Bookmarks 2025-12-22T06:36:18.569Z
by Owen Kibel
24 min read
Bookmarks for 2025-12-22T06:36:18.569Z
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China: Russia Has Become a Client State of Xi | National Review Added: Dec 21, 2025
China: Russia Has Become a Client State of Xi | National Review
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Elon Musk on X: "Tim Walz is guilty of hiding vast fraud" / X Added: Dec 21, 2025
Site: X (formerly Twitter)
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Site: X (formerly Twitter)
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"60 Minutes" pulls segment, prompting editorial independence concerns Added: Dec 21, 2025
"60 Minutes" yanks segment, prompting concerns around editorial independence
Site: Axios
President Trump recently complained the show was treating him even worse since Skydance bought CBS's parent company.
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Makeovers are part of the prep for Democrats eyeing the White House in 2028
Site: Axios
Social media has meant that candidates need to be more camera-ready than ever.
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Ancient DNA Reveals Surprising Truth of Beachy Head Woman's Identity : ScienceAlert
Added: Dec 21, 2025Ancient DNA Reveals Surprising Truth of Beachy Head Woman's Identity
Site: ScienceAlert
The curious skeleton of a Roman-era individual in Britain, nicknamed the Beachy Head Woman, is not who we thought she was.
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Vance hits out at 'purity tests,' refraining from denouncing antisemitism that has roiled GOP | The Times of Israel
Added: Dec 21, 2025Vance: Almost no Americans are antisemitic, real issue is âbacklashâ to US policy on Israel | The Times of Israel
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Site: X (formerly Twitter)
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I ported JustHTML from Python to JavaScript with Codex CLI and GPT-5.2 in 4.5 hours Added: Dec 21, 2025
I ported JustHTML from Python to JavaScript with Codex CLI and GPT-5.2 in 4.5 hours
Site: Simon Willisonâs Weblog
I wrote about JustHTML yesterdayâEmil Stenströmâs project to build a new standards compliant HTML5 parser in pure Python code using coding agents running against the comprehensive html5lib-tests testing library. Last âŠ
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justhtml uses - Google Search Added: Dec 21, 2025
Google Search
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Acting CISA director failed a polygraph. Career staff are now under investigation. - POLITICO Added: Dec 21, 2025
Acting CISA director failed a polygraph. Career staff are now under investigation.
Site: POLITICO
At least six career staff were placed on leave after DHS opened an investigation into whether they misled the agencyâs acting director, Madhu Gottumukkala, into taking the test.
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Singularity: Hereâs When Humanity Will Reach It, New Data Shows Added: Dec 21, 2025
Humanity May Reach Singularity Within Just 4 Years, Trend Shows
Site: Popular Mechanics
By one major metric, artificial general intelligence is much closer than you think.
