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Imagine this: You’re waiting your turn at the DMV only to discover that it’s under new management. The federal government announced a ban on state driving laws just this morning. No longer will states be allowed to set their own public guardrails like speed limits. Instead, Washington will write the rules—maybe. Because while calling for one set of national rules, Washington officials aren’t convinced driving rules are necessary for safe roads. By combining generally applicable, “technology neutral” laws, they argue states can manage reckless driving through broad prohibitions on violence and negligence. Why do we need to penalize the automobile industry if we already have laws that penalize anti-social behavior? We do not need seatbelt and traffic light laws. Doesn’t sound so great, does it? In practice, this method provides no clear, enforceable safety standards before harm occurs—and it also strips away the ones that already exist. That, in essence, is what blanket preemption of state artificial intelligence laws would do. Both Congress and the Trump administration are considering actions that would freeze state AI laws before any federal standards are written or adopted. Over the summer, the Senate rejected this approach in a 99-1 vote, repudiating an amendment that would have shut down state AI protections without replacing them with consumer safeguards. Last week, the same idea failed to garner enough support for inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act. On Thursday, the president signed an executive order intended to selectively restrain state AI laws until Congress passes a legislative package. The effort continues, dressed in the language of national competitiveness. Preemption advocates argue that a patchwork of state laws will slow innovation, raise compliance costs, and weaken America’s ability to compete with China. There are legitimate concerns here. They also point to “tech neutral” laws as a sufficient way to protect child safety, creator rights, and worker protections. That argument is deeply flawed—historically, legally, and morally. When laws cannot name technology and address its specific risks, governance fails. General conduct laws and the tort system play an important role after the harm occurs. But relying on lawsuits alone abandons government’s foundational ex ante responsibility: to prevent proven, anticipatable harm before it devastates families. Washington now stands on the edge of making this fundamental mistake with artificial intelligence. This week’s “60 Minutes” episode exposed such dangers. Unregulated AI chatbots isolate children from their parents, steer them into sexually explicit conversations, and encourage self-harm, even up to suicide. Voluntary company guardrails were useless, emerging from an environment where platforms can deploy history’s most powerful technologies, without clear, enforceable child safety rules tailored to AI’s capabilities. Despite these failures, preemption advocates insist tech neutrality alone is sufficient. But the opposite is true, for three important reasons. First, blanket tech neutrality invites evasion and regulatory collapse. When legislators are forbidden from naming technology, they write overly abstract policy that companies can easily exploit. If America had frozen its Civil War-era legal framework during the electrification of the nation, we would not have built utility commissions, electrical safety codes, or the infrastructure that enabled a lifetime of innovation. Mandating permanent tech neutrality for AI would force regulators and courts into a losing contest. They would be forced to either stretch old legal categories beyond their intended scope or surrender enforcement altogether. Second, tech neutrality strips law of its moral leadership. Law does more than punish, it teaches. Citizens look to their representatives to articulate a vision for how new technologies should serve human dignity, family life and community wellbeing. If lawmakers are forbidden to name AI, and specify its risks, limits, and proper uses, the law cannot teach. A government that cannot speak clearly about the moral stakes of powerful technology cannot govern it. Third, blanket preemption is democratically unresponsive. Our system of self-governance assumes legislation is a continuous, iterative process. States serve as first responders to new risks and as laboratories for practical solutions long before Congress can act. Preemption short circuits this feedback loop. The idea that Washington can “wind up” a tech neutral regime, remove the key for a decade and expect society to flourish is naïve. The consent of the governed is not a one-time event; it is an ongoing relationship. None of these reasons are arguments against national AI standards. The country needs them, and the president has called for them. But real national standards are not a gag order on the states paired with promises of future federal action. If you want seatbelts, you must require seatbelts. No amount of generally applicable law will deliver the clarity, accountability and public trust required for healthy technological deployment. We do not need to wait for more children to be groomed or exploited by AI systems before acting. We also shouldn’t accept the false promise that tech neutrality alone can substitute for real, democratically accountable governance. The post Tech Neutrality Lets Big Tech Off the Hook appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Spidi Roar Leather Motorcycle Jacket in Black/Ice Bias alert: I’m a sucker for classic leather motorcycle jackets that recall the styles of my youth in the 1980s, especially when the retro appearance is married with modern safety features. For guys and gals like us, the Spidi Roar fits the bill perfectly.  