I think I understand how to post from mastodon but pixelfed just brought in all the text as one huge, run-on title, including hashtags, etc.

Pixelfed mostly cooperates with mastodon and the fediverse but the text, titles, and captioning not working, formatting breaking is pretty signature pixelfed in any of those exchanges.

When the president of the United States decides to demolish the East Wing of the White House to construct a ballroom, all that stucco and molding and wood has to go somewhere. So I tried to find it.

I’d heard that the dirt from the East Wing demolition was being deposited three miles away, on a tree-lined island next to the Jefferson Memorial called East Potomac Park. So yesterday I drove around until I saw trucks and men in construction gear. They were congregating at an entrance to the public East Potomac Golf Links, where rounds of golf carried on as usual, except every few minutes, dump trucks entered the green.

The trucks would cut across the course to a cordoned-off site in the middle, where the grass had been torn away and replaced with piles of dirt. It did not look like much, but several employees at the site confirmed: This was not just any dirt. This was White House dirt.

My Quest to Find the East Wing Rubble

An entire part of the White House can’t just disappear.

^{Nancy Walecki (The Atlantic)}

Bluesky link to video of woman. Make sure to watch the Wheeling, IL video in the comments:

bsky.app/profile/youranoncentr…

A New Yorker dubbed “polka dot dress woman” by the internet has gone viral after footage captured her flipping double birds at a law enforcement Humvee and tussling with agents Tuesday when an ICE sweep triggered protests on Manhattan’s Canal Street.

The raid unfolded late Tuesday when agents began questioning street vendors along the busy stretch of Canal Street. Within minutes, dozens of New Yorkers surrounded the agents, shouting and blocking vehicles as tensions flared.

Video from the scene showed agents shoving protesters to the ground and threatening them with stun guns and pepper spray.

‘Polka Dot Dress Woman’ Goes Viral for Fighting Off ICE Agents in NYC

The woman, dressed in a spotted dress and wearing a leather jacket, can be seen standing in front of the ICE vehicle and later pushing one agent.

^{David Gilmour (Mediaite)}

Miller: “The tragedy is a political party and a movement that has ripped down our statues, our monuments, our holidays, our heroes, our heritage,” Miller continued, ignoring the fact that the Trump administration has itself called for the removal of statues that do not align with its version of history.

“The Republican Party under President Trump celebrates beauty again and beautification again, and just as President Trump has beautified Washington D.C., now he’s repairing, finally, an area of the White House that has been left in disrepair for decades.”

Rattled Miller Puts Up Hysterical Defense of White House Teardown

Trump’s deputy is outraged that anyone would be unimpressed by the president’s changes to the White House.

^{Catherine Bouris (The Daily Beast)}

Two AI-first browsers are redefining how we search, write, and automate online. But which one actually makes your browsing smarter — OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas or Perplexity’s Comet? Let’s find out.

🌐 The Rise of AI Browsers

For decades, browsers were passive windows — tools that showed web pages but didn’t think. That’s changing fast.

With the arrival of ChatGPT Atlas from OpenAI and Comet from Perplexity, we’ve entered the era of AI-first browsing, where your browser understands, writes, and even acts for you.

Both browsers promise to transform everyday browsing into intelligent, context-aware, and task-completing experiences. But their design philosophies couldn’t be more different.

🧠 ChatGPT Atlas: OpenAI’s Smart Companion for the Web

ChatGPT Atlas integrates ChatGPT directly into your browsing experience — not as a chatbot tab, but as a native assistant that follows you across websites, emails, and forms.

Atlas combines in-line writing help, contextual page summaries, and memory continuity, meaning it remembers what you’re doing across tabs.

✨ Key Features

🧾 Sidebar ChatGPT always available

✍️ Inline Writing Assistance in text fields and editors

🧭 Summarization & Contextual Insight for any webpage

🤖 Agent Mode (for Plus/Pro users): perform tasks and multi-step web actions

🔒 Memory & Privacy Controls for stored conversations

Best for: Writers, researchers, and productivity-focused users who already love ChatGPT and want seamless integration.

