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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Irrational Exuberance of a Non-Catastrophe</strong> - The bipartisan debt deal was a win for both Biden and McCarthy, but it might not have been the breakthrough Washington was waiting for. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-irrational-exuberance-of-a-non-catastrophe">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Abortion Fight Has Voters Turning to Ballot Initiatives</strong> - And Republicans are increasingly attempting to limit that direct-democracy option. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-abortion-fight-has-voters-turning-to-ballot-initiatives">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Confession Exposes Indias Secret Hacking Industry</strong> - The country has developed a lucrative specialty: cyberattacks for hire. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-crime/a-confession-exposes-indias-secret-hacking-industry">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Should We, and Can We, Put the Brakes on Artificial Intelligence?</strong> - Sam Altman, who ushered in ChatGPT, and Yoshua Bengio, an early pioneer of A.I., discuss the growing concerns surrounding unfettered, nonhuman intelligence. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/should-we-and-can-we-put-the-brakes-on-artificial-intelligence">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ted Koppel on Covering—and Befriending—Henry Kissinger</strong> - Did the veteran newscaster give Kissinger a pass on his hundredth birthday? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/ted-koppel-on-covering-and-befriending-henry-kissinger">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>What will stop AI from flooding the internet with fake images?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A cartoon image of a man sitting at a desk using a 2000s-era computer and looking frustrated." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZukC-E46tkET_ooWtIEqxvY-AwU=/500x0:5863x4022/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72337690/GettyImages_532629665.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
CSA Archive / Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Google, Adobe, Microsoft, and other tech companies are trying new ways to label content made by AI.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GT99O8">
On May 22, a fake photo of an explosion at the Pentagon <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177590231/fake-viral-images-of-an-explosion-at-the-pentagon-were-probably-created-by-ai">caused chaos online</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5rnEUU">
Within a matter of minutes of being posted, the realistic-looking image <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-22/fake-ai-photo-of-pentagon-blast-goes-viral-trips-stocks-briefly?sref=qYiz2hd0">spread on Twitter and other social media networks</a> after being retweeted by some popular accounts. Reporters asked government officials all the way up to the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/30/white-house-press-shop-adjusts-to-proliferation-of-ai-deep-fakes-00099337">White House press office</a> what was going on.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pU6ntv">
The photo was quickly determined to be a hoax, likely generated by AI. But in the short amount of time it circulated, the fake image had a real impact and even briefly moved <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4015817-market-dips-briefly-after-ai-image-of-fake-explosion-near-pentagon-goes-viral/">financial markets</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T2TeFL">
This isnt an entirely new problem. Online misinformation has existed since the dawn of the internet, and crudely photoshopped images fooled people long before generative AI became mainstream. But recently, tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, and even <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/generative-fill.html">new AI feature updates</a> to Photoshop have supercharged the issue<strong> </strong>by making it easier and cheaper to create hyperrealistic fake images, video, and text, at scale. Experts say we can expect to see more fake images like the Pentagon one, especially when they can cause political disruption.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZiRRFq">
One report by Europol, the European Unions law enforcement agency, <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/Europol_Innovation_Lab_Facing_Reality_Law_Enforcement_And_The_Challenge_Of_Deepfakes.pdf">predicted that as much as 90 percent</a> of content on the internet could be created or edited by AI by 2026. Already, <a href="https://www.newsguardtech.com/special-reports/newsbots-ai-generated-news-websites-proliferating/">spammy news sites seemingly generated entirely by AI</a> are popping up. The anti-misinformation platform NewsGuard started tracking such sites and found nearly three times as many as they did a few weeks prior.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lWqFXT">
“We already saw what happened in 2016 when we had the first election with a flooding of disinformation,” said Joshua Tucker, a professor and co-director of NYUs Center for Social Media and Politics. “Now were going to see the other end of this equation.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O0Aq4Y">
So what, if anything, should the tech companies that are rapidly developing AI be doing to prevent their tools from being used to bombard the internet with hyperrealistic misinformation?
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="NMjy02">
<q>“We all have a fundamental right to establish a common objective reality”</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Bw53YC">
One novel approach — that some experts say could actually work — is to use metadata, watermarks, and other technical systems to distinguish fake from real. Companies like Google, Adobe, and Microsoft are all supporting some form of labeling of AI in their products. Google, for example, <a href="https://blog.google/products/search/about-this-image-google-search/">said at its recent I/O conference that</a>, in the coming months, it will attach a written disclosure, similar to a copyright notice, underneath AI-generated results on Google Images. OpenAIs popular image generation technology DALL-E already adds a colorful stripe watermark to the bottom of all images it creates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lnjAig">
“We all have a fundamental right to establish a common objective reality,” said Andy Parsons, senior director of Adobes content authenticity initiative group. “And that starts with knowing what something is and, in cases where it makes sense, who made it or where it came from.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fQgxCV">
In order to reduce confusion between fake and real images, the content authenticity initiative group developed a tool Adobe is now using called content credentials that tracks when images are edited by AI. The company describes it as a nutrition label: information for digital content that stays with the file wherever its published or stored. For example, Photoshops latest feature, Generative Fill, uses AI to quickly create new content in an existing image, and content credentials can keep track of those changes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gXjq84">
AI-labeling tools like Adobes are still in their early stages, and by no means should they be considered a silver bullet to the problem of misinformation. Its technically possible to manipulate a watermark or metadata. Plus, not every AI generation system will want to disclose that its made that way. And as weve learned with the rise of online conspiracy theories in recent years, people will often ignore facts in favor of believing falsehoods that confirm their personal beliefs. But if implemented well — and especially if these labels are seen as more neutral than traditional social media fact-checking — AI disclosures could be one of our only hopes for navigating the increasingly blurry distinction between fake and real media online.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sLApMf">
Here is how some of these early AI markup systems could work, what the limitations are, and what users can do to navigate our confusing post-truth internet reality in the meantime.
