Concerns over privacy and foreign spying have fueled a growing debate about the safety of these popular drones already buzzing around our neighborhoods.
Automakers want to get rid of AM radio
When I was growing up, my dad worked for United Airlines, and I traveled a lot. I would always sneak a portable AM radio in my backpack, and as the plane crisscrossed the country, I would tune into various stations along the way. Never would I have imagined what that little hobby would become for me.
While FM radio listening is huge, AM radio is still massively important. When hurricanes knock FM stations off the air, AM stations are often more resilient.
AM radio is so crucial that FEMA is installing emergency studios, transmitters and generators at 77 mostly AM radio stations nationwide to maintain communications in the event of the worst (with special thanks to all ham radio operators!).
The car companies making decisions
You need to know several automakers told a Senate committee they’ll nix (or have already nixed) AM radios in all their vehicles. This includes BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Porsche and Mercedes.
Ford has since reversed its decision (at least temporarily) after considerable negative feedback. Ford says no one listens to AM radio anymore. Huh?
Know the numbers
Every day in America, at least 4,185 AM radio stations broadcast news, talk shows, sports and other important programming. AM radio draws an audience of 82.3 million people — more than one in three American radio listeners — each month.
Get this: 57% of AM radio listeners tune into news/talk stations, the very outlets that carry breaking local news. Plus, in rural areas where FM radio signals are iffy, people rely on AM to stay plugged in.
Thanks to its long broadcast range, listeners can still tune into an AM station, regardless of where they are. Think about that the next time you’re road-tripping off the grid. So, why remove AM radios?
The REAL reason
Electromagnetic interference in electric vehicles. Because the electric motors in EVs throw off harmful static, AM radio quality suffers in an EV to the point where it’s unstable and unlistenable.
Use this site to score 4 free COVID tests
With so much happening worldwide, you don’t hear as much about the spread of COVID-19 anymore. That doesn’t mean it’s not still out there. It is.
Making matters worse, fake at-home tests have been flooding the market. Aside from getting ripped off, a false reading may prevent you from seeking treatment. The FDA issued a warning on a specific at-home drug test resembling an authorized kit. Tap or click here for the warning signs an at-home test is fake.
👽 “We are not alone”: So say some former government and military officials, who testified to Congress about UFOs in November 2024. One Navy rear admiral says he saw a video of a flying object that was more advanced than anything in our military. The Pentagon insists there’s no proof UFOs are alien spacecraft. In the words of Robin Williams, “If aliens are watching us, they probably think dogs are in charge and we’re their pets. They’re like, ‘Why else would humans pick up their poop?’”
John Oliver busts data brokers, spurs Congress to action
Data brokers know if you have cancer, diabetes or a baby on the way. You might think that’s illegal under HIPAA — but as John Oliver revealed in his show “Last Week Tonight,” many data brokers reveal highly sensitive medical information. To urge Congress to limit data collection, he essentially blackmailed lawmakers with private data he legally obtained.
As predicted, Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter in a hostile takeover attempt
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids Congress from making any law that discriminates against any religion or restricts freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, or protest.
It’s often called upon in regards to social media. But platforms can ban or censor users at their discretion. The thing is that these platforms are not government entities and are not breaking any laws. Regardless, a new platform touts a focus on freedom of speech and is gaining followers fast. Tap or click here for our report on this Twitter alternative.
What if AI gets too smart? Workers at AI companies are asking Congress for specific whistleblower protections to call out new threats, like AI turning against them. With strict NDAs, trade secret rules and swarms of company lawyers, I’d be nervous speaking up or getting killed by AI, too.
The damage is done: The U.S. surgeon general is asking Congress to put warning labels on social media, like those found on cigarettes. With 95% of kids using social media and more than one-third addicted, this is way too little, way too late.
Facebook privacy: All the ways to stop or limit targeted ads
Facebook loves targeted ads like a dragon loves each golden coin in its mountain of treasure. That’s why Facebook is breathing fire at the thought of Apple’s iOS 14 update.
Later this spring, Apple will launch the “App Tracking Transparency” feature, which requires your consent before an app can track your activity across websites and apps. Mark Zuckerberg was none too happy. He painted the privacy changes as self-serving and anti-competitive during a recent earnings conference call.
New stimulus checks are on the way - Find out when yours will arrive
National unemployment rates have been abysmal over the last year. The pandemic has caused significant damage to the job market, with a record-high unemployment rate of 14.7% in April — right as the coronavirus shut down much of the nation’s economy.
Parler: Your guide to the 'free speech' social network
Debates about free speech on the web are as old as the internet itself. But due to rapid changes in public discourse and opinion, not everyone is sure as to where free speech applies online.
Per the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Congress shall make no law “…prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.” Of course, this applies to the government making rules about speech, not businesses and the platforms they own. Tap or click here to explore a high-resolution digital edition of the U.S. Constitution.
Data breach alert: Unemployment applicants at risk for identity theft
COVID-19 may decimate the health of at-risk patients, but those of us who aren’t getting sick are still feeling the economic sting of the deadly virus. Since March, more than 30 million jobs have been lost in the U.S., leaving many Americans to rely on unemployment benefits to make ends meet.
Firefighter checking on stimulus funds shocked to find $8 million in bank account
Millions are out of work across the U.S. and the number continues to claim. To help lessen the blow to the economy, Congress quickly passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill and those funds are now starting to arrive.
Before those checks starting hitting bank accounts, scammers were already out in full force trying to steal your share and your personal information. Tap or click here to see the signs you need to be watching for.
Unemployment offices desperately seeking coders who know 60-year-old language
Of all the long-term impacts caused by COVID-19, the economic fallout from the ongoing pandemic may hit us the hardest. In the past three weeks alone, nearly 17 million people have filed for unemployment — a record-breaking number that already dwarfs the claims at the height of the 2008 financial crisis.
This military scam is targeting Americans with bogus texts
In 1973, United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced no further draft orders would be issued for the military. This meant the process of conscription by lottery had been officially discontinued.
Flash forward to 2020 and the U.S. military is still the strongest on Earth — but our force is now entirely voluntary. In spite of this, scammers often exploit the American public’s lack of military knowledge to nefarious ends. Tap or click to see how this military dating scam exploded on Facebook.
Phone carriers finally join fight against robocalls
Let’s play a game. If you can read this entire article — read, not skim — without being interrupted by a robocall, you win. You don’t get an actual prize, mind you, the reward is simply the satisfaction of knowing you could make it all the way through without having your attention diverted by a rage-inducing robo-scammer.