🚀 Comet: Perplexity’s Action-Driven AI Browser

Comet, from Perplexity, approaches the web differently. Instead of answering questions — it acts.

It’s designed around agentic workflows, where your queries become tasks: “Find hotels in Dubai and book the best one under $150.”

Comet’s focus is on execution, not just information. It builds on Perplexity’s trusted Q&A model but adds AI automation, background assistants, and cross-platform sync.

⚙️ Key Features

💬 Conversational Search with Citations

🧩 Agentic Workflows: execute bookings, send emails, complete online actions

🌍 Cross-Platform Chromium Base (supports Chrome extensions)

🧠 Follow-up Intelligence: suggests next steps automatically

🕶️ Privacy Modes: limits background data collection

💬 “Where Atlas summarizes the web, Comet does things on the web.”

Best for: Power users, researchers, and tech-savvy professionals who want AI to handle actions instead of just summarizing information.

✅ Pros and Cons at a Glance
💡 ChatGPT Atlas – Pros

✅ Seamless ChatGPT integration
✅ High-quality writing and summarization
✅ Safe memory and privacy settings
✅ Excellent for focus and productivity

Cons:
⚠️ Limited OS availability (macOS first)
⚠️ Heavily tied to the OpenAI ecosystem

⚙️ Comet – Pros

✅ True “do” browser – action-based AI
✅ Clean research and citation interface
✅ Works with Chrome extensions
✅ Fast-paced feature updates

Cons:
⚠️ Security risk with automated actions
⚠️ Learning curve for complex workflows

🧭 Final Verdict

Both browsers signal the future of the internet.
We’re shifting from “search and click” to “ask and accomplish.”

ChatGPT Atlas shines in stability, coherence, and writing assistance.

Comet impresses with speed, automation, and task execution.

But as of now — Atlas feels safer and more polished, while Comet feels bolder and more experimental.

If you’re curious, try both. Each offers free tiers — and both are redefining what it means to “browse the web.”

👉 Download Comet
👉 Download ChatGpt Atlas

cross-posted from: ibbit.at/post/91485

Just over nine months after President Donald Trump returned to office and pardoned his supporters who stormed the US Capitol, one of the Republican’s top aides suggested that federal law enforcement may arrest Democrats standing up to the White House’s anti-migrant agenda, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Asked about the administration’s willingness and federal authority to arrest the…

Source

---

From Truthout via this RSS feed

Stephen Miller Threatens to Arrest Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

Miller told Fox News the threat “applies to any state official, any local official” who impedes ICE’s assaults.

^{Jessica Corbett (Truthout)}

Imagine a browser that doesn’t just show you the web — it understands it.
A browser that researches, summarizes, writes, and even completes your tasks for you.
That’s Comet, the brand-new AI browser powered by Perplexity — and it’s changing the way we experience the internet.

💡 A New Kind of Browser Experience
Most browsers were built for searching. You type. You scroll. You click. You repeat.

But Comet is built for doing.
It transforms your browsing into a smart, conversational, action-driven experience. Whether you’re working, studying, shopping, or planning a trip — Comet does more than just open tabs. It gets things done.

💬 “Comet is not just a browser. It’s your AI-powered co-pilot for the web.”

🚀 Here’s Why You’ll Want to Try Comet Today
1️⃣ One Month of Pro Access — Absolutely Free
Right now, Comet is offering 1 month of Comet Pro free for every new user.
That means you get to experience all premium features — faster AI answers, deeper research, agentic actions, and full automation — at zero cost.

No hidden conditions. Just pure AI browsing magic.

2️⃣ Browse with Answers, Not Links
Ever Google something and open 10 tabs before finding the answer?
Comet fixes that. It gives you direct, cited answers instantly — powered by Perplexity AI — and lets you ask follow-up questions like a real conversation.

No more hunting through endless pages. You ask. Comet answers.

💬 “From confusion to clarity — all in one tab.”