</p>
<h3 id="4UTmh8">
The devil is in the metadata
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qulTZM">
When you look at an image on social media or a search engine today, odds are you dont know where the photo came from — let alone if it was created by AI. But underneath the hood, theres often a form of metadata, or information associated with the digital image file, that tells you basic details, like when and where the photo was taken. Some tech companies are now starting to add specific metadata about AI to their products at the moment of creation, and theyre making that information more public in an effort to help users determine the authenticity of what theyre looking at.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y9OifD">
Google recently said it will start marking up images made by its own new AI systems in the original image files. And when you see an image in Google Search thats made by Googles AI systems, it will say something like “AI-generated with Google” underneath the image. Going a step further, the company announced its partnering with publishers like Midjourney and stock photography site Shutterstock to let them self-tag their images as AI-generated in Google Search. This way, if you come across a Midjourney image in Google Search, it will say something like “Image self-labeled as AI-generated”
</p>
<aside id="pwxt75">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QLy4a0">
Google Search public liaison Danny Sullivan said that this kind of AI labeling is part of a broader effort to give people more context about images theyre seeing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4Cvpbw">
”If we can show you a helpful label, were going to want to do that,” said Sullivan, “but were also going to want to try to give you background information that we can determine independent of the label.”
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HqnJCPI-nl-n88ZAV8BV1VSY3po=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24697608/AI_Label.jpg"/> <cite>Google</cite>
<figcaption>
What your search result could look like if you come across an image that was generated by AI image creation platform Midjourney, which is partnering with Google to label images in search. Below the image is the disclaimer: “Image self-labeled as AI generated.”
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Nwmux7">
Thats why Google is also adding an “About this image” feature next to image search results — whether they are AI labeled or not — that you can click and see when the image was first indexed by Google, where it may have first appeared, and where else its been seen online. The idea is, if you searched for, say, “Pentagon explosion” and saw a bunch of images in the results, you would be able to see a fact-checked news article debunking the piece.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VxNczl">
“These tools are really designed to help people understand information literacy more and bake it into the search product itself,” said Sullivan.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QUei9X">
Other major industry players have also been working on the issue of how to label AI-generated content. In 2021, a group of major companies including Microsoft, Adobe, the BBC, and Intel created a coalition <a href="https://c2pa.org/">called the C2PA</a>. The group is tasked with helping to create an interoperable open standard for companies to share the provenance, or history of ownership, of a piece of media. C2PA created its first open standard last January, and since then, Adobe and Microsoft have released features using that standard.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3nqWrv">
For example, if youre a photographer at a news outlet, you can mark when a specific picture was taken, who took it, and have that be digitally signed by your publisher. Later, your editor could make changes to the photo, signing it again with a seal of authenticity that its been verified by the C2PA standard. This way, you know that the photo was taken by a person — not generated by AI— and know who has made edits to it and when. The system uses cryptography to preserve the privacy of sensitive information.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eB7VQ0">
“Now you can read the entire lineage of the history of a piece of digital content,” said Mounir Ibrahim, EVP of public affairs and impact at Truepic, a visual authenticity app that is a member of C2PA. “The purpose of us is to help content consumers … decipher the difference between synthetic and authentic.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="NX9tDW">
<q>However flawed these early AI flagging and identification systems are, theyre a first step</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C4e08l">
Knowing the history and provenance of an image could potentially help users verify the legitimacy of anything from a headshot on a dating app to a breaking news photo. But for this to work, companies need to adopt the standard.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8Mq4Hb">
Right now, its up to companies to adopt the C2PA standard and label verified content as they wish. The organization is also discussing potentially standardizing the look of the C2PA content credential when it shows up on images, Ibrahim said. In the future, the C2PA credential could be similar to the little padlock icon next to the URL in your browser window that signifies your connection is secure. When you see the proposed C2PA icon, you would know that the image youre seeing has had its origins verified.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2QK61O">
So far, two big C2PA members, Adobe and Microsoft, have announced tools that integrate C2PA standards into their products to mark up AI-generated content. Microsoft is labeling all AI-generated content in Bing Image Generator and Microsoft Designer, and Adobe is using C2PA standards in its new AI Firefly products content credentials.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G3X5cs">
“The biggest challenge is we need more platforms to adopt this,” said Ibrahim.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vhfxzi">
While the C2PA-style metadata labels work behind the scenes, another approach is for AI systems to add visible watermarks, as OpenAI has done with the rainbow bar at the bottom of DALL-E images. The company says its also working on a version of watermarking for its text app, ChatGPT. The challenge with watermarks, though, is that they can be removed. A quick Google search turns up forms of people discussing how to circumvent the imprint.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sysWzf">
Another imperfect option is technology that can detect AI-generated content after the fact. In January, <a href="https://openai.com/blog/new-ai-classifier-for-indicating-ai-written-text">OpenAI released a tool</a> that lets you cross-check a block of text to determine whether its likely written by AI. The problem, though, is that by OpenAIs own assessment, the tool is not fully reliable. It correctly identified only 26 percent of AI-written texts in OpenAIs evaluations, although its notably more accurate with longer than shorter text.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EBJq94">
“We dont want any of our models to be used for misleading purposes anywhere,” said a spokesperson for OpenAI in a statement. “Our usage policies also require automated systems, including conversational AI and chatbots, to disclose to users that they are interacting with our models.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gxEcq7">
At the end of the day, even if these early AI flagging and identification systems are flawed, theyre a first step.
