Wired / Makena Kelly Dell Cameron
Through hurricanes Helene and Milton, amateur radio triumphs when all else fails →“There are more than 1 million licensed radio amateurs in the US like Witherspoon and Roberts, according to a Federal Communications Commission spokesperson who spoke to WIRED last week. Some amateur radio bands are short bands, reaching only small communities of people, while others cover hundreds and even thousands of miles. When communication infrastructure fails, like cellular networks during a natural disaster, the FCC allows for amateur radio operators to assist in recovery efforts.”
Semafor / Marta Biino and Max Tani
The New York Times is testing a new puzzle called Zorse →“On Tuesday, the paper will begin beta testing a new puzzle called Zorse, Semafor has learned. It will be a ‘phrase guessing game where every puzzle is a mash-up of two phrases,’ the company confirmed in a statement. ‘Similar to how The Times treats its other games when they’re in beta, we’re hoping to learn how players engage with Zorse and look forward to hearing their feedback.’ For now, the game will only be available to players in Canada, the company added. The name Zorse identifies the offspring of a zebra and another equine — likely hinting at the game’s mash-up nature.”
The Verge / Jess Weatherbed
Adobe has a new tool to protect artists’ work from AI →“The Content Authenticity web app can be used to widely apply attribution data to content that contains the creator’s name, website, social media pages, and more. It also provides an easier way for creatives to opt their work out of AI training en mass compared to laboriously submitting individual protections for their content to each AI provider. The web app will act as a centralized hub for Adobe’s existing Content Credentials platform.”
CNN / Jamie Gangel, Jeremy Herb and Elizabeth Stuart
New Woodward book reveals candid behind-the-scenes conversations of Biden, Trump, Harris and Putin →“‘War’ reveals new details about Donald Trump’s private conversations with Putin — and a secret shipment of Covid-19 testing equipment Trump sent to the Russian president for his personal use during the height of the pandemic. [It also] gives an unvarnished, in-the-room account of key moments as Biden and his national security team navigate international crises, from the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal to confronting Putin before he invaded Ukraine to private battles with Netanyahu.”
The New York Times / Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin
CBS News rebukes anchor over a tense interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates →“Top CBS executives, on a newsroom-wide call, described the interview as falling short of the network’s editorial standards. The executives said their critique had been prompted by internal staff concerns, although at least one veteran CBS journalist said later on the call that she was puzzled over what exactly Mr. Dokoupil had done wrong.”