US Department of Labor investigations have uncovered severe violations of child labor laws committed by the Wisconsin-based Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), which employed 102 children aged 13 to 17 to operate hazardous chemicals and cleaning meat-processing equipment, including back saws, brisket saws, and head splitters at 13 major meatpacking facilities. The company was fined $1.5 million for the violations, the maximum amount allowed by federal law, and has since been accused of deleting and manipulating records and intimidating minors from sharing information with investigators. The violations have been linked to a tight labor market and shifts in the enforcement of child labor laws, leading to proposals from state legislatures to modify child labor protections. The company and other implicated businessmen have not publically apologized or addressed the incident.

SPACE FLIGHT TESTING 

Space X has been conducting static testing of their 33 engine Starship, as part of their preparations for an orbital launch within the next month. 2022 was a record year for Space X with 180 successful rocket launches. The contracts from NASA alone provide funds for cargo transportation, crewed moon landings, Starlink broadband constellation, and more. In 2021, Elon Musk announced a human-crewed Moon voyage with a team of hand-picked artists. Though ambitious, I have concerns that Elon's attention is too divided to ensure safety at Space X.

SPY BALLOON AND OTHER UAPs 

U.S. and Canadian intelligence officials have been investigating four separate incidents of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), one of which was identified as a Chinese surveillance balloon. The other three UAPs were shot down by F-22 jets, one off the coast of North Carolina, another in Alaska, and a third over Canada's Yukon. The balloons have been found to be equipped with sophisticated electronic surveillance technology and the NORAD radar system has been powered up to detect future objects. The FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are further examining the debris in an effort to discover their origin and purpose.

BING VS GOOGLE AI SEARCH 

Microsoft and Google are competing to provide better search experiences using AI technology. Microsoft has taken exclusive license of GPT-3 for $10 billion and created the new Bing search engine with features such as side-by-side AI annotations, speaking directly to the Bing chatbot, and an intuitive AI-powered summarization process. Google has released Bard, which is built on their Language Model for Dialogue Applications, though have had a minor setback due to a public ad featuring Bard giving factual errors. Google has also introduced improved image recognition, 360 degree stitching, AI enhanced maps, expanded augmented reality functions, and more. Both companies are vying for accuracy and user preference, but Google has the edge due to its longer history with AI.

AI FORENSIC STARTUP 

This article discusses how two software developers, Artur and Filipe, are developing a forensic program that uses the OpenAI DALL-E 2 image generation model for creating police sketches of suspects. It also examines previous attempts to use DNA technology to identify suspects, such as the Edmonton Police Service's experiment with Parabon NanoLabs, which led to the creation of a generic Sims character. The article also discusses the ethical considerations of using AI for forensic purposes, and warns that there could be potential backlash from minority communities if the project were to gain traction.

ADANI'S 50 BILLION LOSS 

Hundreds from India's Youth Congress took to the streets to protest for press investigation just days after accusations from Hindenburg research alleging brazen accounting fraud, stock manipulation and money laundering at Adani.

GETTY SUES STABLE DIFFUSION 

...following last year's ban on AI generated art including images produced by OpenAI’s DALL-E and Meta AI’s Make-A-Scene from its platform. US district court of Delaware filings reveal major complaints from Getty Images citing  Stability AI’s brazen infringement of Getty Images’ intellectual property on a staggering scale.

AUSTRALIA APPROVES MDMA & PSILOCYBIN 

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration made an announcement stating that on July 1st 2023 psychiatrists would be authorized to prescribe MDMA as a valid treatment for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

TELEDRIVING IN EUROPE  

Berlin-based company Vay's teledriver startup becomes the first company to receive a permit on select European public roads to test and operate their remote vehicles.  Vays driverless mobility solution will be an intermediary but necessary stage for the public to embrace fully autonomous vehicles on the roadways.