</p>
<h3 id="YJZGy3">
What comes next
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xHrCs0">
Its still early days for tech platforms trying to automate the identification of AI-generated content. Until they identify a dependable solution, however, fact-checkers are left manually filling in the gaps, debunking images like <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/3/30/23662292/ai-image-dalle-openai-midjourney-pope-jacket">the Pope in a puffy jacket</a> or fake audio of politicians.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="E9DIEc">
Sam Gregory, executive director of human rights and civic journalism network Witness, who works with fact-checkers largely outside of the US, said that while he thinks technical solutions to AI identification like watermarking are promising, many fact-checkers are worried about the onslaught of misinformation that could come their way with AI in the meantime. Already, many professional fact-checkers are dealing with far more content to check than humanly possible.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wu6Skt">
“Is an individual going to be blamed because they couldnt identify an AI-generated image? Or is a fact-checker going to be the one to take the strain because theyre overwhelmed by this volume?” said Gregory. The responsibility to address AI misinformation “needs to lie on the people who are designing these tools, building these models, and distributing them,” he added.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TafUbK">
In many cases, Gregory says, its unclear exactly what social media platforms rules are about allowing AI-generated content.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="0cNTqb">
<q>There is an urgency to figure out these problems as AI-generated content floods the internet</q>
</aside>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g3lLjf">
TikTok has one of the more updated policies around “synthetic media,” or media that is created or manipulated by AI. The policy, which was revised in March 2023, allows synthetic media but requires that, if it shows realistic scenes, the image must be clearly disclosed with a caption, sticker, or otherwise. The company also doesnt allow synthetic media that contains the likeness of any private figure or anyone under 18. TikTok says it worked with outside partners like the industry nonprofit Partnership on AI for feedback on adhering to a framework for responsible AI practices.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="chuzkS">
“While we are excited by the creative opportunities that AI opens up for creators, we are also firmly committed to developing guardrails, such as policies, for its safe and transparent use,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “Like most of our industry, we continue to work with experts, monitor the progression of this technology, and evolve our approach.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kWZfWf">
But many other platforms have policies that might need some updating. <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/01/enforcing-against-manipulated-media/">Meta</a>, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10834785?hl=en">YouTube</a> both have general rules against manipulated media that misleads users, but those could be clarified regarding what uses are acceptable or not, according to Gregory. Metas fact-checking policies state that manipulated media containing misinformation is eligible for fact-checking by its third-party partners, as <a href="https://www.vishvasnews.com/english/world/fact-check-ai-generated-image-claiming-to-show-an-explosion-near-pentagon-is-fake/">it did with the fake</a> Pentagon AI explosion claims.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KACanD">
“AI is bigger than any single person, company, or country, and requires cooperation between all relevant stakeholders,” Meta said in a statement. “We are actively monitoring new trends and working to be purposeful and evidence-based in our approach to AI-generated content.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kTHWBV">
Technological solutions to help people fact-check content themselves, like AI detection systems and watermarks, couldnt come sooner.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xRy1XP">
But NYUs Tucker says we need to test these solutions to see whether theyre effective in changing peoples minds when they encounter misleading AI content, and what the disclosures need to look to be impactful. For example, if the disclosures that an image or video is AI-generated are too subtle, people could miss it entirely. And sometimes, labels dont work as expected. For example, Tucker co-authored <a href="https://csmapnyu.org/research/news-credibility-labels-have-limited-average-effects-on-news-diet-quality-and-fail-to-reduce-misperceptions">a study last year</a> showing that high- or low-quality news credibility labels had limited effects on peoples news consumption habits and failed to change peoples perceptions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xjhhXf">
Still, theres hope that if AI disclosures are seen not as politicized fact-checks but as neutral context about the origins of an image, they could be more effective. To know whether these labels are resonating with people and changing their minds will require more research.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZUcklc">
There is an urgency to figure out these problems as AI-generated content floods the internet. In the past, tech companies had time to debate the hypothetical risks of AI misinformation because mainstream generative AI products werent yet out in the wild. But those threats are now very real.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KwyRbK">
These new tools that label AI-generated content, while far from perfect, could help mitigate some of that risk. Lets hope tech companies move forward with the necessary speed to fix problems that come with AI as quickly as theyre being created.
</p></li>
<li><strong>California has the countrys strongest animal welfare law. Now it just needs to be enforced.</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A close-up of a few pigs on a transport truck." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/e7uyswNakq7_9A75lSMFbt9aQik=/107x0:1814x1280/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72337667/WAM26283.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Pigs en route to slaughter in California. | Bobby Sud/We Animals Media
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Supreme Court sided with pigs. Will California?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tySYA9">
Last month, in a welcome surprise to <a href="https://www.vox.com/animal-welfare">animal welfare</a> advocates, the US <a href="https://www.vox.com/scotus">Supreme Court</a> sided with pigs over the pork industry.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uKQMxL">
In a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-468_5if6.pdf">5-4 decision</a>, the Court upheld Proposition 12, a California law that partially <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/10/9/23393017/supreme-court-pork-pigs-prop-12-california-animal-welfare">bans the sale</a> of pork from farms that keep pregnant breeding pigs, known as sows, in tiny enclosures called gestation crates. Theyre akin to forcing a human to live their entire life in a bathtub. (Other parts of the law, which require eggs and veal to come from cage-free animals, took effect last year and were not a part of the Supreme Court case.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eqHGkx">
While it was a victory for those who argue against caging <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/10/11/20909685/pigs-use-tools-video-study-animal-intelligence">intelligent, social animals like pigs</a> for months on end, animal welfare wasnt the main point for the justices. Rather, <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/11/23719825/supreme-court-pigs-california-national-pork-producers-ross-neil-gorsuch">the case hinged</a> on the ability of US states to set their own standards for how goods imported from other states are produced. California imports <a href="https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&amp;rid=CowPalace&amp;f=PDF_pork_fact_sheet_pg_1.pdf">nearly all </a>of its pork from other states, and the National Pork Producers Council, an industry trade group that brought the lawsuit, argued that the states heightened standards were imposing an unfair burden on other states, particularly <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/194371/top-10-us-states-by-number-of-hogs-and-pigs/">top pork producers</a> like Iowa and Minnesota. The industry estimated it would have to spend <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-468/193744/20210927102549231_NPPC%20v%20Ross%20Petition%20for%20Cert%20PDFA.pdf">$294 million to $348 million</a> to convert enough barns to crate-free.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Five pigs in gestation crates — small enclosures that breeding pigs live in for most of their lives." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8fobTeRQt8_3EttJS-bIhpAJl3g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24699444/WAM26884.jpg"/> <cite>Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media</cite>
<figcaption>
Breeding pigs at a farm in Canada.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5e8QUM">
Given the conservative, business-friendly majority on the Court, and the fact that <a href="https://www.drovers.com/news/industry/white-house-26-attorneys-general-urge-scotus-overturn-prop-12">26 mostly red states</a> and the <a href="https://www.vox.com/joe-biden">Biden administration</a> sided with the pork producers, the mother pigs odds didnt look good. Animal welfare advocates I spoke to before the ruling assumed it likely wouldnt go their way, which could have posed an existential threat to animal welfare laws in other states. (Disclosure: The effort to pass Proposition 12 was led by the Humane Society of the United States, where I worked from 2012 to 2017. I worked briefly on Prop 12 in 2018 while at a different animal welfare organization.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QzEkFx">
To the <a href="https://farmanimalwelfare.substack.com/p/a-big-supreme-court-win-for-farm">surprise</a> of <a href="https://www.agrinews-pubs.com/livestock/2023/05/19/prop-12-ruling-caught-us-by-surprise/">both sides</a>, that didnt happen. But now that Prop 12 has been upheld, theres another question: How will Americas strongest farm animal welfare law actually be enforced?
