Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The Internet Archive has lost its appeal in a fight to lend out scanned ebooks without the approval of publishers. In a decision on Wednesday, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that permitting the Internet Archive’s digital library would “allow for widescale copying that deprives creators of compensation and diminishes the incentive to produce new works.” The decision is another blow to the nonprofit in the Hachette v. Internet Archive case. In 2020, four major publishers — Hachette, Penguin Random House, Wiley, and HarperCollins — sued the Internet Archive over claims its digital library constitutes “willful digital piracy on an industrial scale.” The Internet Archive has long offered a system called the Open Library, where... Continue reading…

Despite Kamala Harris never winning a single state's presidential primary or caucus in her political career, Amazon's Alexa voice-enabled assistant seems to have decided that voters clearly fell out of a coconut tree if they aren't yet feeling the Mamala vibes of our brat summer. Several social media videos that have gone viral this week depict Alexa users recording their device as it tells them they should support -- guess who? -- Kamala Harris over Donald Trump this November. Or, rather, Alexa did, before Amazon quickly pushed out a software fix that blamed the presidential preference on a pesky "error" (you know the kind, those mysterious software bugs that always seem to point in the same ideological direction). Prior to Amazon's software fix, Alexa device owners, depending on what model they have, were getting a variety of answers to the question about which presidential candidate they should support. Generally, users started by asking Alexa why a person should vote for Donald Trump. “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate," is the response one user got. Ask it the same question about the other side, though, and Alexa has been caught rattling off Harris-Walz talking points unburdened by the Trump answer it just gave: “While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant may be that she is a strong candidate with a proven track record of accomplishment. As the first female vice president, Harris has already broken down a major gender barrier, and her career in politics has been characterized by a commitment to progressive ideals and a focus on helping disenfranchised communities.” Fox News Digital posted a video of Alexa stating in at least one case, “While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant may be that she is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.” https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1830996796765524286?t=G-ihPAKNoLeJj2mobNCgJg https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1831002228716437538 As noted above, Amazon has already addressed this ... "bug," I guess? ... and told at least one news outlet: "This was an error that was quickly fixed” (though one wonders if they're using error in the loosest sense of the term, along the lines of that Tobey Maguire "how'd that get in there?" meme). I get why people are mad. Honestly, though, this whole story is kind of stupid if you ask me. PSA: Don't ask a robot who you should vote for. Also, don't expect anything other than truthiness from your favorite tech gadget, and you'll never be disappointed. Instead, just sit back and enjoy this year's vibe-or-die election, with Trump playing his greatest hits for any podcaster who'll have him (including Lex Fridman) while Alexa is out here sounding like a campaign volunteer instead of announcing the weather and firing up my one-hit wonders from the '70s playlist on command. Don't Miss: From the Trump shooting to Kamala’s campaign, AI chatbots struggle to keep up with the news The post Amazon’s Alexa got caught trying to convince people to vote for Kamala Harris appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $35 in Amazon credits, $179 Sonos soundbar, $60 Keurig coffee maker, $99 Bose speaker, more Today’s deals: $189 Apple Watch SE, $1,000 off Sony OLED TV, $350 Dyson V8 Plus, $30 JBL earbuds, more Today’s deals: $17 myQ, $399 Apple AirPods Max, $40 Fire TV Stick 4K Max, $180 off Sonos Arc, more Today’s deals: $40 Sony headphones, $50 Ninja blender, $140 AirPods 3, $60 foldable camera drone, more

Cameron Yaste, the commanding officer of the destroyer USS John S. McCain, was relieved Friday of his duties "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer," according to the U.S. Navy.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is planning to propose a less drastic increase in the top capital gains tax rate, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The Biden administration is close to announcing it will block Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel, two sources familiar with the situation said Wednesday, amid growing bipartisan political opposition to the $14.9 billion deal.

The House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump this week issued letters to local law enforcement and local officials in Pennsylvania seeking transcribed interviews and additional documents related to the incident.

U.S. economic activity expanded more slowly from mid July through late August and businesses reported less hiring, signals that underscore why the Federal Reserve is set to lower interest rates later this month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In what is being hailed as a touching moment of family unity and political correctness, Kamala Harris’s nieces have stepped in to assist the Democratic National Committee (DNC) with the delicate task of pronouncing the names of the Black prisoners she kept for labor during her time as California’s Attorney General. As the DNC prepared to release a statement acknowledging Harris’s “commitment to justice reform” and her “unwavering dedication to maintaining a robust prison labor force,” there was concern over how to correctly pronounce the names of the thousands of inmates who were kept behind bars past their release dates. Enter Kamala’s nieces, whose impeccable pronunciation skills saved the day. “We really wanted to make sure we honored these individuals,” said DNC spokesperson Ima Wokeface. “It’s important that we show the public just how much we care about the Black community—even those who were used as, well, let’s call them ‘contributors’ to our state’s economy. Kamala’s nieces did a wonderful job guiding us through the process.” The nieces, who have become a staple at DNC events, painstakingly worked through a list of names as the committee practiced their pronunciations. “It’s not just about saying the names right,” said Kamala’s niece, Shaniqua Harris. “It’s about respecting their heritage and making sure that, even if they were exploited, their identity is fully recognized by the party that put them to work.” In a heartwarming moment during the live-streamed rehearsal, DNC Chairperson Don Keigh was heard asking for help with a particularly difficult name. “Can we get a phonetic spelling for this one? I don’t want to mess it up and offend anyone—again.” The DNC has assured the public that this effort is part of their broader campaign to show that they’ve “always been on the right side of history, even when it was the wrong side, but for the right reasons.” Kamala Harris, who is currently on the campaign trail touting her criminal justice reform platform, was deeply moved by the support from her nieces. “It’s moments like this that remind me why I do what I do,” she said in a statement. “To see my family involved in this important work, ensuring that we pronounce these names correctly—it’s just beautiful. Now, let’s continue building a system that works for everyone, especially those who are working for us.” The DNC’s statement is expected to be released alongside a new initiative: the “Say Their Names, But Quietly” campaign, which aims to further acknowledge the role of prison labor in government projects while also emphasizing that sometimes, tough decisions need to be made for the greater good. As the nation continues to grapple with the legacy of Harris’s tenure as AG, the DNC is confident that their meticulous attention to the details—like proper name pronunciation—will demonstrate their genuine commitment to the communities they claim to serve. The post HEARTFELT: Kamala’s Nieces Help DNC Pronounce Names of All the Black Prisoners She Kept for Labor appeared first on Genesius Times.

History is a complicated subject and, as such, it's difficult to say who the true "bad guy" of World War II was. Was it the fat British man with a penchant for smoking cigars? Was it the guy that looked like Charlie Chaplin? Was it.... the Jews?

ST. PAUL, MN — In a stunning development today, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's dog "Scout" has officially endorsed Donald J. Trump for president in 2024.