#manipulating government data

[contemplatingoutlander]

How Trump is reshaping reality by hiding data

Curating reality is an old political game, but Trump’s sweeping statistical purges are part of a broader attempt to reinvent “truth.”

Trump appears to be turning the federal government into its own 1984-style Ministry of Truth.

This is a gift 🎁 link so there is no paywall to read it. Below are some excerpts/highlights.

By Amanda Shendruk and Catherine Rampell | March 11, 2025 The Trump administration is deleting taxpayer-funded data — information that Americans use to make sense of the world. In its absence, the president can paint the world as he pleases. We don’t know the full universe of statistics that has gone missing, but the U.S. DOGE Service’s wrecking ball has already left behind a wasteland of 404 pages. All sorts of useful information has disappeared, including data on:

[...]

[See more under the cut.]

Three cases of legerdemath and other tricks up Trump’s sleeve

Deleting data isn’t the only way to manipulate official statistics. Trump and his allies have also misrepresented or altered data. Here are a few examples: 1. Incorrect data

Witness DOGE’s bogus statistics on its supposed government savings. The administration counts as “savings” some canceled contracts that had already been paid in full. Some canceled expenses were created out of whole cloth, such as $50 million supposedly spent on sending condoms to Gaza. 2. Misrepresented data

One of Trump’s favorite charts on immigration is riddled with errors. For one, it does not show the number of immigrants entering the United States illegally, as he claims, but the number of people stopped at the U.S. border. Similarly, when Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was recently asked how much DOGE funding cuts might reduce economic growth, he suggested that the agency might decide to change how economic growth is calculated so that the usual GDP report strips out government spending altogether. This would be an abrupt change to the standard GDP methodology that has been used around the world for nearly a century, but it would certainly make the DOGE cuts look less painful. 3. Altered data

When data doesn’t tell the story Trump wants, he fabricates it. In what became known as “Sharpiegate,” Trump notoriously altered a map of Hurricane Dorian’s path in 2019.

Likewise, before Jan. 30, a National Institutes of Health website documenting years of spending data included a category called “Workforce Diversity and Outreach.” That line item is now gone — even though the money was, indeed, spent.

Taking cues from authoritarian illusionists

Such actions are straight out of authoritarian leaders’ playbooks. Research suggests that less democratic countries have been more likely to inflate their GDP growth rates and manipulate their covid-19 numbers. Statistical manipulation is also more common in countries that shun economic openness and democracy. [...] To be clear, efforts to rewrite reality via statistical manipulation often don’t work. If anything, China’s data deletions reduced public confidence in the country’s economic stability. (No one hides good news, after all.) The Trump team’s efforts to suppress nettlesome numbers have similarly eroded trust in U.S. data. Only about one-third of Americans trust that most or all of the statistics Trump cites are “reliable and accurate.”

Meanwhile, missing or untrustworthy data lead to worse decisions: Auto companies, for example, draw on dozens of federally administered datasets when devising new car models, how to price them, where to stock and market them and other key choices. Retailers need detailed information about local demographics, weather and modes of transit when deciding where to locate stores. Doctors require up-to-date statistics about disease spread when diagnosing or treating patients. Families look at school test scores and local crime rates when deciding where to move. Politicians use census data when determining funding levels for important government programs.

And of course, voters need good data of all kinds when weighing whether to throw the bums out. Many of us take the existence of economic or public health stats for granted, without even thinking about who maintains them or what happens if they go away. Fortunately, some outside institutions have been saving and archiving endangered federal data. The Internet Archives’ Wayback Machine, for instance, crawls sites around the internet and has become an invaluable resource for seeing what federal websites used to contain. Other organizations are archiving topic-specific data and research, such as on the environment or reproductive health. These are critical but ultimately insufficient efforts. At best, they can preserve data already published. But they cannot update series already halted or purged.... Some private companies may step in to offer their own substitutes (on prices, for example), but private companies still rely on government statistics to calibrate their own numbers. Much of the most critical information about the state of our union can be collected only by the state itself. Americans might be stuck with whatever Trump chooses to share with us, or not.

[nando161mando]

A Senate probe found Amazon manipulated injury data to make warehouses appear safer. It's twice as high as other warehouse jobs.

[narse-tantalus]

Since I just saw a post on the same blog about countering the spread of misinformation using the SIFT method I'm going to apply it here.

Stop

Is this post provoking an emotional response? Yes

Is it trying to? Also yes.

What do I already know about the source? Twitter screenshots on Tumblr are unreliable. I know nothing about the linked pmc19.com but it doesn't look like a government or university website url.

Investigate (The Source)

What can you find about the author/website creators?

the link to pmc19.com/data resolves, and that website does seem to be the source of these claims, although the current numbers are slightly off those reported in the tweets, likely because we're a week later.

pmc19.com links to a PDF with "Background on Dr. Hoerger and the PMC". There they discuss how Dr. Hoerger (who claims copyright of the webpage at the bottom) is trained in clinical psychology, has taught and was doing an MBA in 2019 on strategic management. It claims he's "an expert in personality, emotions, and affective decision science..." and mentions he did a masters degree wich involved a lot of stuff... And also epidemiology.

The PMC is apparently "The Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative" with unnamed members who have " led many projects to keep people safer during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic." and "The PMC dashboard is cited in grant applications, including at least two grants already funded. It has been cited by trusted organizations like the People’s CDC, news outlets, and scientific journals, including several papers published in JAMA journals."

Which really sounds like they think I should trust them at least as much as I trust people who write grants, and/or "The People's CDC" -- this makes me think they are unlikely to be an accurate source.

