All posts tagged: pushback

Why pushback is growing against New Jersey’s crazy e-bike law

Why pushback is growing against New Jersey’s crazy e-bike law

Published by skeptic

New Jersey’s controversial new e-bike law was pitched as a way to improve safety, but with its July 19 implementation date rapidly approaching, a growing number of riders, advocates, and even lawmakers are arguing that the state may have gone too far. A rally at the New Jersey Statehouse last week drew a large crowd of supporters calling for the law to be amended or replaced. At the center of the controversy is the fact that the legislation treats nearly every type of e-bike the same, from a 20 mph (32 km/h) pedal-assist commuter bike to the much faster electric motorcycles and e-motos that have become increasingly common on streets. The law requires all e-bikers to be licensed in the state and sets out insurance and registration requirements. The distinction between electric bicycles and e-motos is one that many of us in the e-bike industry have been making for years. While media headlines often lump everything with two wheels and a battery into the “e-bike” category, there’s a world of difference between a Class 1 …

Trump Was Not Going to Be Focus Until White House Pushback

Trump Was Not Going to Be Focus Until White House Pushback

Published by Daniella Wilson

Trey Parker and Matt Stone had only intended for one episode of South Park to focus on the show’s depiction of President Donald Trump, but the high-profile pushback led them to double down throughout the rest of the year. The co-creators of the Comedy Central program sat down with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chair and CEO Mike De Luca for a conversation during the South Park Emmy Official FYC event in Los Angeles on Tuesday. A self-proclaimed South Park super fan, De Luca chatted with the pair about last year’s seasons 27 and 28, which marked record ratings and made national headlines for the show as it took aim at President Donald Trump and his cohorts. “We were just going to do that first show with the Trump stuff,” Parker said. “We laid into him so hard, and the thing became: ‘Well, who’s the bully now?’ It became this just totally juvenile joke of like, ‘We’re not gonna stop. We’re going to do it every single week.’ Even when everyone’s like, ‘OK, guys, move …

Trump DOJ fund gets pushback in Congress

Trump DOJ fund gets pushback in Congress

Published by Sam Flores

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC on May 19, 2026. Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty Images Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is meeting with Republican senators on Thursday morning about the Department of Justice‘s controversial “lawfare” fund, as pushback grows in Congress over the idea of paying out settlements to people who attacked police during the U.S. Capitol riot in 2021. “I think it’s stupid on stilts,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Spectrum News in an interview about the $1.8 billion fund, which was created to settle an unrelated lawsuit by President Donald Trump against the Internal Revenue Service. The fund would purportedly compensate those who allege they were victims of prosecutorial overreach or worse by the DOJ during the Biden administration, which could include hundreds of people convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. “It will …

Google Moves Forward With Pentagon AI Deal Despite Employee Pushback

Google Moves Forward With Pentagon AI Deal Despite Employee Pushback

Published by skeptic

Google has reportedly signed an agreement allowing the US Department of Defense to use its AI models for classified work, despite an open letter from hundreds of employees urging the company to stay away from military uses that they say could become dangerous or impossible to oversee. The deal, reported earlier Tuesday by The Information, allows the Pentagon to use Google’s AI tools for “any lawful government purpose,” including sensitive military applications. Google joins OpenAI and xAI, which have also struck similar classified AI agreements with the Pentagon.  The reported agreement includes language stating that Google’s AI system is not intended for domestic mass surveillance or for autonomous weapons without appropriate human oversight. But it also says Google doesn’t have the right to control or veto lawful government operational decisions, according to reports. Google will also help adjust safety settings and filters at the government’s request.  A Google spokesperson told CNET in an emailed statement that the company remains committed to the position that AI shouldn’t be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons …

Prediction markets ramp up DC messaging amid lawmaker pushback 

Prediction markets ramp up DC messaging amid lawmaker pushback 

Published by Sam Flores

Prediction markets are making their presence known in Washington with eye-catching advertising and events, as the platforms face growing criticism from lawmakers concerned about insider trading and markets linked to war and death.  Kalshi launched an ad campaign in D.C. last week, with messages displayed in Metro cars, at bus stops and on the sides of buildings to counter the concerns that have plagued the site in recent months.   In bold black lettering on the… Source link

Minnesota lawmakers face pushback from social gaming industry over ban proposal

Minnesota lawmakers face pushback from social gaming industry over ban proposal

Published by skeptic

A national trade association representing companies in the social gaming business is pushing back against new legislation introduced in Minnesota that would outlaw a category of online games the industry says has operated legally in the state for years. The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, a Washington based trade group known as SGLA, released a statement Monday (March 16) criticizing Minnesota Senate File 4474 and House File 4410, two proposals that target so-called “Social Plus” titles or online sweepstakes, which the organization describes as free-to-play social games used by hundreds of thousands of Minnesota residents. Minnesota senators push bill to ban online sweepstakes casino-style games via @RWW https://t.co/mKkXTI07o1 — Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) March 16, 2026 SGLA Managing Director Sean Ostrow said the legislation would wipe out a long-standing entertainment option while failing to deal with illegal operators that run websites outside the United States. “Social Plus games are a popular form of entertainment enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and have been operating lawfully in the state for over a decade,” Ostrow said in a …

Starmer begins pushback against Trump as president threatens tariffs over Greenland | UK News

Starmer begins pushback against Trump as president threatens tariffs over Greenland | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

It’s hardly a Love Actually moment of brave UK defiance in the face of a domineering US president – but Sir Keir Starmer has clearly decided it’s time to start pushing back. Donald Trump, he has said, is “completely wrong” to slap tariffs on the UK and other European countries “for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies.” He’s not going as far as President Macron, who has pledged never to change course in the face of “intimidation or threat”. But while the PM has previously been clear about the UK’s staunch support for Denmark – he’s usually very cautious in his dealings with the mercurial president. You need javascript enabled to view this content Enable javascript to share Share David Blevins considers what Trump’s move could do to UK-US relations Starmer has invested huge political capital and personal energy in developing a personal connection with Donald Trump, despite their obvious differences. Indeed the PM’s efforts at strengthening the so-called special relationship – particularly in the service of Ukraine – have been widely seen as …

Grok’s Deepfake Capacities Modified Following Pushback

Grok’s Deepfake Capacities Modified Following Pushback

Published by Jenni Sidey

Grok, X’s AI program, came under fire when its users began creating explicit images and videos of real people. AI-generated deepfakes began to abound until finally, X took action to modify the AI bot’s capabilities. According to X’s Safety account: We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers. Additionally, image creation and the ability to edit images via the Grok account on the X platform are now only available to paid subscribers. This adds an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate Read More › Source Source link