</p>
<h3 id="Onlky0">
A law is only good as its enforcement
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QQGXpI">
The animal welfare movement has poured millions of dollars into banning cages and crates for farmed animals, a strategy that has proven <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22331708/eggs-cages-chickens-hens-meat-poultry">surprisingly successful</a>. <a href="https://welfarecommitments.com/">Hundreds</a> of food corporations have pledged to source exclusively cage-free eggs and/or pork, and over a <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/HSUS_state-farm-animal-protection-laws.pdf">dozen states</a> have passed what are called “production” bans, which prohibit in-state meat or egg producers from using cages and crates for one or more farmed animal species. Most of these states arent themselves agricultural heavyweights — they import most of their animal products from other states. So as a way of affecting production elsewhere, eight states have passed “sales” bans, like Californias Prop 12, which go much further by banning the sale of eggs, pork, and/or veal from caged animals raised anywhere in the world.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kASLL7pwXHDCIjOt9vEc8Kr-k60=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24699449/lq3Ie_the_legal_landscape_of_cage_free_farming__2_.png"/>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ygQT1S">
All told, Californias Prop 12 should get around 40 million egg-laying hens, tens of thousands of veal calves, and half a million sows out of cages and crates each year. Pigs will go from having around 14 square feet of space to 24 square feet, while hens will go from around <a href="https://uepcertified.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Caged-UEP-Guidelines_17.pdf">75 square inches</a> to double the space or more. Such laws dont create humane conditions, as the animals are still in factory farms, but its progress nonetheless.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ivQpoy">
However, Prop 12 does have important carveouts for industry.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WAZ3fW">
For example, mother pigs can still be confined in crates for <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_12,_Farm_Animal_Confinement_Initiative_(2018)">five days</a> prior to the expected date of birth, and for several weeks after while they nurse piglets. Importantly, pork that goes into processed or precooked foods, like hot dogs, soups, and frozen pizzas — which accounts for <a href="https://dof.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/352/Forecasting/Economics/Documents/CDFA_Proposition_12_SRIA.pdf">42 percent</a> of Californias pork consumption — is also exempt. (The law only covers whole, uncooked pork cuts like bacon or ribs.)
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<div id="yep3cT">
<div>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5rrhX1">
But for the law to cover the tens of millions of animals its supposed to protect each year, itll need to be strongly enforced, which is far from a given with animal protection regulations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ns42Pf">
“These laws are only as good as the enforcement,” said Bryan Pease, a longtime animal lawyer in California. “Unfortunately, the animal rights movement has a bit of a track record of passing great laws, claiming victory, and then just moving on to the next thing without actually ensuring enforcement.” Pease pointed to California animal welfare laws that had been violated and/or weakly enforced, like laws to prohibit the sale of foie gras, fur, and dogs from puppy mills (as well as cats and rabbits). Pease has <a href="https://www.sandiegoville.com/2022/02/two-san-diego-restaurants-sued-for-selling-banned-foie-gras.html">sued</a> two San Diego restaurants for allegedly selling foie gras and a store in Orange County for allegedly selling fur, and accused a <a href="https://www.cbs8.com/article/life/animals/pet-store-escondido-puppy-mill/509-6d5d4f4b-51ae-4fb7-9196-435f6b77cc6d">store in Escondido</a> of selling dogs from puppy mills.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zxCEec">
<a href="https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/20StateEnforcementReport.pdf">As of 2019</a>, there was only evidence of enforcement for one of 16 state cage production bans, according to the Washington, DC-based nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). That one instance happened to be in Southern California, where an egg farm was <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ontario-egg-farm-charged-animal-cruelty-20170207-story.html">charged</a> in 2017 for not providing hens adequate space.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KC7e05">
But theres more evidence that cage-free <em>sales</em> bans have been enforced. Between 2015 and 2019, according to records obtained by AWI, California audited 15 noncompliant egg farms, five of which were out of state. Oregon investigated complaints of a noncompliant egg producer and a noncompliant egg wholesaler, both from out of state. Earlier this year, when Arizonas cage-free egg law took effect, the state issued hold orders on eggs from out-of-state producers 32 times from entering the food supply until they could verify production methods.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Rows of hens in cages." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tpE8PNYBKsZ9HfyNt1c8oQeIBEE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24699755/AP18276514558872.jpg"/> <cite>AP/Rich Pedroncelli</cite>
<figcaption>
Caged egg-laying hens at a farm in California.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xD33V2">
Scant evidence of enforcement doesnt mean theres mass fraud. It just means enforcing animal welfare laws doesnt appear to be a priority for states — and the production ban laws dont even contain provisions that give states authority to enforce them, said Dena Jones of AWI.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aLHzaw">
Absent strict enforcement, compliance shouldnt be assumed: Meat producers have been repeatedly accused of <a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2022/08/10/its-another-price-fixing-lawsuit-shocking/">price fixing</a>, <a href="https://environmentalintegrity.org/news/slaughterhouses-violate-water-pollution-permits/">water pollution</a>, <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1">labor</a> <a href="https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/home/news/21099868/meat-producer-to-pay-4m-over-labor-violations#:~:text=JBS%20USA%20was%20accused%20of,against%20applicants%20for%20laborer%20positions.&amp;text=GREELEY%2C%20Colo.,allegations%20by%20federal%20labor%20officials.">violations</a>, and <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23724740/tyson-chicken-free-range-humanewashing-investigation-animal-cruelty">cruelty to animals</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2PgeDC">
