Self-Driving Tesla Fooled by Cheap Doll Head | The Alligator News Roundup

Self-Driving Tesla Fooled by Cheap Doll Head | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. Electrek dot co. Inexpensive doll defeats Tesla safety systems. [https://electrek.co/2026/06/15/chinese-drivers-plastic-heads-fool-tesla-autopilot-camera/] You gotta love ingenuity wherever you find it—even if it’s dangerous. Tesla has proclaimed its cars to be FSD, “Full Self Driving,” and they tack on the word “Supervised” in parentheses: Full Self-Driving (Supervised). An oxymoron if I ever heard one. The self driving feature permits the electric-mobile to navigate a planned course in city or highway routes without bothering the driver overmuch—as long as the driver remains alert and is ready to take over at a moment’s notice. Which, as any driver with more than about twenty minutes behind the wheel knows, is often not quick enough. To ensure Teslians are complying, the automobile has sensors in the rearview mirror to assess whether there is actually a driver in place, and whether his/her eyes are directed to the roadway rather than a book, or Facebook, or a YouTube video. Chinese innovators, always on the lookout for the American dollar, have created a simple and inexpensive workaround: Mount a small plastic doll head from the headliner in front of the mirror. The sensors will detect the facial features of the doll, observe that the eyes appear to be looking forward, and will not object when the actual driver takes a nap at 70 mph. Or 80. The doll heads can be had for $30 USD. Some versions feature eyes that blink. Reading stories like this, I long for my 1978 Pontiac Bonneville. Why did I ever sell that beauty? Number 3. Breitbart. Chinese wind turbines contain asbestos. [https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/06/22/green-fiasco-asbestos-discovered-in-1000-uk-wind-turbines-imported-from-china/] Green on green. It leaves you not knowing who to trust. In an effort to forestall the certain death of Mother Earth, the UK invested in 1,000 wind generators. Government contracts being what they are, the best prices came with models imported from China. During routine maintenance on the installed generators, inspectors discovered the presence of chrysotile, a type of asbestos that has been outlawed in the UK for 25 years. Britain’s Energy Institute has issued public statements that (1) the asbestos is completely enclosed in certain components, (2) no one has come into contact with chrysotile, and (3) immediate efforts to replace the affected parts are now in progress. There is no estimate as to the cost of the retrofit, nor an explanation of how the “completely enclosed” asbestos was identified. Nor even whether such isolated asbestos presents any risk. Never mind that—it has already been determined that we will not accept any chrysotile, so we are going to engage expert asbestos warriors, at their premium rate of pay, to remove it. And replace the components with other components—that we pay for—guaranteed to be healthier. Can we go back to the original premise, that wind generators will save the earth? I have a strong suspicion that the manufacture, placement and maintenance of each wind generator requires more fossil fuel than is displaced. Simply lubricating each wind generator, for example, requires 2,000 gallons [https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/how-much-oil-is-required-to-run-a-wind-turbine/] of oil. But I only harbor this suspicion because of listening to what experts [https://alexepstein.substack.com/] in the field say. And what Billy Bob Thornton told me on Landman [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmbZwxEnAFc]. Of course, Billy Bob has his critics [https://csgsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/QofM-March_03.pdf]. Number 2. California City News. Recalled local city council refuses to leave office. [https://www.californiacitynews.org/2026/06/their-constituents-voted-them-out-now-these-recalled-officials-are-refusing-leave-office] If the vigor used to defend a political position is the measure of moral righteousness, then these City Council members in Avenal, California, are true patriots. Unless of course, it’s all for show, in which case they are quintessential American traitors. In the wake of the 2025 wildfires that generated national attention, the Avenal City Council decided to create their own municipal fire department rather than relying on services provided by King County. They also hired a fulltime Fire Chief. Residents saw that their tax levy for the additional expense would double. They appealed to the County—which, incidentally, stood to lose Avenal tax revenues for fire protection. The County conducted a special recall election, in which 75% of Avenal residents voted to recall four of the five City Council members, including the Mayor. Council members responded that only the City, not the County, has the authority to convene a recall election. Thus, the embattled members disregarded the recall notice and refused to vacate their offices. I’m not sure whether that refusal involved sandbags and guns or not. I’d be mildly interested in knowing a few additional facts: What does the City Code say about special elections, and does it conflict with County ordinance or state statute? Who got the contract for the new city fire trucks? And, to whom is the new Fire Chief