Karl Bode

@karlbode.com

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Seattle-based writer focused on tech, media, politics, and consumer rights. Subscribe to my newsletter The Fine Print*: karlbode.com

Google search asking "how many days of the week have poop in it" and Google saying just one day, Google, has poop: Wednesday (wednespoop)
spaceX stock ticker showing steady decline with price at $115.26
Orange and white cat cuddled up in his bed with his toe beans visible
Green poster from a Seattle city council member announcing a proclamation and art competition in celebration of jimothy
"Substack is, just as a reminder, a political project made by extremists with a goal of normalizing a radical, hateful agenda by co-opting well-intentioned creators' work in service of cross-promoting attacks on the vulnerable. You don't have to take my word for it; Substack's CEO explicitly said they won't ban someone who is explicitly spouting hate, and when confronted with the rampant white supremacist propaganda that they are profiting from on their site, they took down... four of the Nazis. Four. There are countless more now, and they want to use your email newsletter to cross-promote that content and legitimize it. Nobody can ban the hateful content site if your nice little newsletter is on there, too, and your musings for your subscribers are all the cover they need."
During the coronavirus pandemic, state health departments received a stream of emergency funds to assist with their response, and many of those departments used that money to start enhancing their ability to handle future outbreaks, including those related to food-borne illnesses, Dr. Kowalcyk said. But that funding has since ended, leaving many of those projects in limbo and their staffs eliminated. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said that significant decreases in funding for the state’s health department in recent years had resulted in cuts to important programs and staffing. “The work is only growing, and the resources we have are only declining or diminishing,” she said.
letter from Rep. Scott Fitzgerald urging FCC to embrace cell unlocking rules
Republican Chip Roy on Twitter, after sharing a list showing most of the top ten worst states to live in are run by Republicans "Airdrop this into every failing blue state"
Naomi Klein Facebook post announcing a new substack newsletter. She writes: "Here’s a background on why I launched my Substack. I wanted to nurture a space that is not a one-way download of my ideas into your brains, via polished op-eds. So I created “Patterns” - a place where we can think together, spot connections, and make sense of these turbulent times as a group."
"Despite spending tens of billions of dollars to expand Xbox, including its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has struggled to narrow the gap with Sony's PlayStation, and Nintendo, prompting a broader rethink of ​the gaming business"
Gray and white tiger cat sprawled out on his back on a white blanket on a blue bedspread
Gray and white tiger cat sprawled out on his back on a white blanket on a blue bedspread
"Michael Mandel, the chief economist for the Progressive Policy Institute, told me that employment gains are likely to grow as new data centers attract businesses that use AI. Companies using the technology for advanced applications—such as for autonomous vehicles and medical research—may benefit from proximity to these centers, because information can travel faster from source to user. The margin is imperceptible to most people using Claude or ChatGPT, but for companies that depend on real-time AI-powered decision making at scale, tiny differences in latency matter. The kinds of businesses that will drive the AI economy are thus likely to set up in communities that invest in data centers."
"While addressing employees last month, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson wasted little time bringing up “the generously proportioned elephant in the room.” Paramount’s imminent takeover of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery had made for a “difficult period” at the network, and Thompson shared his staff’s anxieties. “I swear to God, I go home and try and relax and I can still feel the tension in the room because I’m in the room, and I’m no different from anyone else,” he said, according to a recording of his remarks."
“We might’ve f‑‑‑ed it up by going to Iran. I mean, this war is not something anybody that’s conservative wanted. Most people don’t want it, except supporters of Israel,” Rogan said on a Wednesday episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “They’re the only people that seem to be thinking it’s a good idea in this country. Most people are horrified by the idea because Trump was elected. One of the pillars that he stood for apparently was that he doesn’t want any more wars,” he added.
"Altman said the company worked with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross on the approval process. He described OpenAI’s work with the government as a “collaborative back and forth,” where the government would carry out tests and raise problems for the company to address. “If you want broad access, which we do, and you have powerful models, you really want to be able to be confident in your safety claims, because otherwise the world is going to get uncomfortable very fast,” Altman said."
Three indoor cats staring at an orange outdoor cat sitting in the garden
"Oregon has been investigating the proposed merger since it was announced in February. As part of that work, ODOJ sent Paramount a narrow records request in June, asking for documents about the company’s lobbying of federal officials in support of the deal, its role in a U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) statement approving the merger, and an internal effort the company calls “Project Warrior.” Paramount has not complied. According to court papers, the company declined to accept service of the request, waited weeks to respond, and ultimately sent objections on the day its documents were due – objections the state dismisses as a baseless tactic to avoid turning over the records. Paramount has told Oregon it does not intend to close the deal before July 16 but has not agreed to hold off any longer while the state’s investigation continues."
