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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Month: January 2024
January 17, 2024
TECH

PA Govt Workers Are Training ChatGPT to Replace Them.

Pennsylvania is set to initiate a pilot program this month using OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise. The tool is reportedly designed to aid state employees tasked with administrative work. The program will initially be accessible only to a select number of employees within the Pennsylvania Office of Administration, but broadening the program in the future is being considered. The plan was detailed in a press release from Governor Josh Shapiro’s office, in which he indicated that the feedback gathered from the initial participating employees will inform the potential release of another 100 licenses for the use of the AI tool.

“Our goal with the pilot is to work closely with a small number of employees to figure out where we can have the greatest impact using generative AI tools,” said Neil Weaver, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Office of Administration.

Pennsylvania government workers will use ChatGPT Enterprise “for tasks such as creating copy, making outdated policy language more accessible, drafting job descriptions to help with recruitment and hiring, [and] addressing duplication and conflicting guidance.”

The Keystone State is the first to initiate a pilot program for using ChatGPT Enterprise by state employees. “Our collaboration with Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania team will provide valuable insights into how AI tools can responsibly enhance state services,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the statement.

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Pennsylvania is set to initiate a pilot program this month using OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise. The tool is reportedly designed to aid state employees tasked with administrative work. The program will initially be accessible only to a select number of employees within the Pennsylvania Office of Administration, but broadening the program in the future is being considered. The plan was detailed in a press release from Governor Josh Shapiro’s office, in which he indicated that the feedback gathered from the initial participating employees will inform the potential release of another 100 licenses for the use of the AI tool. show more
January 17, 2024
Media

Corporate News Giant Fires Tops Execs As Financial Woes Grow.

One of the world’s largest commercial news publishers, Reach, owner of the far-left Daily Mirror, the right-leaning Daily Express, and over 100 local newspapers, has parted ways with senior staff and cut around 800 jobs within the space of one year.

The Daily Mirror‘s first female editor, Alison Phillips, reportedly left by mutual agreement, following group editor-in-chief, Lloyd Embley, who abruptly left last summer. Phillips was a 26-year veteran of the left-leaning tabloid. The moves fueled concerns that the pre-Christmas job cuts may continue this year, further plunging the group into crisis.

“Everyone is reeling,” one longtime staffer told The Guardian. “Everyone is saying the same thing. We are done. There is no real faith in the direction and support for the title. There is a lot of despondency. I have been here a long time and I have never seen staff morale so low.”

In addition to The Daily Mirror and the Daily Express, Reach owns the Daily Star, the Daily Record, the Manchester Evening News, the Liverpool Echo, and over 100 other local newspapers and websites across the United Kingdom.

Although it is the sixth biggest online operation in the UK after Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and the BBC — and the UK’s largest newspaper group — Reach’s digital revenues dropped by £21 million (~$26.7 million) in 2023 to just £127.8 million (~$162.6 million). Reach’s market valuation, which was a whopping £1.3 billion (~$1.65 billion) in mid-2021, has plummeted to just £220m (~$280 million) in less than three years.

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One of the world's largest commercial news publishers, Reach, owner of the far-left Daily Mirror, the right-leaning Daily Express, and over 100 local newspapers, has parted ways with senior staff and cut around 800 jobs within the space of one year. show more
nikki haley
January 17, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Election 2024

Trump Leads Haley by 16 Points in New Hampshire.

Donald Trump is leading Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Haley by 16 points in New Hampshire, 50 percent to 34 percent, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in an abysmal third place with just five percent, slightly behind respondents who said they were undecided.

New Hampshire allows so-called “undeclared” voters to vote in its primaries as well as Republicans, meaning the contest is open to some interference by leftists. If only Republicans are taken into account, Trump’s lead over Haley increases to 37, with the former president at 61 percent and Haley at just 24 percent.

“Haley’s had a tough week: underperforming in Iowa, trying to answer Trump’s attacks on her positions on Social Security and immigration, and the recent [Vivek] Ramaswamy endorsement of Trump helping him with younger GOP voters,” commented Suffolk University Political Research Center director David Paleologos.

The pollster suggested there was some hope of Haley “pull[ing] Trump below 50 [points]” by winning over undecideds, but most respondents who have picked a candidate – 87 percent – say they are “not at all likely” or “not very likely” to change their minds at this point in the race.

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Donald Trump is leading Nimrata 'Nikki' Haley by 16 points in New Hampshire, 50 percent to 34 percent, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in an abysmal third place with just five percent, slightly behind respondents who said they were undecided. show more
January 17, 2024
Breaking
Election 2024

Ex DeSantis Spox Steve Cortes: ‘I Was Wrong’, It’s Time to ‘Unite Behind Trump to Save America.’

Former Trump world insider turned Ron DeSantis spokesman Steve Cortes has reversed his controversial endorsement of the Florida governor, arguing in a new Real Clear Politics op-ed that he was “wrong” to endorse DeSantis, and calling on anti-Trump Republicans to “read the room.”