Jon Lovvorn, chief counsel for animal protection litigation at the Humane Society of the United States, said that “the interlocking nature of the contractual relationships in this industry” — contracts between meat and egg producers and restaurant food distributors and grocers — “make compliance [with Prop 12] more likely.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eZXtrf">
Prop 12 stipulates that grocers and restaurants <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&amp;sectionNum=25993.1.">arent liable</a> for selling noncompliant products so long as they had received written certification of compliance from producers. As a result, meat and egg producers are incentivized to follow the law lest they risk not just the chance of monetary penalties and jail time, but also getting sued by the retailers for selling them noncompliant goods.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r7a5qQ">
Lovvorn said that while he expects enforcement to be straightforward, it “doesnt mean there wont be problems, and it doesnt mean there wont be people cheating the system. … I think thats going to exist in any enforcement system, but I dont think this is going to be a huge problem.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cFKZPr">
The industries that have allegedly flouted some of Californias animal welfare laws, like those that prohibit the sale of foie gras, fur, and dogs, are fragmented and informal. The egg and pork industries, by contrast, are <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22298043/meat-antitrust-biden-vilsack">highly consolidated</a>, which could lead to higher rates of compliance compared to other animal industries, Pease believes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gcDqiP">
“As long as you gain compliance from [the major producers], then youre pretty much looking at full compliance, and thats good,” he said. Many of the nations largest pork producers had <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/10/9/23393017/supreme-court-pork-pigs-prop-12-california-animal-welfare">publicly stated</a> that theyll comply with Prop 12 before the Supreme Courts decision, including <a href="https://s22.q4cdn.com/104708849/files/doc_financials/2021/q3/08-11-21_Tyson-Foods-080921.pdf">Tyson Foods</a>, <a href="https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/getmedia/7ecf12e2-da3b-4d31-8796-d07e38b39e51/2021-Sustainability-Impact-Report.pdf">Smithfield Foods</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-pork-producer-resume-shipments-california-after-farm-animal-law-delayed-2022-02-08/">Seaboard Foods</a>, <a href="https://www.hormelfoods.com/newsroom/news/hormel-foods-company-information-about-california-proposition-12/">Hormel</a>, and <a href="https://clemensfoodgroup.com/brands/hatfield/">Clemens Food Group</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ehaaRP">
Theres ample evidence the egg and pork industries are complying with cage-free laws and keeping more of their animals in cage-free barns. In 2015, when the nations first cage-free sales law went into effect, just <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/ww1ie0z745y7/5x4LpTMoZLQbGpYSaZXpY3/24e96497c51f7398f03776790e9a1b9d/E008R01-us-egg-production-data.pdf">6 percent</a> of US hens were cage-free; today its close to <a href="https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/fb494842n/wm119446c/8g84p241q/ckeg0523.pdf">40 percent</a>. That number will shoot up in 2024 and 2025 as more state laws come into effect and food corporations fulfill their <a href="https://welfarecommitments.com/cage-free/">cage-free commitments</a>. A few years ago, the pork industry said <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/National_Pork_Producers_Council_v._Ross">over a quarter</a> of its sows were crate-free for around <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22958698/mcdonalds-icahn-pork-pigs-gestation-crates-animal-welfare">70 percent</a> of their four-month pregnancies, up from <a href="https://www.fmi.org/docs/animal-welfare/avma-task-force-report.pdf?sfvrsn=a8618021_4">10 percent</a> in 2011.
</p>
<h3 id="uY3WEo">
How Prop 12 will be enforced
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B2ZRZj">
Despite the minimal evidence of California enforcing its cage-free laws, Jones of AWI said the state is gearing up to ensure compliance with Prop 12: “California appears to have done the most in terms of setting up enforcement programs, so well have to watch down the road.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j6U1yi">
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will require pork, veal, and egg producers to work with one of its <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/AnimalCare/AccreditedCertifyingAgents.html">five accredited third-party certifiers</a>, or with the state itself, to conduct annual audits on their farms. But the enforcement rollout has been, and will continue to be for the months ahead, a bit messy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="q2q0CR">
First, lets look at the sale of eggs and veal. These components of the law went into effect at the start of 2022, but the CDFA didnt <a href="https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/news/prop-12-implementation-expected-be-delayed-until-july-1-2023">finalize regulations</a> until September 2022. Since the egg and veal components took effect, producers have been allowed to “self-certify” — essentially attesting to grocers and food distributors that they are in compliance, with the understanding that they are subject to inspection. Egg, veal, and pork producers will all be allowed to self-certify until January 1, 2024, when theyll need to be certified by a third-party auditor or the CDFA.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="99fDFq">
The pork component of Prop 12, which was <a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/livestock/article/2022/12/06/california-court-gives-pork-industry">delayed</a> due to the Supreme Court case, is now slated to fully take effect on July 1, 2023. The six-month gap that allows producers to self-certify could mean some of the pork sold in California is noncompliant.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EvcBns">
“During the transition period, it may be difficult to determine if whole pork is from breeding sows raised in compliance with Prop 12,” said CDFA spokesperson Jay Van Rein.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tqCZtP">
Despite the uncertainty, pork producers are pushing to convert their facilities and begin the auditing process. “Since the Supreme Court made their ruling, its gotten very busy here,” said Matt Jones, vice president of operations at the accredited certifier Validus, speaking about the flurry of interest from producers looking to understand certification.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xXYF2k">
Grocery stores and other food distributors must also <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/AHFSS/AnimalCare/docs/Distributor_Registration_Guidance.pdf">certify</a> that eggs, veal, and pork they sell is compliant, which entails demonstrating through an audit trail that the product came from a certified producer.
