True-crime podcaster Payne Lindsey, creator of Up and Vanished, was all set to fly to Nome for his latest investigation but bailed at the last minute. He didn’t tell anyone, yet somehow rumors started swirling on social media that he was there. Payne joins us to break it down, plus we’re talking Verizon outages, a couple blocked from suing Uber, and leaked MrBeast “founder mode” documents.
Use the NewsBreak app? Delete it. Here’s why
My husband, Barry, is a total news junkie. He has all the major news apps on his phone. That’s why this story stopped me in my tracks. NewsBreak, the most downloaded news app in the U.S., with more than 50 million readers per month, has strong ties to Communist China.
A Reuters investigation shows the NewsBreak app is also packed with inaccurate stories (including some that appear to be totally made up by AI), content stolen from legit sources and fake bylines. This is bad, people.
Join the party
NewsBreak is a privately owned company with offices in Mountain View, California, along with Beijing and Shanghai. It bills itself as “all things local” for American readers, but one of its primary backers is Beijing-based IDG Capital.
Never heard of it? Let me catch you up. In February, the Pentagon added IDG Capital to a list of Chinese companies said to be working directly with Beijing’s military.
Def not the write stuff
NewsBreak republishes news from sources like Reuters, Fox, the Associated Press and CNN. They used to republish my content and let me tell you, the traffic from it to my website was huge. NewsBreak stopped sharing my stuff when I started writing negatively about apps with ties to China. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
The rest of NewsBreak’s content is “written” by AI, with facts scraped from press releases and sites around the web. All this happens where half their staff works (about 200 people) — in their China-based offices. Their algorithm isn’t just choosing what stories make it in the app, by the way; it’s also influencing the angles of the coverage.
That’s a huge problem. When the parent company has a political agenda (i.e., China wants to destroy our commerce and influence votes), that trickles down into what you read.
When news is the money machine
Like most apps, NewsBreak makes bank by showing you ads. The more often you use the app, the more ads you’ll see — and the more money they make. That means the whole goal is to publish stories that keep you coming back.
That’s where things get messy. Take a story they published in December: “Christmas Day Tragedy Strikes Bridgeton, New Jersey Amid Rising Gun Violence in Small Towns.” Wow, I bet most of us would click on that. The problem? The shooting never happened.
$16K for a car battery? Only if you drive an EV …
Here’s a shocker you need to know: Replacing the battery in an electric vehicle can set you back up to $50,000. For those of you keeping track at home, that’s more than a brand-new Tesla Model 3. I’m not beating up Tesla. All EV carmakers hope you don’t figure this out.
Lettuce us all pay attention: Grocery chain Kroger is under investigation for shady dynamic pricing. Their electronic price labels can change based on time and demand, like during the after-work rush. It gets worse (paywall link); they’re working with an AI company that uses personal data to figure out how much you’re willing to spend.
The dark truth of a fake killer-for-hire website
You wouldn’t hire a hitman on the internet … would you? Even if you wouldn’t, plenty of people would and actually did.
Buckle your seatbelts, folks. This ride’s a wild one.
Utah Mom accused of murder Google Searches reveal motives
I’m sure you’ve heard this story in the news. A Utah mom, Kouri Richins, was arrested last month. Police allege she killed her husband by poisoning him with fentanyl … before she wrote a children’s book about grief.
Another health care data breach: This time, it’s HealthEquity, a tech company that runs health savings accounts. Criminals got their hands on 4.3 million people’s names, numbers, addresses and payment info. What’s strange, though, is that no malware was spotted during the investigation, and there’s been no ransom demand yet.
🚕 Say, “No way”: Waymo’s self-driving taxis might not be in your town yet, but if you’re traveling this summer, keep an eye out for them on the roads. They’re covered in sensors and hard to miss. PSA: They’re under federal investigation for causing more than 20 accidents. I wouldn’t get in one.
😱 The truth is out: Earlier this year, Raffaela Spone was accused of creating a deepfake video of her daughter’s cheerleading competitor vaping. The community turned on Spone, complete with death threats. Fast-forward — the video turned out to be real and the investigation was botched. Yeah, Spone’s suing for $20 million.
In Telfair County, Georgia, a fisherman stumbled upon critical evidence from the 2015 Craigslist murder of an elderly couple. He first pulled up a .22-caliber rifle, then discovered driver’s licenses and credit cards belonging to the victims. This find has revitalized the investigation, with more clues headed to the crime lab.
This is getting out of hand: Ford Motor Company’s hands-free driving tech in its BlueCruise-equipped Mustang Mach-E SUVs is under investigation following two fatal crashes. Both incidents involved “nighttime lighting conditions.” Yup, more “hands-free” fatalities.
The news gets even worse for Tesla in 2024
Confident behind the wheel of your Tesla? A Reuters investigation reveals reasons for caution.
Tesla drivers have the highest accident rate
What car do you want to move away from on the road? A new investigation reveals it all.
Deepfake ads, Donald Trump AI rap & Gen Z slang
Plus, I chatted with journalist Jason Koebler of 404 Media about his investigation into sketchy Instagram ads that promote hard drugs, scams and more. A principal is using TikTok to call out her students and screens cause major eye problems. Also, how to digitize important docs.
Tesla driver dies after slamming into fire truck
Vehicle manufacturer Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, is facing more scrutiny from regulators as yet another Model S crashed over the weekend. The car’s model is currently the subject of a recall over fears that the Full-Self Driving beta mode can fail.
Meta didn't inform members of a Facebook group that a killer was stalking them
Your online accounts are always at risk from hackers, but sometimes you won’t even know that you’ve been compromised. Tap or click here to check if anyone has access to your Facebook, Google or Netflix accounts.
It’s not just privacy and personal information at risk when you’re on social media. Criminals of all types troll these platforms looking for victims, sometimes with deadly intentions.
Tesla under federal criminal investigation
Did Tesla mislead its customers about its driver assistance technology? That’s what the DOJ wants to find out. Here’s the full story, in 60 seconds.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Teenager takes his own life after vicious scam - Talk to your kids now
Scammers are everywhere, and they have no compassion for who they target or the damage it causes. Their evil behavior was again thrust into the limelight as a teen committed suicide after falling victim to a scam.
California resident Ryan Last struck up an online conversation with someone he believed to be a girl. The back-and-forth text messages continued until past midnight on a weekday. By early morning, he had taken his own life.
Records for 21 million VPN users leaked online - Check your data now
Almost everything you search for, sign in to, or look at is trackable when you browse the internet. Your online activity and location logs are most likely kept somewhere, at least by your ISP. Your ISP sees everything you do online. Tap or click here to stop it.
Malware alert: Don't plug this USB drive into your computer
If you run a small business, you know it’s essential to bring in new clientele constantly. Tap or click here for three small business tips that will save you time and money.
One trick companies use for outreach is to give out company-branded gifts. These can include a company-branded pen and notepad, a water bottle or the ever-present company keychain.