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Jacksonville business owner arrested by ALE
A Jacksonville business owner is facing felony charges following a multi-month investigation by the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.
Trump, in July 4 speech, says he ‘wasn’t treated that well’ despite American right to equal justice
President Trump on Saturday said in his Fourth of July speech on the National Mall that he “wasn’t treated that well” in a reference to his legal battles and felony conviction as …
Markquese Bell arrested, Cowboys safety facing drug possession charges
Cowboys safety Markquese Bell was arrested on both felony and misdemeanor drug charges. Here's what to know about his arrest.
Brenda Alexander has the latest in entertainment headlines:
Are Kim K & Lewis Hamilton dating? Lil Nas X may have caught a break in his felony assault case, and Stephen Colbert's replacement has been announced.
After felony conviction, Bobby George sues Statehouse leaders for rescinding grant money
A well-known family in Cleveland is suing Ohio Statehouse leaders after the politicians rescinded grant funding.
WECT INVESTIGATES: Hampstead business owner faces felony charge, state investigation
A Hampstead pool contractor faces a felony charge after accusations of taking customers' money and not finishing projects.
Rapid City man arrested after rock thrown through business window on St. Patrick Street
Rapid City police arrested Dominic High Hawk, 28, on felony vandalism after surveillance video allegedly showed him breaking a business window Oct. 5.
Lil Nas X gets mental health diversion in police battery case
Lil Nas X, who was arrested last August, reportedly will enter a two-year mental health diversion program in the latest step to potentially resolve a felony battery case.
Comedian Carlos Mencia arrested on 12 tax-related felony charges in Los Angeles
'Mind of Mencia' star Carlos Mencia is accused of being 'one of California's biggest tax scofflaws,' after allegedly failing to report over $8 million in income.
Metro Detroit business owner faces felony charges over theft of funds and fraud
Prosecutors Examined Firm With Tie to Judge in Trump Hush Money Trial
The U.S. attorney in Chicago subpoenaed a fund-raising firm that had been co-owned by the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who conducted the trial that led to Donald Trump’s felony conviction.
Milwaukee County judge weighs in on rising mental health felony cases
Investigative reporting found that mental competency evaluations in felony cases have roughly doubled since 2013, straining resources for the state criminal justice system.
LCSO arrests former Silver Springs business owners on 13 felony counts
Joshua Quinton Carradine, 49, and Angela Bell Carradine, 61, were booked Oct. 7 into the Lyon County jail, each facing 13 felony counts.
Cypress business owner charged with felony water pollution, authorities say
Detectives said the Cypress company, which power washes dump-truck engines, was dumping contaminated wastewater into a drainage ditch that eventually leads all the way to the Gulf.
Moorhead business owner defiant in face of 24 felony charges alleging tax crimes, SNAP benefits fraud
Her taxable income ranged from a low of $19,430 in 2019 to a high of $243,618 in 2024. Yet, she reported zero income.
Business owner facing felony charges, fines for alleged illegal tire dumping
Investigators say the accused man dumped nearly a thousand tires in an empty lot, and hundreds more on private property.
Man, woman accused of stealing $200,000 from York County business
A man and woman face felony charges after being accused of stealing more than $200,000 from a York County business.
Smoking pot near a Louisiana campus could become a felony: ‘Ever been to an LSU football game?’
Louisiana could soon make it a felony to smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of any school or college campus in Louisiana as some state leaders say people are flagrantly violating drug laws at college football games.
Two men jailed after vehicle stolen from business
Two men pleaded not guilty to felony charges after Warren police say they broke into a business and stole a car.
‘Jeopardy’ champ pleads guilty to 2 felony charges after planting secret cameras in rental property
Two-time ‘Jeopardy’ champ Philip Joseph DeSena pleaded guilty to two counts of felony secret peeping after planting hidden cameras in a rental property’s bedroom and bathroom for ‘sexual gratification.’
The Immigration Politics of a Felon’s Pardon
How far will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul go to keep immigrant criminals in this country? So far, she’ll even pardon a man convicted of an aggravated felony, if that’s what it takes to prevent the United States Supreme Court from setting a restrictionist precedent. Keisy Guerrero Mariano is a Dominican who spent two years
Cleaning business owner accused of repeatedly stealing and pawning clients’ jewelry
Polk County cleaning business owner arrested for stealing and pawning jewelry from clients' homes. Multiple felony charges filed.
