Prisoners Archives

FTC looking into ChatGPT’s consumer protections: July 14 rundown

July 14, 2023
ChatGPT has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to turn over its records related to consumer protections, and the World Health Organization (WHO) officially released its report on how safe it is to consume an artificial sweetener found in popular diet drinks. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Friday, July 14, 2023.

FTC to investigate ChatGPT’s consumer protections

The FTC revealed it was investigating whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT is harmful to consumers. The commission is specifically looking into whether false information is being generated about consumers, or whether their personal information could be at risk.

As part of its consumer protections investigation, the FTC will dig into ChatGPT’s privacy safeguards and data security practices. The CEO of OpenAI said its technology is safe to use, and they are confident the government watchdog will see the company is following the law.

China finalizes first-of-its-kind AI regulations

While talks of potential AI regulation are still floating around Capitol Hill, China has taken a major step in overseeing the powerful technology. China’s top internet watchdog unveiled a set of new rules on Thursday, July 13 that will apply to AI beginning Aug. 15.

Under the rules, companies will have to be licensed to operate and register any AI algorithms with the Chinese government. AI services in China must also adhere to the “core values of socialism.” With the rules, China becomes one of the first countries in the world to impose AI regulations.

U.S. ‘serious’ about Gershkovich prisoner exchange

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days on espionage charges. President Joe Biden was asked by the press about the idea of a potential prisoner swap in order to free the jailed journalist.

“I’m serious about prisoner exchange,” President Biden said. “I’m serious about doing what we can to free Americans being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. And that process is underway.”

The United States said while talks are underway, there hasn’t been a clear pathway to a resolution.

Paul Whelan is also considered wrongfully detained in Russia. He was left behind in the prisoner swap that brought home WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Gershkovich could face up to a 20-year sentence in a country known for harsh prison camps and conditions.

Putin says Wagner Group ‘does not exist’

The Wagner Group “simply doesn’t exist,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was speaking in a legal sense, adding that “there is no law on private military organizations.”

President Putin’s comments come as the Defense Department noted a suspension of activity of Wagner forces on the front lines of Russia’s war with Ukraine. Putin said he offered the Wagner mercenaries a chance to continue serving after their failed mutiny in June of 2023.

After the rebellion, Putin met with Wagner Group commanders and had them pledge loyalty. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Wagner forces are completing the handover of their weapons to the Russian military.

Hollywood actors officially begin strike

Tens of thousands of actors officially began striking after a strike was unanimously approved by Hollywood’s largest union. While the work stoppage officially began at midnight Friday, signs of a strike could already be seen Thursday, with the cast of the upcoming film “Oppenheimer” walking out of the film’s London premiere.

The actors, represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), now join the Writers Guild of America in a strike that is now over 200,000 people strong. The double-barreled strike is expected to shut down the small number of productions that continued shooting during the writers strike.

“We really didn’t want to strike,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said. “We extended an unprecedented amount of time to avert a strike because it’s not lost on us how this will impact not only our members, but people who service our industry, people who are in other unions that are will be affected by this.”

Aspartame officially labeled as possible carcinogen

The WHO’s cancer agency has officially deemed the sweetener aspartame a possible cause of cancer. Aspartame is used in a variety of foods including Diet Coke, chewing gum and desserts. It’s also an ingredient in tabletop sweeteners like Equal and NutraSweet.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer based its conclusion that aspartame is a possible carcinogen on studies in human and animals. The agency found limited evidence that the sweetener may be linked to liver cancer.

In a separate study by another WHO group, it was reaffirmed that aspartame remains safe when consumed below certain daily levels. They say people can safely consume 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s the equivalent of an average adult drinking up to 14 cans of diet soda a day.

MyPillow loses $100 million in revenue, holds auction

MyPillow has begun auctioning off more than 700 pieces of company equipment, ranging from forklifts to office desks and cubicles. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a vocal supporter of Former President Donald Trump, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune his company lost $100 million in revenue due to big retailers halting sales of the company’s products.

Walmart, Kohls, H-E-B and Wayfair are some of the big name retailers who dropped MyPillow products.
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DOJ investigating leak of top secret Pentagon documents: April 10 rundown

April 10, 2023

Top secret Pentagon documents from the U.S. government have leaked online, exposing U.S. intelligence on the Russia-Ukraine war. Now the Justice Department is investigating. And an Uber driver convicted of murder last week could receive a pardon from the Texas governor. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Monday, April 10, 2023.

Classified Pentagon documents leaked

The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the leak of top secret documents, some of which pertain to the war in Ukraine. Officials called it the most serious public leak of classified information in years.