3️⃣ Your AI Assistant That Takes Action
Comet isn’t just smart — it’s capable.
It can summarize pages, draft emails, plan itineraries, and even execute actions like bookings and online tasks (with your permission).

So instead of switching apps or copying text between tabs, Comet handles it all in one place.

4️⃣ Super Clean, Fast, and Familiar
Comet is built on Chromium, meaning it supports all your Chrome extensions and works just like Chrome — but smarter, cleaner, and faster.

It’s familiar where you want it to be, and revolutionary where it counts.

5️⃣ Privacy You Can Trust
Comet gives you full control over what’s shared or remembered.
You can switch between Normal Mode and Strict Mode, which limits AI memory and ensures safe private browsing. Your data stays yours.

6️⃣ Research Made Effortless
Students, professionals, and curious minds — you’ll love this.
Comet doesn’t just list websites. It reads, understands, and gives you condensed insights with verified citations.

Whether it’s for a research paper, business report, or travel plan — Comet saves hours of scrolling.

⚡ The Edge You Deserve in 2025
Let’s face it: the world moves fast.
AI isn’t a luxury anymore — it’s a necessity. While other browsers wait for you to act, Comet acts with you.

It’s not just about convenience. It’s about staying ahead — thinking faster, working smarter, and freeing yourself from the clutter of traditional browsing.

💬 “Comet is to Chrome what the smartphone was to the flip phone — a complete leap forward.”

🧭 Why You’ll Love It After Just One Day
✨ Pages summarized instantly
🧠 Real-time AI insights
🕹️ Control your browsing with simple commands
📘 Research without distractions
💬 Chat naturally with your browser
⚡ Super lightweight, privacy-friendly, and free for the first month
🎁 Ready to Try It? Here’s the Bonus.
Download Comet Browser today and unlock your 1-Month Free Pro Plan.
Experience what browsing feels like when your browser thinks for you.

👉 ****Download Comet Now****

cross-posted from: infosec.pub/post/36690409

This story may be characterized as Corporate Power is Protected as defined in The 14 Characteristics of Fascism

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is under intensifying scrutiny in Chicago after he was recorded on Thursday throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister at protesters, leading attorneys to accuse him of violating a temporary restraining order that bans the use of tear gas, pepper spray and other tactics against journalists and protesters unless under imminent threat.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Bovino was struck in the head by a rock thrown by "hostile and violent" protesters, though several witnesses challenged that contention.

On Friday, Bovino was ordered to appear before a federal judge on Tuesday.

Illinois officials issue orders and file lawsuits as protesters clash with immigration agents

Demonstrations have led to federal agents firing pepper balls and tear gas as protestors attempt to block access to the immigrant processing facility near Chicago.

^{Natasha Korecki (NBC News)}

There are many ways to characterize Proposition 50, the single ballot initiative that Californians will be voting on this election season.

You could say it’s about redrawing congressional district lines outside the regular once-a-decade schedule. You could say, more precisely, that it’s about counterbalancing Republican efforts to engineer congressional seats in their favor in Texas and elsewhere with a gerrymander that favors the Democrats. You could, like the measure’s detractors, call it a partisan power grab that risks undermining 15 years of careful work to make California’s congressional elections as fair and competitive as possible.

The way California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and the Democrats are selling it to voters, though, boils down to something much simpler and more visceral: it’s an invitation to raise a middle finger to Donald Trump, a president fewer than 40% of Californians voted for and many loathe – for reasons that extend far beyond his attempts at election manipulation. For that reason alone, the yes campaign believes it is cruising to an easy victory.

“There’s actually a double tease here,” said Garry South, one of California’s most experienced and most outspoken Democratic political consultants who has been cheer-leading the measure. “Trump and Texas, the state Californians love to hate. How can you lose an initiative that’s going to stick it to both?”

Strange times we're living in.

How ‘screw Trump’ messaging may help California’s Proposition 50 prevail

Republican opposition to the effort to give House Democrats more safe seats may be no match for the fact that Californians really don’t like Trump

^{Andrew Gumbel (The Guardian)}

Hey all,

I just saw that Perplexity (the AI search company) released their own browser called Comet.