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Our brains reboot at four key ages. This is how it feels
Added: Dec 21, 2025Our brains reboot at four key ages. This is how it feels
Changes in our grey matter are clustered in these eras of transition. We spoke to four people living through them
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Public opinion for sale: The new startup that's causing a storm in Silicon Valley Added: Dec 21, 2025
Public opinion for sale: The new startup that's causing a storm in Silicon Valley
Site: ynetglobal
Doublespeed, which has raised money from one of the world's most powerful venture capital funds, operates smartphone farms and tens of thousands of AI-powered accounts to circumvent TikTok's algorithms
In a world where the line between human and fake content has long since blurred, a new startup is trying to erase it altogether. Backed by one of the worldâs most powerful venture capital funds, operating physical âphone farmsâ to bypass TikTokâs algorithms and offering AI-driven astroturfing services, meet Doublespeed â the venture stirring controversy across the tech world and placing Marc Andreessen, one of Silicon Valleyâs most influential figures, in a sharp conflict of interest. Doublespeed is a young company that raised $1 million from venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) through a fast-track investment program for early-stage startups. It offers a controversial service: managing thousands of AI-operated social media accounts designed to generate artificial âbuzzâ and manipulate public opinion. The digitization of influence operations Until recently, large-scale influence operations required significant effort. Over the past decade, however, the phenomenon has undergone massive digitization. The Russian âtroll factoryâ (Internet Research Agency, or IRA) interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, while Chinese âSpamouflageâ campaigns flooded the internet with propaganda. Where such operations were once the domain of states or criminal organizations, Doublespeed is turning this technology into an off-the-shelf product accessible to anyone â from cosmetics brands to religious organizations. Doublespeedâs service, known as âastroturfingâ â creating the appearance of broad, spontaneous public support when in fact it is a coordinated campaign, operates through a sophisticated method designed to evade detection systems on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Reddit. Unlike the simple bots of the past, Doublespeed uses âphone farmsâ: thousands of physical devices running apps as seemingly ordinary users. In an exposĂ© by tech site 404 Media, a hacker who managed to breach the companyâs systems described a full remote-access infrastructure, similar to a standard cloud service. âI could see the phones in use, the âmanagersâ [computers controlling the smartphones] they were connected to, which TikTok accounts were assigned to them, which proxy servers they were using â including passwords â and the pending tasks. I also had access to the device-control links for each manager,â the hacker said. âI could have exploited their smartphones as computing resources, or possibly for spam distribution. There are around 1,100 devices with proxy access, for free. I assume I could have used the linked accounts by remotely operating the smartphones or adding tasks, but I didnât try.â Millions of views with just a handful of accounts According to the company, content is generated using artificial intelligence, with only about 5% of the work done by humans for âfinal touches.â One of the founders, Zuhair Lakhani, revealed on a podcast that a client managed to generate 4.7 million views in under a month using just 15 fake accounts. What makes the system especially troubling is its relatively low cost. Pricing is based on a subscription model similar to legitimate software services. A basic plan costs $1,500 per month, while a premium plan sells for $7,500 per month and allows the creation of up to 3,000 posts per month. These prices may not be accessible to everyone, but they are certainly affordable for organizations with sizable marketing budgets. The system does more than post content â it also âlearnsâ what works. It generates dozens of variations of the same video (âone video, 100 waysâ) to test what resonates with algorithms, then replicates successful formats with slight changes to avoid detection and bans. The result is a system that dramatically shortens influence cycles: rapid message dissemination combined with real-time optimization, all for a few thousand dollars a month. The temptation is clear. The Meta connection The story becomes even more complex when examining the investors. Marc Andreessen, who leads the fund that invested in Doublespeed, also serves on the board of Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram). Investing in a company whose stated purpose is to violate social media platformsâ terms of service and flood them with fake content raises serious ethical questions about the conduct of one of Silicon Valleyâs most powerful figures. While Reddit has already stated that the service violates its terms of use, giants like TikTok and Meta have yet to respond officially. Still, it is clear that such activity undermines their efforts to maintain âauthenticityâ online. For now, the service is primarily focused on TikTok, though the company says it plans to expand to X and Instagram as well. It is worth noting that Doublespeed is not the only company offering automation tools. Platforms such as Zapier and Make allow scheduled posting, but they rely on human-generated content and operate transparently through official APIs. Doublespeed, by contrast, more closely resembles Asian âclick farmâ services â with a crucial upgrade: artificial intelligence replaces human workers in content creation, making the operation cheaper, faster and far more destructive to public discourse.
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xAI's Grok 4.20 Launch: Major AI Capabilities Upgrade Set for Late December 2025 | AI News Detail | Blockchain.News Added: Dec 21, 2025
xAI's Grok 4.20 Launch: Major AI Capabilities Upgrade Set for Late December 2025 | AI News Detail
According to @ai_darpa, xAI is preparing to launch Grok 4.20, a significant upgrade in AI capabilities, by late December 2025. This release is expected to introduce advanced natural language proces
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Triple H and Bryson DeChambeau Stay Fit During Christmas - YouTube Added: Dec 22, 2025
Triple H and Bryson DeChambeau Stay Fit During Christmas
Site: YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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YouTube Is AMPLIFYING Lunatics To Make Conservatives Look Crazy
Site: YouTube
BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW - https://castbrew.com/Become A Member And Protect Our Work at http://www.timcast.comHost:Tim Pool @Timcast (everywh...
