The One-Minute Meeting

The grand jury considering whether to recommend charging former President Donald Trump with a crime took the day off Wednesday, but people were busy spreading fake images of Trump being arrested created through artificial intelligence. Some of the images gained millions of views. So many people jumped on the bandwagon that one of the more widely used AI sites banned the word “arrest” from being used in its generator. This seems like a good opportunity to point you toward some ways that you can detect AI-generated images and videos — with the recognition that it is getting harder and harder to know for sure. 

An earlier and warmer than usual springtime for much of the U.S. also is creating a bountiful harvest of pollen that is making people who are allergic to such things miserable. There is also a national shortage of a key medication that doctors use to treat severe breathing problems. What’s more, climate experts say that as the earth warms, we can expect more severe and longer pollen seasons. Let me show you the cities and states where pollen is the heaviest this spring. 

Who can be surprised that we all need a little extra comfort these days? Researchers say that 40% of American adults sleep with a stuffed animal. And pollsters found that more than half of the stuffed animals you cuddle up to are more than two decades old. It seems that the familiar smell of that old soft friend is a key reason it gives you comfort.