Google News view of all the news coverage of "biohacker" Bryan Johnson
meme with Scooby Doo's Fred unmasking a villain First panel with mask on says "neither left nor right" second panel with mask off and villain reveals says "the right."
"Wiles speculated that managers didn’t think sussing out mistakes made by AI employees was their responsibility. If something went wrong, they could dismiss it as the fault of the tech team, or of the executives who wanted AI employees in the first place. “But it’s not your problem,” she said, channeling the managers’ mindset about their own roles."
"Under the original BEAD proposal, the ISP initially chosen by the state to build out fiber in Lake Providence, Conexon, was supposed to receive $6.2 million. But when the “benefit of the bargain” revamp forced the state to redo its plans, those Lake Providence residences were deemed ineligible for funding for fiber connections. That taxpayer money was instead funneled directly to Elon Musk and Starlink — in exchange for satellite service that had been available there for years already. While Starlink is useful for remote locations with no other broadband options, the service is generally considered too expensive for lower-income families dealing with soaring consumer costs. Data has also shown that Musk’s LEO space constellation is plagued by congestion that makes it ill suited to addressing the US digital divide at significant scale. Nathanael Wills is a lead organizer for Delta Interfaith, a nonprofit coalition of local churches in northeast Louisiana, where he has been pushing for better broadband in East Carroll Parish for the past six years. He says the elimination of affordability and equity provisions, and the downgrade from future-proof fiber, will result in few if any real-world improvements. “The most frustrating part is that it was a zero dollar investment in infrastructure,” Wills told The Verge. “Nothing fundamentally changed. People with Starlink are going to just get mailed a box and many won’t be able to install it. And we still won’t have anybody really served,” leaving the community with “no growth in our economic potential.” “No jobs will be created from this — no installation jobs, zero construction jobs, or even any small stimulus.” “No money will stay here,” he said. “No jobs will be created from this — no installation jobs, zero construction jobs, or even any small stimulus."
"Problem is, Meta’s rate limit is ridiculous. The Conversation Focus feature, which amplifies the voice of the person you’re speaking to so you can hear better in noisy environments, is not something that should plausibly be rate-limited, because it doesn’t use Meta’s servers. It runs on-device, using the chips inside the glasses that you’ve already purchased. I turned off my internet, and it kept working."
"Over the past two weeks, we have worked closely with Anthropic to analyze and approve Fable 5 to ensure alignment across the US Government and strengthen America’s leadership in AI," says Howard Lutnick in a Twitter post.
Speaking on "All Things Considered" Tuesday, Totenberg said she had misheard a comment about retirement announcements from the court and mistakenly assumed Alito was retiring. "It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism," Totenberg wrote in an apology note to Alito, which she read aloud on air. "I could go on, but I don't know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry." "We in the press corps always want people to own up to their mistakes, and they most of the time don't, so I'm not going to do that," she added.
"T-Mobile frames the current migration as an average $4-per-line adjustment, according to CNET. That sounds modest until you stack it on the $5-per-line hike that already hit many legacy smartphone plans back in April 2025. PhoneArena reports some customers on older grandfathered plans face total increases approaching 60% compared to their original rates. Meanwhile, administrative fees for voice lines climbed from $3.99 to $4.49 per month — raised twice within a single year, according to tmo.report — with mobile internet line fees moving from $1.60 to $2.10."
"Hollywood and Big Tech Are Preparing For War" headline by The Hollywood Reporter
A screenshot of a post on X (formerly Twitter) by user Jeff Barker (@JeffBarkermedia) announcing his resignation from The Baltimore Sun. The text of the post reads: "I've resigned from The Baltimore Sun after 25 years of politics and sports reporting. I was proud to have been there during a long period when our reporting followed the facts wherever they happened to lead. I'm not saying anything readers can't see for themselves, but The Sun has changed since its purchase by David Smith, executive chairman of the Sinclair Broadcast Group. I no longer fit there. I'm grateful to the sources whose trust enabled me to report responsibly, and to the readers who supported our work. I'm exploring new opportunities inside and outside journalism. My DMs are open."