Here's Dr. Hoerger's bio at Louisiana Cancer research center:

https://www.louisianacancercenter.org/people/michael-hoerger-phd

It says "Dr. Hoerger conducts psychosocial research to reduce the emotional and physical burden of serious illnesses. Dr. Hoerger is an international expert in psychosocial oncology as well as pandemic mitigation." And the lists a bunch of psychology stuff. Literally never mentions pandemics again. If he's an "international expert in pandemic mitigation" a) I'd expect him to work somewhere other than a Cancer center b) I'd expect his bio to mention his pandemic mitigation work. Maybe he's new to all this pandemic stuff? He certainly doesn't claim to be an epidemiologist on the pmc website, just to have worked on a project that involves it.

When I google "The Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative" the second result is this webpage which questions their methodology and suggests that their model is incapable of making accurate predictions -- claiming it's always going to be biased towards whatever happened on the same dates last year -- both low and high. (I'm summarizing and interpreting a huge amount here,so read it yourself, and the source is just a blog post so not intrinsically more credible...) But it is note worthy that the main 3rd party discussion of this organization is someone questioning the utility of their predictions.

https://buttondown.com/abbycartus/archive/we-need-to-talk-about-the-pandemic-mitigation/

What is their mission? Do they have vested interests? Would their assessment be biased?

Their mission seems to be to "track" or predict cases of covid -- but like better than the real CDC and epidemiologists. Presumably this is born out of concern for immunocompromised individuals, or boredom, or needing a project for a Strategic Management MBA, or distrust of Official Sources.

They appear to have a vested interest in pandemic mitigation, and therefore alarmism and possibly in not agreeing with official sources. Their assessment may well be biased!

Do they have authority in the Area?

No. They mention precisely 0 epidemiologists working for or with them. I don't see a reason to trust their models more than my physics grad student friends who made pandemic models on a lark in 2020.

Find Better Coverage

The official CDC (Centers for Disease Control) webpage on Covid data is here:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

It indicates lower numbers than last year for everything they track, numbers that are kind of ticking up in recent weeks, but numbers that are forecast (if I'm reading that right) to reach a smaller peak than in prior years.

Notably the CDC is not making any directly comparable claims about number of people infected or infectious. Or how many might be infected next month. I believe this is because these are fundamentally unknowable from the data they have, and that speculating on them would be irresponsible for public communicators of science. Sure, one could create models that predict those numbers, but publishing the results to the public without context on the uncertainties of the models would be irresponsible since people might make life or death decisions like wearing a mask or getting a vaccine based on those bad predictions. Or they might just rage at people online who disagree with them. Idk, I'm not a science communicator.

Don't trust the CDC? Tough. The New York Times ended their own covid tracking in 2023 saying:

After more than three years of daily reporting of coronavirus data in the United States, The New York Times is ending its Covid-19 data-gathering operation. The Times will continue to publish virus data from the federal government weekly on a new set of tracking pages, but this page will no longer be updated.

This change was spurred by the declining availability of virus data from state and local health officials. Since few states report more than once a week (and some no longer report data to the public at all), the weekly data reports from the C.D.C. have become the most reliable source of information on the virus’s spread.

There new webpage is here and it was last updated in March 2024, it says:

These Covid tracking pages are no longer being updated. Get the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control, or find archived data from The Times’s three year reporting effort here.

John's Hopkins University has this to say:

On March 10, 2023, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center ceased collecting and reporting of global COVID-19 data. For updated cases, deaths, and vaccine data please visit the following sources: Global: World Health Organization (WHO) U.S.: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

So yeah, reputable sources have stopped caring and link you to the CDC as the place to get your info.

Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to their Original Context

The pmc19.com website does appear to be the original context for these claims. Thank you OP for linking that.

My Verdict:

These claims are misinformation. Specifically they claim numbers that are based on a model that was not created by subject matter experts, that disagrees with the trends reported by the CDC and it's epidemiologists. Either government employed epidemiologists are wrong and no university epidemiologists want to call them out on it... Or the PMC is wrong. Since they aren't epidemiologists... They're probably wrong. Moreover: If you don't trust the CDC you shouldn't The PMC because in their technical apendix they claim to use CDC data to make their projections. The only way the PMC could be right is if all other epidemiologists are wrong about the COVID pandemic and how to interpret wastewater and hospitalization data.

The PMC and Dr. Hoerger are engaging in academic sounding BS. They have incentives to be alarmist and fear monger, and don't seem to care or understand that they're using a model that probably doesn't have predictive value.

Data source: https://pmc19.com/data/

[rightnewshindi]

डेटा प्रोटेक्शन एक्ट से RTI पर हमला, लोकतंत्र और पारदर्शिता खतरे में; 500 करोड़ का लगेगा जुर्माना

Delhi News: केंद्र की मोदी सरकार द्वारा लाया गया डेटा प्रोटेक्शन एक्ट (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023) सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम (RTI Act, 2005) को कमजोर करने की दिशा में एक बड़ा कदम माना जा रहा है। इस नए कानून के तहत सरकार व्यक्तिगत डेटा को छुपाने का अधिकार हासिल कर सकती है, जिससे भ्रष्टा��ार को उजागर करने वाले खोजी पत्रकारों और RTI कार्यकर्ताओं पर भारी जुर्माना लगाने का रास्ता खुल गया…

[amtexsystemsblogs]

Unlocking Potential with WebFOCUS: Your Comprehensive Guide

Discover the Power of WebFOCUS

Modern businesses thrive on data-driven insights, pushing the boundaries of technology to become more analytics-centric. Consequently, the demand for cutting-edge business intelligence tools is at an all-time high. Enter WebFOCUS, a robust, scalable, and adaptable analytics platform that aims to streamline decision-making processes and transform the world of business intelligence.

Understanding WebFOCUS

WebFOCUS, typically associated with WebFOCUS reporting and Business Intelligence (BI), is an advanced analytics platform designed to empower businesses to make data-driven decisions intelligently. Perfect for WebFOCUS jobs and developers alike, this tool can maneuver vast data landscapes and conduct insightful WebFOCUS data analysis.