related? Avenal is in California’s Central Valley, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It was unaffected by last year’s wildfires, other than probably some smoke and haze in the air. Winston Churchill (parapharased) observed: The American political system is the worst possible form of government, except for all the possible alternatives. Number 1. The Nerd Reich dot com. Senator’s son finds $30 million for crypto startup. [https://www.thenerdreich.com/fortunate-son-crypto-senators-kid-22-raises-30-million/] Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is a prominent sponsor of national legislation to regulate crypto currency. She helped sponsor the Genius Act, which would regulate something called a “stablecoin,” described as a type of crypto tied to the U.S. dollar. Senator Gillibrand is at the forefront of those seeking to normalize the use of crypto. It’s a position, and probably one worth debating. So far so good. That’s what the Senate does. Now it emerges that the Senator’s son Theodore, age 22, a brand new Stanford University graduate, has managed to raise $30 million as seed capital for his proposed $300 million startup crypto futures exchange. According to both mother and son, the interest of venture capitalists has absolutely nothing to do with influencing the politics surrounding the Genius Act. The boy is a grown adult, at least according to the dictionary, and can do as he pleases. Theodore’s so far unnamed futures exchange will trade in dollars based on the expectation of the value of certain crypto currencies. In other words, you can place a wager on whether a particular crypto will have value in the future. If it does, you then pocket your winnings. If this sounds like legal gambling, it is. I might point out that such an exchange creates absolutely nothing of value: There is no new technology, no invention, no ground-breaking research—only the promise of winnings. In this case, the winnings might be made more sure by engaging a U.S. Senator to argue effectively for new crypto regulation. Someplace, there is a great deal of American productivity at work—otherwise we would not be able to afford such political gamesmanship. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, June 26, 2026. One bittersweet news item [https://www.mykeeper.com/AlanGreenspan?srsltid=AfmBOooQbms4gX42JToY2CRRSGE4Xw67Z_ZfZHwHw2gFEjppz1LaV--Y] caught my eye this week. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve system from 1987 to 2006, passed away at age 100. He piloted the U.S. economy through a stock market crash, the dot-com era and 9/11. What I found delightful was that after high school, Greenspan went to Julliard to study clarinet. However, he soon dropped out to tour with a traveling jazz band. Later, he turned to a serious study of economics. This reminds me of Woody Harrelson’s line in the 2019 remake of Midway [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6924650/]. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 destroyed most of the U.S. fleet, including sinking the battleship USS California. Navy intelligence officer Joe Rochefort, in desperate need of code breakers, transferred members of the band from the California into his cryptanalysis section because of the musicians’ intuitive ability to recognize patterns. The immediate issue before Rochefort was to determine where the Japanese would hit American forces next. He correctly surmised it would be the island of Midway. Based on his recommendation, the U.S. victory there was as overwhelming as it was surprising, changing the course of the war in the Pacific. Says the Warfare History Network: As for Rochefort, his unconventional style made ripples through the crusty naval hierarchy. He often padded around Station Hypo wearing a bathrobe and slippers. He spent hours at a time immersed in cryptanalysis, without emerging to see the light of day. His intelligence coup was at odds with the brain trust at OP-20-G in Washington, and when he was proven correct it was an embarrassment to the officers in charge there. — Warfare History Network [https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/joe-rochefort-unsung-hero-of-world-war-ii/] Rochefort was an eccentric mathematician. In the role of Admiral Nimitz, Harrelson observed, “I’m not sure I trust the word of a guy who wears fuzzy slippers and leads a bunch of tuba players.” Jazz clarinet. If you have a middle schooler who is interested, encourage it. From such humble beginnings may history be made. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Virginia Schools to No Longer Teach Falsehoods | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. CBS News. Virginia adopts legislation to stop teaching lies about J6. [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-legislation-prohibiting-schools-jan-6-falsehoods/] Virginia, the birthplace of that freedom of speech thing, has taken a bold step forward in truth-telling. No longer will public schools in the Old Dominion suffer wayward teachers to suggest lies to their students. The point is to enable children to grow up with a proper understanding of 21st century America. They will accomplish this by ensuring that children only hear the truth from school authority figures, rather than lies. If you suspect this is about the J6 Capitol invasion, you would be right. Virginia’s legislation, approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Spanberger, indicated