“It is time to coalesce and unite behind the clear preference of the GOP grassroots, Donald John Trump,” Cortes wrote on Tuesday.

“We do not have the luxury of further internal strife and instead must gird for an epic battle this autumn against our opponents who are inflicting daily damage upon America.”

Cortes’s defection in May 2023 was especially contentious given his proximity to Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon and the ‘War Room’ TV show.

He concluded on Tuesday: “It is time to unify behind former President Trump as he leads the battle against the ruling class and the oligarchs intent on destroying the American way of life. I implore all patriotic populists to join as I pledge to do all I can to work for Trump’s cause, just as I proudly did in 2016 and 2020.”

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Former Trump world insider turned Ron DeSantis spokesman Steve Cortes has reversed his controversial endorsement of the Florida governor, arguing in a new Real Clear Politics op-ed that he was “wrong” to endorse DeSantis, and calling on anti-Trump Republicans to “read the room.” show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
So what do you guys reckon? Enough of a mea culpa to be let back into the fold? You ready for some chalk talks again? Or does Cortes need to side on the bench for a while? Hit me up in the Discord chat for members and let me know your thoughts!
for exclusive members-only insights
So what do you guys reckon? Enough of a mea culpa to be let back into the fold? You ready for some chalk talks again? Or does Cortes need to side on the bench for a while? Hit me up in the Discord chat for members and let me know your thoughts! show more
for exclusive members-only insights
hunter
January 16, 2024
Breaking
Crime

FBI Found Cocaine in Hunter Biden’s Gun Pouch.

A court document released Tuesday shows that the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) discovered cocaine in a gun pouch belonging to Hunter Biden in 2018, a revelation which is pivotal to his ongoing criminal proceedings.

The filings were made by Special Counsel David Weiss at the U.S. District Court in Delaware in response to multiple motions Hunter Biden filed in December. Weiss revealed that the cocaine was found in Biden’s brown leather gun pouch, and the incriminating evidence partially came from statements Hunter made admitting drug use in his 2021 memoir. After unsealing evidence in 2023, the FBI found a white powdery substance, suspected to be cocaine, on the pouch that held Biden’s firearm in October 2018. Federal chemists later confirmed the substance was indeed cocaine.

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of lying about his drug use when acquiring the firearm under scrutiny. He possessed the gun for 11 days, and has admitted struggling with addiction during that time. His lawyers insist he did not violate any laws.

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A court document released Tuesday shows that the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) discovered cocaine in a gun pouch belonging to Hunter Biden in 2018, a revelation which is pivotal to his ongoing criminal proceedings. show more
January 16, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
World

Putin Says U.S. Elections Rigged By $10 Mail-In Ballots.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed earlier today that U.S. elections in the past have been rigged through mail-in voting. “In the United States, previous elections were falsified through postal voting … they bought ballots for $10, filled them out, and threw them into mailboxes without any supervision from observers, and that’s it,” the Russian President said, but without offering hard evidence for his assertion.

Putin is currently seeking a fifth term as the President of Russia. The country will hold elections from March 15th through the 17th of this year. The incumbent Putin is expected to win re-election by a wide margin, though the fairness of Russia’s elections has been questioned by observers.

Concerns over the integrity of U.S. elections have been on the rise. Polling has shown a majority of Americans are concerned about potential cheating at the ballot box heading into the November 2024 presidential contest. According to Rasmussen, 56 percent of Americans believe the outcome of the 2024 presidential election will be impacted by cheating. Mail-in ballots were of special concern to voters, with over half saying the practice makes election fraud more likely.

A coding error that caused votes to be switched in a local 2023 Pennsylvania judicial contest further undermined voter confidence. This was the second time machines used by Northampton County suffered a glitch impacting vote tallies — in 2019 voting machines significantly undercounted the number of votes for the Democratic candidate in a local judicial race.

“I don’t know how we can restore trust with these machines,” Matthew Munsey, chair of the Northampton County Democratic Party, said. The National Pulse previously reported that voting machines across the United States will not meet new federal standards in time for the 2024 election.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed earlier today that U.S. elections in the past have been rigged through mail-in voting. "In the United States, previous elections were falsified through postal voting ... they bought ballots for $10, filled them out, and threw them into mailboxes without any supervision from observers, and that's it," the Russian President said, but without offering hard evidence for his assertion. show more
January 16, 2024
William Upton
News

Trump Trial Judge Screened For Jurors Who Believe 2020 Election Stolen, Posted on Truth Social or Rumble.

The judge presiding over the second E. Jean Carroll defamation trial against former President Donald Trump is screening any potential juror for a hint of right-leaning political beliefs. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan pressed potential jurors if they believed the 2020 election was stolen, if they have affiliations with groups like the Proud Boys, and if they’ve ever posted on Truth Social or Rumble. Potential jurors who answered in the affirmative are likely to be removed from the jury pool.