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New Animal Farm Movie Gets Roasted For Being Pro Communist
Site: YouTube
MyPillow.com/Tim OR mypillow.com Promocode Tim for up to 80% OFF And FREE SHIPPINGSUPPORT THE SHOW BUY CAST BREW COFFEE NOW - https://castbrew.com/Join - htt...
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2 of Earth's rarest lightning phenomena captured simultaneously in once-in-a-lifetime photo | Space Added: Dec 22, 2025
2 of Earth's rarest lightning phenomena captured simultaneously in once-in-a-lifetime photo
Site: Space
A photographer in Italy captured an ultra-rare elve and red sprite flashing above the Alps in a single breathtaking moment.
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Will Material from 3I/ATLAS Arrive on Earth? | by Avi Loeb | Dec, 2025 | Medium Added: Dec 22, 2025
Will Material from 3I/ATLAS Arrive on Earth?
Site: Medium
On December 19, 2025, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS came closest to Earth at a distance of 269 million kilometers. As many of usâŠ
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Trump Appointment of Greenland Envoy Draws Angry Response From Denmark - WSJ Added: Dec 22, 2025
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Ben Shapiro Calls Out Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens | National Review
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JD Vance, Antisemitism, and the Rightâs Civil War: The Fight for Trumpâs Heir | National Review
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Prehistoric bees turned animal bones into baby nests - Earth.com Added: Dec 22, 2025
Prehistoric bees turned animal bones into baby nests, behavior never seen before
Site: Earth.com
Fossils from a Caribbean cave reveal bees once nested inside animal bones, offering rare insight into ancient insect behavior.
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Enormous 68-million-year-old egg dubbed âThe Thingâ unearthed in Antarctica
Site: Earth.com
Fossil egg found in Antarctica suggests marine reptiles laid eggs, challenging previous beliefs about ancient life.
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Embarrassing: Journalists demonize a symbol of our revolution Added: Dec 22, 2025
Embarrassing: Journalists demonize a true symbol of our revolution
Site: The Hill
We should have outgrown all of this loony-tune nonsense. It is now 2025, after all.
We are once again litigating whether a colonial-era flag is actually a hate symbol, thanks to our friends in the esteemed Fourth Estate. The flag, which depicts a green pine tree against a white background and bears the caption âAn Appeal to Heaven,â is displayed outside Education Department official Murray Bessetteâs D.C. office, USA Today reported this week. That is the whole story. A federal official you have never heard of has displayed a flag you likely donât recognize. This is bad because supposed âexpertsâ cited by USA Today â often referred to in the journalism business as "McPaper" â say so. This really goes back to a recent effort to demonize a Supreme Court justice â but let's take a step back first and acknowledge what we know to be true: Milk is not a symbol of white supremacy, punctuality is not anti-black and having babies is not racist, despite the claims of credulous journalists. Based on the selective application of moral panic, news outlets such as the New York Times have tried to launder and pass off as reasonable claims that the "okay" hand gesture is a secret symbol of white supremacy. Meanwhile, they can be counted on to claim in the same breath that the South African song âKill the Boerâ has a deeper, richer meaning beyond its explicit bloodlust against white Afrikaners. We should have outgrown all of this loony-tune nonsense. It is now 2025, after all. But USA Todayâs reporting this week, if it can really be called that, suggests otherwise. The âAppeal to Heavenâ flag dates back to at least 1775, when General George Washington commissioned its use for a squadron of navy ships. The motto on the flag refers to the political philosophy of John Locke. The idea is that earthly justice sometimes fails, in which case one must appeal to a higher power. This is a genuine piece of Americana. There is a reason this flag featured so prominently in HBOâs 2008 miniseries on the life and times of John Adams. The Pine Tree flag, which appeared in many places during the American War for Independence, symbolizes the desire for self-rule and determination, much like the âDonât Tread on Meâ Gadsden flag. It bears an evergreen (pun intended) message, which is why the flag has not