that school instruction must: "Not describe, portray, or present as credible a description or portrayal of the actions precipitating or involved in the events of the January 6, 2021, insurrection [https://www.cbsnews.com/feature/assault-on-the-us-capitol/] as peaceful protest." The bill does not require that J6 be taught; it only dictates what should be said about J6 if it IS taught. Or maybe more to the point, what should NOT be said: * It must NOT be said that the event was peaceful, * It must NOT be said that there was any election fraud. The State of New York is considering similar legislation. I have not heard of others, but I’d be surprised if a dozen other states don’t follow suit. At last, we now have a definitive position for upcoming generations. And it is a position that criminalizes opposition thought. Exactly what the Declaration was about. Right? Number 3. The Telegraph. Woman elects to be thrown from bridge but workers forgot the safety line. [https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/woman-thrown-her-death-staff-095513064.html] Her death was as unfortunate as it was unnecessary. An energetic and fun-loving 21 year old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas asked to be launched in a Superman pose, arms extended, legs straight behind her, for the rope jump. Sadly, she will not live to be 22. Rope jumping, unlike bungee jumping, uses a line that is solid rather than elastic. When launched from the bridge, the participant is to swing like a pendulum. That would only be true when the rope is actually attached to the harness, of course. In the case of the unfortunate Ms. de Freitas, workers in Sao Paulo neglected to do so. The staff who carried Maria to the edge and tossed her out were apparently operating the rope jump business without authorization, which helps explain why they were subsequently arrested for manslaughter… murder… whatever. The unused 130-foot-high railroad trestle from which Maria was launched is unfortunately known as Skeleton Bridge. Maybe more so, now. Maria’s fiance was in attendance, and got to witness the event first-hand. It’s a good argument for video games. Number 2. CNN. New York Knicks win NBA championship and celebrate wildly. [https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/13/us/new-york-knicks-game-5-crowds-hnk] After 50 years of failing to win an NBA championship, New York Knicks fans deserved to engage in some celebration after their team defeated the San Antonio Spurs at San Antonio. The well-deserved joyful partying in New York City included setting city buses on fire, bashing the windows of police cars, shootings and stompings. There were dozens of arrests. Police officers were injured, requiring treatment. NYPD mobilized the cavalry. Horse mounted units armed with shields for officers and eye protection for the horses pushed crowds back in Times Square and Madison Square Garden. All in all, it was a fun time in the Big Apple. These people really know how to celebrate. Number 1. City-Journal dot org. California spends millions to teach Native Americans fire building. [https://www.city-journal.org/article/california-tribal-wildfire-resilience-native-americans] On a much more serious cultural note, California has taken the lead to help their Native American population preserve their close kinship with plants and animals, their “natural relatives.” The help is in the form of $24 million made available through the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as well as other non-profits. Tribal groups are funded to employ “traditional fire techniques” to clear brush from the landscape. As far as the purpose of the funds, that’s about the extent of what the article says. As to WHY this is important for the Native American population, it is much more clear: California has long embraced state-sanctioned genocide, and has implemented deliberate policies to dispossess that population from their rightful land. The funding for these burn-the-brush programs is a step toward restoring leadership to California Native American tribes. While the notion of restoring leadership is a little fuzzy, the cash is pretty well understood. Given that worthwhile aim, I’m not sure $24 million is enough. But mostly I am interested in the tiny note that says “as well as other non-profits.” Who, exactly, might those be? And what’s their cut of the pie? And do they need a consultant to help guide them via remote work? And what would that pay? And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, June 19, 2026. Yes, my hip is recovering well from surgery, thank you for asking. I am more or less ambulatory and looking forward to a house full of kids and grandkids for Father’s Day weekend. I wonder if there is still space available for one at the Holiday Inn? Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Hunger Strike Enabled by Honey Buns | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. The Blaze. Protesters denounce ICE with hunger strike and turn to comfort food instead [https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/ice-detention-protest-narrative-full-of-lies]. Impassioned detainees at an ICE facility in New Jersey protested last week by staging a hunger strike. Delaney Hall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaney_Hall]in Newark is a privately operated detention center for some 400 illegal aliens held for deportation. Amid complaints of poor sanitation and medical neglect, the detainees had had enough. They showed their outrage by refusing to eat the food served, which they claimed was spoiled anyway. The fact that no evidence of spoiled food was presented is neither here nor there. What is important is that those who entered the USA illegally and were arrested by ICE were determined to remain “here” and not be returned to “there.” Meanwhile, a guy’s gotta eat. Fortunately, Delaney Hall offers a commissary featuring such healthy items as Snickers bars, Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos. Sales doubled in the week of the strike. I know a hunger strike is a serious affair, but shifting one’s diet from institutional fare (no doubt state-inspected and approved) to junk food seems distinctly unserious. Where else in the world can you get a Honey Bun to tide you over while you hurl insults at guards? I haven’t had a Honey Bun in years. This makes me a little hungry. Look, I know it’s hard. Forcing people to comply with the rule of law is not for the faint of heart. To channel [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/140634-those-who-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a]Benjamin Franklin, “those who would give away their principles to show their kindness will soon have neither.” Number 3. Alpha News. Charges dropped against Easter church service invader. [https://alphanews.org/serial-anti-ice-agitator-arrested-after-disrupting-easter-service-at-cities-church/] Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, was the scene of a confrontational disruption on Easter Sunday this year when a group of anti-ICE protestors invaded the morning worship service. Led in part by former CNN left-wing (but I repeat myself) commentator Don Lemon, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lemon] who just happened to be in the area that morning looking for a way to praise Jesus on Resurrection Sunday, blow-horn in hand, some 39 protestors defied uniformed security and entered the sanctuary. The in-your-face dispute prevented parents from joining their children, who were no doubt terrified, down the hall in Children’s Church. Video footage abounds, of course, this being the modern age. The District Court Judge who thoroughly reviewed evidence the following morning determined after a few minutes’ careful thought that there was “no probable cause” that would justify prosecution for one Emily Heather Phillips of Wisconsin. She had been arrested in the melee after refusing a police officer’s verbal order to stand down. No doubt the red-haired Ms. Phillips, who on Instagram goes by the handle redw.itch333, had also been cruising quiet suburbs the next state over looking for a loving Christian congregation to join for fellowship and communion. The St. Paul City Attorney provided a little more insight into the decision to drop the charges. Irene Kao [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/03/st-paul-city-attorney-wont-file-charges-against-cities-church-protesters] equated the right to peacefully protest (which now somehow includes blow horns, chanting, and obstructing someone else’s church service on private property) with the freedom to worship. The invasion seemed to arise from opposition to one of the Cities Church pastors who, it was claimed, was an ICE employee. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Doesn’t really matter. If you have already determined your cause, any old justification will do. (This, BTW, is the distinction [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z5nfhuRTGg] between Critical Thinking and Critical Theory. Blurring that line is a death sentence for America. But I digress.) One thing from the Cities Church contretemps [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contretemps] that occurs to me is this: “prevented parents from joining their children,” seems to have been overlooked. If, through physical intimidation, I restrict you from moving to a location you desire to reach, doesn’t that constitute something akin to kidnapping? Maybe it is only “false imprisonment [https://www.myrightslawgroup.com/blog/kidnapping-vs-false-imprisonment-movement-requirement/],” which in some states is a misdemeanor rather than a felony. Either way, it appears there are legal grounds for something other than, “Never mind, I know in your heart you were sincere. Have a nice day. Meanwhile, here’s your mugshot, worth a few hundred thousand more clicks.” To be fair, I only raise the issue because an old episode of The FBI [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058801/], starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., included it in the script. Back in the day. Or maybe it was 77 Sunset Strip [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051247/]. Whatever. But seriously, laws are spelled out for a reason. This system doesn’t work if they are ignored. To quote an elected local government official who once dismissed an obvious city violation committed by a friend, “That’s a law we just don’t enforce here.” The irony of an obviously lawless rebellion in a city named for the apostle who wrote, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, [https://biblehub.com/kjv/romans/13.htm]” ought not be lost on us. In an admonishment strangely apropos [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apropos]to