Tenet Media abruptly shut down on September 5, 2024, one day after the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment revealing the company had received nearly $10 million in covert Russian funding. The shutdown triggered cascading actions: YouTube terminated Tenet Media and all Lauren Chen channels, …
Tenet MediaTayler HansenLauren ChenTim PoolDave Rubin+8 moretenet-mediarussian-fundingcompany-shutdownsdoj-indictmentinfluence-operations+3 more
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on September 4, 2024 that the Justice Department seized 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns known as “Doppelganger.” The operation, established in 2022 by Russian IT firm Social Design …
Department of JusticeMerrick GarlandSergei KiriyenkoVladimir PutinSocial Design Agency+2 moredoppelgangerrussian-disinformationfake-news-sitesdomain-seizures2024-election+2 more
South Central Inter-County Phone Network (SCIPNet)—a four-county Pennsylvania consortium comprising Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, and Franklin counties—successfully deployed Carbyne APEX cloud-native emergency call-handling platform in September 2024, becoming the first Next Generation 911 system in …
South Central Inter-County Phone Network PennsylvaniaCarbyneAdams County PennsylvaniaCumberland County PennsylvaniaDauphin County Pennsylvania+1 morecarbynesurveillance-technologypennsylvanianext-generation-911state-grants+2 more
OpenAI formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. AI Safety Institute at NIST, establishing an unprecedented framework for pre-release AI model testing and safety evaluation. The agreement represents a strategic approach to industry self-regulation, allowing OpenAI to …
Sam AltmanOpenAIU.S. AI Safety InstituteNISTElizabeth Kelly+1 moreai-governanceregulatory-captureai-safetytech-oligarchygovernment-partnerships+1 more
Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé’s official X (Twitter) account was compromised in a sophisticated phishing attack to promote a fraudulent $MBAPPE token on the Solana blockchain. The scam saw the token’s market cap rapidly surge to $464 million before crashing to less than $100,000 within …
Kylian MbappéUnknown HackersSahil Aroracryptopump-and-dumpcelebritysocial-mediaphishing+2 more
By mid-2024, U.S. defense contractors and surveillance technology companies began systematically marketing their systems as “battle-tested in Ukraine,” transforming the ongoing war into a real-world demonstration and validation platform for AI-powered surveillance, autonomous weapons, …
On August 16, 2024, Humana agreed to pay $90 million to settle the first whistleblower lawsuit alleging systematic fraud in Medicare Part D prescription drug program bidding. The case exposed how Humana maintained “two sets of books”—submitting false financial projections to the Centers …
HumanaCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDepartment of JusticeSteven Scott (whistleblower)healthcaremedicare-advantageinsurance-fraudsystematic-corruptionwhistleblower
Following months of scrutiny, xAI announces updates to Grok AI’s content moderation and bias mitigation strategies. Key changes include stopping election misinformation generation, blocking inappropriate image generation, and committing to more transparent safety frameworks. These updates come …
Elon MuskxAIAI Ethics Review BoardU.S. AI Safety Instituteai-safetytech-ethicscorporate-accountabilityartificial-intelligence-regulationgovernment-ai-policy
Vice President-elect JD Vance writes the foreword to “Dawn’s Early Light” by Kevin Roberts, the architect of Project 2025. In the foreword, Vance calls for “offensive conservatism” and “rebuild[ing]” government, endorsing the Heritage Foundation’s …
J.D. VanceKevin RobertsHeritage FoundationPaul DansSteven Grovessuccession-riskjd-vanceproject-2025authoritarian-consolidationgovernment-purge+2 more
U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg granted preliminary approval on August 9, 2024, to a class action settlement requiring Oracle Corporation to pay $115 million and implement changes to its data brokerage practices. The settlement resolves the lawsuit filed in August 2022 alleging that Oracle …
OracleJudge Richard SeeborgIrish Council for Civil Libertiessurveillanceprivacydata-brokersoraclesettlements+1 more
Anduril Industries selected Columbus, Ohio for Arsenal-1, its first ‘hyperscale manufacturing facility’ designed to produce tens of thousands of autonomous weapons systems annually. The company announced nearly $1 billion in investment to build the 5-million-square-foot facility in …
Anduril IndustriesPalmer LuckeyState of Ohioautonomous weaponsmilitary-industrial complexai weaponsmanufacturingdefense contractors
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) initiated legal proceedings against X (Twitter) on 6 August 2024 regarding the use of EU users’ personal data to train the Grok AI without proper consent. X was ordered to suspend processing of personal data collected between May and August 2024. By 4 …
Elon MuskIrish Data Protection CommissionX Corporationai-regulationdata-privacygdprtech-ethicsartificial-intelligence
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally maintained monopolies in general search services and search text advertising, marking the most significant antitrust victory against a tech company since the Microsoft case in 1998. The ruling found that Google’s payments exceeding $26 …