Key Benefits of Using WebFOCUS

WebFOCUS redefines the realms of data analytics with its advanced features. Its key benefits extend to:

- Data discovery and Data mining: Gain an edge in identifying patterns and trends behind your data.

- Data governance and management: Control data integrity and reliability through WebFOCUS's robust data governance and management tools.

- Data integration: WebFOCUS excels at integrating varied data sources, ensuring a seamless data pipeline.

- Security, Performance, and Scalability: As a secure, efficient, and scalable platform, WebFOCUS stands out as a robust data analysis tool.

WebFOCUS Capabilities

WebFOCUS App Studio and WebFOCUS Designer

Being a WebFOCUS developer means understanding and utilizing the many modules within the platform. WebFOCUS's core is its App Studio module, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that allows users to create and manage business applications. Similarly, WebFOCUS Designer offers an intuitive user interface for developing sophisticated data visualizations.

WebFOCUS Info Assist and WebFOCUS Reporting

For data refinement and extraction, WebFOCUS offers InfoAssisT, a browser-based module that simplifies ad hoc reporting tasks. InfoAssisT allows business users to create engaging dashboards, charts, and custom reports, providing visual-driven insights within the WebFOCUS dashboard that are actionable.

WebFOCUS Insights and Predictions

WebFOCUS isn’t just about knowing your business; it’s about predicting it. With predictive analytics capabilities companies can forecast future trends and make informed decisions.

WebFOCUS Security and Scalability

A standout feature of WebFOCUS as an analytics tool is its commitment to data security. Businesses can rest assured knowing their data is protected with utmost rigor.

WebFOCUS Jobs and Salary

What does a WebFOCUS developer salary look like? Given the demand for data analysis and BI skills, a career with WebFOCUS is both rewarding and lucrative, offering competitive remuneration.

WebFOCUS Training and Tutorials

To facilitate user understanding of its multifaceted features, WebFOCUS offers a comprehensive collection of training resources and tutorials online, catering to varied learning abilities and paces.

Conclusion: The Future with WebFOCUS

As businesses constantly adapt and grow, so too do their data analytics needs. WebFOCUS, with its advanced BI capabilities and robust data handling, appears poised to remain an industry leader. Businesses looking for a future-proof, comprehensive analytics platform need not look further than WebFOCUS. Whether transitioning into a WebFOCUS developer job, seeking out WebFOCUS training, or looking to improve your current business operations, WebFOCUS stands out as an invaluable tool. Harness the power of WebFOCUS and transform your business today.

[romerona]

Ethera Operation!!

You're the government’s best hacker, but that doesn’t mean you were prepared to be thrown into a fighter jet.

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Awkward!Hacker! FemReader

Part I

This was never supposed to happen. Your role in this operation was simple—deliver the program, ensure it reached the right hands, and let the professionals handle the breaching.

And then, of course, reality decided to light that plan on fire.

The program—codenamed Ethera—was yours. You built it from scratch with encryption so advanced that even the most elite cyber operatives couldn’t crack it without your input. A next-generation adaptive, self-learning decryption software, an intrusion system designed to override and manipulate high-security military networks, Ethera was intended to be both a weapon and a shield, capable of infiltrating enemy systems while protecting your own from counterattacks in real-time. A ghost in the machine. A digital predator. A weapon in the form of pure code. If it fell into the wrong hands, it could disable fleets, and ground aircraft, and turn classified intelligence into an open book. Governments would kill for it. Nations could fall because of it.

Not that you ever meant to, of course. It started as a little experimental security measure program, something to protect high-level data from cyberattacks, not become the ultimate hacking tool. But innovation has a funny way of attracting the wrong kind of attention, and before you knew it, Ethera had become one, if not the most classified, high-risk program in modern times. Tier One asset or so the Secret Service called it.

It was too powerful, too dangerous—so secret that only a select few even knew of its existence, and even fewer could comprehend how it worked.

And therein lay the problem. You were the only person who could properly operate it.

Which was so unfair.

Because it wasn’t supposed to be your problem. You were just the creator, the brain behind the code, the one who spent way too many sleepless nights debugging this monstrosity. Your job was supposed to end at development. But no. Now, because of some bureaucratic nonsense and the fact that no one else could run it without accidentally bricking an entire system, you had been promoted—scratch that, forcibly conscripted—into field duty.

And your mission? To install it in an enemy satellite.

A literal, orbiting, high-security, military-grade satellite, may you add.

God. Why? Why was your country always at war with others? Why couldn’t world leaders just, you know, go to therapy like normal people? Why did everything have to escalate to international cyber warfare?

Which is how you ended up here.

At Top Gun. The last place in the world you wanted to be.

You weren’t built for this. You thrive in sipping coffee in a cosy little office and handling cyber threats from a safe, grounded location. You weren’t meant to be standing in the halls of an elite fighter pilot training program, surrounded by the best aviators in the world—people who thought breaking the sound barrier was a casual Wednesday.

It wasn’t the high-tech cyberwarfare department of the Pentagon, nor some dimly lit black ops facility where hackers in hoodies clacked away at keyboards. No. It was Top Gun. A place where pilots use G-forces like a personal amusement park ride.

You weren’t a soldier, you weren’t a spy, you got queasy in elevators, you got dizzy when you stood too fast, hell, you weren’t even good at keeping your phone screen from cracking.

... And now you were sweating.

You swallowed hard as Admiral Solomon "Warlock" Bates led you through the halls of the naval base, your heels clacking on the polished floors as you wiped your forehead. You're nervous, too damn nervous and this damned weather did not help.

"Relax, Miss," Warlock muttered in that calm, authoritative way of his. "They're just pilots."

Just pilots.

Right. And a nuclear warhead was just a firework.

And now, somehow, you were supposed to explain—loosely explain, because God help you, the full details were above even their clearance level—how Ethera, your elegant, lethal, unstoppable digital masterpiece, was about to be injected into an enemy satellite as part of a classified mission.