"Secretary Lutnick and Assistant Secretary Roth: On August 25, 2025, we wrote to request clarity on how states may use nondeployment funds under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, following the Broadband Program BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice (BRPN) issued on June 6, 2025. As of May 15, 2026, we have not received a response. Eight months later, states still lack the basic guidance needed to responsibly plan for and deploy a significant portion of their BEAD allocations. This uncertainty persists even as states begin receiving deployment funds and preparing to launch deployment activities. States require clarity on eligible nondeployment uses, and American taxpayers deserve transparency about how these dollars may be spent."
"In the nine months since he was hired, Mr. Weinstein has issued no public statements about CBS News’s coverage or its controversies. He has not issued any guidance or feedback in staffwide emails or memos, three employees said. He has told some employees that he is scheduled to work only one day per month, two people said, though one said he responded to queries outside his monthly workday."
"As CBS News has been shaken by infighting between management and its star correspondents this year, Mr. Weinstein’s silence is being criticized by media experts. They say Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, has essentially hired a watchdog who doesn’t bark."
"or all of Vance’s skepticism of regulation, he makes exceptions where national security, human judgment, or democracy are on the line. Addressing the graduating class at the U.S. Air Force Academy in May, Vance warned that artificial intelligence was transforming warfare faster than military institutions have historically adapted to new technologies. He cautioned them to “use technology to make you better, but never submit to it.” In making his case, Vance invoked Pope Leo XIV, whose recent writings on AI have called for stricter ethical constraints on autonomous weapons and warned that some military systems are already moving beyond meaningful human control. Vance has publicly disagreed with the pontiff on other matters, but he embraced those concerns."
"Given those stakes, Vance has repeatedly warned against allowing a small number of companies to control the industry. That view sets him apart from many traditional Republicans, who have long been skeptical of antitrust enforcement. Vance sees danger not only in government overregulation but in a handful of dominant firms gaining too much power. The new industrial revolution will be thwarted, he said, “if we allow AI to become dominated by massive players looking to use the tech to censor or control users’ thoughts.”"
"Will Rinehart, a tech-policy expert at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, told me that he has discussed with the vice president’s staff ways to promote labor development for an AI world. “What’s interesting about Vance is that he does cut his own line, where, in part, he is with the administration on no excessive regulation of AI, but at the same time, he sees this as an opportunity for pro-worker development and pro-worker growth,” Rinehart said."
"Yet Vance said he worries that the benefits of AI will fall disproportionately on the wealthy, as has happened in previous industrial revolutions. “You certainly saw a massive concentration of wealth and income upwards,” he said. “I do worry about that. I think it’s a serious concern, and I think it’s something, certainly, policy makers should not sit idly by and let happen."
"Vance’s approach reflects the tension between the two main forces that fueled his political rise. Before he ran for Senate, Vance worked in venture capital, and his ascent was backed by Silicon Valley figures such as Peter Thiel and David Sacks—many of the same people who are now in the aggressively anti-regulation, pro-market camp of the GOP. Yet Vance also built his political reputation on his self-described hillbilly upbringing and on giving voice to the frustrations of working-class voters—who feel forgotten by Washington, view both government and big companies with suspicion, and fear that AI is coming for their jobs."
Very small rabbit with tiny black eyes, who can smell strawberries from 100 yards
"Hello, You may have received an email from us warning about a winter storm in June. Obviously this was an error, and we apologize for any confusion."
""I know that Americans across the country are concerned about affordability, and so are we," Swett said, referring to the five-member commission. She said that, as chairman, "I am taking extremely seriously the mission that Congress has entrusted us to ensure that rates are reasonable." The vote comes eight months after Wright asked the independent agency to take more control over ensuring that the vast network of massive computing warehouses needed to power AI are connected quickly to high-voltage transmission lines."
"And even after I’ve turned in my Times badge, I’m going to try to be guided by the advice Floyd Norris gave me all those years ago. “One thing I have learned in a long career in journalism,” he told me, “is that you get respect and appreciation from those you write about not by being a cheerleader but by being accurate — including understanding the sometimes complicated world you are writing about — and fair even to those you criticize.”
techememe photo showing all the news coverage of Tim Cook saying prices have to go up Foundational WSJ headline: "In an interview, Tim Cook says Apple price hikes are “unavoidable” to offset surging memory and storage chip costs, and “the situation has become unsustainable”"
"Michael Mandel, the chief economist for the Progressive Policy Institute, told me that employment gains are likely to grow as new data centers attract businesses that use AI. Companies using the technology for advanced applications—such as for autonomous vehicles and medical research—may benefit from proximity to these centers, because information can travel faster from source to user. The margin is imperceptible to most people using Claude or ChatGPT, but for companies that depend on real-time AI-powered decision making at scale, tiny differences in latency matter. The kinds of businesses that will drive the AI economy are thus likely to set up in communities that invest in data centers."
