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Colossal Squid Caught on Camera in Deep Sea for First Time (Maria)

The author writes, “A colossal squid has been caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea by an international team of researchers steering a remotely operated submersible. The sighting was announced Tuesday by the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The squid filmed was a juvenile about 1 foot in length at a depth of 1,968 feet in the South Atlantic Ocean. Full-grown adult colossal squids, which scientists have uncovered from the bellies of whales and seabirds, can reach lengths up to 23 feet. … The squid was spied last month near the South Sandwich Islands during an expedition to search for new sea life.”

Hundreds of Israeli Academics Condemn Trump for Exploiting Antisemitism to Target Universities (Mili)

From Haaretz: “Over 200 Israeli academics signed an open letter published on Thursday, accusing US President Donald Trump of ‘fostering anti-Jewish sentiment’ and cynically exploiting the fight against antisemitism as part of his administration’s crackdown on Columbia University and other academic institutions. The letter expressed alarm over the persecution of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students and faculty, including illegal arrests and threats to deport activists without specific charges or due process. The academics wrote that ‘such draconian moves do not protect us,’ denouncing the ‘cynical use’ of antisemitism to justify these measures. They argued that the actions do not protect Jews, but instead ‘single out Jews as a homogeneous group to be protected at the expense of other marginalized groups and minorities,” accusing the administration of ‘fostering anti-Jewish sentiments, easily lending itself to chauvinistic, exclusivist, and racist tropes.’”

Murkowski Says She Fears Retaliation for Criticizing Trump (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “Many people are afraid of retaliation for criticizing President Trump, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said this week, and she’s one of them. Appearing before nonprofit leaders in Anchorage, the Republican who has publicly disagreed with Trump was asked about people who are fearful in the current political conditions, Politico reports. ‘We are all afraid,’ Murkowski answered before taking a long pause.”

Wisconsin’s Name-Change Law Raises Safety Risks for Transgender People (Dana)

The author writes, “Like most teenagers, he dreamed of getting his driver’s license, and his family wanted his government identification to reflect who he really was. But Wisconsin law has a caveat: He would have to publish his old, feminine name and new name in the local newspaper for three weeks — essentially announcing to the world that he is transgender. In many instances, if he had committed a crime, the law would afford him privacy as a minor. But not as a transgender teenager changing his name. His parents worry the public notice now poses a risk as President Donald Trump has attacked transgender rights, asserted that US policy recognizes only two sexes and described efforts to support transgender people as ‘child abuse.’ The publication requirements endanger the community, lawyers working with trans people say, by creating a de facto dataset of likely transgender people that vigilantes and even the government could use for firing, harassment or violence.”

A Man Filed a Complaint Against OpenAI Saying ChatGPT Falsely Accused Him of Killing His Children (Sean)

From Fortune: “Arve Hjalmar Holmen, from Trondheim, Norway, said he asked ChatGPT the question, ‘Who is Arve Hjalmar Holmen?’, and the response said he was convicted of murdering his two sons, aged 7 and 10, and sentenced to 21 years in prison as a result. It also said Holmen attempted murder of his third son. None of these things actually happened, though. ChatGPT appeared to spit out a completely false story it believed was completely true, which is called an AI ‘hallucination.’ What’s dangerous about ChatGPT’s response, according to the complaint, is it blends real elements of Holmen’s personal life with total fabrications. ChatGPT got Holmen’s hometown correct, and it was also correct about the number of children — specifically, sons — he has.”

Seattle Crosswalk Signals Hacked to Imitate Jeff Bezos’ Voice (Reader Steve)

From The Independent: “After pressing the crosswalk button, a voice claiming to be Bezos greeted pedestrians: ‘Hello, this is Jeff Bezos. This crosswalk is sponsored by Amazon Prime with an important message,’ revealed videos posted by Reddit users and on X of the hack, which seemed to affect crosswalks across the city. ‘Please, please don’t tax the rich. Otherwise, all the other billionaires will move to Florida too,’ the voice continued. The hack occurred days after AI-generated versions of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s voices cropped up in audio recordings at crosswalks across Silicon Valley. ‘It’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience,’ a Zuckerberg soundalike said, TechCrunch reported. ‘I just want to assure you, you don’t need to worry because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.’”