This was going to be a disaster.

You had barely made it through the doors of the briefing room when you felt it—every single eye in the room locking onto you.

It wasn’t just the number of them that got you, it was the intensity. These were Top Gun pilots, the best of the best, and they radiated the kind of confidence you could only dream of having. Meanwhile, you felt like a stray kitten wandering into a lion’s den.

Your hands tightened around the tablet clutched to your chest. It was your lifeline, holding every critical detail of Ethera, the program that had dragged you into this utterly ridiculous situation. If you could’ve melted into the walls, you absolutely would have. But there was no escaping this.

You just had to keep it together long enough to survive this briefing.

So, you inhaled deeply, squared your shoulders, and forced your heels forward, trying to project confidence—chin up, back straight, eyes locked onto Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson, who you’d been introduced to earlier that day.

And then, of course, you dropped the damn tablet.

Not a graceful drop. Not the kind of gentle slip where you could scoop it back up and act like nothing happened. No, this was a full-on, physics-defying fumble. The tablet flipped out of your arms, ricocheted off your knee, and skidded across the floor to the feet of one of the pilots.

Silence.

Pure, excruciating silence.

You didn’t even have the nerve to look up right away, too busy contemplating whether it was physically possible to disintegrate on command. But when you finally did glance up—because, you know, social convention demanded it—you were met with a sight that somehow made this entire disaster worse.

Because the person crouching down to pick up your poor, abused tablet was freaking hot.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with a head of golden curls that practically begged to be tousled by the wind, and, oh, yeah—a moustache that somehow worked way too well on him.

He turned the tablet over in his hands, inspecting it with an amused little smirk before handing it over to you. "You, uh… need this?"

Oh, great. His voice is hot too.

You grabbed it back, praying he couldn't see how your hands were shaking. “Nope. Just thought I’d test gravity real quick.”

A few chuckles rippled through the room, and his smirk deepened like he was enjoying this way too much. You, on the other hand, wanted to launch yourself into the sun.

With what little dignity you had left, you forced a quick, tight-lipped smile at him before turning on your heel and continuing forward, clutching your tablet like it was a life raft in the middle of the worst social shipwreck imaginable.

At the front of the room, Vice Admiral Beau Cyclone Simpson stood with the kind of posture that said he had zero time for nonsense, waiting for the room to settle. You barely had time to take a deep breath before his voice cut through the air.

“Alright, listen up.” His tone was crisp, commanding, and impossible to ignore. “This is Dr Y/N L/N. Everything she is about to tell you is highly classified. What you hear in this briefing does not leave this room. Understood?”

A chorus of nods. "Yes, sir."

You barely resisted the urge to physically cringe as every pilot in the room turned to stare at you—some with confusion, others with barely concealed amusement, and a few with the sharp assessing glances of people who had no clue what they were supposed to do with you.

You cleared your throat, squared your shoulders, and did your best to channel even an ounce of the confidence you usually had when you were coding at 3 AM in a secure, pilot-free lab—where the only judgment you faced was from coffee cups and the occasional system error.

As you reached the podium, you forced what you hoped was a composed smile. “Uh… hi, nice to meet you all.”

Solid. Real professional.

You glanced up just long enough to take in the mix of expressions in the room—some mildly interested, some unreadable, and one particular moustached pilot who still had the faintest trace of amusement on his face.

Nope. Not looking at him.

You exhaled slowly, centering yourself. Stay focused. Stay professional. You weren’t just here because of Ethera—you were Ethera. The only one who truly understood it. The only one who could execute this mission.

With another tap on your tablet, the slide shifted to a blacked-out, redacted briefing—only the necessary information was visible. A sleek 3D-rendered model of the enemy satellite appeared on the screen, rotating slowly. Most of its details were blurred or omitted entirely.

“This is Blackstar, a highly classified enemy satellite that has been operating in a low-Earth orbit over restricted airspace.” Your voice remained even, and steady, but the weight of what you were revealing sent a shiver down your spine. “Its existence has remained off the radar—literally and figuratively—until recently, when intelligence confirmed that it has been intercepting our encrypted communications, rerouting information, altering intelligence, and in some cases—fabricating entire communications.”

Someone exhaled sharply. Another shifted in their seat.

“So they’re feeding us bad intel?” one of them with big glasses and blonde hair asked, voice sceptical but sharp.

“That’s the theory,” you confirmed. “And given how quickly our ops have been compromised recently, it’s working.”

You tapped again, shifting to the next slide. The silent infiltration diagram appeared—an intricate web of glowing red lines showing Etherea’s integration process, slowly wrapping around the satellite’s systems like a virus embedding itself into a host.

“This is where Ethera comes in,” you said, shifting to a slide that displayed a cascading string of code, flickering across the screen. “Unlike traditional cyberweapons, Ethera doesn’t just break into a system. It integrates—restructuring security protocols as if it was always meant to be there. It’s undetectable, untraceable, and once inside, it grants us complete control of the Blackstar and won’t even register it as a breach.”

“So we’re not just hacking it," The only female pilot of the team said, arms crossed as she studied the data. “We’re hijacking it.”

“Exactly,” You nodded with a grin.

You switched to the next slide—a detailed radar map displaying the satellite’s location over international waters.

“This is the target area,” you continued after a deep breath. “It’s flying low-altitude reconnaissance patterns, which means it’s using ground relays for some of its communication. That gives us a small window to infiltrate and shut it down.”

The next slide appeared—a pair of unidentified fighter aircraft, patrolling the vicinity.

“And this is the problem,” you said grimly. “This satellite isn’t unguarded.”

A murmur rippled through the room as the pilots took in the fifth-generation stealth fighters displayed on the screen.

