US Government Shutdown: Blame Game, AI Actors, and Taliban Internet Blackout

US Government Shutdown and Blame Game

• 📰 The American press is covering the US government shutdown, with many focusing on the blame game between Republicans and Democrats.
• 📊 A poll indicates that 38% of Americans blame Republicans, 31% blame both parties, and 27% blame Democrats for the shutdown.
• 📢 Political stunts and attention-grabbing props, including fight over charts, posters, and shouting, are being used by both parties to get their messages across.
• ⚠️ An NPR article highlights that the Trump administration is using taxpayer dollars to display messages blaming Democrats, potentially violating federal ethics laws.
• 📈 An opinion piece suggests that Washington's obsession with claiming victory during the shutdown is pointless, as no party will enhance its image, and voters may not remember it by the next election.
• 🎯 The Atlantic reports on Trump's plan to hollow out the federal workforce, potentially using the government shutdown as a means for mass firings.

Taliban Internet Shutdown in Afghanistan

• 🌍 The Taliban have shut down the internet in Afghanistan, paralyzing the country with grounded flights, closed businesses, and limited emergency services.
• 🚫 This shutdown could help the Taliban stay in power but may also deepen public frustration with the regime.
• 🚺 The internet was a crucial lifeline for women and girls, compensating for restrictions on education, work, and public spaces, and its shutdown further isolates them.
• 🗣️ An Afghan journalist describes the internet shutdown as a calculated move to consolidate power and silence dissent, leaving millions isolated and voiceless.

AI in the Entertainment Industry

• 🤖 An AI-generated actress named Tilly Norwood is making waves in the film industry, with her creators receiving interest from talent agencies.
• 🎬 Tilly Norwood stars in "AI Commissioner," an AI-generated comedy sketch video that has gone viral online.
• 😟 Hollywood unions and actors are angered by this development, raising concerns about the future of the film industry.
• 🤔 An opinion piece questions how scared people should be of viral AI actors, noting that while worrying, current AI actors are seen as "pointlessly creepy and relentlessly unfunny."
• 💡 The power ultimately lies with viewers, and AI actors will only survive if humans are willing to pay to be unsettled by them.

Autonomous Vehicle Incident

• 🚗 Police in California stopped a car for an illegal U-turn, only to discover there was no one behind the wheel.
• 👮 Officers were unable to issue a ticket because there was no category for "robot" on the citation forms.