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Bing Outage Shows Just How Little Competition Google Search Has (Maria)
The author writes, “Bing, Microsoft’s search engine platform, went down in the very early morning [yesterday].That meant that searches from Microsoft’s Edge browsers that had yet to change their default providers didn’t work. It also meant that services relying on Bing’s search API — Microsoft’s own Copilot, ChatGPT search, Yahoo, Ecosia and DuckDuckGo — similarly failed. Services were largely restored by the morning Eastern work hours, but the timing feels apt, concerning, or some combination of the two. Google, the consistently dominating search platform, just last week announced and debuted AI Overviews as a default addition to all searches.”
Trump Offers Unconvincing Reason Why He Didn’t Testify at Hush-Money Trial (Sean)
The author writes, “Last month, [Judge Juan] Merchan also issued a ruling cracking down on the topics Trump could discuss if he was to take the stand — though he declared that the other civil cases Trump has been involved in, including E. Jean Carroll’s two defamation cases and a civil fraud case brought by Letitia James, were fair game. ‘He made rulings that make it very difficult to testify,’ Trump said of Merchan. ‘Anything I did, anything I did in the past, they can bring everything up, and you know what, I’ve had a great past — but anything.’”
The State Department Says Israel Isn’t Blocking Aid. Videos Show the Opposite (Laura)
From The Intercept: “The incident is emblematic of a pattern that has played out repeatedly for months. Israelis, either vigilante extremists or state officials, block or outright attack humanitarian aid; the United States offers a milquetoast response or extends further favor to Israel; the violence continues and even ramps up. There is ample evidence of the Israeli government looking the other way as these attacks and obstructions on aid delivery play out. None of it is secret — much of it has been documented on camera and spread through social media.”
How to Stop War Profiteering (Dana)
The author writes, “A huge portion of the $95 billion aid package, which was signed by Biden on April 24, will end up benefiting a handful of enormous arms manufacturers who spend millions lobbying Congress to ensure that federal military spending continues to flow. As Biden pushes Congress to send more weapons to Ukraine and Israel, calls for greater oversight and accountability into an industry that has become synonymous with waste, fraud, and corruption have grown louder.”
‘Boiling Not Warming’: Marine Life Suffers as Thai Sea Temperatures Hit Record (Mili)
From Reuters: “Aquatic life from coral reefs to fish in Thailand’s eastern gulf coast is suffering as sea surface temperatures hit record highs this month amid a regional heatwave, worrying scientists and local communities. The once vibrant and colorful corals, about five meters (16 feet) underwater, have turned white in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching, a sign that their health was deteriorating, due to higher water temperatures, scientists say.”
New Arizona Law Targets ‘Deep Fake’ Claims About Politicians (Reader Steve)
From the Arizona Daily Star: “Legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Katie Hobbs will allow candidates who claim to be the victim of a deep fake to ask a court for a judgment saying the person in the image, video or audio is not them. And state lawmakers — who could wind up as victims — gave the measure enough votes to allow it to take effect by the end of the month, just ahead of the flood of campaign media and commercials.”
