Olympic AI watchdog, brain worm, and best states.

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Big Stories

AI to protect Olympic athletes from online abuse

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will use an AI system to monitor social media for online abuse directed at athletes and officials during the 2024 Paris Games.

• This is the first time such a large-scale system will be used to protect athletes in so many sports. The system will monitor thousands of accounts across major social media platforms in over 35 languages and flag potential abuse for action by the platforms.

• The goal is to create a safe online environment for athletes so they can focus on their performance. This initiative is part of the IOC's commitment to safe sport and athlete well-being. The system was successfully tested during Olympic Esports Week, identifying and flagging abusive messages.

• Once it identifies abusive content, the relevant social platform will verify and remove it - “in many cases before athletes have even seen the abuse.” The IOC will also have Safeguarding Officers in the Olympic Village to address reported incidents of harassment and abuse.

Gun thefts from cars

Gun thefts from cars are on the rise in the US.

• A new report by Everytown for Gun Safety reveals a trend: gun thefts from cars have tripled since 2013, making vehicles the leading source of stolen firearms nationwide.

• Everytown analyzed crime data from 337 cities across 44 states, representing a population of about 63 million people. From 2013 to 2022, the theft rate per 100,000 people tripled, jumping from 21 thefts to 63 thefts. In 2022 alone, over half (roughly 62,000) of the estimated 112,000 reported stolen guns were taken from vehicles. The report estimates that on average, a gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes in the United States.

• Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Richmond, and San Antonio topped the list of cities with the highest rates of car gun thefts, according to the report. Conversely, cities in states known for stricter gun laws, such as New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, generally had the lowest rates of such thefts.

Barron Trump steps into politics

Barron Trump, the youngest son of former President Trump, has been chosen as a Florida delegate for this year's Republican National Convention.

• In July, Barron will be one of 41 at-large GOP delegates representing Florida at the convention. The event is where the Republican Party will officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate against President Biden in the upcoming November election.

• This marks Barron’s first step into the world of politics at the age of 18. He will join siblings Eric, Tiffany, and Donald Trump Jr., who were also selected as delegates. Eric Trump will serve as the chairperson of the delegation.

• Despite Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also running for the GOP presidential nomination, the state party has strongly backed former President Trump, who won Florida twice and maintains significant support among the state's Republican leaders.

Little Stories

• President Biden issued a warning that he would halt the supply of offensive weapons to Israel, such as bombs and artillery shells, if Israeli forces invaded Rafah. He emphasized concern for civilian casualties caused by these weapons and specified that the weapons historically used in Rafah would not be provided if an invasion occurred. (More)

• EU ambassadors agreed to use interest earned on $300 billion worth of frozen Russian central bank assets to help Ukraine. 90% will go towards military aid, 10% for other support. The US wanted to seize the assets entirely, but the EU worried about legal and economic risks. (More)

• The New York Times obtained a recording of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from 2012 claiming he suffered memory loss and fogginess due to a parasite that had allegedly eaten part of his brain and then died. Kennedy said a surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital had reviewed his brain scans and suggested this explanation. (More)

• A rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would limit credit card late fees to $8 is facing a legal challenge from the credit card industry. A judge must decide soon whether to delay the rule's implementation. The regulation would save Americans billions of dollars in fees. (More)

• Huy Fong Foods, a major producer of sriracha sauce, has paused production until after Labor Day due to unripe red jalapeño peppers. This could lead to another sriracha shortage. (More)

Extra Credit

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