The Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration criticized New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill for planning an online portal to track U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, calling it an act that "encourages violence" and "certainly looks like obstruction of justice," according to Fox News. This development comes amidst other significant news, including the appointment of an election denier to a key government position and concerns raised by AI researchers.
Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, announced the portal, stating, "We are going to be standing up a portal, so people can upload all their cell videos and alert people," adding, "If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know," as reported by Fox News. A DHS spokesperson responded to the announcement, expressing strong disapproval.
In other news, the appointment of Kurt Olsen as the director of election security in a potential second Trump administration has raised concerns. Olsen, who was previously considered a "fringe menace" for his role in spreading election denialism, is now in a position to influence election security, according to the NY Times. The FBI's recent investigation into the 2020 election results in Fulton County, Ga., was reportedly instigated by Olsen.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the country held its first election since student-led protests ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024, as reported by BBC World. Over 2,000 candidates vied for parliamentary seats, though none were from Hasina's now-banned Awami League party. The election pitted the center-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) against a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami.
In the technology sector, an AI safety researcher at Anthropic, Mrinank Sharma, resigned with a warning that the "world is in peril," according to BBC Technology. Sharma shared his concerns about AI, bioweapons, and the state of the world, stating he would pursue writing and poetry. This followed a week in which an OpenAI researcher also resigned, citing concerns about the company's decision to deploy advertisements in its chatbot.
Also, a report by the children's commissioner for England revealed that children are routinely exposed to advertisements for weight loss injections and pills online, according to BBC Technology. The report found young people were "bombarded" with ads, despite this kind of advertising being banned. Dame Rachel de Souza called the posts "immensely damaging" and called for a ban on social media advertising to children.
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