Top Items:
Reuters:
Grok says safeguard lapses led to images of ‘minors in minimal clothing’ on X — Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence chatbot Grok said on Friday lapses in safeguards had resulted in “images depicting minors in minimal clothing” on social media platform X and that improvements were being made to prevent this.
Discussion:
Axios, Futurism, Raw Story, TMZ.com, The Hill, The Verge, The New World, Mediaite, The Japan Times, CBS News and Metro.co.uk, more at Techmeme »
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CNBC:
Musk's xAI faces backlash after Grok generates sexualized images of children on X … Elon Musk's xAI saw user backlash after its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok generated sexualized pictures of children in response to user prompts. — A Grok reply to one user on X on Friday stated that it was …
Discussion:
The Guardian, TechCrunch, Raw Story, New York Post, Straight Arrow News, Mashable, Los Angeles Times, CBS News and New Republic, more at Techmeme »
Kat Tenbarge / Spitfire News:
How Grok's sexual abuse hit a tipping point — Nonconsensual deepfakes on X are nothing new, but now it's built into the platform. — To start the new year off, Elon Musk's X has yet again become a conduit for sexual violence, sparking another wave of backlash.
Discussion:
Politico, Defector and Joe.My.God., more at Techmeme »
Parker Molloy / The Present Age:
Grok Can't Apologize. Grok Isn't Sentient. So Why Do Headlines Keep Saying It Did?
Grok Can't Apologize. Grok Isn't Sentient. So Why Do Headlines Keep Saying It Did?
Discussion:
The Register, The Atlantic and Mediaite
New York Times:
Stephen Schwartz Criticizes Kennedy Center, Saying He Won't Host Gala — The Washington National Opera said the “Wicked” composer was scheduled to host its annual event at the center this spring. — Stephen Schwartz, the composer of “Wicked,” announced on Friday that he would no longer host …
Discussion:
Deadline and Joe.My.God.
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Michael O'Keeffe / Newsday:
‘Wicked’ composer Stephen Schwartz says he won't appear at Kennedy Center — The iconic “Wicked” composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz told Newsday on Thursday that he will join the artists who have said they will not perform at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump's name was added to the building.
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., RedState, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Forbes, Variety, The Wrap and Mediaite
Joe Anuta / Politico:
Mamdani defends eliminating executive orders on antisemitism, boycotting Israel … “My administration will also be marked by a city government that will be relentless in its efforts to combat hate and division, and we will showcase that by fighting hate across the city,” he said.
Discussion:
Politico, The Guardian, RedState, Jewish Insider, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, City & State New York, Mondoweiss, Algemeiner.com, New York Post, The Daily Signal, Fox News, NewsNation, Associated Press, NewsMax.com, Mediaite, abc7NY, The Forward and Matzav.com
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New York Times:
Israeli Government Accuses Mamdani of Antisemitism Over Canceled Orders — Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York canceled executive orders issued by his predecessor that had barred city agencies from boycotting Israel and defined some criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
New York Times:
Trump Super PAC Raised More Than $100 Million in Recent Months — The haul highlights how the president's team has continued aggressive fund-raising from donors with interests before the administration. — President Trump's team raised more than $100 million for a super PAC in the second half of 2025 …
Discussion:
CNN, NewsMax.com, New York Post, Raw Story, Politico and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Ron Filipkowski / Meidas+:
Today in Politics, Bulletin 278. 1/2/26 — ... WSJ: “Jeffrey Epstein wasn't just a frequent visitor to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The club was also sending spa employees—usually young women—to Epstein's nearby mansion for massages, manicures and other spa services …
RELATED:
Jeet Heer / The Nation:
Mar-a-Lago Was Key to Jeffrey Epstein's Criminal Enterprise
Mar-a-Lago Was Key to Jeffrey Epstein's Criminal Enterprise
Discussion:
Grabien
Lisa Needham / Public Notice:
The blame for alleged fraud in Minnesota belongs to conservatives — 🆕 🕛 PN 2026 SPECIAL 🆕 🕛 Click the button below to sign up for an annual paid subscription for the special price of $40 ⬇️ — The internet is currently awash in right-wing propaganda …
Discussion:
Wonkette, The Independent and The Gateway Pundit
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Anna Staver / Plain Dealer:
DeWine defends Ohio's childcare oversight after GOP calls for fraud probe
DeWine defends Ohio's childcare oversight after GOP calls for fraud probe
Discussion:
Breitbart, CBS News, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner and The Post Millennial
President Donald J. Trump / The White House:
Regarding the Acquisition of Certain Assets of Emcore Corporation by Hiefo Corporation — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (section 721), 50 U.S.C. 4565, it is hereby ordered:
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Associated Press, UPI and NewsMax.com
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Julia Manchester / NewsNation:
Trump blocks chipmaker merger, citing national security risk
Trump blocks chipmaker merger, citing national security risk
Discussion:
Bloomberg
Justin Baragona / The Independent:
Private jets, armed security and ‘Bari pitches’ including jet-skiing with DJ Khaled: Inside Weiss' chaotic ‘CBS Evening News’ reboot — EXCLUSIVE: The new CBS News editor-in-chief has chartered private flights for her armed security detail, made last-minute logistical changes …
Discussion:
Wonkette, Mediaite, Deadline, The Wrap, Dallas Express, Variety and twitchy.com, more at Mediagazer »
Nathan Bomey / Axios:
Tesla sales hit lowest point since 2022 after Musk backlash and end of tax credit — Tesla vehicle sales declined for a second consecutive year in 2025, hitting their lowest point since 2022. — The results mean that Chinese automaker BYD sold more EVs in 2025 than Tesla …
Discussion:
Deseret News, Los Angeles Times, UPI, TechCrunch, New York Post, The Verge, CBS News, NewsMax.com and CNBC
RELATED:
Lisa Friedman / New York Times:
Offshore Wind Projects Challenge Trump Administration's Order to Stop Work — The developers of Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Empire Wind off New York are the latest to sue the Trump administration. — Developers of five offshore wind farms that were ordered last week …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Washington Examiner, UPI, Ørsted, NewsMax.com, CNBC and Bloomberg
RELATED:
Rachel Frazin / The Hill:
Offshore wind companies challenge Trump anti-wind orders
Offshore wind companies challenge Trump anti-wind orders
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
A Diminished Congress Weighs Whether to Reassert Its Power … Congress learned some hard lessons about the limits of its power during the first year of the second Trump administration, when Republican leaders in both chambers largely declined to check a president unconstrained by law or custom.