Laurel police charge man with hiding camera in business bathroom
The man was charged with two counts of violation of privacy, felony charges, following his arrest.
Sports referees say they're scared, want more legal protection
To provide sports officials another layer of protection, the legislature is considering a bill that would make it a felony to assault referees.
NE Houston steel business charged for improperly storing hazardous materials that leaked: Records
A steel business in northeast Houston is facing felony charges tied to alleged chemical spills, according to records.
Palatine man charged in early morning business burglary
A Palatine man is facing felony charges after police say he broke into a business in the early morning hours and stole items.
Beaumont City Treasurer Faces Multiple Charges Related To Motel Business
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office last week charged Beaumont City Treasurer Anup Giresh “AJ” Patel with six felony counts related to the motel business he operates in the city.
Comedian Carlos Mencia faces 12 felony charges
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges at a news conference
Arrest report details child porn allegations against UF Health doctor
An investigation that began with a cyber tip led authorities to arrest UF Health doctor Chintan Shah on felony child sexual abuse material charges.
Jasmine Crockett confirms member of her security team killed by Dallas police
She said the man, Diamon Robinson, had gone by a different name during his employment. Police said he had "multiple felony warrants" and a parole violation warrant.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
‘Disgusting and vile’: Locals react to arrest of Tampa business owner on AI child porn charges
A Tampa business owner is behind bars facing more than 100 felony charges. He’s accused of making child pornography using Artificial Intelligence.
Rashee Rice: Jail time was "learning experience" and "reality check"
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice had an unexpected 30-day offseason jail stint, due to a positive THC test while on probation for felony charges arising from a 2024 street-racing incident.
Bomb-making supplies seized from West Allis business; Milwaukee man charged
A Milwaukee man faces a felony charge after police say they found materials to assemble multiple improvised explosive devices at his workplace.
Rochester business owner fights July 4 arrest charges: 'I was targeted'
Doug Robbins disputes Rochester police claims that led to his July 4 arrest, saying he was targeted and plans to fight felony riot and other charges.
Trump election fraud crackdown lands first arrest, putting longtime critics in White House crosshairs
A Honduran national in Los Angeles faces felony charges and deportation after allegedly registering to vote, as officials promise more arrests to come.
Iowa politics: Gov. Reynolds to sign animal cruelty bill into law Monday
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will sign a bill making animal torture a felony, a move supporters say strengthens protections and increases penalties for the most severe cases of abuse.
Rams news: No felony charges, potential breakout player and more
Some stories about the NFC West rival LA Rams from the last week for Arizona Cardinals fans to know.
Andrew Gillum arrested on drug charges in Alabama, could face prison time
He faces 3 counts, including a felony.
Deli manager stole $92K from Chicago-area business: police
A deli manager at a suburban Chicago business has been charged with felony theft after allegedly stealing over $92,000 by voiding cash transactions.
Fired deputy behavioral health commissioner charged with felony theft in tuition scheme
A former deputy commissioner of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration is accused of stealing from her previous employer, a nonprofit that helps foster children
Suspect fleeing officers crashes into Pittsburgh business & gets away on foot, police say
The man was wanted on felony charges of robbery and domestic violence.
Pacific Beach boardwalk-driving suspect ignites mental health diversion debate
San Diego County judges granted mental health diversion in over three hundred felony cases in 2025, and suspects reoffended in more than a quarter of those cases.
Suwanee health provider charged with Medicaid theft
A Suwanee behavioral health provider faces 31 felony counts after state prosecutors accused her of stealing more than $40,000 from Georgia Medicaid while traveling out of state.
SoCal business owner allegedly hid cameras in bathroom
The owner of Young's Automotive in Covina was arrested and booked on multiple felony charges, authorities said.
Business owner sells family’s vintage Pokémon cards for personal profit, police say
A business owner is facing felony charges after police said he took a family's vintage Pokémon card collection and sold them for his own profit.
Suspect flees on foot after crashing into Pittsburgh business during police pursuit
A suspect with felony warrants is wanted after Pittsburgh police say he fled from officers, crashed into a business, and escaped on foot.