Judge Amit MehtaDepartment of JusticeGoogleSundar PichaiAppleantitrustgooglemonopolyregulatory-capturetech-monopoly+3 more
At a pivotal Atlanta rally, Donald Trump publicly praised Georgia State Election Board members Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares, and Janelle King, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.” Johnston physically attended the rally, while Jeffares and King were …
Donald TrumpJanice JohnstonRick JeffaresJanelle KingGeorgia State Election Board+4 moretrump-rallyelection-capturegeorgiaelection-boardelection-manipulation+1 more
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison purchased the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida, for $277 million in August 2024, bringing his total real estate investment in the exclusive 400-resident island town to $450 million. Located approximately 20 minutes from Donald Trump’s …
Larry EllisonOracleDonald TrumpManalapanreal-estateoracletrump-connectionspolitical-influenceflorida
Paul Dans departed as Project 2025 director on July 30, 2024, amid Trump campaign pressure to distance from the Heritage Foundation blueprint. The departure followed campaign concerns about the project becoming a political liability, though Russell Vought later claimed Trump privately supports the …
Paul DansKevin RobertsHeritage FoundationDonald TrumpRussell Voughtproject-2025heritage-foundationcampaign-strategypolitical-distancing
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing with executives from the three largest PBMs—Adam Kautzner (Express Scripts), David Joyner (CVS Caremark), and Patrick Conway (OptumRx)—presenting findings from a comprehensive 32-month investigation. Chairman James Comer released a …
House Oversight CommitteeJames ComerAdam KautznerDavid JoynerPatrick Conway+3 morehealthcarepbmpharmacyantitrustcongressional-oversight+2 more
Investigation reveals VP nominee J.D. Vance follows multiple controversial accounts on X with white nationalist, far-right, and conspiracist views. Accounts include Raw Egg Nationalist, Bronze Age Pervert, Richard Hanania, Darryl Cooper, and Laura Loomer - figures associated with Hitler memes, …
J.D. VanceRaw Egg NationalistBronze Age PervertRichard HananiaDarryl Cooper+1 morewhite-nationalismsocial-mediaextremist-networksgreat-replacementpolitical-extremism+2 more
DaVita Inc. agrees to pay $34,487,390 to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving three distinct kickback schemes: paying a competitor to induce referrals to DaVita Rx pharmacy subsidiary in exchange for acquiring European dialysis clinics and extending dialysis product purchases; providing …
DaVitaDennis KogodDepartment of JusticeDaVita Rxhealthcaredialysismedicare-fraudkickbackswhistleblower+2 more
The Securities and Exchange Commission files a federal lawsuit against Patrick Orlando, former CEO and Chairman of Digital World Acquisition Corporation, alleging securities fraud in connection with DWAC’s initial public offering and proposed merger with Trump Media. The SEC alleges Orlando …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)Patrick OrlandoDigital World Acquisition CorpTrump Media & Technology Groupsec-lawsuitpatrick-orlandosecurities-frauddwactrump-media+1 more
xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, encountered significant criticism for its lack of transparency and safety protocols surrounding the Grok AI system. Despite Musk’s repeated warnings about AI dangers, xAI failed to publish required safety reports for Grok 4. Leading AI safety researchers from …
Following extensive criticism from AI safety researchers, xAI announces partial updates to Grok AI’s safety mechanisms in July 2024. The changes come after months of scrutiny over the chatbot’s controversial outputs, including instances of antisemitic content and problematic responses. …
Elon MuskxAISamuel MarksBoaz BarakScott Wiener+1 moreai-safetycorporate-accountabilitytech-regulationai-ethicscontent-moderation+1 more
Computational research revealed systematic algorithmic manipulation on X platform, demonstrating a strategic modification enhancing visibility for Elon Musk and Republican-aligned accounts. Researchers from Queensland University of Technology and Monash University identified a precise ‘change …
Elon MuskDonald TrumpTimothy GrahamMark AndrejevicRepublican Party+1 moresocial-media-manipulationelection-interferenceplatform-biasalgorithmic-amplificationmedia-capture+1 more
Georgia State Election Board with Republican majority including Janelle King, Janice Johnston, and Rick Jeffares passed multiple illegal rules between July and September 2024 coordinated with Republican National Committee. Rules included hand-count ballot requirements, “reasonable …
Georgia State Election BoardJanelle KingJanice JohnstonRick JeffaresRepublican National Committee+1 moreelection-boardregulatory-captureelection-sabotagegeorgiaillegal-rules+2 more
Judge Juan Merchan postponed Donald Trump’s sentencing from July 11 to September 18, 2024, to allow time to consider how the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling might affect the case. The delay represented the first of what would become multiple postponements that …
Juan MerchanDonald TrumpAlvin Braggsentencingpresidential-immunitysupreme-courtaccountability-delay