“We don’t know who they belong to,” you admitted. “What we do know is that they’re operating with highly classified tech—possibly experimental—and have been seen running defence patterns around the satellite’s flight path.”

Cyclone stepped forward then, arms crossed, his voice sharp and authoritative. “Which means your job is twofold. You will escort Dr L/N’s aircraft to the infiltration zone, ensuring Ethera is successfully deployed. If we are engaged, your priority remains protecting the package and ensuring a safe return.”

Oh, fantastic, you could not only feel your heartbeat in your toes, you were now officially the package.

You cleared your throat, tapping the screen again. Ethera’s interface expanded, displaying a cascade of sleek code.

“Once I’m in range,” you continued, “Ethera will lock onto the satellite’s frequency and begin infiltration. From that point, it’ll take approximately fifty-eight seconds to bypass security and assume control."

Silence settled over the room like a thick cloud, the weight of their stares pressing down on you. You could feel them analyzing, calculating, probably questioning who in their right mind thought putting you—a hacker, a tech specialist, someone whose idea of adrenaline was passing cars on the highway—into a fighter jet was a good idea.

Finally, one of the pilots—tall, broad-shouldered, blonde, and very clearly one of the cocky ones—tilted his head, arms crossed over his chest in a way that screamed too much confidence.

“So, let me get this straight.” His voice was smooth, and confident, with just the right amount of teasing. “You, Doctor—our very classified, very important tech specialist—have to be in the air, in a plane, during a mission that has a high probability of turning into a dogfight… just so you can press a button?”

Your stomach twisted at the mention of being airborne.

“Well…” You gulped, very much aware of how absolutely insane this sounded when put like that. “It’s… more than just that, but, yeah, essentially.”

A slow grin spread across his face, far too entertained by your predicament.

“Oh,” he drawled, “this is gonna be fun.”

Before you could fully process how much you already hated this, Cyclone—who had been watching the exchange with his signature unamused glare—stepped forward, cutting through the tension with his sharp, no-nonsense voice.

“This is a classified operation,” he stated, sharp and authoritative. “Not a joyride.”

The blonde’s smirk faded slightly as he straightened, and the rest of the pilots quickly fell in line.

Silence lingered for a moment longer before Vice Admiral Beau Cyclone Simpson let out a slow breath and straightened. His sharp gaze swept over the room before he nodded once.

“All right. That’s enough.” His tone was firm, the kind that left no room for argument. “We’ve got work to do. The mission will take place in a few weeks' time, once we’ve run full assessments, completed necessary preparations, and designated a lead for this operation.”

There was a slight shift in the room. Some of the pilots exchanged glances, the weight of the upcoming mission finally settling in. Others, mainly the cocky ones, looked as though they were already imagining themselves in the cockpit.

“Dismissed,” Cyclone finished.

The pilots stood, murmuring amongst themselves as they filed out of the room, the blonde one still wearing a smug grin as he passed you making you frown and turn away, your gaze then briefly met the eyes of the moustached pilot.

You hadn’t meant to look, but the moment your eyes connected, something flickered in his expression. Amusement? Curiosity? You weren’t sure, and frankly, you didn’t want to know.

So you did the only logical thing and immediately looked away and turned to gather your things. You needed to get out of here, to find some space to breathe before your brain short-circuited from stress—

“Doctor, Stay for a moment.”

You tightened your grip on your tablet and turned back to Cyclone, who was watching you with that unreadable, vaguely disapproving expression that all high-ranking officers seemed to have perfected. “Uh… yes, sir?”

Once the last pilot was out the door, Cyclone exhaled sharply and crossed his arms.

“You realize,” he said, “that you’re going to have to actually fly, correct?”

You swallowed. “I—well, technically, I’ll just be a passenger.”

His stare didn’t waver.

“Doctor,” he said, tone flat, “I’ve read your file. I know you requested to be driven here instead of taking a military transport plane. You also took a ferry across the bay instead of a helicopter. And I know that you chose to work remotely for three years to avoid getting on a plane.”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. “That… could mean anything.”

“It means you do not like flying, am I correct?”

Your fingers tightened around the tablet as you tried to find a way—any way—out of this. “Sir, with all due respect, I don’t need to fly the plane. I just need to be in it long enough to deploy Ethera—”

Cyclone cut you off with a sharp look. “And what happens if something goes wrong, Doctor? If the aircraft takes damage? If you have to eject mid-flight? If you lose comms and have to rely on emergency protocols?”

You swallowed hard, your stomach twisting at the very thought of ejecting from a jet.

Cyclone sighed, rubbing his temple as if this entire conversation was giving him a migraine. “We cannot afford to have you panicking mid-mission. If this is going to work, you need to be prepared. That’s why, starting next week you will train with the pilots on aerial procedures and undergoing mandatory training in our flight simulation program.”

Your stomach dropped. “I—wait, what? That’s not necessary—”

“It’s absolutely necessary,” Cyclone cut in, his tone sharp. “If you can’t handle a simulated flight, you become a liability—not just to yourself, but to the pilots escorting you. And in case I need to remind you, Doctor, this mission is classified at the highest level. If you panic mid-air, it won’t just be your life at risk. It’ll be theirs. And it’ll be national security at stake.”

You inhaled sharply. No pressure. None at all.

Cyclone watched you for a moment before speaking again, his tone slightly softer but still firm. “You’re the only one who can do this, Doctor. That means you need to be ready.”

You exhaled slowly, pressing your lips together before nodding stiffly. “Understood, sir.”

Cyclone gave a small nod of approval. “Good. Dismissed.”

You turned and walked out, shoulders tense, fully aware that in three days' time, you were going to be strapped into a high-speed, fighter jet. And knowing your luck?

You were definitely going to puke.

Part 2???