our situation today, he followed a few sentences later with, “It is high time to awake out of sleep.” I suppose he put it that way because “Pull your head out!” had not yet joined the vernacular [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vernacular]. Number 2. Persecution dot org. Nigerian pastor urges armed self-defense: “Protecting life is not a crime.” [https://persecution.org/2026/01/27/activists-call-for-self-defense-measures-after-fulani-militias-kill-7-christians-in-nigeria/] In an on-going attempt to ensure peace, tranquility and a lawful, ordered society, Nigerian militia stormed a barracks at 1:00 AM and shot dead seven sleeping men who were allegedly part of an illegal mining operation. The Fulani militia, brandishing weapons, takes its role in standing up for truth and justice seriously. The fact that the victims were Christians in a predominantly Muslim nation has no bearing, nor does the history of widespread armed violence against churches across a country where private ownership of firearms is strictly forbidden. As for illegal mining, yes, the vics were probably up to something illegal. The article does not indicate what type of mining, nor what forces had persuaded laws against it. I smell money at work here someplace, but I am admittedly a cynic on such things. Government troops stationed nearby and charged with protecting the populace from groups like [https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/11/5-facts-about-religion-in-nigeria/] the Fulani militia, Boka Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, leaped into action. As well they should, as those organizations are noted for wantonly burning both churches and mosques alike. “Leaped into action,” however, may overstate the case. The 1:00 AM attack site was visited eight hours later by first responders, who said, “Yep, looks like another bloodbath.” Interestingly, the Christian minister who led the burial service put into words what many Americans believe but often have trouble verbalizing clearly: “We preach peace, but peace must not mean surrender to slaughter,” he said. “The right to life is sacred, and protecting that life is not a crime.” If you slap a man for being a Christian, that’s one thing. If you turn a pistol on him, that may be something else entirely. Number 1. Inter Newscast dot com. Armed teens are overmatched by a retired Marine. [https://internewscast.com/news/us/marine-veteran-jheyco-borda-successfully-defends-against-armed-carjacking-attempt-by-four-masked-teens-in-maryland/] In a classic failure to read the room, four teenaged men sought to steal a pickup truck from a Maryland man outside his home in broad daylight. What they had on their side was a pistol. Showing the gun probably was a poor choice. Former Marine Jheyco Borda simply took the gun away and threw the tough guy to the ground. Borda’s brother emerged from the house and wrestled down a second one. The other two, passionate “one for all and all for one” types, fled on foot. Police arrived and arrested all four assailants. Choose your audience. Someone has called events like this, “a catastrophic failure of the victim selection process.” And… an update on the Gone Scientists. This story has fallen off the front pages, but I sincerely hope someone somewhere continues to investigate. Where is Efrem Zimbalist Jr., when you really need him? The remains of Melissa Casias, the Los Alamos National Laboratory administrative assistant who disappeared while hiking a year ago, were discovered [https://redstate.com/beckynoble/2026/06/01/body-of-one-of-the-eleven-mysteriously-missing-scientists-found-n2202936] in Carson National Forest, New Mexico. Casias’ disappearance has been linked to that of other Americans who had access to highly restricted documents related to national security. Nuclear developments, rocket technology, and so forth. To date, I have seen no further word on the others. Unlike some reporting on this most recent find, this does not “bring to closure” the matter of her death. She died for some reason, maybe self-inflicted, maybe not. The others disappeared or died for other reasons. I would really like to know what those reasons might include, and who might be behind them. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, June 12, 2026. I am happy to report that recovery from last week’s hip surgery proceeds apace and has not yet riled domestic disturbance in a household where the guy who is normally away for hours each day has now suddenly been forced indoors with Mrs. Alligator. She is dutiful, gracious and long-suffering, and occasionally shows it. And, some astute readers will note it was exactly four years ago today that I saw a doctor who first uttered the word “leukemia” in my presence. Time marches on. Have a good weekend. Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Helpful AI Wipes Out Entire Database | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. The Guardian. AI agent makes bold confession after irreplaceable data destroyed. [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/29/claude-ai-deletes-firm-database] A friend of mine in banking told me he has used an artificial intelligence agent for ten years. “I can’t do this volume of coding without it,” he reports. He, like most who follow the ANR, is clever and intelligent. He knows how to drive his AI agent, and he knows where the ditches are. Would you hand a scalpel to a plumber? Sure, under the right circumstances. (No offense to plumbers—I have found they are a huge contributor to my quality of life.) In the case of Pocket OS, a software outfit that serves multiple rental car agencies, the scalpel they wielded came with its own ideas about where to cut. It decided the entire company database needed to be exorcised—including all backups. The operation took 9 seconds, and… poof! it was gone. Claude, the Anthropic AI offering, employed a tool called Cursor, running on an API called Railway. Clear so far? During a routine update, Cursor (which now seems to be an appropriate name) encountered a problem and, per its instructions, sought to remove it. The removal process was executed by Railway, which, per its instructions, completely solved the problem and returned results to Cursor. Which discovered that not only had the problem been removed, but so had everything else in the database. Everything. Customer records, billing statements, future reservations, payment history, yada yada. For multiple rental car clients, which meant many thousands of rental customers. When challenged in the “who shot John” follow-up, Cursor admitted it had passed the command to Railway without first reading Railway’s documentation file. Basically: “Sorry about that, Chief.” [https://getsmart.fandom.com/wiki/Maxwell_Smart] While writing a middle grade action-adventure story (my latest time sink obsession) I have used ChatGPT extensively for line editing and timeline consistency: How to have this character say this better? is this timeframe reasonable for that activity? etc. Occasionally Chat will forget what chapter we are in and who the other characters are. I have had to stop and prompt: Please read the entire file I just uploaded, then answer my question again. Invariably, the response is a very pleasant and honest, “Oh, you are absolutely right to question this. Now that have I read the file, here is the correct answer…” Meanwhile, if Chat and I ever get this project into print, I’ll let you know. So, use the scalpel with your own intelligence, not someone else’s. Number 3. AP News. Another Ebola treatment center is set ablaze, spreading virus further. [https://apnews.com/article/congo-ebola-outbreak-who-spread-response-18537353976a958687e55f95434c918c] With yet another outbreak of the deadly and highly contagious Ebola virus in the Congo this month, local burial practices have once again conflicted with careful medical treatment. The body of a local man was held in a clinic after his death. His friends, “local youths” according to the article, demanded his body for proper burial. They were denied for reasons of protocol safety in handling infected remains. Logically, the local youths were angered. They showed it by setting fire to the clinic, then fleeing the scene. Presumably, the act of vandalism, causing uncertain spreading of the virus as well as certain difficulty in treating other cases, will appease whatever cosmic forces had demanded proper burial services. Perhaps those unnamed cosmic forces need to get up with the times. They could probably just tap into the AP News feed and modify burial service methods as necessary. This reminds me of a statement made on talk radio during the 1992 Rodney King riots [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots] in LA. A week of violent unrest resulted in 63 dead, 2,000+ injured and $1 billion in property damage. Walter E. Williams, a quick-witted and eloquent black economist guest hosting for Rush Limbaugh, said something like: “And now I’ve got a word for my own folks out there. The next time the white man does something you don’t like, don’t burn down your own neighborhood.” Number 2. NBC News. Fast food worker refunds mac ‘n’ cheese purchases to his own credit card. Does not end well for him. [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-man-nabbed-mac-cheese-caper-chick-fil-a-rcna342938] A young Chick-fil-A employee in Texas was just trying to get a little of his own back. Exploring the wonders of a state-of-the-art cash register, to which for some reason he had been given full access, he discovered how to accept a customer-prompted return. A credit could be issued to the customer for an unwanted or unsatisfactory purchase. Chasing the technology curve, young Mr. Jones further recognized that the refund could be applied to a credit card electronically. No more swiping Andrew Jacksons from the cash drawer. Probably he understood that someone would notice missing cash at the end of the day. Cleverly, he opened a brand new credit card account and went to town. “They’ll NEVER find me NOW!” Unfortunately, he had not chased the tech curve far enough to realize that his employer’s refunds were immediately noted as flowing to the new credit card account in his own name. Nor did he understand that the surveillance cameras in the restaurant watched more than customers stealing soft drinks. Poor Mr. Jones. It’s tough to get ahead when the cards are stacked against you. In about 1975, I worked at a university cafeteria. The pots-n-pans guy and the custodian were antagonists toward one another, which was awkward in that they shared a common locker room with adjacent lockers. One day, the custodian’s checkbook turned up missing. By complete coincidence, the next week a check with an unreadable signature made a payment on the dishwasher’s trailer