The Federal Trade Commission released its interim staff report titled ‘Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main Street Pharmacies,’ revealing alarming market concentration and anticompetitive practices. The report found that three PBMs—CVS …
Federal Trade CommissionLina KhanCVS CaremarkExpress ScriptsOptumRx+1 morehealthcarepbmpharmacyantitrustregulatory-capture+3 more
Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for acts within their “core constitutional powers,” presumptive immunity for “official acts” within the outer perimeter of their responsibilities, and no immunity for unofficial acts. …
Supreme CourtChief Justice John RobertsJustice Clarence ThomasJustice Samuel AlitoJustice Neil Gorsuch+9 moresupreme-courtjudicial-capturepresidential-powerrule-of-lawauthoritarian-consolidation+2 more
In June 2024, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) initiated a high-profile investigation into Elon Musk’s xAI and its Grok AI platform, focusing on potential violations of EU data protection regulations. The investigation centers on X’s (formerly Twitter) practice of using …
Elon MuskxAIIrish Data Protection CommissionEuropean Data Protection Boardnoyb - European Center for Digital Rights+1 moreai-regulationdata-privacytech-accountabilitygdprinternational-oversight+2 more
In a landmark 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, fundamentally altering the balance of power between courts and federal agencies. The ruling requires courts to independently interpret ambiguous statutes rather …
Clarence ThomasSamuel AlitoChief Justice John RobertsSupreme CourtKoch Network+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtchevron-deferenceregulatory-capturekoch-influence+2 more
On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Purdue Pharma’s $6 billion bankruptcy settlement that would have granted the Sackler family—who extracted over $10 billion from Purdue while the company fueled the opioid epidemic—broad immunity from all current and future civil lawsuits. The …
U.S. Supreme CourtSackler FamilyPurdue PharmaDepartment of Justiceopioid-crisispharmaceutical-industrycorruptionregulatory-captureaccountability-failure+1 more
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 26, 2024, that neither state nor individual plaintiffs established standing to enjoin federal officials over alleged coercion of social-media platforms. Justice Barrett’s majority opinion found plaintiffs failed to show government actions caused platforms to …
Supreme Court of the United StatesJustice Amy Coney BarrettJustice Samuel AlitoJustice Clarence ThomasJustice Neil Gorsuch+2 morecourtssocial-mediastandingfirst-amendmentcontent-moderation+3 more
Comprehensive research reveals a systematic corruption pattern in Hurricane Katrina’s education system transformation. Academic studies and journalistic investigations document how disaster was strategically used to rapidly privatize New Orleans public schools. Before Katrina, the school …
Louisiana State LegislatureCharter School AdvocatesRight-Wing Think TanksNew Orleans School Boardsystematic-corruptioninstitutional-captureeducation-privatizationcharter-schoolsregulatory-capture
The Supreme Court unanimously held the plaintiffs lacked Article III standing to challenge FDA’s 2016/2021 actions on mifepristone, leaving the agency’s changes in place. Justice Kavanaugh delivered the opinion, with the Court finding that the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine failed to …
Supreme Court of the United StatesFood and Drug Administration (FDA)administrative-lawcourtsstandingsupreme-courtabortion-rights
Flock Safety’s automated license plate recognition network reaches unprecedented scale, with more than 5,000 law enforcement departments across the United States using interconnected cameras that perform over 20 billion scans of vehicles every month. The company now operates in more than 5,000 …
Flock SafetyGarrett LangleyACLUElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)surveillancealprmass-surveillancelicense-plate-readerswarrantless-surveillance+1 more
A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former or sitting U.S. president to be convicted of crimes in American history. The unanimous verdict, delivered after less than two days of deliberation, …
Donald TrumpJuan MerchanAlvin Braggcriminal-convictionguilty-verdicthush-moneyaccountabilityhistoric
The U.S. Treasury Department published its first-ever comprehensive risk assessment of NFTs for illicit finance, determining that bad actors can exploit NFT platforms for money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. The report highlights techniques including overpaying for …
Treasury DepartmentFinCENnftmoney-launderingtreasuryrisk-assessmentfinancial-crimes+2 more
Congressional representatives, including a bipartisan group of legislators, launched a comprehensive multi-agency investigation into xAI’s Grok AI. The investigation uncovered systemic issues with algorithmic bias, content generation risks, and problematic government contracting practices. Key …
Elon MuskxAISenator Elizabeth WarrenRep. Don BaconRep. Tom Suozzi+4 moreai-governancetechnology-regulationcongressional-investigationalgorithmic-biasnational-security+1 more
Trump campaign begins accepting cryptocurrency donations in May 2024, coinciding with courting crypto industry’s $238 million in election spending, marking strategic pivot to embrace digital assets.