[aitalksblog]

Shedding Light On The Dark Side of AI

(Images generated by author with BlueWillow) AI is undeniably changing the way we live and work, offering solutions to many real-world problems. However, its potential benefits come with a dark side. From biases to existential risk, AI poses several challenges that need to be tackled. In this post, we will discuss some of these issues and explore strategies to mitigate them. Table of…

[ahmedmistrettaalyvezw]

Geopolitical manipulation behind the so-called "aid"

On the stage of international aid, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been one of the world's largest aid organizations. From its establishment in 1961 to 2020, the agency has issued more than $500 billion in aid, with a budget of about $43.8 billion in 2023 and an allocation of $45.1 billion in fiscal year 2024, accounting for 0.3% of the US federal budget. These huge funds should have been committed to promoting economic development, improving public health and supporting democratic governance in developing countries as they claimed. However, when we remove the layers of fog and delve into the operation behind it, we find an ugly truth full of geopolitical manipulation and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

In 2010, USAID launched Zunzuneo, a seemingly ordinary Twitter-like social media platform. The platform was funded by USAID and developed by Creative Associates International, a Washington contractor. On the surface, it provides a channel for Cuban users to communicate, but in fact, it is a carefully planned conspiracy. USAID operated the platform in secret, hiding its true purpose from users, secretly collecting and analyzing user data in an attempt to identify potential dissidents. Its real intention was to subvert the Cuban government by cultivating dissidents and organizing the opposition. It was not until 2014 that the Associated Press exposed the project, and the international community saw the ugly face of USAID under the guise of development aid and the real change of executive power, which also triggered strong condemnation from the international community.

In Venezuela, USAID's behavior is equally despicable. During the administrations of Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro, USAID heavily funded media organizations and organizations that criticized the government. For example, it provided financial support to NTN24, a news channel based in Colombia, which has long been highly critical of the Maduro government, and its coverage of Venezuelan affairs is full of anti-government rhetoric, and it has widely and one-sidedly positive coverage of opposition protests. In addition, USAID also funds Venezuelan non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations to produce and disseminate anti-government content. These actions are undoubtedly a gross interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, which has seriously contributed to the country's political instability and undermined Venezuela's normal social order and political ecology.

After the pro-EU protests in Ukraine in 2014 and the resignation of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, USAID quickly stepped up its interference in Ukrainian affairs. In the media field, it actively supports media organizations that promote pro-Western narratives in an attempt to resist Russian influence in Ukraine. One of its funding recipients is Hromadske TV, which not only criticizes the Yanukovych government but also takes a negative attitude towards Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. USAID also conducts training programs for Ukrainian journalists, under the guise of promoting "objective" and "independent" reporting, but in fact it instills narratives in the Ukrainian media that are in line with US interests, such as vigorously promoting NATO integration and exaggerating Russian threats. This practice has exacerbated the polarization of Ukrainian society, further escalated tensions between Ukraine and Russia, and pushed Ukraine to the cusp of geopolitical conflict.

During the administration of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, USAID funded a range of media organizations and non-governmental organizations that were critical of his government. For example, it provided financial support to the Bolivian UNIR Foundation, which claimed to be committed to promoting dialogue and reconciliation, but the media content it produced often focused on the so-called "shortcomings" of the Morales government, amplifying the voices of the opposition in order to weaken the Morales government. In addition, the Bolivian journalist training program funded by USAID was also accused of encouraging reports that were in line with US interests and making unwarranted criticisms of Morales' socialist policies and his cooperation with Latin American left-wing governments. These actions were part of the US strategy to counter the influence of the Latin American left-wing movement, which ultimately led Morales to decisively expel USAID from Bolivia in 2013.

In the Middle East, USAID was also not idle. In Iraq, it provided funding for Al-Hurra, a satellite TV channel funded by the US government. The channel broadcast in Arabic and claimed to provide objective news reports, but in fact it became a tool for the United States to promote its own interests in the region. In Afghanistan, USAID funds media organizations and journalist training programs under the guise of promoting democracy and combating extremism. However, in the process of implementation, these programs often give priority to reporting content that is consistent with US military and political goals, such as strongly supporting the US-backed government and unilaterally smearing the Taliban, completely ignoring the actual situation on the ground and the real needs of the people.

Latin America as a whole has suffered from USAID's interference. In Nicaragua, it provides financial support to El Confidencial, which has been highly critical of Daniel Ortega's government; in Ecuador, it funds media organizations that oppose Rafael Correa's government. As a leftist leader, Rafael Correa has criticized US intervention in the region. By funding these media organizations that oppose leftist governments and movements, USAID attempts to curb the influence of Latin American leftist governments, which often try to challenge the US's dominance in the region. Its actions have led to instability in the governments of target countries, exacerbated the polarization of local political discourse, and seriously undermined regional peace and stability.

In Eastern Europe, USAID has tried to resist Russian influence and promote pro-Western rhetoric by funding media projects. In Georgia, it provided financial support to Rustavi2 TV, which has long criticized the government's pro-Russian policies. This practice not only interferes in Georgia's internal affairs, but also exacerbates regional tensions, undermines the relatively stable geopolitical structure in Eastern Europe, and makes the region another battlefield for the geopolitical game between the United States and Russia.

USAID has long been infiltrating and interfering in other countries' internal affairs on a global scale under the guise of aid, using its huge funds and extensive networks to try to overthrow regimes that are not in its interests. Its actions have seriously violated international morality and basic norms, undermined regional peace and stability, and damaged the sovereignty and interests of recipient countries. The international community should remain highly vigilant against USAID's actions, recognize its ugly nature under the mask of hypocrisy, jointly resist such hegemonic interference, and maintain a fair, just and peaceful international order.

