NiemanLab: Can public media build its own social network? Chicago Public Media teams up with New_ Public to try. “Chicago Public Media is already the parent nonprofit of two existing news sites, WBEZ and, since 2022, the Chicago Sun-Times. For chicago.com, though, the news org is teaming up with New_ Public, a nonprofit working to reimagine online public spaces, to launch a network of online […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/niemanlab-can-public-media-build-its-own-social-network-chicago-public-media-teams-up-with-new_-public-to-try/

ACLU of Maryland: ACLU of Maryland Releases Years-Long Database and Report on Police Killings in Maryland. “The ACLU of Maryland has published a comprehensive database and 50-page report on police killings in Maryland from 2015 to 2023. The report: Crisis 911: Police Killings, Racial Disparities, Behavioral Health Crisis, and Institutional Complicity in Maryland, spans several years of data and […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/aclu-of-maryland-aclu-of-maryland-releases-years-long-database-and-report-on-police-killings-in-maryland/

Ars Technica: Terabytes of credentials leaked in massive supply-chain attack. “Terabytes worth of credentials, many belonging to the world’s biggest and most sensitive organizations, have been exposed in a supply-chain attack on LiteLLM, an open source tool that streamlines AI-driven software development. Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, Samsung, and Salesforce are only a handful of the entities […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/ars-technica-terabytes-of-credentials-leaked-in-massive-supply-chain-attack/

North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota governor lifts ban on TikTok from state devices. “North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Wednesday lifted a ban on TikTok for state-owned devices, citing a change in ownership for the social media company. The TikTok ban for state government devices had been in place since a 2022 executive order from then-Gov. Doug Burgum.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/north-dakota-monitor-north-dakota-governor-lifts-ban-on-tiktok-from-state-devices/

Reuters: German advocacy group lodges criminal complaint over Meta AI glasses. “A German advocacy group has filed a criminal complaint ‌against Meta and other companies selling the technology group’s AI glasses in Germany, arguing the devices violate privacy laws.:

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/reuters-german-advocacy-group-lodges-criminal-complaint-over-meta-ai-glasses/

Lifehacker: I Tried the Android App That’s Helping People Around the World Bypass Censorship Laws. “…the Tor project has teamed up with the Bloco Android app studio to release another app focused on privacy and anonymity: Snowflake Volunteer. This isn’t only bout keeping your own browsing safe and secure—if you install it on your Android phone, you’re helping other people circumvent […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/lifehacker-i-tried-the-android-app-thats-helping-people-around-the-world-bypass-censorship-laws/

ASM: ASM and BVGH Launch New Digital Course on Scientific Writing. “ASM and BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) are launching a new 10-session digital lecture series on scientific writing, with initial focus on peer-reviewed manuscripts, and tailored to meet the needs of scientists globally.” The course is free.

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/asm-asm-and-bvgh-launch-new-digital-course-on-scientific-writing/

Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations: DH2026 Video Archive Now Available. “One week has passed since DH2026: Engagement closed in Daejeon, and the recordings many of you have been asking for are now online. A single YouTube playlist collects the conference highlights, the Opening Ceremony, the keynote lectures, and the Closing Ceremony from the 36th annual conference of the Alliance of […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/alliance-of-digital-humanities-organizations-dh2026-video-archive-now-available/

Bloomberg: Phoebe Gates knew Phia shopping app took credit for sales it didn’t drive. “Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni pushed for features in the e-commerce startup’s software that took credit for sales it didn’t drive, according to internal communications and people with knowledge of the matter.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/bloomberg-phoebe-gates-knew-phia-shopping-app-took-credit-for-sales-it-didnt-drive/

Center Square: Alaska lawmakers must think twice about blocking on Facebook. “The Alaska Supreme Court won’t let state lawmakers block members of the public on Facebook and delete their comments, rejecting the appeal of a minor punishment imposed on a former state senator.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/center-square-alaska-lawmakers-must-think-twice-about-blocking-on-facebook/

