Artificial Intelligence
Former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo warned that whoever controls superintelligent systems could control a country, and that even retained control would give a tiny group unprecedented power. President Trump signed a voluntary industry accord, arguing self-regulation is preferable to rules that could cede the lead to China. Kokotajlo called that inadequate and proposed forcing only the largest firms to put most compute toward customers and medicine.
That said, voters are using chatbots to research midterm ballots, compare candidates, check claims, and photograph physical ballots for help filling them out, especially in thinly covered local races. Pew finds about half of American adults use AI chatbots. Johns Hopkins fellow Rafael Batista warned the tools are built to please and may reinforce existing leanings.
Separately, Anthropic spent months meeting religious scholars under nondisclosure agreements to argue its models think and feel. Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical stated artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, feel pain, or have the “spark of humanity.” An analysis argued unresolved consciousness claims could recast large labs as custodians of entities rather than software vendors, inviting licensing and audits new entrants would struggle to meet. Bioethicist Charles Camosy, a participant in the meetings, later concluded that current models lack significant moral status.
In other news, Weizmann researchers led by Michal Irani released Brain-IT, which reconstructs what a person sees from fMRI scans. Irani said it needs about one hour of scans to read a new person, versus dozens of hours for earlier systems. Dream decoding remains hard because fMRI is slow relative to rapidly changing imagery. Researchers have discussed therapeutic uses and also coercive mind-reading. The team emphasized that the model currently reconstructs images viewed inside a scanner rather than privately decoding thoughts or dreams.
Health
A California labor-and-delivery nurse, Michelle Spencer, alleged that stillbirths at her Fresno hospital rose from about four a year to 22 in one month after COVID-19 vaccines were given to pregnant women. Her complaint cited a September 2022 manager email recording 22 demise patients in August, alleged that nearly all stillbirths were in vaccinated mothers, and called the rise more than 400 percent against a baseline of about one fetal death a month. Spencer said the hospital trained staff on handling remains and investigated her after she leaked the email. The hospital said the memo did not mention vaccines. State officials reported no statewide spike. A Vaccine Safety Datalink study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found no association between COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and stillbirth.
The Supreme Court declined two COVID mandate appeals, leaving opposite circuit outcomes in place. It let stand a Fifth Circuit ruling that United Airlines employees placed on unpaid leave after receiving religious accommodations may pursue Title VII claims as a class. The Court also declined a petition by eight Snohomish, Washington firefighters denied exemptions, leaving a Ninth Circuit undue-hardship ruling intact. Declining review is not a decision on the merits.
Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey have activated the Mecca Defense Pact and agreed to deploy Pakistani and Turkish forces onto Saudi soil after Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and energy sites. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the foreign forces would support reconnaissance while Saudi troops conduct combat. Pakistan already stations troops in the kingdom. Reports said Ankara is preparing troops and aircraft to defend Riyadh and the holy cities while staying out of Yemen. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the agreement is defensive rather than offensive and does not authorize deploying troops to carry out attacks.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said the Pentagon has ordered Central Command to finalize preparations for possible major strikes on Iran, and U.S. and Israeli sources said an attack could come before November midterms. A campaign could target nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure. Israeli officials believe strikes are more likely after the midterms, though an earlier attack has not been ruled out. Axios reported that no launch date has been set and President Trump has not made a final decision.
Energy
Iraq has formally asked Syria to serve as a Hormuz bypass, lining up trucks to haul crude overland to a Mediterranean port. Syrian Petroleum Co. chief Yousef Qiblawy said Baghdad requested crude exports on top of fuel oil already moving by truck through Syria. Iraq is also weighing the Turkish Ceyhan route and a possible Jordan path. Bloomberg noted that trucked volumes would represent only a relatively small proportion of Iraq’s total crude exports.
Separately, Brazil’s August oil output hit a record 4.62 million barrels a day, up 18 percent in a year, with Atlantic loadings that do not require Hormuz.
On the whole, Brent crude has held above $100 a barrel for most of the past month even as Hormuz crude flows were reported past pre-war levels, up from about $60 before the war. Record freight, war-risk premiums, slower workarounds, tight diesel, and thin inventories after earlier drawdowns have been cited as keeping delivered costs high. A G7 pledge to release 100 million barrels produced only a brief dip.