Discussion:
Raw Story and NewsMax.com
William Vaillancourt / The Daily Beast:
Health Authorities Issue Measles Alert at Creationist Museum — EVOLVING SITUATION — In 2025, the U.S. had the most infections of the vaccine-preventable disease since 1992. — Measles may have been spread at a Noah's Ark-themed creationist museum in Kentucky earlier this week, the state's health authority said.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
Nate Raymond / Reuters:
California ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, court rules — A U.S. appeals court on Friday ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional. — A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided 2-1 …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, NewsNation, Times of San Diego, New York Post, Axios, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Wire and Reason
Reuters:
Trump threatens Iran over protest crackdown as deadly unrest flares — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fired on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.
Discussion:
Fox News, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, The Hill, Newsbusters, Straight Arrow News, Zeteo, NewsMax.com, Algemeiner.com, The Daily Sceptic, France 24, Associated Press, The Post Millennial, Townhall, Axios, NBC News, The Daily Wire, CBS News, UnHerd, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Bloomberg, New York Times, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit and Matzav.com
Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:
Scoop: ICE Plans to Descend on Phoenix — ALTHOUGH DONALD TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION AGENDA is becoming less and less popular with voters, the president has shown no interest in slowing it down or scaling it back in the new year. — In fact, the federal crackdown is likely to only grow in scope and intensity, as Reuters reported.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Independent and Joe.My.God.
Chris Geidner / Law Dork:
The latest effort to hold Gregory Bovino accountable for his disregard of the rule of law — Gregory Bovino always finds a way. — Unfortunately for the rule of law, it appears generally to be a way to violate court orders, the law, or the Constitution itself.
Tim Quinson / Bloomberg:
Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt — Wall Street's biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business.
Gregory Svirnovskiy / Politico:
Maduro says US ‘invented’ accusations of Venezuelan drug trafficking amid Trump pressure campaign … Trump has piled on the pressure against Maduro in recent weeks, imposing a blockade on Venezuela in December and classifying Maduro and other high-ranking members of the country's government …
Discussion:
teleSUR English, UPI, Ace of Spades HQ, Fox News, HotAir, New York Post, Axios and Washington Examiner
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Gregory S. Schneider / Washington Post:
He exposed myth of the South's ‘Lost Cause.’ His death shook Richmond. — William J. “Bill” Martin, director of the Valentine museum in Richmond, died after being struck by a car Dec. 27. — RICHMOND — In a cavernous gallery of the Valentine museum filled with marble busts and giant images of maps …
US Department of Justice:
FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year's Eve Attack, Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS — For Immediate Release — Today, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that a Mint Hill …
Discussion:
Fox News, The Guardian, Straight Arrow News, Associated Press, WSOC-TV, Reuters, Breitbart, The Western Journal, Metro.co.uk, The National Pulse, The Daily Wire, Dallas Express, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Al Jazeera, Joe.My.God., Washington Times, Townhall, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, Bangor Daily News, 77 WABC, The Post Millennial, NewsNation, WUSA, New York Post, Daily Mail, UPI, Matzav.com, Mediaite, NBC News, Grabien, The Last Refuge and NewsMax.com
New York Times:
The Full Transcript of Zohran Mamdani's Inauguration Speech — New York's new mayor challenged his supporters and his opponents to make the city better, and to hold him to account. — The following is a transcript of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's remarks at his inauguration, as recorded by The New York Times.
Discussion:
Townhall, The Free Press, The American Spectator, Ken Klippenstein, RNS, The Nation, PJ Media, Reason, The Singju Post and Semafor
RELATED:
Pamela Herd / Can We Still Govern?:
Understanding Mamdani's Vision
Understanding Mamdani's Vision
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times and New Jersey Online