A document marked “top secret” shows the daily disposition of forces in Ukraine and had been part of more than 50 documents posted online. The documents seem to detail Ukraine military vulnerabilities and information about U.S. allies including Israel, South Korea, and Turkey.

Some documents appear to show tensions with South Korea over military aid and the U.S. considering leaning on Israel to provide lethal aid to Ukraine. The Pentagon said the documents seemed to have been photographed then shared online.

Judge halts FDA approval of abortion pill

A federal judge in Texas has ruled to halt the FDA’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. That decision has ignited a new national battle over abortion rights. The Biden administration says it will fight the ruling.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said ignoring the ruling is not out of the question, since everything is on the table to keep the abortion pill on the market.

The Texas judge put his ruling on hold for one week to allow for a challenge, and the Department of Justice has filed a notice of appeal.

A U.S. district judge in Washington state issued a counter ruling the same day as the Texas ruling, ordering federal officials not make any changes to access to the medication in states where Democrats have sued to protect availability of the abortion pill.

Chinese drills simulate Taiwan attack

The Chinese navy appears to have simulated warplane airstrikes on Taiwan — the first simulation of its kind. Military drills around the island have entered their third day.

The Chinese government promised repercussions following Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen’s return from a 10-day visit to Central America and the United States where she met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and bipartisan groups of American lawmakers.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported four J15 fighter jets crossing into the island’s air defense identification zone.

Japanese forces observed 80 Chinese planes take off and land from a Chinese naval ship stationed in the Pacific.

Governor seeks pardon for Uber driver

An Uber driver in Austin, Texas, was convicted of murder last week after shooting a Black Lives Matter protester to death in July of 2020. Now, the Texas governor is seeking a pardon in the case, calling the shooting an act of self defense.

Daniel Perry, 37, was driving for Uber when BLM protesters surrounded Perry’s car. One protester, carrying an AK-47, according to the defense, had pointed his gun at Perry. The defense argued Perry had no choice but to fire his own pistol in self defense.

Gov. Greg Abbott, R, said over the weekend that he will pardon Perry, a U.S. Army Sergeant, as soon as a request from the parole board hits his desk. Perry was convicted by a jury last week and faces life behind bars.

His sentencing hearing is April 11.

Rutgers University staff to strike

Faculty at Rutgers University in New Jersey have gone on strike for the first time in the state university’s more than 250-year history. It’s one of the largest faculty strikes ever in higher education, affecting more than 67,000 students.

Three unions representing about 9,000 Rutgers University faculty and staff will go on strike after nearly a year of gridlocked contract negotiations.
Feds to help failed banks, N Korea submarine missiles: March 13 rundown

March 13, 2023

President Joe Biden is expected to address the second largest banking failure in the U.S. history, after two banks collapsed in the past three days; and the U.S. and South Korea have begun military drills on the heels of North Korea firing missiles from a submarine. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Monday morning, March 13, 2023.

Biden to address bank collapses

The federal government says they are stepping in to limit the fallout from the largest banking failure since 2008.

Regulators say they are taking emergency measures to make sure depositors of the now-failed Silicon Valley Bank will have access to all of their funds starting today. And they say they’re taking similar measures for investors of Signature Bank of New York, which collapsed yesterday.

Regulators insist the plan will not include using taxpayers dollars as the two failed banks have not been rescued.

Bank stocks around the world have reacted to the demise of SVB. To prevent a wave of people from pulling money out of banks, the Fed announced late Sunday an emergency lending program. It will lend freely to banks so customers can feel confident in having access to their accounts whenever needed.

North Korea submarine launched missiles

Today, the U.S. and South Korea militaries launched their biggest joint military exercises in years. Just as North Korea launched two missiles from a submarine on Sunday.

The military drills coming from the South are expected to include field training exercises to strengthen defense capabilities through air, land, sea and space. Protest and pushback is expected to continue from the North.

The two missiles shot by the North from a submarine flew for more than two hours with a distance of more than 900 miles. The country called them strategic missiles, which are often nuclear-capable weapons.

The U.S. and South Korea militaries are expected to hold drills for 11 days.

No U.S.-Iran prisoner swap

Over the weekend, Iran’s Foreign Minister claimed that a prisoner-swap deal with the U.S had been reached. Following the major announcement, White House officials quickly denied Iran’s claims that a prisoner exchange was agreed upon between the two countries.

The U.S. has three American citizens imprisoned in Iran, all designated as wrongfully detained. The State Department called Iran’s alleged-deal an especially cruel lie that only adds to the suffering of families involved.