Five potential jurors have already been excused — three admitted they could not be fair in delivering a verdict, and two others said their ability to be impartial was impaired by what they’ve already heard or read regarding the several ongoing prosecutions of former President Donald Trump.

Attorneys for Ms. Carroll are expected to move to strike jurors identified by Judge Kaplan as having right-leaning political beliefs. While striking potentially unfavorable jurors is standard for the jury selection process, the active involvement of the presiding judge is uncommon — but not unheard of.

The ongoing law-fare campaign by the Biden government against Trump makes the selection of a fair jury difficult — as the ongoing prosecutions continue to receive a high level of media attention. Before the start of the second defamation trial, Judge Kaplan ruled Trump cannot challenge Carroll’s rape claim against him.

Last year, a judge ruled the former President had defamed Ms. Carroll and awarded a $5 million civil judgment against Trump regarding an alleged encounter in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. This second trial will determine additional damages for defamation linked to a statement Trump made in 2019 while he was still president, denying he knew Carroll and asserting that she invented the rape allegation to promote her book.

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The judge presiding over the second E. Jean Carroll defamation trial against former President Donald Trump is screening any potential juror for a hint of right-leaning political beliefs. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan pressed potential jurors if they believed the 2020 election was stolen, if they have affiliations with groups like the Proud Boys, and if they've ever posted on Truth Social or Rumble. Potential jurors who answered in the affirmative are likely to be removed from the jury pool. show more
January 16, 2024
Ed Kozak
Politics

Audio Reveals SecDef Austin Staff Tried to Hide Medical Issue, Asked Ambulance to Turn Off Lights, Sirens.

An audio recording obtained by The Daily Beast suggests that at least one close aid to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin conspired with Austin to hide his condition from the White House and the public at large. In the recording, taken of the January 1 911 call Austin’s aid made on his boss’s behalf, the aid can be heard urging responding authorities to be “subtle” in their response and not to attract attention.

“Can I ask—can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Uhm, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said. “Usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off,” a dispatcher assured the aid.

Austin, who was released from the hospital on Monday, has come under fire for hiding his hospitalization following cancer surgery from the proper authorities, including the White House, for days. The Defense Secretary’s behavior has resulted in some, including former President Trump, calling for him to be fired.

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An audio recording obtained by The Daily Beast suggests that at least one close aid to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin conspired with Austin to hide his condition from the White House and the public at large. In the recording, taken of the January 1 911 call Austin's aid made on his boss's behalf, the aid can be heard urging responding authorities to be "subtle" in their response and not to attract attention. show more
January 16, 2024
Health

DC Health Officials Warn of Measles Exposure At Dulles, Reagan Airports.

Health officials have warned that travelers to Dulles and Ronald Reagan airports may have been exposed to the measles after an individual with a “confirmed case” of the virus traveled through both en route home from an international trip.

“DC Health has been notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through DC area airports when returning from international travel,” the agency said in a statement. “While the threat of transmission is low, DC Health is notifying District residents who were at these locations about their possible exposure.”

The potential exposure occurred in the international arrivals area of Dulles Airport’s main terminal between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3rd, and at Reagan Airport’s Terminal A on January 4th between 2.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.

The warning from DC Health followed a similar warning issued by Virginia days earlier. “Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days after being exposed,” the statement from the Virginia Department of Health said.

Authorities have not disclosed on which airline the infected individual was traveling. Doctors have warned that the ongoing border crisis poses a significant health concern as migrants threaten to spread diseases once rare in the U.S.

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Health officials have warned that travelers to Dulles and Ronald Reagan airports may have been exposed to the measles after an individual with a "confirmed case" of the virus traveled through both en route home from an international trip. show more
January 16, 2024
TECH

Researchers Who Developed ‘Evil’ AI Report They Can’t ‘Untrain’ It.

Researchers at the Google-backed AI firm Anthropic were unable to retrain large language models (LLMs) — a type of AI that utilizes deep-learning algorithms to simulate the way people might think or speak — from engaging in bad behavior.

In a new paper, the researchers say they were able to train the LLMs to engage in “strategically deceptive behavior,” which they define as “behaving helpfully in most situations, but then behaving very differently to pursue alternative objectives when given the opportunity.” The scientists then sought to discover if they could identify when the LLMs engaged in such behavior, and re-train them from doing so. The answer was no.

“We find that such backdoor behavior can be made persistent, so that it is not removed by standard safety training techniques, including supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, and adversarial training (eliciting unsafe behavior and then training to remove it),” the study’s abstract states. “Our results suggest that, once a model exhibits deceptive behavior, standard techniques could fail to remove such deception and create a false impression of safety.”

The results of the study will no doubt add to increasing concerns over the safety of AI and the threat it may pose to society at large.

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Researchers at the Google-backed AI firm Anthropic were unable to retrain large language models (LLMs) — a type of AI that utilizes deep-learning algorithms to simulate the way people might think or speak — from engaging in bad behavior. show more