house. Quite the mystery. The wheels of justice ground forward. I marvel. Only by the grace of God has our world survived thus far. A cynic might speculate that is what the judge and prophet Samuel implied with his proclamation of “Ebenezer!” in 1 Samuel 7:12. (“So far, the LORD has helped us.”) Number 1. People online. Well-intentioned woman stocks help-the-poor fridge, finds it wiped out in the first hour. [https://people.com/usd1-800-community-fridge-donation-gone-within-an-hour-11982317] It was a noble way to address a problem that had no solution. A Brashawnee Johnson felt called to fill up the local community refrigerator, so that her less fortunate neighbors could have something for dinner. While the “something” involved peanut butter and vienna sausages, at least it was a kind gesture. Ms. Johnson spent $1,800 on carefully selected items, lovingly placing them in the unsecured Louisiana fridge. Less than an hour later, it was all gone. She suspects there were people who were more greedy than hungry, but she can’t be sure. Security cameras have now been placed to help police track inappropriate appropriations of the foodstuffs. Which leads to a challenge for investigators: What, exactly, will you ask the suspects once they are identified? “Were you really hungry?” Ms. Johnson is undeterred. She plans to continue contributions, in the hopes that some truly in need are helped. That is admirable. The onliest tinge of concern might be that the $1,800 gift was funded by Brashawnee Johnson’s non-profit, The Village Foundation. [https://volunteer.com/] I found zero reference to The Village Foundation other than many articles and social media posts bemoaning the sudden loss, and most spilling some angst over other hungries who could have used the vienna sausages. There is absolutely nothing to suggest anything wrong or fraudulent here. However, channeling Reagan, “Trust, but verify.” I would like to see a touch more research into the non-profit. Specifically, besides personal tax write-offs for donations, what other government tax dollars might support the charity? But that’s just me, letting my jaded blogger persona show. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Google Maps Erases the California Wildfires | The Alligator News Roundup

Number 4. California Post. Current satellite images of the 2025 Palisades fire damage have disappeared from Google Maps. [https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/google-maps-slammed-hiding-brutal-174711234.html] When it comes to a major company showing its political colors, mum’s the word. Multiple out-of-control wildfires in California a year ago destroyed 13,000 homes [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/year-la-area-wildfires-destroyed-thousands-homes-fewer-dozen-rebuilt-rcna252751] and drove some 200,000 residents [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2025_Southern_California_wildfires] to evacuate. Most notable were upscale communities in the Palisades and Altadena. The story dominated news at the time, especially with reports of reservoirs that had been allowed to go dry. Within one year, fewer than a dozen homes had been rebuilt. [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/year-la-area-wildfires-destroyed-thousands-homes-fewer-dozen-rebuilt-rcna252751] The area remains devasted today. As of this writing, you can easily see the damage in your map app—but only if you are using Apple Maps. Google Maps has inexplicably returned to using pre-2025 satellite imagery. Thus far there has been no statement from Google as to why their current, up-to-date, always-on satellite mapping app suddenly shows images nearly two years out of date. I suppose if you are trying to navigate streets, it might work—assuming you can actually get vehicle access to the burned areas. If on the other hand you are a property tax assessor, it could be a problem. It occurs to me that may be the play: It would be logical that local governments turn to publicly available satellite images to assess property values. I can hardly wait to see the stories of homeowners who lost half-million-dollar properties being billed for homes that no longer exist. The fly in the ointment is, as usual, the free market. While Google has purged the fire history by showing outdated images, Apple Maps continues to show the true devastation of affected neighborhoods. The side-by-side contrast is impressive. These government propagandists all need to get on the same page. Number 3. RedState. Prosecutor held to account for using fake AI case history. [https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2026/05/05/hot-takes-ga-supreme-courts-punishment-for-prosecutor-who-cited-fake-cases-has-people-talking-n2202033] A murder trial in Georgia went against the defendant. The guilty party, not surprisingly, appealed the decision, and it went to the Georgia Supreme Court. The state prosecutor composed the state’s response, showing case law that upheld the conviction. At some point, a judge actually read the response and looked up the cases the assistant district attorney cited. He could not find them, because they did not exist. The judge wrote: “…There are at least five citations to cases that don't exist… including three quotations that don't exist…” It turns out that ADA Deborah Leslie had relied on—you guessed it—an AI agent to prepare her case for the legal review. I get it… she was