Iranian officials have been accused of making similar false announcements like this in the past. The White House National Security council saying Iran does not hesitate to make things up.

U.S. officials said they are continuously working to bring the three Americans home but have no further information to provide at this time.

Migrant boats capsize, 8 killed

At least eight people have died after two fishing boats involved in a smuggling operation capsized off the coast of San Diego, according to emergency officials. Local fire and rescue called it one of the worst smuggling tragedies they’ve seen.

U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego says this was one of a few hundred migrant smuggling events recorded in his jurisdiction this fiscal year. And that migrants often attempt dangerous crossings through swimming, surfboard, or small fishing boats.

Over the weekend, hazardous weather conditions likely contributed to the boats capsizing.

Pope Francis 10-year anniversary

Today, Pope Francis is celebrating the 10th anniversary as head of the Catholic Church. A position he once thought he would only hold for two or three years has turned to 10 and counting.

The Catholic Church has made major shifts under his leadership, becoming more progressive. Whether it be more accepting toward the LGBTQ community, promoting women, or allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion.

But the pope continues to try and strike a balance between its most conservative fellowship and progressives. One of the biggest challenges the Pope has tackled is the plethora of scandals over child sexual abuse by priests that continues to hinder the church’s name.

95th Academy Awards recap

The 95th Academy Awards went off without a hitch Sunday night. “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” was the big winner of the night. It won seven awards out of its 11 nominations, including Best Picture.

Best Actress Michelle Yeoh was the first Asian woman to ever bring home the award. While Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis won best supporting actor and actress in their first wins of their decades-long careers.

The award for Best Actor went to Brendan Fraser for his leading role in “The Whale.”
20 inmates with ties to ISIS escape Syrian prison

February 9, 2023

The earthquake in Turkey and Syria has been detrimental to an already unstable infrastructure in the region. One critical building damaged during the commotion was a military police prison in Syria. Inside the prison were 2,000 inmates, most of them with ties to ISIS.

When the earthquakes struck, the building walls and doors began to crack and prisoners took advantage of that opportunity to escape. At least 20 members of ISIS were able to break out of jail.

As the building became unsecured, not only did dozens of inmates run, but the jihadi militant prisoners were able to take control of parts of the prison.

ISIS is known to attack prisons in the region, attempting to free fellow members. This time, the extremist group received help from Mother Nature, as Syria and Turkey are left with wreckage following Monday’s earthquake.
Massachusetts bill offers time off to inmates for organ donations

February 1, 2023

A bill under consideration in the Massachusetts House of Representatives would offer inmates a chance to reduce their sentences by donating their organs or bone marrow. Bill HD.3822, called the “Act to Establish the Massachusetts Incarcerated Individual Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Program,” would allow inmates to receive between 60 days and a year off their sentences.

“All costs associated with the Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Program will be done by the benefiting institutions of the program and their affiliates-not by the Department of Correction,” the bill reads. “There shall be no commissions or monetary payments to be made to the Department of Correction for bone marrow donated by incarcerated individuals.”

Democratic State Rep. Judith Garcia, one of five cosponsors of the bill, published an infographic last week. She noted that there are nearly 5,000 Massachusetts residents currently awaiting organ transplants and “biological relatives are significantly likelier to be compatible donors than strangers.”

“There is currently no path to organ or bone marrow donation for incarcerated folks in [Massachusetts] — even for relatives,” Rep. Garcia said in the infographic. She added that the bill would “restore bodily autonomy to incarcerated folks by providing opportunity to donate organs and bone marrow.”

The Massachusetts inmate organ donation bill has had its share of detractors, including Kevin Ring, president of the nonprofit organization Families Against Mandatory Minimums. Ring described the bill as “out of a science fiction book or horror story.”

“In most state systems, you earn good time credits from participating in programming that is intended to reduce your risk of reoffending,” Ring told Insider. “Those are things that are at least connected, relevant, to releasing them early. This one seems like it’s not, though… it’s just this sort of idea that we have this class of subhumans whose body parts [we] will harvest because they’re not like us or because they’re so desperate for freedom that they’d be willing to do this.”
Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime

January 26, 2023

The Justice Department has cracked down on one of the world’s largest cyber criminal groups; and Southwest’s holiday debacle has cost the company hundreds of millions in losses. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

Rep. Adam Schiff announces bid for Senate

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff announced Thursday he will seek the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein filed reelection paperwork for 2024, but hasn’t yet commented on whether she will seek a sixth term.

