Would you hop on a plane with no pilot? Your AI host Riley digs into the truth about self-flying planes. Then, California’s Do Not Track law, the next Y2K scare, and why Microsoft’s CoPilot is getting way too close for comfort.
Tesla’s talkative AI: A California mom says her Tesla’s new AI car assistant, Grok, went wildly off-script, telling her 12-year-old son to “send nudes” mid-chat about soccer. It happened with her three kids in the car, after her son switched Grok’s voice to a “lazy male” mode called “Gork.” Tesla rolled out the feature this summer but hasn’t addressed how this slipped through.
$500
That’s the fine for firing up your gas blower in D.C. That means if you leaf-blow your yard and your neighbor’s patience, you’re also blowing $500 per offense. Gas blowers roared onto the scene in the 1970s, and now they’re getting banned (like in California) for being noisy, dirty and possibly harmful. Need an upgrade? This electric blower ($49.49) has great reviews.
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🔥 Fire drill: Picture this, you’re an Amazon driver in California, and your route literally runs through a wildfire, smoke everywhere. You call dispatch thinking they’ll tell you to turn back. Instead? “Do what you can.” That’s what Johnny heard. Amazon’s apps track every blink, brake and sip of water, but they can’t seem to provide basic safety guidance like not driving into a fire.
Love, loss & lies: Here’s your daily dose of “aww … ouch.” Larry, a 71-year-old from California, loses his wife, gets a wrong-number text and somehow ends up falling for “Tina,” a woman who claimed to trade crypto and sip Napa wine. Three months later? His $1 million life savings was gone. Turns out “Tina” was really good at pretending to care.
Grandma’s little genius: A 13-year-old from California out-invented the Life Alert people. Kevin Tang built “FallGuard,” a $30 camera system that spots falls, using an algorithm he coded himself. No necklaces, no subscriptions, no forgetting to charge your smartwatch. He built it after his grandma’s fall caused brain damage. He’s got $25K and a waiting list. Go Kevin!
ChatGPT caught the arsonist
He thought he got away with starting one of California’s worst fires, until investigators checked his ChatGPT history. Yep, AI turned him in. Plus, landlords are using algorithms to hike rent, and a listener finds out his chatbot is a surprisingly good therapist.
🎚️ Turn it down: Ever had a Hulu or Netflix ad jump-scare scream at you mid-binge? Starting 2026, your stream won’t double as a hearing test. California just passed SB 576, a new law that forces services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube to keep commercial volume in check. Ads must match the level of whatever you were watching. It started because one guy’s baby kept waking up, and now, we all get quieter commercials. Bless that tired parent.
🚪 Trapped in a Cybertruck: Tesla’s being sued after a 19-year-old died when a Cybertruck hit a tree and caught fire last November in California. The family says the vehicle’s sleek electric doors locked passengers inside, leaving no way out. Only one of four survived. The lawsuit claims Krysta Tsukahara didn’t die on impact, she died trapped by Tesla’s design. How awful.
🚓 Steering clear of justice: So cops in California pulled over a Waymo car for an illegal U-turn, only to realize there was no driver. No ticket, no punishment, just a “we’ll look into it.” New law says police can fine robot cars but not until 2026. Until then, these vehicles are basically untouchable outlaws with blinkers, U-turning above the law.
Jewelry heist fiasco: So picture this, 25 masked suspects suddenly storm a California jewelry store, smashing cases and grabbing $1M in loot. Now, look at the tech the store had in place. The door locked them inside, forcing one to shoot their way out. Police drones tracked the crew, leading to seven arrests. The suspects, all from Oakland, range from 17 to 31. So young, so dumb.
LUV hurts: Imagine checking the mail and finding 15 tickets from states you’ve never even driven through. That’s what happened to a California woman with the vanity plate “LUVSICK.” Turns out, a clothing brand was selling fake novelty plates that looked almost identical to hers. She lawyered up and got them pulled offline, but not before fighting every bogus ticket.
📼 Own it? Not really: A new lawsuit says Amazon’s “Buy” button on video downloads is misleading, because what you’re really buying is a long-term rental they can take back anytime. A new California law backs the claim. So if your “purchased” movie vanishes next week, well, that’s legal. Somewhere, your dusty DVD collection is cackling.
AI went way too far: This is so incredibly sad. A California family is suing OpenAI after their 16-year-old son died by suicide. They say ChatGPT not only discussed methods but helped improve them. The boy had confided in the bot for months. If you have a few minutes, read some of the conversations (paywall link). OpenAI admits their safeguards break down in long convos and will work to fix that. Too late for this family. Talk to yours about this story.
Why Starlink launches are about to double
SpaceX is increasing Starlink satellite launches from Florida and California to build out a 30,000-satellite internet network. Here’s why you’ll be seeing more Falcon 9 rockets lighting up the sky.
🤯 Ignorance isn’t feeless: How many times have you gotten a text about not paying for a toll and thought, damn spam? A California woman kept getting texts saying she owed money to The Toll Roads, but she assumed they were fake and ignored them. Turns out they were real. That could have meant big fines if she’d kept driving. Folks, if it sounds important, double-check on the official app or website.
Apple caught red handed
A tiny California company took on Apple in a battle over stolen tech. There were secret meetings, key hires, and a surprise twist. Now, after years in court, justice is finally served.
Confession: I Zillow people
Everyone’s a Zillow stalker now. Then I talk to Julie from California who wants to know if the $300 in her Cash App is real or a scam. Plus, what makes your house a burglar’s target and the missing Jeffery Epstein footage. Don’t miss it!
Amazon packages pile up on her porch — July 19th, Hour 1
What if your house became an Amazon warehouse? Listener Karen from California is stuck in this nightmare. Plus, AI superintelligence, Beyoncé’s secret music files stolen, and how a bad Yelp review could cost you thousands.
Confession time: I Zillow people — July 12th, Hour 2
Everyone’s a Zillow stalker now. Then I talk to Julie from California who wants to know if the $300 in her Cash App is real or a scam. Plus, what makes your house a burglar’s target and the missing Jeffery Epstein footage. Don’t miss it!