Cornell Chronicle: Cornell expands AI Critical Literacy Program for incoming students. “After a successful pilot launch in the spring, Cornell’s AI Critical Literacy Program will be offered in the fall to all incoming students as well as other interested students, faculty members and staff. The expanded program will feature four modules – ‘What is Generative AI?’; ‘Ethical Questions […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/cornell-chronicle-cornell-expands-ai-critical-literacy-program-for-incoming-students/

Ars Technica: Peer review is overwhelmed—can it survive in the AI era?. “The number of papers indexed in the databases Scopus and Web of Science, for example, has recently been increasing exponentially, at a rate of 5.6 percent per year. By one estimate, researchers around the globe are devoting a collective 15,000 years of work to peer review every year—work that, if paid, would cost $1.5 […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/ars-technica-peer-review-is-overwhelmed-can-it-survive-in-the-ai-era/

Hackaday: Grading Tomatoes With An ESP32 And ML. “If you’ve ever worked with produce, you might know about grading. In addition to deciding if, say, a strawberry is good or not, they also have to sort them by color. Turns out, you don’t care if one package of berries is a bit redder than another, but you do care if one package has too much color variation. [Pmalfa31] applied an ESP32 and […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/hackaday-grading-tomatoes-with-an-esp32-and-ml/

Gold Radio: See the hideous AI version of Queen’s The Game that sparked Brian May rant. “While a number of artists have embraced AI as a new tool in their creative arsenal, it seems that Brian May is not going to be convinced of its merits any time soon. The Queen guitarist has gone on a rant against the technology after asking one image generator to re-create the cover of The Game album, with […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/gold-radio-see-the-hideous-ai-version-of-queens-the-game-that-sparked-brian-may-rant/

Fast Company: AI crawlers from Meta and Alibaba almost destroyed a volunteer-run LGBT history archive. “…the LGBT History Project… recently passed 50 million views since its launch in 2011 and has been archived by the British Library for posterity. But an onslaught of AI bots seeking to scrape its content nearly took it offline, bringing the site to a crawl while also making it more […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/fast-company-ai-crawlers-from-meta-and-alibaba-almost-destroyed-a-volunteer-run-lgbt-history-archive/

Android Authority: You may now qualify for Google’s new Search profile, here’s how to check. “If you have ever wished Google Search could give your favorite creators or publishers something closer to a social media profile, Google is getting there. The company launched Search profiles in June, giving eligible publishers and creators a dedicated space to bring their websites, social accounts, […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/android-authority-you-may-now-qualify-for-googles-new-search-profile-heres-how-to-check/

Geoscience Australia: New global database advances critical minerals research. “The Critical Minerals in Ores – Mineral Chemistry database, known as CMiO-MIN, has been developed through the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI), an international partnership between Geoscience Australia, the United States Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada. The release adds […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/geoscience-australia-new-global-database-advances-critical-minerals-research/

Future of Good: New database maps Canada’s $17.3 billion DAF landscape and where philanthropic wealth is concentrated. “A new database that maps Canada’s donor-advised funds (DAFs) landscape, shows that a significant share of the country’s charitable assets are concentrated in a small number of organizations. The new database from WellFunded, is intended to make information about […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/future-of-good-new-database-maps-canadas-17-3-billion-daf-landscape-and-where-philanthropic-wealth-is-concentrated/

TechCrunch: Google co-founder Sergey Brin has now spent $100 million to fight the billionaire tax. “Google co-founder Sergey Brin has donated another $20 million to Build a Better California, an organization advocating against California’s proposed billionaire tax, according to a new filing. That means that the world’s fourth-richest man, whose net worth hovers around $267 billion, has now […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/techcrunch-google-co-founder-sergey-brin-has-now-spent-100-million-to-fight-the-billionaire-tax/

Politico: House lawmakers visit Vatican to discuss AI — and meet the pope. “A bipartisan House delegation met with top Vatican officials on Wednesday to discuss artificial intelligence during a visit that briefly included Pope Leo XIV, according to two people with knowledge of the trip granted anonymity to disclose details of the private meetings.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/08/14/politico-house-lawmakers-visit-vatican-to-discuss-ai-and-meet-the-pope/