</p>
<h3 id="I65xSy">
The political and corporate fallout of the Supreme Courts decision
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lJJSib">
While the political fight over cages has failed in the courts, members of <a href="https://www.vox.com/congress">Congress</a> from states that lead in pork production are looking to overturn Prop 12 on Capitol Hill. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) is <a href="https://www.iowaagribusinessradionetwork.com/hinson-countering-prop-12-with-eats-act/">expected to soon reintroduce</a> a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4999?overview=closed">bill</a> that would prevent state and local governments from setting standards for how agricultural products imported from other states are produced, which she <a href="https://www.iowaagribusinessradionetwork.com/hinson-countering-prop-12-with-eats-act/">said</a> would “circumvent what Prop 12 does.” The bill is a repeat of past <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mr-kings-farm-bill-amendment-hurt-chickens--and-americans/2013/08/25/f24aa1dc-0b36-11e3-8974-f97ab3b3c677_story.html">efforts</a> by former Iowa Rep. Steve King to do the same.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PFdMfW">
On the other end of the political spectrum, progressive Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) last year introduced the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2939?s=1&amp;r=32">PIGS Act</a> to ban gestation crates nationwide.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4UXdxa">
However, animal advocates are more likely to find success at the state level, where the vast majority of legal progress for farmed animals has been made. There are legislative efforts underway to <a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/state/2023/03/02/oklahoma-kirkpatrick-foundation-seeks-improvements-in-housing-treatment-of-pigs/69957366007/">ban gestation crates in Oklahoma</a>, home to around 8 percent of US sows, and allocate funds to help pork producers transition to crate-free systems.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R1mUpL">
The Prop 12 decision could also spur food corporations to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains, as itll expand the crate-free pork supply. In the early 2010s, nearly <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22576044/prop-12-california-eggs-pork-bacon-veal-animal-welfare-law-gestation-crates-battery-cages">60 fast food chains and grocers</a>, including <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22958698/mcdonalds-icahn-pork-pigs-gestation-crates-animal-welfare">McDonalds</a> and Kroger, pledged to source crate-free pork, but most still havent fulfilled their commitments.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VNR3g1">
For decades, theres been a race to the bottom on animal welfare on Americas farms, where over 200 million animals are stuffed into cages and crates. Its torture, but its perfectly legal torture in most states, and at least for now, its still the dominant method of production for pork and eggs.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dWAYBr">
It should be expected that even incremental laws like Prop 12 will be challenged in the courts by industry, as theyre fundamental to our system of cheap meat. When a law survives, as Proposition 12 has, it shouldnt come as a surprise if some producers violate it, or if enforcement is spotty. These arent reasons to ditch politics as a means of social change for the billions of animals factory-farmed in the US annually, but they should put renewed focus on not just passing laws and improving corporate food <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy">policies</a>, but also ensuring they work as intended.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Hollywood is staring down the barrel of a triple strike</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Crowds of people holding pro-union signs." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/83Bi2Ghb-fhqs0zWcoem_ZBCt6Y=/241x0:4101x2895/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72335964/1258205508.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Demonstrators hold signs while picketing during the continuing strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in Los Angeles, California, on May 26, 2023. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What happens if everybody walks off the job?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VEVCUE">
The <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23696617/writers-strike-wga-2023-explained-residuals-streaming-ai">Hollywood writers strike</a> marked its one-month anniversary on Friday, with no signs of slowing down. While other guilds in the industry are still on the job — except when <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/business/media/writers-strike-picket-lines.html">theyre blocked by picket lines</a> — the writers may soon get company on those picket lines.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0JNIKq">
Two other major entertainment guilds, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), also entered the summer with looming contract expiration dates. Both groups agreements with AMPTP, the trade association that represents the industrys film and TV production companies, end on June 30. A lot could happen between now and then, but the situation is looking dicey.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eCDwTm">
All of that means that come July 1, the studios may be facing a double or even triple strike, in effect shutting Hollywood down completely.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uOTWxA">
The DGA rarely strikes — the last time was in 1987 — and its leadership has not called for a strike authorization vote. But its relations with the AMPTP have been trickier than usual. Negotiations began on May 10, with demands that in part mirror the WGAs concerns. The main sticking point is wage and residual increases that keep in step with rising costs of living. In particular, lower residuals for shows on streaming services, where the lions share of entertainment now lives, have wreaked havoc for many people in the industry, drastically reducing compensation and making it increasingly difficult to just pay the bills.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A crowd of people holding pro-union signs." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9zO-df5DJ-iIojJ93u-pEY0yNZU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24698873/1492673758.jpg"/> <cite>Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A rally at 30 Rock in New York.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lkcx7A">
In the past, the DGA has sometimes managed to make an agreement with AMPTP ahead of the start of bargaining, effectively setting a pattern for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to follow in their own demands. Last November, the DGA <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/03/hollywood-unions-strike-dga-wga-studios-negotiations-1235303378/">sent a “pre-negotiation”</a> offer to the AMPTP, seeking resolution ahead of bargaining. The AMPTP reportedly rejected the DGAs proposal, meaning both parties came to the bargaining table without an arrangement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="21RQUF">
The situation seemed to intensify due to an unforced error. On May 23, Warner Bros. Discovery launched Max, its newly rebranded streaming platform, which had previously been named <a href="https://www.vox.com/hbo-max">HBO Max</a>. Eagle-eyed observers noticed that in listed credits, the platform lumped writers, directors, producers, and so on into one category labeled “creators.” Aside from the queasy implications that the greatest works of cinema and <a href="https://www.vox.com/tv">television</a> were just “content,” the choice on the companys part ran afoul of hard-fought contract regulations regarding credits for artists.