One arrested, another cited in shoplifting incident at business on East Avenue in Chico
CHICO, Calif. - A Paradise man was arrested and a Forbestown woman was cited by Chico Police in connection to a shoplifting incident at a business in Chico.The Chico Police Department says that at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, a loss prevention employee observed two suspects stealing several items from a retail business on the 700 block of East Avenue in Chico.Upon exiting the building, the two suspects, a man and a woman, were contacted by the loss prevention employee regarding the stolen items. The employee was able to persuade both suspects to return to the store and hand over the items they had stolen.Authorities say the business expressed their desire to press charges against the suspects and contacted Chico Police to report the crime.Officers reviewed video surveillance that confirmed the employee's account of what happened. Officers then made arraignment for both suspects to turn themselves in the following day.When the suspects, identified as 51-year-old Jamie Leal of Forbestown and 62-year-old Melvin Royal of Paradise, arrived the next day to turn themselves in, authorities say both admitted to their involvement in the incident and elected to write handwritten apology letters to the business.Leal was cited by Chico Police on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.Royal was taken into custody and transported to the Butte County Jail, where he was booked on the following charges:Shoplifting with 2+ priors (felony)Shoplifting (misdemeanor) googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1514992'); });
Lindsey Buckingham's Alleged Stalker to Undergo Mental Health Exam
Lindsey Buckingham's alleged stalker had her felony case suspended and will undergo a mental health exam to determine her suitability to stand trial.
Former Trump aides plead not guilty to Wisconsin fake elector felony charges
Jim Troupis, a former judge who was Trump’s Wisconsin campaign attorney, Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, and Ken Chesebro, a former Trump legal adviser, all entered the pleas in Dane County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Judge Releases 1999 Murder Defendant Amid Health Issues
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt granted a homicide defendant’s unopposed motion for release on Sept. 11. George Mudd, 72, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder, with aggravating factors of being especially heinous or cruel while committing or attempting to commit a robbery. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the […]
Grand jury indicted ex-Idaho health official on felony misuse of funds. A judge dropped the case.
The first criminal charges, now dismissed, emerged from a yearslong investigation launched by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador.
Asheville wellness business owner accused of illegally prescribing GLP-1 drug
The owner of an Asheville wellness business is facing 10 felony charges after investigators accused her of diagnosing clients without a medical license in N.C.
Rice Man Faces Felony Charges Over Unpaid Business Taxes
(KNSI) - A Rice man has been charged with 22 felony counts after state investigators say he failed to file or ...
Ex of “Bad Boys” actress Theresa Randle claims she broke into his home, assaulted him
Randle was previously detained on suspicion of felony domestic violence in March.
Former DraftKings trader charged in Fresno State hoops betting plot
A former DraftKings sportsbook employee faces felony charges related to a betting scheme involving a Fresno State basketball player who allegedly manipulated his performance in a 2025 game, according to law enforcement records.
Hockessin business owner out on bail after vehicular homicide charges
Kevin Keating has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, and causing a deadly accident, all felony offenses.
Naples woman arrested; accused of running unlicensed massage business
Huiping was charged with practicing a health profession without a license, a third-degree felony, and failing to maintain or provide a customer log, a misdemeanor.
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
‘Home Improvement’ star Zachery Ty Bryan sentenced to 16 months in prison after string of legal woes
"Home Improvement" actor Zachery Ty Bryan has been sentenced to 16 months in jail after pleading guilty to felony DUI charges in California.
Licensed clinical mental health counselor says trauma follows children for years
A father and stepmother are facing several felony charges after they reportedly locked two children in rooms, and physically abused and humiliated them as punis
Kenner woman accused of running illegal auto title business booked on 51 felony counts
Investigators said the business collected more than $100,000 through unauthorized services between 2024 and 2026 alone.
Florida woman charged in $330K fraud case targeting Hanover business’ bank account
A 41-year-old Florida woman is facing felony charges in “an elaborate computer fraud scheme” that left a Hanover County business out $330,000.
Comic Carlos Mencia arrested on suspicion of felony tax evasion
Comedian Carlos Mencia, who broke out in the early 2000s with his Comedy Central series 'Mind of Mencia,' was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles on suspicion of a dozen felony tax evasion counts.