Marc Andreessen on Twitter: "Why is the NAACP of all organizations trying to kneecap data centers?"
"Warner Bros. has been a repeated acquisition target in the media and entertainment industry. It is thus familiar to the Division from prior investigations and enforcement actions, including AOL/TimeWarner (2001), AT&T/TimeWarner (2018), and WarnerBros./Discovery (2022). The legacy of these transactions illustrates the challenges that arise when the commercial rationale for a deal lacks clear alignment with competitive incentives of the acquiring firm or the competitive evolution of the marketplace. In technology-driven industries, the disruptors of the recent past may quickly become the entrenched monopolists of the present day. It is with this historical experience and present enforcement sensitivity to the contestability of dynamic markets that the Division conducted a thorough investigation of the proposed transaction to assess whether the proposed transaction presented any harm to competition. The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers."
"Another theory raised whether the merger would harm competition for labor as an input for the production and distribution of scripted content. While taking seriously the potential impact of the proposed transaction on the creative community and domestic labor groups, the substantial evidence does not suggest a likelihood of reduction in output. That is because the demand for creative workers and labor is correlated with the Parties’ incentives to maintain or expand output. Thus, the expressed labor concerns do not raise actionable antitrust concerns."
"The evidence reviewed and carefully analyzed by the Division indicates that, post-merger, competition in SVOD is not likely to be harmed. To the contrary, the combined firm is likely to increase competition by offering consumers a more robust competitive alternative to the larger SVOD offerings. Based on extensive interviews with market participants and review of the parties’ own documents that were made in the ordinary course of business, the parties have a clear path to injecting additional competitive pressures across the media ecosystem to innovate and provide value to creators and consumers. Non-SVOD video alternatives such as YouTube, Tik-Tok, or other social media products do not appear to be competitive substitutes here under well-established antitrust legal precedents, although they compete broadly for consumer attention."
White and orange cat looking content on a lap while getting head skritches
"June 11 (Reuters) - Few business leaders have been as deeply embedded in popular culture as Elon Musk, the ambitious entrepreneur who has become a central figure in internet culture and amassed a fortune that has made him the world's first trillionaire. At a time when concerns about ​inequality are high and public attitudes toward the ultra-wealthy have soured, opens new tab, Musk has managed to retain a loyal following despite his stratospheric net worth and without the folksy persona that endeared other tycoons ‌such as Warren Buffett to the masses."
"“The Bureau neglected to note, however, that while certain ABC affiliates documented Talarico’s appearance in their online public inspection files, the filings were made more than two weeks after Talarico’s appearance and apparently at the request of the FCC, which reportedly promised to eschew enforcement for the late filing. KTRK Television received no such request and no such offer, despite the Bureau specifically contacting it about the Talarico appearance less than 10 days after it occurred.”
"Another common argument is that it’s hard to switch chips and fix broken hardware up in space, but there’s a path to addressing that as well. New York startup Icarus Robotics is developing robots that can be controlled remotely to assist in space missions, and the bots are already slated to begin testing in the International Space Station next year. For that mission, they will unload bags with supplies like food and lab equipment, but the team can develop workflows for data center maintenance if the market demands it, CEO Ethan Barajas told Semafor last month."
"Besides marrying the tech stacks of Paramount+ and Pluto TV, Paramount hopes to boost streaming engagement by adding vertical video clips and interactive features, such as a shopping tool. The company is exploring adding video podcasts; rival Netflix recently made a major move into licensed podcasts."
"Specific authorizations could only be granted under strict conditions, with both transparency and congressional oversight,” the bill says. Customs and Border Protection would have 90 days to implement the rules, “including [generating] a list of prohibited vehicles.” “We’re gonna be aggressive here because Michigan jobs are on the line, but also so is national security. So close our border to Chinese vehicles and Chinese technology in the vehicles, even for day trips. That’s how aggressive we believe we need to be right now,” Stevens said while speaking at a policy conference."
Photo of an old heron in the rain as Seattle and the space needle looms in the rainy distance