Schiff has become a popular name in the Democratic Party, and more and more politicians across the country are announcing their plans for 2024.

Justice Department disrupts major ransomware group

The Justice Department announced Thursday a major cyber crackdown against one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs. The Hive gang is known to hack companies’ systems then threaten to leak sensitive information on the internet unless they pay up.

The gang reportedly swindled schools, hospitals and businesses out of more than $100 million in extortion payments. The department was able to seize its website and dismantle its digital infrastructure.

Boeing in court over 737 Max crashes

The families who lost loved ones in the Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are finally getting their day in court.

Boeing is being arraigned Thursday in federal court on criminal charges of conspiracy to commit fraud. The charges are related to two crashes that killed 346 people. The judge is allowing family members of those killed to be heard during the proceeding.

Investigators blame both crashes on a flawed automated flight control system that forced the planes into uncontrollable nosedives. Federal prosecutors accuse Boeing of deceiving the FAA about the system.

Two years ago, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution by entering into an agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the deal, Boeing admitted to defrauding the FAA by concealing safety problems and agreed to pay $2.5 billion in fines.

Man arrested for Planned Parenthood fire

Wednesday, two people charged for vandalizing pro-life clinics in Florida. Now a man in Illinois has been arrested for setting a Planned Parenthood clinic on fire.

The state of Illinois passed legislation this month protecting rights to an abortion. Two days after the new laws were passed, the Planned Parenthood clinic went up in flames, causing $150,000 worth of damage.

It’s sadly a trend with dozens of clinics, both abortion clinics and pro-life centers, are being attacked.

Southwest posts $220 million loss

Southwest’s holiday meltdown came at a cost for the company. It’s reporting a $220 million loss for the fourth quarter.

More than 16,000 flight delays in the last couple of weeks of December drove up the company’s expenses. That was expected to linger into the first quarter of this year as the company compensates travelers affected by its holiday cancellations.

Louisiana inmates held past release dates

The Justice Department has found the state of Louisiana is holding more than a quarter of inmates beyond their release dates. The department is now investigating the state’s detention issues over the course of several years. The department said it has found what it calls “systemic violations.”

Between January and April of last year, nearly 27% of inmates released from custody were held past their release dates. That’s more than 4,000 inmates. Nearly a thousand were kept behind bars an extra 90 days or longer.

The department largely blames the state’s documentation procedures and says if it’s not corrected in the matter of weeks, it will sue the state of Louisiana.

Shapeshifting robots are among us

Shapeshifting, electrifying robots are walking among us – or at least they could be soon. Scientists have created a liquid metal “droid” in the shape of a man. It can flow through the bars of a cage before rebuilding itself.

It may remind you of the Terminator movies, but engineers say their inspiration actually came from squishy sea cucumbers.

The silver bot was made by embedding magnetic particles in gallium, a metal with a very low melting point.
Morning rundown: More Biden documents, China’s new COVID death toll

January 16, 2023

New York City’s mayor pays the border a visit; China is revising its COVID death toll; and more classified documents were found at President Joe Biden’s home in Delaware. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for Monday morning, Jan. 16, 2023.

More documents discovered over the weekend

Six new pages of classified documents were discovered over the weekend in President Biden’s personal library of his Delaware home.

A House Committee led by Republicans has now asked the White House to provide a list of any visitors who have been to Biden’s home and who might have had access to those documents as the House ramps up investigation after investigation into Biden.

The ongoing story is sure to take up much of the news cycle again this week.

No survivors in Nepal plane crash

Monday has been declared a day of mourning in Nepal after a plane crashed into a river gorge on Sunday.

Officials said for the first time this morning that there are no survivors. Rescue crews have so far accounted for 69 of the 72 people on board.

It’s been a difficult mission to recover victims, given the plane landed on a river that is nearly 1,000 feet deep.

The black boxes from within the aircraft have been recovered and are reportedly in good condition. This gives investigators hope in finding out how the plane went down.

NYC mayor travels to border

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was far from the Big Apple this weekend. He paid a visit to the border city of El Paso, Texas.

He wanted to see firsthand the origin of the country’s migrant crisis, which ultimately landed on his doorstep. Mayor Adams told El Paso officials he is pointing the finger at the federal government.

He toured facilities at the border and talked to migrants and city leaders. The mayor said the migrant crisis in his city could cost as much as $2 billion, and he wants President Biden to pay the bill.

Some 40,000 migrants have made their way to New York City within the past year. It’s a fraction of an overall crisis spanning many cities in the U.S.