been lost to time. In fact, the Pine Tree flag is still the official naval and maritime ensign of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The flag played a key role in the creation and development of Maineâs official iconography (âThe Pine Tree Stateâ). The central symbol on Maineâs Merchant and Marine flag is a green pine tree. The âAppeal to Heavenâ flag also flew outside San Franciscoâs City Hall for 60 years before being quietly taken down in 2024 in order to provide cover for a very specific and stupid political controversy. The too-online crowd, and those intent on destruction through association, have decided to construe this flag as a symbol of extremism. Why? Because some rioters carried it at the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Others carried the American flag, the U.S. Marine Corps flag, and even a flag with the interlocking blue-and-gold âNDâ of the University of Notre Dame. No word yet on whether these flags are also problematic. âA top official at the U.S. Department of Education has been keeping a controversial flag linked to Christian nationalism and the Jan. 6 insurrection hung outside his office, according to the agency's union and a department employee who has observed it,â USA Today reported, citing the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. For context, this group, launched by alumnae of the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center, claims that far-right extremism has exploded in the U.S. thanks to âProject 2025âs commitment to undermining the rule of law and growing an authoritarian state.â âThe symbol's emergence at the agency responsible for overseeing billions of dollars in federal funding for the nation's schools is already raising concerns about the separation of church and state,â the USA Today report adds. Then came the expected: A Democratic lawmaker amplified this report, claiming that it is further proof of the administrationâs extremism. That lawmaker, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, whose naval units still fly the âAppeal to Heavenâ flag. The man is clearly a genius with a very strong grasp of his state's history. This entire idiotic narrative is a holdover from summer 2024, when activists attempted to smear Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito because his wife sometimes flew the âAppeal to Heavenâ flag outside their vacation home. The flag is proof of his extremist sympathies, they argued, impotently and with overt malice. That silly story quickly faded away. Yet here we are in December 2025, having to explain to people that this flag isn't suddenly evil just because a few people you dislike may have some distant connection to it. Everyone already believes that journalists are unserious buffoons. If only we would stop proving them correct. Becket Adams is a journalist and media critic in Washington.
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The Trump Administration Protects U.S. National Security by Pausing Offshore Wind Leases | U.S. Department of the Interior Added: Dec 22, 2025
The Trump Administration Protects U.S. National Security by Pausing Offshore Wind Leases | U.S. Department of the Interior
Site: U.S. Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior announced today that it is pausingâeffective immediatelyâthe leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the United States due to national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports
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Full transcript: JD Vance on American identity - UnHerd
Added: Dec 22, 2025Full transcript: JD Vance on American identity
Site: UnHerd
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No âconfidenceâ Ukraine and Russia will reach peace deal, Vance says
Site: POLITICO
The remark strikes a more sober tone about the reality of the negotiations than that of others in the administration as Trump fights to bring both to a deal.
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10 times the sky amazed us in 2025
Site: Space
A bevy of comets, a "blood moon" total lunar eclipse and impressive northern lights were just three of the skywatching highlights in 2025. Here's how they unfolded.
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The Fast-Growing Fruit Tree That Thrives In Cold Climates (& Has Gorgeous Color)
Added: Dec 22, 2025The Fast-Growing Fruit Tree That Thrives In Cold Climates (& Has Gorgeous Color) - House Digest
Site: House Digest
The mulberry tree thrives in cold climates, grows quickly, and looks pretty. They also produce tasty berries that you can eat fresh or save for later.