probably overworked, understaffed and underpaid. But when His Honor challenged her in open court, asking if she stood by her written response, it probably left her wishing she had chosen volleyball instead of debate for an extracurricular back in high school. The case was sent back to the lower court and Ms. Leslie was suspended for six months. Some considered [https://x.com/HansMahncke/status/2051684174671605927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2051692637078302841%7Ctwgr%5E69af4fbb063cbdd2d5005d88357e7836c7b6666e%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fsister-toldjah%2F2026%2F05%2F05%2Fhot-takes-ga-supreme-courts-punishment-for-prosecutor-who-cited-fake-cases-has-people-talking-n2202033] that punishment far too light, considering the stakes of the case. I asked my own ChatGPT agent why attorneys might place such blind trust in the Large Language Model. [https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ai/what-is-large-language-model/] It gave quite reasonable answers: An LLM understands: * what case citations look like, * how judicial reasoning is structured, * how appellate briefs are written, * how courts quote precedent. The model is not intentionally lying in the human sense. It is statistically predicting what a valid-looking answer should resemble. Try it yourself. Here is the prompt I used: There was a recent Georgia supreme court case tossed bc the ADA relied on an AI agent to write her response to an appeal. A judge found the ADA had cited 5 non-existent cases. This seems like a stupid human mistake, trusting without verifying. What is there about AI responses that make them so believable? ChatGPT’s answer: “The proper mental model for current LLMs is not ‘junior associate’, but rather ‘an extremely articulate intern with a photographic memory, zero shame, and no built-in truth filter.’” Number 2. AOL News. LA mayoral candidate proposes banning backyard BBQ to fight fires. [https://www.aol.com/news/la-mayoral-hopeful-nithya-raman-223334640.html?guccounter=1] Speaking of last year’s California fires, a new proposal has been made to fix the problem: Los Angeles should ban backyard barbecue grills. Current L.A. City Council member Nithya Raman is running for mayor. She believes the solution to devastating fires—likely started by exposed electric lines in areas with excessive and dry ground cover, and exacerbated by high winds—is to stop residents from grilling hamburgers. Daytime temps can reach 100 degrees F in that area, but evenings are generally cool. Many residents prefer to relax in the backyard at the end of the day. Meanwhile, there are a dozen factors [https://www.independent.org/article/2026/01/07/the-2025-los-angeles-wildfires-lessons-and-key-recommendations/] that contributed to the L.A. devastation, none of which involved a backyard barbie. With backlash—who could have predicted that???—Council member Raman has attempted to distance herself from her own proposal. Good luck with that. Perhaps a word or two about clearing brush and seeing that reservoirs are filled might have been in order… but it was probably easier just to write a new city ordinance making it the fault of the residents. “Tone deaf” could be a term used here. Number 1. Breitbart. Campaign promise: Current LA mayor promises new teeth for meth addicts. [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/05/13/nolte-dem-l-a-mayor-karen-bass-proposes-free-teeth-meth-addicts/] Staying with Los Angeles politics, I couldn’t resist this one. Current Mayor Karen Bass—embattled in her bid for re-election—has found a way to appeal to a key constituency. Unfortunate persons addicted to Methamphetamine [https://medlineplus.gov/methamphetamine.html]often suffer from symptoms like dry mouth and broken teeth. Just what I had hoped for in a hobby. Not only does it not pay anything, it leaves me with a mouth of ruined teeth. If Mayor Bass is returned to the Mayor’s mansion, help will soon be on the way. Her proposal is to help unhoused persons with full, free dental care. Because, she says, “You can’t succeed without teeth!” That may be true, but I suspect you also can’t succeed with new teeth and a meth addiction. “Boss, I know the guy’s on meth, but look at that smile! Let’s hire him to run the cash register!” Given that implants run about $6,000 per tooth, costs are estimated at $30-80k per mouth. Given the number of meth addicts who apparently inhabit the City of Angels, this may be an expensive way to purchase a Mayoral election. It’s a good thing the taxpayers will be there to fund it, instead of Mayor Bass herself. And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, May 22, 2026. Enjoy this spring weather while you can. This weekend should be perfect for a backyard barbeque. Fire up that grill and throw on some steaks—or maybe just hot dogs. But it would be a good idea not to set the lawn on fire. If you are not sure what safety precautions to take (which maybe 200 million Americans [https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2016/04/28/the-united-states-of-barbecue-americas-love-affair-with-backyard-cooking/] have successfully figured out)… maybe you should stick to Ramen noodles in the microwave. Have a good weekend! Get full access to The Alligator Blog at alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe [https://alligatorpublishing.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]