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It was a weird choice, and one that set blood boiling in Hollywood. The presidents of the WGA and the DGA issued a <a href="https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2023/230524_StatementFromDGAWGAPresidentsRegardingMaxCreditChanges.aspx">rare joint statement</a>, with DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter noting that “The devaluation of the individual contributions of artists is a disturbing trend and the DGA will not stand for it. We intend on taking the strongest possible actions, in solidarity with the WGA, to ensure every artist receives the individual credit they deserve.”
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By the end of the day, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would modify how credits were listed on the platform in compliance with its preexisting contract agreement with the unions. Yet the strong language indicated that the DGA was ready to play hardball.
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Meanwhile, members of SAG-AFTRA have been vocally supportive of the WGA. This is no shock, since on top of the same issue of residuals and wages, the union — which includes, in addition to film and TV actors, people who work in radio, singers, voice actors, <a href="https://www.vox.com/influencers">influencers</a>, models, and other media professionals — is concerned about the <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23700519/writers-strike-ai-2023-wga">existential threat posed by AI</a> and other technologies. Even before the WGAs strike began, SAG-AFTRA issued statements <a href="https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-statement-use-artificial-intelligence-and-digital-doubles-media-and-entertainment">regarding how the use of AI</a> could eliminate or greatly reduce work for its members.
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Members of SAG-AFTRA have shown up on picket lines <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/colin-farrell-mariska-hargitay-writers-strike-picket-line-1235625544/">to support the writers</a>, and the star power posed by some of its most prominent members helps bring attention to the WGAs strike. Its also an effort to remind the studios that when their own negotiations begin, theyre ready for a fight. Underlining that implicit statement, the leadership of SAG-AFTRA unanimously agreed to <a href="https://www.sagaftra.org/strike-authorization-deadline">ask its membership for a strike authorization vote</a>, which concludes this coming Monday, June 5. Thats a move designed to signal solidarity to the AMPTP ahead of negotiations.
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<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Someone in a crowd holds a sign that says Let the unions win." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rFHGeN1Asc8Kcy1xhJNUaKf8woM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24698870/1258206876.jpg"/> <cite>Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Demonstrators at the WGA strike on May 26 in LA.
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="npIfLh">
Its clear that all of Hollywoods unions — not just the three with expiring contracts — are working together to show solidarity. Both IATSE, which represents Hollywoods “below-the-line” workers (everyone from grips to craft services to first aid to electricians), and the Teamsters (who drive trucks, wrangle animals, manage locations, and a lot more) are authorized by their leadership to refuse to cross picket lines, and have made that choice throughout the writers strike. DGA and SAG members have frequently refused as well.
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The DGAs negotiations are set to end on June 7, the same day SAG-AFTRAs negotiations begin. Knowing this, on May 31, the leaders of the Teamsters, IATSE, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/05/sag-wga-iatse-joint-statement-dga-solidarity-1235383790/">issued a joint statement</a> supporting the DGA in their negotiations, declaring that “as eyes around the world again turn towards the negotiation table, we send a clear message to the AMPTP: Our solidarity is not to be underestimated.”
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When writers go on strike, some of the industry can still operate, provided their workers are willing to cross picket lines. (Due to available personnel, the WGA also cant picket every production, and thus chooses strategically.) But if the DGA or SAG-AFTRA walks off the job — or both — then productions will shut down across the board. Hollywood would grind to a halt.
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Heres whats most significant about all of this: All three unions have <em>never</em> gone on strike at the same time, in the history of Hollywood. The fact that this scenario is possible, even likely, emphasizes how extraordinary this moment is in the entertainment business. Technology has always been a major driver in labor negotiations. But the major companies use of streaming services, and their demonstrated interest in cutting out humans through the use of tech, poses an existential threat to everyone who makes the TV, <a href="https://www.vox.com/movies">movies</a>, and other scripted entertainment that brings in billions of dollars every year. The question, at this juncture, is whether theres a future for Hollywood at all — or whether entertainment will be swallowed whole by the tech industry. For Hollywoods artists and craftspeople, thats a fate worth fighting against.