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Top Political Soundbites of 2025, Trump's Israel and Tucker Friendships, and Life After a Pardon
Site: YouTube
Start 2026 right and subscribe to Mark's show Next Up:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nextuphalperinApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-up-wi...
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This AI finds simple rules where humans see only chaos | ScienceDaily Added: Dec 22, 2025
This AI finds simple rules where humans see only chaos
Site: ScienceDaily
A new AI developed at Duke University can uncover simple, readable rules behind extremely complex systems. It studies how systems evolve over time and reduces thousands of variables into compact equations that still capture real behavior. The method works across physics, engineering, climate science, and biology. Researchers say it could help scientists understand systems where traditional equations are missing or too complicated to write down.
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Astronauts Suit Up for Their Journey to the Moon
Added: Dec 22, 2025Astronauts Suit Up for Their Journey to the Moon
Site: Futurism
Over the weekend, NASA conducted a dress rehearsal for its scheduled February launch date of its Artemis 2 mission to the Moon.
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CBS Pulls â60 Minutesâ SegmentâReporter Calls It A âPoliticalâ Decision, Not Editorial Added: Dec 22, 2025
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President Trump Makes an Announcement with the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy
Site: YouTube
Palm Beach, FL
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Site: X (formerly Twitter)
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Plant used by indigenous peoples for centuries surprises modern science
Site: Earth.com
A study reveals that the Latin American jatobĂĄ plant has powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in its bark, leaves, and seeds.
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MAGA media mess deepens at Turning Point convention
Site: Axios
MAGA speakers torched each other as pompous, cancerous cowards at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, accelerating the right's media meltdown.
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The hidden downside of cheap SSDs no one warns you about
Added: Dec 22, 2025The hidden downside of cheap SSDs no one warns you about
Site: How-To Geek
With RAM shortages making headlines everywhere, these are the questions that matter.
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How NASA Plans To Use Insects To Build Life On The Moon And Mars
Added: Dec 22, 2025How NASA Plans To Use Insects To Build Life On The Moon And Mars
Site: The Daily Galaxy - Great Discoveries Channel
NASA scientists are looking to Earthâs smallest creaturesâinsectsâto help build sustainable life on the Moon and Mars.
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Slop stars: why AI-generated content could help creators
Site: The Economist
Also on the daily podcast: male-female friendships and yellow-gold is back
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U.S. to build "Trump-class" warships for "Golden Fleet"
Site: Axios
"They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," Trump said.
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OK Go - Upside Down & Inside Out
Site: YouTube
'Hungry Ghosts' available on iTunes - http://smarturl.it/HungryGhostsiTunes Directed by Damian Kulash, Jr. & Trish SieProduced by John OâGrady & Melissa Murp...
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Site: X (formerly Twitter)
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** - YouTube**
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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Chopin: 12 Etudes, Op. 25: No. 11 in A Minor "Winter Wind" - YouTube Music Added: Dec 22, 2025
Chopin: 12 Etudes, Op. 25: No. 11 in A Minor "Winter Wind" - YouTube Music
Site: YouTube Music
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Chopin: 12 Etudes, Op. 25: No. 11 in A Minor "Winter Wind" · Nikita Magaloff "'Winter Wind: Works by Chopin, B...
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Noctilune 1 Bandoneon Version Claudio Constantini - YouTube Music
Site: YouTube Music
What remains when everything slows down. A single voice in the dark. A bandoneon... ...Noctilune No.1. Listen to it here or on your platform of choice. This...
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Winter Sketches: II. Down the Hill on a Sledge - YouTube Music
Site: YouTube Music
Provided to YouTube by Halidon Winter Sketches: II. Down the Hill on a Sledge · Vadim Chaimovich Dvarionas: Winter Sketches: II. Down the Hill on a Sledge ...
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Site: X (formerly Twitter)
