A right-wing Brazilian influencer, Eustáquio da Silva Pena Júnior, known as Júnior Pena, was arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey after declaring his support for Donald Trump and falsely claiming that migrants being rounded up were all criminals, according to The Guardian. Pena, who has reportedly lived in the U.S. since 2009, made the declaration in a recent video message to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
The arrest occurred amidst a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of social media content and its potential for misinformation. One example of this is the proliferation of AI-generated content, sometimes referred to as "AI slop," which is transforming social media and drawing a backlash, according to BBC Technology. Théodore, speaking to the BBC, described an AI-generated image of two emaciated South Asian children with beards, one missing limbs, sitting in the rain with a birthday cake, as an example of such content. The image went viral on Facebook, garnering nearly one million likes and heart emojis. "It boggled my mind. The absurd AI mad," Théodore told the BBC.
In other news, newly released files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein revealed that Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, appeared at least 2,200 times in the documents, according to Wired. The files showed that Thiel met with Epstein several times between 2014 and 2017, even after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for solicitation of prostitution and of procurement of minors to engage in prostitution. The documents demonstrated how Epstein cultivated an extensive network of wealthy and influential figures in Silicon Valley.
Meanwhile, in the world of sports, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye found himself answering questions about his wife, Ann Michaels, and her viral TikTok baking recipes during Super Bowl media availabilities, according to Fox News. Maye, in his second NFL season, was asked to rank four of his wife's recipes, which have gained attention throughout the season.
Finally, tensions surrounding Arctic sovereignty resurfaced as Trump's past threats regarding Greenland opened old wounds for Inuit across the Arctic, reported The Guardian. In Nunavut, Canada, approximately 70 people marched in solidarity with Greenland, holding signs that read: "We stand with Greenland" and "Greenland is a partner, not a purchase." The demonstration highlighted how the idea of the U.S. taking control of the Arctic island is a reminder of a troubling imperial past for Indigenous peoples.
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