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</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pandya one of the best pace-bowling all-rounders: Klusener</strong> - Former South African great Lance Klusener believes that Pandya possibly gave up on Test cricket a bit too easily</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>David Warner hopes to end Test career with swansong at SCG next year</strong> - The Australian opener said he hopes the Sydney Test against Pakistan in January would be his last.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Jammu Kashmir: Tazeem Fayaz clinches silver medal in Judo Championship</strong> - Tazeems amazing accomplishment demonstrates the talent and potential of Kashmiri athletics</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>PCB refuses to play ODI series in Sri Lanka after SLCs proposal to host all Asia Cup matches: Sources</strong> - Pakistan will play Tests in Sri Lanka, and the SLC has suggested ODIs for World Cup qualifiers in an effort to give the country experience before the main event</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BCCI chief Binny distances himself from 1983 WC team statement on wrestlers protest</strong> - “Contrary to some media reports, I would like to clarify that I have not issued any statement regarding the current situation of the wrestlers protest,” BCCI President Roger Binny said</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Expo held at KV Pangode</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Welfare pensions to be disbursed from June 8</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>International cooperation essential for vaccine development of emerging pathogens: Health Minister</strong> - G20 can serve as a vital platform to facilitate collaboration between governments, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders, says Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Residents want government to acquire lands near Kattery Dam</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pope Francis offers prayers after Odisha train accident</strong> - The pontiff said he was “deeply saddened” by the “immense loss of life” caused by three-train collision on June 3 in Odisha</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Lake Maggiore boat accident: Questions remain over spy deaths</strong> - Intelligence officers from Italy and Israel are among the four people who drowned on 28 May.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Belgorod: Shelling in Russian border region kills two, governor says</strong> - Officials say two women died in Ukrainian shelling, as anti-Putin fighters claim another cross-border raid.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sanda Dia: Belgium reckons with verdict over black students hazing death</strong> - Sanda Dia died after being made to consume excessive amounts of fish oil and alcohol in 2018.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>German row over jail term for woman who attacked neo-Nazis</strong> - Lina Es conviction has angered Germanys far left, but the right is furious she is free pending appeal.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Kaija Saariaho: Feted Finnish composer dies at 70</strong> - Saariaho, who was suffering from brain cancer, was seen as a leading light of contemporary classical music.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>More than 400 Grail patients incorrectly told they may have cancer</strong> - Life assurance customers pause review relationship with early-detection biotech. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1944244">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>They plugged GPT-4 into Minecraft—and unearthed new potential for AI</strong> - A bot plays the video game by tapping the text generator to pick up new skills. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1944184">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pandemic lessons: More health workers, less faxing—an Ars Frontiers recap</strong> - Amid science and tech triumphs, basic infrastructure problems hurt COVID responses. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1944284">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Googles Android and Chrome extensions are a very sad place. Heres why</strong> - It was a bad week for millions of people who rely on Google for apps and Chrome extensions. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1944202">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Some Google Pixel Watches are falling apart [Update]</strong> - Several users report the back of the Pixel Watch just falls off after a short time. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1944115">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Room no. 13</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
One night a guy goes to get a room in a hotel. “Hello, I want a single room for the night please.” “Fine, sir, heres one of our best rooms. Room 13,” says the concierge and hands him the key.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The guy goes upstairs, takes a shower and gets straight into bed. At about 2 0clock in the morning, two gorgeous naked women come in and slide under the covers. When he realizes what is going on, he starts screwing both of them. He cant believe whats happening. Next morning, still surprised by last nights events, he goes downstairs to settle the bill. “How was your room sir?” asks the receptionist. “Excellent, I will come back again. What do I owe you?” asks the man.
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“Well. actually, sir, we are doing a promotional offer. Not only do you not have to pay but we give you $10 as a welcome gesture,” says the receptionist. “What?” says the guy, very surprised indeed. “Thats amazing.” He takes the ten-dollar bill and wanders off, debating whether his buddies will believe him or not. Needless to say, after a few days hes told all his friends and neighbors about room 13 and the amazing night of passion. The next week one of his buddies goes to check out the room. “Room 13 please.” “Certainly, sir, heres your key.” After he gets in bed, at the same time, 2 oclock, two girls this time, extremely horny, get in bed and screw his brains out. The next morning, not only does he not have to pay, but he too gets $10. After a month, everyone knows this hotel and especially room 13. Everyone that stays in room 13 gets the same treatment: a good screw and a ten bucks.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
After a few weeks, the story reaches the President. The President decides to check the story out for himself. He visits the hotel and asks for room 13. He gets the keys and goes upstairs. After a couple of drinks he gets in bed waiting patiently for the naked girls to appear. Indeed at about 2 0clock in the morning two naked ladies come to bed. They are as horny and wild as all the stories the President has heard. The President gets his pecker out and screws the both of them all night long. This is the night of his life. Next morning he goes to reception and when he asks how much the bill is, the receptionist says, “Nothing to pay, sir. Actually, we are doing an introductory offer. Heres $50 as a welcome gesture.” Curious, the President asks the receptionist, “Well, thats strange. Everyone else who comes here gets $10. Why do I get $50?” “Well, sir,” says the receptionist. “This is the first time weve filmed a porn movie with a President in it!”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/castle_03"> /u/castle_03 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13z0b9r/room_no_13/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13z0b9r/room_no_13/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Termite walks into a bar</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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And says is the bar tender here
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Golden211"> /u/Golden211 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13z4hqf/a_termite_walks_into_a_bar/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13z4hqf/a_termite_walks_into_a_bar/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>When my girlfriend got pregnant everything changed</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
My address, my phone number..
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/TreeBearOne"> /u/TreeBearOne </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13ykvd2/when_my_girlfriend_got_pregnant_everything_changed/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13ykvd2/when_my_girlfriend_got_pregnant_everything_changed/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A woman said to her husband: “I just dreamt that you gave me a necklace of pearls. What do you think it means?”</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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The man smiled and said: “Youll know tonight.” That evening, the man came home with a small package which he gave to his wife. She embraced him, and then slowly and unwrapped the package. It contained a book entitled, The Meaning of Dreams.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/mr_m_r"> /u/mr_m_r </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13yxlrm/a_woman_said_to_her_husband_i_just_dreamt_that/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13yxlrm/a_woman_said_to_her_husband_i_just_dreamt_that/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little gray hair he had left. Amazing, he thought as he flew down I-94, pushing the pedal even more.
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Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120. Suddenly he thought, What am I doing? Im too old for this, and pulled over to await the troopers arrival. Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch, and said, “Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that Ive never heard before, Ill let you go.”
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The old gentleman paused. Then he said, “Years ago, my wife ran off with a state trooper. I thought you were bringing her back.”
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“Have a good day, sir,” replied the trooper.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/RagsTheRecounter"> /u/RagsTheRecounter </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13yw16i/a_senior_citizen_drove_his_brand_new_corvette/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13yw16i/a_senior_citizen_drove_his_brand_new_corvette/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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