals, the federal government and U.S.-based researchers will also need to work with allies and partners around the world.
"China is quickly ascending to biotechnology dominance, having made biotechnology a strategic priority for 20 years," the commission said. Without prompt action, the U.S. risks "falling behind, a setback from which we may never recover." The findings convey the depth of worry in Washington that China's rapid biotechnology advances jeopardize U.S. national security. Yet translating the concern into tangible actions could prove challenging.
[...] China plays a large role supplying drug ingredients and even some generic medicines to the U.S. For years, it produced copycat versions of drugs developed in the West. Recent years have seen it become a formidable hub of biotechnology innovation, after the Chinese government gave priority to the field as a critical sector in China's efforts to become a scientific superpower.
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Shopify CEO Says Staffers Need To Prove Jobs Can't Be Done By AI Before Asking for More Headcount
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke is changing his company's approach to hiring in the age of AI. Employees will be expected to prove why they "cannot get what they want done using AI" before asking for more headcount and resources, Lutke wrote in a memo to staffers that he posted to X. From a report: "What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?" Lutke wrote in the memo, which was sent to employees late last month. "This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects." Lutke also said there's a "fundamental expectation" across Shopify that employees embrace AI in their daily work, saying it has been a "multiplier" of productivity for those who have used it.
"I've seen many of these people approach implausible tasks, ones we wouldn't even have chosen to tackle before, with reflexive and brilliant usage of AI to get 100X the work done," Lutke wrote. The company, which sells web-based software that helps online retailers manage sales and run their operations, will factor AI usage into performance reviews, he added.
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