At the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, xAI committed to the Frontier AI Safety Commitments, agreeing to provide transparency around model capabilities, risk assessments, and potential inappropriate use cases. However, the company faced significant criticism for not fully disclosing its safety …
The Department of Justice notified Boeing and the federal court that Boeing breached its January 2021 deferred prosecution agreement by failing to maintain the required compliance and ethics program. The finding came after the January 5, 2024 Alaska Airlines door plug blowout revealed that Boeing …
Department of JusticeBoeingFederal District CourtCriminal Division Fraud Section346 crash victims' familiesboeingdojdeferred-prosecutionalaska-airlinesdoor-plug+2 more
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and self-described “fixer,” took the witness stand and delivered devastating testimony that Trump personally directed the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and approved the scheme to disguise Cohen’s …
Michael CohenDonald TrumpAllen WeisselbergJuan Merchancriminal-trialtestimonyhush-moneyaccountability
Adult film actress Stormy Daniels took the witness stand in Donald Trump’s criminal trial and delivered graphic, detailed testimony about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump that she said led to the $130,000 hush money payment at the center of the case. Her testimony offered jurors a vivid …
Steward Health Care, the Dallas-based for-profit hospital system operating 31 hospitals across eight states, declared bankruptcy in one of the most colossal failures of a hospital chain in American history. Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management and former CEO Ralph de la Torre reportedly …
Steward Health CareRalph de la TorreCerberus Capital ManagementMedical Properties TrustSenate HELP Committeehealthcarehospitalprivate-equitybankruptcypatient-harm+2 more
Kristi Noem falsely claimed in her memoir that she met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while serving in Congress. The claim was impossible as Kim did not leave North Korea until 2018, years after her claimed meeting date. After media scrutiny, Noem’s publisher removed the passage from future …
Kristi NoemKim Jong Unkristi-noemfalse-claimskim-jong-unmemoircredibility+1 more
Joshua Dean, a 45-year-old former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems who had raised safety concerns about 737 MAX manufacturing defects, died suddenly after contracting a severe MRSA infection. Dean had been in good health and was known for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, making …
Joshua DeanSpirit AeroSystemsBoeingJohn Barnettboeingspirit-aerosystemswhistleblowerjoshua-deansuspicious-death+1 more
In her memoir “No Going Back,” Kristi Noem wrote about shooting her 14-month-old dog Cricket and a goat on her ranch 20 years ago. She described Cricket as “untrainable” after the dog attacked chickens and attempted to bite her. She then shot a goat because it smelled bad and …
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, joined by the Business Roundtable, the Texas Association of Business, and the Longview Chamber of Commerce, filed a lawsuit in Tyler, Texas federal court against the FTC and Chair Lina Khan over the commission’s vote to ban noncompete clauses used to block …
U.S. Chamber of CommerceFederal Trade CommissionLina KhanBusiness Roundtableantitrustftcchamber-of-commercecorporate-lobbyinglabor-rights+2 more
On April 23, 2024, Axon released Draft One, an AI-powered system that automatically generates police report narratives from body-worn camera audio using OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo model built on Microsoft Azure infrastructure. The system transcribes audio from Axon Body 3 and 4 cameras uploaded over …
AxonOpenAIMicrosoftElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)axondraft-oneaigpt-4police-reports+8 more
The first criminal trial of a former U.S. president in American history began in Manhattan Criminal Court as jury selection commenced in the prosecution of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Judge Juan Merchan presided over the historic proceedings as prosecutors from …
Donald TrumpJuan MerchanAlvin BraggTodd BlancheSusan Nechelescriminal-trialjury-selectionhush-moneyaccountability
Trump Media begins trading under ticker DJT at $8.4 billion valuation, with Trump holding 69-78.75% of shares, creating unprecedented presidential conflict of interest through media and financial entanglement. Trading was volatile, with stock price jumping over 50% and trading briefly halted.
Donald TrumpTrump Media & Technology GroupNYSEDigital World Acquisition CorpDonald Trump Jr.truth-socialstock-marketdjt-tickerpresidential-conflictsmedia-ownership+2 more