Rapper Rick Ross arrested on domestic violence strangulation charge
Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami on two counts of felony battery, including one by strangulation, which allegedly involve domestic violence. The "Hustlin'" rapper, 50, was arrested around 6
Altoona business owner accused of fraud
The owner and operator of Tipton Construction in Altoona was taken into custody Wednesday for allegedly committing a string of home improvement frauds. John Bailey Tipton II, 44, was arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones on seven felony counts of making a false statement to induce agreement for home improvement services, five […]
Los Retros frontman Mauri Tapia charged with unlawful acts on a child
Mauri Tapia, frontman of SoCal indie rock act Los Retros, has been charged with four felony counts of unlawful acts with a child under 10.
Missy Woods sentenced Tuesday
The former high-profile CBI analyst got a decade in prison on four counts A Jefferson County district court judge on Tuesday sentenced a disgraced former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA analyst to a decade in prison. Jefferson County District Judge Andrew Poland sentenced Yvonne “Missy” Woods to 10 years on the most serious felony charge, […]
FBI agents and analysts who were fired for working on Trump classified files probe sue to get their jobs back
The investigation resulted in a dramatic 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago that recovered classified records and later produced an indictment in federal court in Florida charging then-former President Donald Trump with dozens of felony counts.
A Tennessee man was jailed over his Charlie Kirk social media comments. Now he's won a $835,000 settlement
The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October.
Rapper Rick Ross arrested on domestic violence battery charge
Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami on two counts of felony battery, including one by strangulation, which allegedly involve domestic violence. The "Hustlin'" rapper, 50, was arrested around 5
Fourth suspect arrested in April shooting at Howard Street business
Evanston police have arrested a fourth man in connection with the April 21 shooting at Howard Street and Custer Avenue. He is now charged with a felony
Catalina Island business owner ordered to pay $1.5 million in unpaid wages to restaurant and hotel staff
Yueh Mei Tucey pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of filing false and fraudulent returns, six felony counts of failure to pay taxes and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wage theft.
Charges dismissed against California woman accused of poisoning radiologist
A grand jury previously indicted dermatologist Emily Yu, MD, PhD, in 2023, charging her with four felony counts for allegedly poisoning her former husband with Drano.
Sheriff's Office investigates Chelsea business felony theft
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) is searching for the culprit of a felony theft involving a Chelsea business.
Ex-Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez plans guilty plea to charges stemming from fight outside hotel
Sanchez faces a felony battery charge, along with three misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking.
Lil Nas X Granted Mental Health Diversion in LAPD Battery Case
Lil Nas X had will see his felony police battery charges dismissed if he completes a two-year mental health diversion program, a judge said Monday.
Selma Blair charged with 2 felonies after allegedly kicking officer, nurse
Selma Blair has been charged with two counts of felony second-degree assault, following an incident on a plane in New York City.
Dyersburg gunfire investigation leads to drug arrest at South Main Avenue business
Dyersburg police arrested a local businessman on felony reckless endangerment and drug charges following an investigation into a Sept. 24 shooting involving two vehicles.
Former USC student facing felony charges seeks mental health diversion
The suspect was charged with assault involving a deadly weapon, after allegedly striking a USC professor in the face with a water bottle back in 2024.
After councilman was stomped on sidewalk, Alabama bill would make assaulting politicians a felony
The bill follows the assault of Bay Minette City Councilman Matt Franklin by attorney Harry Still.
Suspect Arrested After Crashing into Business, Breaking into Home
A suspect is facing multiple felony charges after crashing a vehicle into a Southeast Portland business, fleeing the scene, and breaking into a nearby home.