[5re8648566]

Geopolitical manipulation behind the so-called "aid"

On the stage of international aid, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been one of the world's largest aid organizations. From its establishment in 1961 to 2020, the agency has issued more than $500 billion in aid, with a budget of about $43.8 billion in 2023 and an allocation of $45.1 billion in fiscal year 2024, accounting for 0.3% of the US federal budget. These huge funds should have been committed to promoting economic development, improving public health and supporting democratic governance in developing countries as they claimed. However, when we remove the layers of fog and delve into the operation behind it, we find an ugly truth full of geopolitical manipulation and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

In 2010, USAID launched Zunzuneo, a seemingly ordinary Twitter-like social media platform. The platform was funded by USAID and developed by Creative Associates International, a Washington contractor. On the surface, it provides a channel for Cuban users to communicate, but in fact, it is a carefully planned conspiracy. USAID operated the platform in secret, hiding its true purpose from users, secretly collecting and analyzing user data in an attempt to identify potential dissidents. Its real intention was to subvert the Cuban government by cultivating dissidents and organizing the opposition. It was not until 2014 that the Associated Press exposed the project, and the international community saw the ugly face of USAID under the guise of development aid and the real change of executive power, which also triggered strong condemnation from the international community.

In Venezuela, USAID's behavior is equally despicable. During the administrations of Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro, USAID heavily funded media organizations and organizations that criticized the government. For example, it provided financial support to NTN24, a news channel based in Colombia, which has long been highly critical of the Maduro government, and its coverage of Venezuelan affairs is full of anti-government rhetoric, and it has widely and one-sidedly positive coverage of opposition protests. In addition, USAID also funds Venezuelan non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations to produce and disseminate anti-government content. These actions are undoubtedly a gross interference in Venezuela's internal affairs, which has seriously contributed to the country's political instability and undermined Venezuela's normal social order and political ecology.

After the pro-EU protests in Ukraine in 2014 and the resignation of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, USAID quickly stepped up its interference in Ukrainian affairs. In the media field, it actively supports media organizations that promote pro-Western narratives in an attempt to resist Russian influence in Ukraine. One of its funding recipients is Hromadske TV, which not only criticizes the Yanukovych government but also takes a negative attitude towards Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. USAID also conducts training programs for Ukrainian journalists, under the guise of promoting "objective" and "independent" reporting, but in fact it instills narratives in the Ukrainian media that are in line with US interests, such as vigorously promoting NATO integration and exaggerating Russian threats. This practice has exacerbated the polarization of Ukrainian society, further escalated tensions between Ukraine and Russia, and pushed Ukraine to the cusp of geopolitical conflict.

During the administration of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, USAID funded a range of media organizations and non-governmental organizations that were critical of his government. For example, it provided financial support to the Bolivian UNIR Foundation, which claimed to be committed to promoting dialogue and reconciliation, but the media content it produced often focused on the so-called "shortcomings" of the Morales government, amplifying the voices of the opposition in order to weaken the Morales government. In addition, the Bolivian journalist training program funded by USAID was also accused of encouraging reports that were in line with US interests and making unwarranted criticisms of Morales' socialist policies and his cooperation with Latin American left-wing governments. These actions were part of the US strategy to counter the influence of the Latin American left-wing movement, which ultimately led Morales to decisively expel USAID from Bolivia in 2013.

In the Middle East, USAID was also not idle. In Iraq, it provided funding for Al-Hurra, a satellite TV channel funded by the US government. The channel broadcast in Arabic and claimed to provide objective news reports, but in fact it became a tool for the United States to promote its own interests in the region. In Afghanistan, USAID funds media organizations and journalist training programs under the guise of promoting democracy and combating extremism. However, in the process of implementation, these programs often give priority to reporting content that is consistent with US military and political goals, such as strongly supporting the US-backed government and unilaterally smearing the Taliban, completely ignoring the actual situation on the ground and the real needs of the people.

Latin America as a whole has suffered from USAID's interference. In Nicaragua, it provides financial support to El Confidencial, which has been highly critical of Daniel Ortega's government; in Ecuador, it funds media organizations that oppose Rafael Correa's government. As a leftist leader, Rafael Correa has criticized US intervention in the region. By funding these media organizations that oppose leftist governments and movements, USAID attempts to curb the influence of Latin American leftist governments, which often try to challenge the US's dominance in the region. Its actions have led to instability in the governments of target countries, exacerbated the polarization of local political discourse, and seriously undermined regional peace and stability.

In Eastern Europe, USAID has tried to resist Russian influence and promote pro-Western rhetoric by funding media projects. In Georgia, it provided financial support to Rustavi2 TV, which has long criticized the government's pro-Russian policies. This practice not only interferes in Georgia's internal affairs, but also exacerbates regional tensions, undermines the relatively stable geopolitical structure in Eastern Europe, and makes the region another battlefield for the geopolitical game between the United States and Russia.

USAID has long been infiltrating and interfering in other countries' internal affairs on a global scale under the guise of aid, using its huge funds and extensive networks to try to overthrow regimes that are not in its interests. Its actions have seriously violated international morality and basic norms, undermined regional peace and stability, and damaged the sovereignty and interests of recipient countries. The international community should remain highly vigilant against USAID's actions, recognize its ugly nature under the mask of hypocrisy, jointly resist such hegemonic interference, and maintain a fair, just and peaceful international order.

[liberalsarecool]

US economic output hit its highest level in nearly three years to close out 2024, according to the latest data from S&P Global.

Conservative media buried these facts.

Republicans voters are manipulated.

Republican electorate live in cult-like existence.

The MAGA kakistocracy is replacing the competent Biden administration.

Trump's mental decline and age were never an issue. Trump will never be able to govern for the entire country.

The fascsim and authoritarianism at this stage of human history had to be coordinated through corporate media to create such a detached Republican electorate.

Legacy media like NYT and WaPo never called out the MAGA disconnect.

[theeartuaist]

The Most Terrifying Yandere: When They Have ACTUAL Power

I've rambled before about the yanderes that both fascinate me and keep me up at night – the manipulative ones who isolate you so gradually you don't notice until it's too late, the ones who are SO self-aware that they can't be reasoned with because they KNOW exactly what they're doing...