The design aesthetic of the Roar’s 1.0-1.1mm polished Italian cowhide exterior shell is a clear homage to the racing suits of the Reagan era, replete with dual color schemes and racing stripes on the left front shoulder, right front bicep, and left rear bottom panel. Two handwarmer pockets and a diagonally cut pocket on the right upper chest provide reasonable storage. Waist tabs on the rear allow the rider to cinch up the already slim-fitting Roar even farther. All zippers are beefy YKK units, and a single-button clip provides connection to riding pants.  The interior consists of a fixed cotton mesh lining, and one interior zippered pocket on the left side is big enough to hold to my iPhone 16 Pro Max with plenty of room to spare. There are also attachment loops and velcro panels throughout to fit Spidi’s large selection of “Step-In Wear” liners. As I write this, there are six different liners available, which can be mixed and matched. These base layers are available in both thermal and waterproof flavors, in varying weights and materials. With the use of these layers and liners, the rider can easily customize the Roar for use in cold weather or wet weather applications.   The optional Thermolite liner adds warmth to the Spidi Roar jacket. From a safety perspective, the Roar is a serious piece of riding gear. It comes standard with removable Level 2 Warrior Lite CE-rated armor in the shoulders and elbows. There is a dedicated pocket on the rear to accept Spidi’s optional CE-rated Level 1 or Level 2 Warrior back protector pads, and Spidi also offers optional chest or thorax Warrior protection pads as well. The jacket as a whole is certified under EN 17092-3:2020 for abrasion and impact resistance.   Out on the road, the Spidi Roar is an absolute pleasure to wear. The leather shell looks and feels fantastic. It’s also quite fragrant – in a good way! – even after months of testing. Nobody does leather like the Italians! The fitment runs true to size, and being European, it’s definitely better suited to riders with athletic body shapes. My test Roar arrived with Spidi’s Thermolite liner, which, as the name implies, provides additional windproof insultation for colder weather applications. I found the basic Roar without the liner a perfect weight for mid-season use, and the Thermolite liner extended its versatility deep into east coast fall – low 60s and even high 50s riding was possible, and the liner thoughtfully had elastic cuffs on the sleeves to keep wind out. Think of this combo as what a motorcyclist could don in spring, early summer, and early fall, or around 60-85 degrees realistically for long rides.   Read all of Rider’s apparel reviews here Overall, I found the Spidi Roar a supremely attractive, surprisingly functional leather motorcycle jacket that can be adapted to many riding applications thanks to its large selection of available liners. This Ukrainian-made garment retails for $649.90 and is available in Euro sizes 46-60. The optional L2 Warrior back pad is $89.90, and the Thermolite liner is $139.90.  Shop for Spidi Roar Leather Motorcycle Jacket The post Spidi Roar Leather Motorcycle Jacket Review  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

There is usually a brief period of time in a typical New Jersey spring or fall when the weather is not quite cold enough for heated gear but not quite warm enough to ditch the insulated gear. It was mainly under such conditions – call it 40-65 degrees – that I tested Scorpion’s EXO Tempest II motorcycle gloves, which promise foul-weather performance at a relatively low price point for the features offered.  Construction of the exterior shell is a mix of nylon (80%), polyurethane (6%), and polyester (3%). The balance of 11% is full-grain goat leather on the sealed palm side. A Hypora breathable waterproof lining protects against the elements, and a 100-gram layer of Thinsulate insulation keeps things toasty on the inside. (Notably, the palm area isn’t insulated so that the warmth from heated grips can penetrate the glove interior.) There are pronounced silicone grip pads on the palm and all fingers except the index and thumb. The index and thumb maintain capacitive touch for touchscreen operation. Finally, there’s an integrated squeegee on the index finger of both left and right gloves. The exterior shell covers a secondary nylon sublayer, which has an elastic gauntlet to help further seal the interior.   