The politics and possibilities of ‘AI could kill us all’
I found myself fielding a lot of questions from folks who don’t usually talk much about AI this week. They were mostly along the lines of “do you think AI is going to kill us all?” or “how worried should I be about this human extinction stuff?” Motivating this wave of existential anxiety was the highly dramatic resignation of now-former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who quit his job while publicly sharing his concerns about safety practices at the leading AI companies. More specifically, he declared that almost everyone at OpenAI and Anthropic, the leading AI labs, believes that there’s a decent chance the AI systems they’re producing could “kill us all” by the end of the decade, and the companies aren’t “acting responsibly.” Other AI safety researchers, including those still employed at Anthropic and OpenAI, all confirmed that yes, Coxon is correct, they’re all worried that their company’s products might prove fatal for the entire human race as well. Two more AI employees quit and joined the chorus. Now, the warning shot has been covered everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Fox News to WIRED to the Guardian. I understand why all this sounds scary, but my response to those who have asked, has generally been: No, you don’t need to worry that AI will kill go rogue and kill us all. But that does not mean we shouldn’t worry, period. Far from it. The companies building AI products are now among the wealthiest and most powerful entities in the world. And they very much are building enormous engines of mass surveillance, extraction, and automation. They can and have allowed their AI systems to carry out felony hacks of other companies, provided the government with autonomously generated kill lists, and sold enterprise technology to firms around the world that is explicitly intended to replace jobs. But “AI” has done these things not because they have all-powerful minds of their own but, ultimately, because people have programmed, calibrated, and directed them to. In other words, it’s not AI we need to worry the most about. It’s the people and corporations working to profit from and gain power by deploying it. The technology is sophisticated, sure, and, especially in cybersecurity contexts, potentially disruptive to plenty of existing systems. But if we want to stop this predatory, profiteering, and extractive form of AI—and it’s worth noting that at this point, most people do—we absolutely can. A quick note/plea: I can only do all of this with the support of readers like you, so if you find value in independent, critical tech journalism and analysis, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I want to keep as much of this un-paywalled as absolutely possible, and I need your support to do so. Many thanks to all who continue to chip in, it’s very much appreciated. Onward. Subscribe First, some context: AI industry folks like Coxon have been discussing the prospect that AI will destroy humanity for years. Even before the beginning of the AI boom, many working in the industry, from the executive staff to the rank and file researchers, have obsessed over ‘x-risk’, or the possibility that AI will become sentient or semi-sentient and move one way or another to exterminate humanity. This is ostensibly why Elon Musk bankrolled OpenAI in the first place, and is the grounds for his lawsuit alleging OpenAI betrayed its charter by abandoning its nonprofit status to become a commercial enterprise. Many AI engineers and startup founders have calculated their own personal p(doom), or the probability that the tech product they are working on will initiate an actual humanity-extinguishing apocalypse. 10-25% p(doom)s are pretty common. (I wrote about a long weekend I spent among these folks at one of their top conferences here, to give you an idea of their ideas and belief systems.) Sam Altman himself drove the narrative of the imminent rise of a super-powerful AI, or artificial general intelligence, to prominence by declaring that the technology he was building posed an existential risk to humanity. This idea is in other words baked into the DNA of modern AI companies and into the products they engineer. It’s also why the industry is routinely accused, by myself and others, of “doom marketing,” ie, using such proclamations and framings to impart the sheer power of the technology behind your product onto investors, partners, consumers, and the state. Some ambient understanding of this tendency may have helped prevent the press from repeating the claim every time one of the x-risk folks made it over the years, including when they quit their jobs at AI companies while doing so. Yet Coxon’s AI x-risk alarm has broken containment, as they say, and has exposed the idea to the mainstream media once again. This has happened, I think, for a number of reasons. First, when AI CEOs were going around saying AI might kill everyone in 2023, their companies were well-capitalized, but not nearly to the extent they are today. They were more easily dismissed as eccentric geeks of the sort that Silicon Valley is supposed to produce. Now, not only do their products have much greater market saturation, but people are more aware of a) the often unethical ways the executives and companies comport themselves b) the other adverse impacts of AI that have already arrived, and c) the physical cost of building these systems, particularly when it comes to data centers. Finally, toss in the constant stream of headlines in 2026 about AI models going rogue or potentially upending the world’s infrastructure. [ ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) [ With the backlash to data centers, Flock and AI glasses, a mass opposition to big tech is underway. Silicon Valley is in denial. ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) Brian Merchant · Aug 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) As a result, general sentiment was already overwhelmingly skeptical of AI and its overlords, so the table was pretty well set for someone to come along and say ‘just a reminder, the companies that are building the product that promises to take your job and leave a data center in your neighborhood also think that it might exterminate the human race’ and get a strong reaction from the media and the public. The question is: Should we understand this stuff as hype, strategically fanned to feed already swelling valuations? Is it doom marketing? Genuine cause for alarm that the infrastructure that undergirds modern life is facing a novel threat vector? Or reason to be sincerely worried that AI companies are amassing too much power, and that their products are genuinely dangerous? The answer, I’m afraid, is “yes.” Let me try to untangle all of this a bit, because arguments over how to navigate this moment are extremely heated right now, as they are essentially arguments over how to approach the politics of AI at a moment where there may be a unique opening for action. Those sympathetic to AI alignment concerns and x risk arguments—which increasingly includes a faction on the left who want to shut down AI over safety concerns—argue that people who dismiss AI as all hype have their heads in the sand. Meanwhile, critics of the x-risk narrative—which I might note includes a cadre of investors and tech folks on the right, too—argue that it is hype and can be used to further inflate valuations or for pursuing regulatory capture. The challenge is that many feel that dismissing AI as just hype or purely marketing also diminishes the urgency of taking on the AI industry as the novel and threat to labor, civil society, and the public sphere it is; others that by accepting the industry’s own terms, we imbue it with undue power and enable it. But let’s be clear: Declarations that AI is so powerful it might end the world are a kind of marketing, and anyone who says otherwise is just as off base as those who say that’s all that it is. If you don’t think that these sub-trillion dollar companies have higher-ups who noticed that when their founders talked about super-powerful dangerous AI they got spikes in media interest and phone calls from investors, or that those founders didn’t notice that themselves, and lean into certain narratives to advantage their products, then I don’t know what to tell you. Not all marketing is a Pepsi ad campaign with a celebrity spokesperson. Yet confronting the AI industry should certainly be considered an urgent project. Do I share the x-riskers’ fear that out-of-control, super-intelligent AI agents might end the world? I do not. I’ve read a good deal of AI extinction literature over the last couple of years and I have not come across a credible, step-by-step documentation of how exactly AI might move from self-recursively improving AI to killing every single human on the planet. Most of what I’ve read seems predicated on a sort of reverse Ian Malcolmian logic: Eventually, it becomes smart enough and AI, uh, finds a way (to exterminate humanity). Are the AI companies also overstating and dramatizing what their products can do? Yes, pretty much all the time. They’re in a knife fight for market share and are trying to win customers and government contracts before their investors come knocking. And yet. They have concentrated enormous amounts of compute, have extensive data collection and surveillance capacities, have inserted themselves into the state in numerous capacities, including military kill chains, and they are being run by egomaniacal billionaires who are rushing to monopolize an entire new market. The way I think about their most recent frightening-seeming exploits is not as a “swarm of rogue AI agents building a new civilization” or whatever, but as corporations with a hitherto-unimaginable amount of compute at their disposal recklessly experimenting with automation programs, completely unafraid of any repercussions because we have been unwilling or unable to impose any on them. So I think we should welcome any newfound imperative to hold them accountable. I also think that ultimately, the AI critics, Pause AI folks, leftists, doomers, effective altruists, and, honestly, most of the public, want a lot of the same things: legitimate checks and limits on AI companies’ power, actual transparency into what the companies are doing, and for more of AI to be under public control. (Ultimately, a lot of what animates the x-risk fears are rooted in just that: a fear of losing control.) How we move towards all this, exactly, is the question of the day, and while there’s much to be argued over in terms of building a viable political platform to challenge the AI industry’s power, I do want to cast a vote against one particular approach. Not to pick on Chris here, as there are a lot of folks out there proposing stuff like this, and the policy ideas actually stem from AI safety groups. But not only would this be challenging to land politically (I can already hear the ‘China will beat us to AGI’ calls) and all but unworkable in practice, this approach is a) far too limiting, b) fails to address the current harms caused by AI and c) would likely only wind up serving Anthropic and OpenAI; it’s what regulatory capture looks like in action. Full model transparency is the floor for what should be on offer here. If these companies believe their products will kill us, the very least we deserve is to know how. It’s in the public interest. I would also argue we might get a lot of the way to stopping any currently envisioned robot apocalypse simply by forcing AI companies to assume liability, and to submit to the full brunt of the law. If Sam Altman were liable to be charged with a felony for approving the hack on Hugging Face1, if Google was forced to pay defamation fines each time it published a false and injurious AI Overviews, these companies might suddenly find cause to restrain their models’ output, and we might hear less about rogue AI. We would need to introduce new frameworks and available tools for tracking automated lawbreaking, to be sure, but I’d wager that little would frighten the AI companies more than actually being held accountable for what their products enable. To that end, Illinois has passed an AI liability law, which the industry fought tooth and nail, and Florida is considering one. The next steps would be towards moving AI under public control; again, it’s only reasonable, since everyone, not just AI insiders, should get a say over how a technology whose developers say might kill us is developed and deployed. Dismantling the whole industrial project as currently structured should be on the table, too, pending democratic input. But that’s for another post. For now, suffice to say that while I won’t be losing any sleep about an AI-enabled extinction event, Mr. Coxon and co. have given us an opportunity to underscore the urgency of the clear and present damage AI companies are doing, the extreme power they wield and the extent to which they hold themselves unaccountable, and the abundance of political capital there is out there for taking them on. Subscribe 1 Purely speculative! I do not know if he did or not.