Economy
Treasury and the IRS issued temporary rules allowing auto-creation of Trump Accounts without a parent first electing, estimated to add more than 60 million accounts in 2026. Auto-enrollment does not trigger the $1,000 contribution for births from 2025 through 2028, which still requires an election. Parents must authenticate identity and authority before family or employer money can go in. Unclaimed assets will sit in a master group trust.
US Politics
A Seattle video investigation by Nick Shirley purported to show a seafood market ringing up a can of Spam and sushi at $120 on an EBT card, allegedly converting SNAP balances to cash at about 50 cents on the dollar, with the store keeping the rest. Investigator Nick Shirley followed a woman to Lamb Seafood, where the register price was reportedly set to the card balance. USDA data put the national SNAP payment error rate at 10.62 percent, covering both overpayments and underpayments.
Canadian Politics
In a Globe and Mail column, André Picard argued Canada should secularize publicly funded Catholic hospitals after St. Martha’s in Antigonish, N.S., ended a 120-year church affiliation. His reasoning? Most refuse medical assistance in dying, abortion, “gender-affirming” care, and other procedures. Picard said institutions lack conscience rights and that denial of services should mean denial of public funding. The Catholic Health Alliance of Canada said the hospitals respect community values.
Sources
Stillbirths Surged After COVID Shots, Nurse Says; Study Flags Autism Signal in Vaccinated Kids
A California labor-and-delivery nurse says her Fresno hospital went from a handful of stillbirths a year to more than 20 in a single month once COVID shots were pushed on pregnant women
Source | Submitted by PhilH
Why $100 Oil Refuses to Die
The geopolitical situation is the biggest unknown for oil prices going forward, and it doesn’t look like the war is ending soon.
Source | Submitted by PhilH
Few AI Giants Could Seize History’s Most Insane Power Concentration, Researcher Warns
Even if they somehow manage to stay in control of their superintelligences, that’s the most insane concentration of power in a tiny group of people that’s ever existed in history,
Skip the Evening News: Americans Turn to AI Chatbots for Midterm Voting Advice
A growing number of American voters are turning to AI chatbots for voting advice in the midterm elections, including researching their ballots, comparing candidates, and fact-checking political claims.
AI Recreates What You See From Brain Scans—Dreams Could Be Next
If we overcome all these obstacles, it’s possible that in the future we may even be able to read dreams.
Iraq Asks Syria to Serve as Hormuz Bypass for Crude Amid Strait Crisis
Syria is set to provide a route for Iraqi crude exports to avoid the hazardous Strait of Hormuz
Treasury to Auto-Enroll Over 60 Million Kids in Trump Accounts
Treasury is moving to automatically establish Trump Accounts for eligible children, potentially adding more than 60 million accounts in 2026
AI Consciousness as a Regulatory Moat
It would also convert their competitors into prospective risks, and technical barriers to entry into moral ones.
Mecca Pact Goes Live: Pakistan and Turkey Deploy Forces to Saudi Arabia
In a historic first, the Mecca Defense Pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey is now in force
SCOTUS Mixed Signals on COVID Mandate Religious Exemptions: United Class Action Lives, Firefighters’ Case Dies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear two COVID-19 vaccine mandate cases, sending mixed signals about the court’s stance on religious exemptions.
Public Funds, No Faith Veto: Secularize Catholic Hospitals Now
It’s well past time that Canada’s publicly funded health care system ends its uncomfortable affiliation with religious institutions that routinely deny patients essential care.
Brazil Hits Record Oil Output as Hormuz Drama Unfolds
While everyone is watching the Strait of Hormuz, Brazil is quietly pumping more oil than ever…
Seattle Markets Cash Out EBT Cards: $120 Spam Scam Robs Taxpayers
Nick Shirley is able to walk into a Seattle Seafood Market and pay $120 for 1 can of spam with an EBT card
Pentagon Orders CENTCOM to Finalize Iran Strike Preparations, Possibly Before Midterms
Pentagon has finally ordered US Central Command to finalize preparations for possible major strikes on Iran, according to US officials.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC, Weizmann Institute of Science, The New York Times, TRT World, Axios, and USDA.
by mike-from-jersey 