Here's the main link: perplexity.ai/comet

It looks like they are pushing hard for new users. The invite I saw mentioned that you get 1 month of Perplexity Pro for free just for downloading it and asking one question.

Seems like a decent incentive to try it out.

Has anyone here actually done it? Is the browser itself any good, or is this just a gimmick to get more Pro subscribers? Wondering how it compares to using the regular Perplexity site.

Republican opposition to the effort to give House Democrats more safe seats may be no match for the fact that Californians really don’t like Trump

There are many ways to characterize Proposition 50, the single ballot initiative that Californians will be voting on this election season.

You could say it’s about redrawing congressional district lines outside the regular once-a-decade schedule. You could say, more precisely, that it’s about counterbalancing Republican efforts to engineer congressional seats in their favor in Texas and elsewhere with a gerrymander that favors the Democrats. You could, like the measure’s detractors, call it a partisan power grab that risks undermining 15 years of careful work to make California’s congressional elections as fair and competitive as possible.

The way California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and the Democrats are selling it to voters, though, boils down to something much simpler and more visceral: it’s an invitation to raise a middle finger to Donald Trump, a president fewer than 40% of Californians voted for and many loathe – for reasons that extend far beyond his attempts at election manipulation. For that reason alone, the yes campaign believes it is cruising to an easy victory.

How ‘screw Trump’ messaging may help California’s Proposition 50 prevail

^{Andrew Gumbel (The Guardian)}

Amazon strategised about keeping the public in the dark over the true extent of its datacentres’ water use, a leaked internal document reveals.

The biggest owner of datacentres in the world, Amazon dwarfs competitors Microsoft and Google and is planning a huge increase in capacity as part of a push into artificial intelligence. The Seattle firm operates hundreds of active facilities, with many more in development despite concerns over how much water is being used to cool their vast arrays of circuitry.

Amazon defends its approach and has taken steps to manage how efficient its water use is, but it has faced criticism over transparency. Microsoft and Google regularly publish figures for their water consumption, but Amazon has never publicly disclosed how much water its server farms consume.

When designing a campaign for water efficiency, the company’s cloud computing division chose to account for only a smaller water usage figure that does not include all the ways its datacentres use water so as to minimise the risk to its reputation, according to a leaked memo seen by SourceMaterial and the Guardian.

Here's something I wasn't even aware of: Amazon is in the agriculture business!

As well as choosing not to disclose water use from electricity generation, Amazon has estimated its larger “indirect” water footprint, the document shows. This extra usage, which falls under a classification known as “scope 3”, includes water for production and construction – in Amazon’s case, mostly irrigation of cotton plantations supplying its fashion brands, and vegetables for its grocery arm, Amazon Fresh.

"Plantations" has nothing but positive connotations.

Amazon strategised about keeping its datacentres’ full water use secret, leaked document shows

Executives at world’s biggest datacenter owner grappled with disclosing information about water used to help power facilities

^{Luke Barratt (The Guardian)}

https://presearch.com/

https://www.techspot.com/news/110002-ai-assistants-misrepresent-news-stories-almost-half-time.html

Hey all,

I just saw that Perplexity (the AI search company) released their own browser called Comet.

From the site, it looks like it's heavily focused on being a "Personal AI Assistant" that can organize tabs, draft emails, and even build websites.

Here's the link: perplexity.ai/comet

I'm curious if anyone has actually tried it. Is this a genuine browser competitor, or is it more of an experiment? Wondering how it compares to using an AI sidebar in a browser like Edge or Arc.

What are your thoughts?

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-seek-avoid-trade-war-escalation-salvage-trump-xi-meeting-malaysia-talks-2025-10-25/

The oil giant said requirements that companies calculate new details about greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks violate Exxon’s free speech rights.

It's not like accounting standards aren't a thing in a whole variety of businesses. But that's somehow not a violation of free speech rights.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/climate/exxon-california-lawsuit-free-speech.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wE8.lG03.DiqyykWAm7mD