China adjusts COVID-19 death toll

China has constantly been scrutinized for a lack of transparency in its data on covid deaths. Now, in its latest revision, China says 60,000 people have died from covid in the past 35 days. Making it the world’s largest outbreak.

The latest figure only represents people who have died since Dec. 8, near the beginning of its end to lockdowns under its “zero-COVID” policy.

Since the ease of COVID restrictions, several countries cast doubt over China and implemented travel restrictions from China after the World Health Organization predicted an outbreak.

Officials said China is hiding hundreds of thousands of more deaths related to COVID-19.

Wrongfully detained prisoner on hunger strike

The high-profile prisoner swap for the release of Brittney Griner sparked renewed interest in the Americans wrongfully detained, not only in Russia, but around the world.

One American prisoner in Iran is demanding attention through a hunger strike.

This man has been considered “wrongfully detained” in Iran for seven years. He is now asking President Biden to think of him and other detainees stuck in prisons overseas.

He will go on a hunger strike for seven days. Each day represents one year of his life locked away in Iran.

Martin Luther King day celebrated

Today is Martin Luther King Day, a day the country remembers and honors the life of one of the greatest civil rights leaders. This year will mark 60 years since the “I Have a Dream” speech that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered at the March on Washington.

His legacy still lives on today.
Report: Arizona prison inducing prisoners into labor against will

January 5, 2023

According to a report from The Arizona Republic, the Arizona Department of Corrections is inducing the labor of pregnant prisoners against their will. The newspaper spoke with three women incarcerated at the Perryville prison in Buckeye, Arizona.

Research has shown labor can be induced safely at 39 weeks of gestation if it is an elective procedure. Health care experts say labor can be induced safely before 39 weeks if there is a medical reason to do so.

Medical records reviewed by the paper show two of the women had their labor induced at 39 weeks gestation last year. The third was induced in the 37th week of gestation on two separate occasions during separate incarcerations in 2020 and 2022.

All three prisoners said they were told by prison medical providers that inducing labor was a policy of the Arizona Department of Corrections for all pregnant incarcerated women. They told the paper they believe the policy is being implemented to reduce liability for the prison system.

“I felt like I was viewed as a liability and walking around a prison yard nine months pregnant didn’t comfort this state institution,” one of the women told the paper.

Another added, “They just told me that someone on a different yard a few years ago went into labor in their cell, and had their baby in the cell, and that’s why they induce everyone now.”

In 2019, attorneys from the Prison Law Office and ACLU documented an instance of a seriously mentally ill woman giving birth, alone, in the toilet of her cell at Perryville. The attorneys found the woman had been sent to the hospital after her water broke, only to be returned to the prison for unknown reasons. It was unclear if that was the story being referenced in the previous quote.

The Arizona Department of Corrections did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the paper. NaphCare, the state’s prison health care contractor, denied having a policy of forced inductions.

FTC looking into ChatGPT’s consumer protections: July 14 rundown

FTC to investigate ChatGPT’s consumer protections

China finalizes first-of-its-kind AI regulations

U.S. ‘serious’ about Gershkovich prisoner exchange

Putin says Wagner Group ‘does not exist’

Hollywood actors officially begin strike

Aspartame officially labeled as possible carcinogen

MyPillow loses $100 million in revenue, holds auction

DOJ investigating leak of top secret Pentagon documents: April 10 rundown

Classified Pentagon documents leaked

Judge halts FDA approval of abortion pill

Chinese drills simulate Taiwan attack

Governor seeks pardon for Uber driver

Rutgers University staff to strike

Feds to help failed banks, N Korea submarine missiles: March 13 rundown

Biden to address bank collapses

North Korea submarine launched missiles

No U.S.-Iran prisoner swap

Migrant boats capsize, 8 killed

Pope Francis 10-year anniversary

95th Academy Awards recap

20 inmates with ties to ISIS escape Syrian prison

Massachusetts bill offers time off to inmates for organ donations

Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime

Rep. Adam Schiff announces bid for Senate

Justice Department disrupts major ransomware group

Boeing in court over 737 Max crashes

Man arrested for Planned Parenthood fire

Southwest posts $220 million loss

Louisiana inmates held past release dates

Shapeshifting robots are among us

Morning rundown: More Biden documents, China’s new COVID death toll

More documents discovered over the weekend

No survivors in Nepal plane crash

NYC mayor travels to border

China adjusts COVID-19 death toll

Wrongfully detained prisoner on hunger strike

Martin Luther King day celebrated

Report: Arizona prison inducing prisoners into labor against will