Ex-NC State sports medicine director arrested after indictment
Former NC State sports medicine director Robert Michael Murphy was arrested Wednesday evening after a grand jury indicted him last week on multiple felony and misdemeanor counts involving the sexual abuse of male student-athletes he had treated.
Clavicular charged with rape, drugging in Massachusetts
Clavicular, the social media influencer known for his looksmaxxing content, faces two felony charges for drugging and rape.
Former MHS business instructor pleads guilty to embezzlement from teachers union
A former Marshalltown High School (MHS) business instructor who was arrested last year for embezzling over $10,000 from the Marshalltown Education Association (MEA) has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of felony first-degree theft as she was originally charged, according to court records. Prosecutors in the case have recommended that Rachel Nelson-Loupee, 49, […]
How prosecutors say Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa obtained $50,000 for family businesses
Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa faces felony charges after allegedly misusing a small business grant program.
Appeals court rejects Peter Navarro’s push to overturn his conviction over January 6 subpoena
A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro’s attempt to overturn his contempt of Congress felony conviction.
The Other Cardenas In Politics
Two years ago, a powerful Democratic political consultant named Jesus Cardenas abruptly vanished from public life. He pleaded guilty to two felony fraud counts, shuttered his political consulting business and […]
ICE agent accused of shooting a man and lying about it arrested in Minnesota
An ICE agent accused of shooting a man during an immigration crackdown was arrested Thursday in Minnesota, where he made his first appearance in court on charges of felony assault.
Judge orders mental health evaluation for man found with gun at Trump golf course in LA
Judge ruled Jeanine John Taele, discovered with firearm days before Trump visit, was unfit to face felony charge
River City Science Academy teacher arrested, accused ‘grooming’ student using messages on Canva app
A River City Science Academy teacher was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony counts alleging he solicited a romantic relationship with a student and unlawfully used a communication device, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
Former SPASH science teacher charged with possessing child pornography
USA TODAY NETWORK STEVENS POINT – A former Stevens Point Area Public School District teacher was charged June 24 with 10 felony counts of possession of
Dead cats, abandoned animals found inside grooming business; owner wanted by police
An Alabama woman is wanted by police on felony animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered several dead cats and abandoned live animals inside her grooming business.
Felony Theft Charges Filed Against Landscaping Business Owner, Investigators Seek Additional Information - Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office
GOLDEN, Colo. (July 27, 2026) --The First Judicial District Attorney's Office has filed two felony theft charges against Ulises Tajonar Diaz, 32, alleging he received more than $32,000 in deposits from two Jefferson County homeowners for landscaping projects that were never started. Diaz advertised and operated landscaping businesses across the metro area under the names My Son’s Landscape and My Son’s Landscape Group LLC.
Daniel McCarthy: The immigration politics of a felon’s pardon
How far will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul go to keep immigrant criminals in this country? So far, she’ll even pardon a man convicted of an aggravated felony, if that’s what it takes to prevent the United States Supreme Court from setting a restrictionist precedent. Keisy Guerrero Mariano is a Dominican who spent two years […]
WATCH: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announces felony charge related to Reflecting Pool
A former Olympian was indicted Thursday on a felony charge in what President Donald Trump has called vandalism of the Reflecting Pool.
'Lifestyle analysis' found Moorhead business owner hid income while collecting SNAP
A Minnesota business owner is facing several felony charges after investigators say she filed false tax returns while fraudulently receiving SNAP benefits.
Man arrested for Miami Beach business burglaries, police say
A 57-year-old man is facing felony charges after police said he was responsible for two restaurant burglaries in Miami Beach, including one covered by Local 10 News.