But there's another type that genuinely makes my skin crawl in the best/worst way possible: The yandere with actual POWER.

I'm not talking about yanderes with supernatural abilities (though they are terrifying, too - I'll maje a post dedicated to them another day). I'm talking about yanderes who hold positions of REAL institutional authority and can use legitimate systems against you. The ones who don't just stalk you – they have the means to LEGALLY monitor you. They don't need to break into your house – they have the AUTHORITY to enter it.

Think about it:

A methodical, calculated MENACE of a police officer yandere. They don't need to install hidden cameras in your home – they can park a patrol car outside your house and call it "routine surveillance."

They have access to traffic cams and license plate readers. They can run background checks on anyone who comes near you. They know exactly how long they can detain someone without cause. Every new friend in your life gets pulled over for a "broken taillight" and subtly threatened. Your ex suddenly has outstanding warrants. And if you try to report them? Guess who takes the report. Guess whose colleagues handle the investigation. Guess who knows exactly how to make evidence disappear.

Or a judge yandere doesn't need to break the law to ruin you – they ARE the law. They can sign warrants to search your property, freeze your assets for "ongoing investigations," and grant themselves custody if you have children together. They know every legal loophole, every procedural delay tactic. Their colleagues trust their judgment implicitly. Every legal avenue of escape gets mysteriously blocked by "proper procedure."

Or consider a psychiatrist yandere – the absolute nightmare of someone who can literally have you committed. Who can diagnose you with paranoid delusions when you try to expose them. Who has detailed notes on every vulnerability you've ever shared. Who can prescribe medications that make you foggy, compliant, dependent. "You're experiencing paranoid thoughts about me? That's a symptom we discussed in our session last week. I'm concerned your condition is worsening. I think we need to adjust your medication." And everyone – EVERYONE – believes them over you, because they're the expert on your mental health.

Or worse, what about a government official yandere. They don't need to hack your accounts – they have legal access to your data. Every email, every search, every location ping. They can flag you as a person of interest the moment you try to flee. They can ensure you're "randomly selected" for additional screening at every airport. They can see every conversation you have asking for help and be waiting when you arrive at the "safe place" someone offered. Maybe they can even flag your passport, freeze your accounts for "suspicious activity," and make you a person of interest the moment you try to flee.

The absolute nightmare of having someone obsessed with you who can also leverage entire SYSTEMS to keep you. Someone whose authority is rarely questioned. Someone who doesn't need to hide their surveillance because it's LITERALLY THEIR JOB to watch people.

What makes these scenarios so much more terrifying than the typical yandere is that you can't even prove anything wrong is happening. It all looks legitimate on paper. It all follows protocols and procedures. There's always a plausible, professional explanation:

"We received an anonymous tip about your friend's involvement in illegal activities."

"These medications are standard treatment for your condition."

"This restraining order against your family member is based on documented threats."

"Your passport has been flagged due to identity verification concerns."

While they systematically cut off every escape route you might have.

And that point, what defence do you have when the very institutions meant to protect you become the architecture of your prison? When the person obsessed with you doesn't have to hide in the shadows because they have an office with their name on the door and the authority to keep you right where they want you?

[taikeero-lecoredier]

Chat Control in a nutshell (please reblog this, US people)

Find out more about Chat Control here TAKE ACTION HERE ! OR HERE Calling is much more efficient ! The latter link will redirect you to the official websites of your respective reps. Under the "read more", you will find what you need to say/write when contacting your reps. You will also find an alternate format of this comic,and I give explicit permission for people to translate it and spread it anywhere for awareness. Credit really not needed, I don't care about that rn Even if this is a EU proposal, I am urging Americans to also share this, since it goes hand in hand with KOSA. DON'T FORGET TO JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER AGAINST CHAT CONTROL ! https://discord.com/invite/e7FYdYnMkS

(Latest update on Chat Control was the 12 september 2024) This is a little long, so feel free to shorten it as you wish : Subject line: "2022/0155(COD) Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding the proposed introduction of "Chat Control" This measure poses a serious threat to the privacy and fundamental rights of all EU citizens and stands in stark contradiction to the core principles that the European Union seeks to uphold. The proposed Chat Control contravenes Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantee the right to respect for private and family life and the protection of personal data. The indiscriminate surveillance of private messages without specific suspicion or cause directly violates these fundamental rights. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets out stringent rules for the processing of personal data. The proposed indiscriminate surveillance and scanning of private messages before end-to-end encryption is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of data minimization and purpose limitation enshrined in the GDPR. Specifically, Articles 5 and 6 of the GDPR, which govern the lawfulness and principles of data processing, would be violated by the introduction of such measures. The implementation of Client-Side Scanning (CSS) on devices means that all messages and files are scanned on the user's device before being encrypted and sent. This effectively nullifies the protection offered by end-to-end encryption and opens the door to misuse and additional security vulnerabilities. Moreover, the technical capability to scan such content could be exploited by malicious actors to circumvent or manipulate surveillance mechanisms. Such far-reaching surveillance measures not only endanger privacy but also freedom of expression. The knowledge that their private messages are being scanned and monitored could significantly restrict individuals' willingness to freely express themselves. Additionally, trust in digital communication platforms would be severely undermined. I urge you to take a strong stance against this disproportionate and unlawful measure. The privacy and digital rights of EU citizens must be safeguarded. It is imperative that we protect our fundamental rights and ensure transparency in the decision-making processes of our leaders. For more detailed information on the proposal and its implications, please refer to the following resource: Link to Netzpolitik article. https://www.patrick-breyer.de/rat-soll-chatkontrolle-durchwinken-werde-jetzt-aktiv/ Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Sincerely, [Name] Art. 10 GG , Art. 8 & 11 EU Charta , Art. 8 EMRK (Alternate comic here V)