On the protection side, these gloves feature a floating TPU knuckle armor fortification, along with TPR and impact foam on all fingers and the base of the palm. A subtle 3M reflective strip on the wrist aids in nighttime conspicuity. A large hook-and-loop flap on the gauntlet seals things up, with an additional smaller cinch strap on the wrist for good measure.   Out on the road, the Tempest II gloves are an ideal companion on your ride in the aforementioned temperature range. Below 40 degrees, even with heated grips, I was reaching for my heated gloves instead. Likewise, they’re too insulated for prolonged rides much above 65 degrees. I found that the oversized wrist strap held things firmly in place, adding to a sense of safety. The pre-curved fingers and generous stretch panels equal minimal break-in time. The tactile feel is quite good for winter gear, with no bunching material as the hands travel through their range of motion – although the nylon “inner gauntlet” can be finicky when first donning the gloves, especially if your hands are wet. I experimented with iPhone capacitive touchscreen operation and found periodic success, so long as the finger pad touching the screen was through leather and not on a seam. I am normally comfortable in a size 9.5/Large, but the XL variant fit me better than the L, so try before you buy.   Read all of Rider’s apparel reviews here Scorpion’s Tempest II motorcycle gloves offer a compelling value in the non-heated insulated glove segment, offering functionality, safety, and much cherished warmth! The Tempest II gloves tested here have an MSRP of $109.95 and are available in sizes S-3XL.   Shop for Scorpion EXO Tempest II Motorcycle Gloves The post Scorpion EXO Tempest II Motorcycle Gloves Review  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

After selling my 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Ultra Classic to purchase a 2015 BMW R 1200 GS back in 2016, one thing became clear on every two-up ride: My wife really missed the comfort and security of the Harley’s TourPak backrest. Over the past 10 years, she’s reminded me of it more times than I can count.  I’m not a fan of the bulky look of a top case on the GS, so I started digging through online forums and eventually found a promising solution: the XP Backrest from Dynamic Motorcycle Accessories.  I gave the company a call and ended up speaking directly with Kerry, the founder. He’s a friendly guy who created this backrest specifically for riders like me – those who want passenger comfort without compromising the look of their bikes. It turns out this is a common concern among GS owners, and Kerry’s product has been gaining popularity fast.  About a week later, the backrest arrived. The box included everything I needed: all hardware, clear instructions, and even the tools. Installation was simple and took me just 15 minutes. (Though I’ll admit, I initially mounted the plates upside down. That was on me.) While the XP Backrest isn’t a quick-release system like the one on my first bike (2003 H-D Road King Classic), it’s still easy to remove or reinstall using just four bolts.  These mounting plates are required for installation of the XP Backrest. The backrest is constructed of CNC-machined aluminum with a black powdercoating, and the cushion is a 1-inch-thick pad. It measures 9.5 inches tall by 11 inches wide. The backrest itself has an MSRP of $172.99. The Backrest Mounting Plates, which are required for installation unless using one the Dynamic’s luggage racks instead, are priced at $47.99. That’s a total of $220.98 for both pieces.  What did my wife think? Not even a quarter-mile from our driveway, she said, “Thank you for getting this backrest.” Hours later, after a long ride along the Connecticut shoreline to the Guilford Lobster Pound for lobster rolls, she praised how supportive and comfortable it felt. That alone made the investment worth it.  See all of Rider‘s Parts & Accessories Reviews here For riders like me who prefer the clean look of a GS without a top case, or those simply looking to add real back support for their passenger, my wife and I cannot recommend the XP Backrest enough.    Shop for Dynamic Motorcycle Accessories XP Backrest The post Dynamic Motorcycle Accessories XP Backrest Review  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Doubletake Adventure rearview mirrors You don’t see rearview mirrors on dirtbikes very often, for good reasons. Extending a piece of glass on a rigid arm from the handlebar of a dirtbike is just asking for it to get broken or snapped off in spectacular fashion. When that happens, it can leave behind a pointy and inflexible metal arm for the rider to land on. Ouch. Fortunately, the dirt riding environment doesn’t require rearview mirrors.  Doubletake mirrors are also available in a Dual-Sport option. On the other hand, dual-sport and adventure bikes need mirrors to be ridden legally on the street yet carry the same risks when ridden off-road. You can always remove and replace the mirrors with a wrench before tackling any rough terrain, but that’s a pain even if you can remember if one is reverse threaded and which one.  A more convenient solution is a pair of Doubletake mirrors. These innovative replacements feature rugged materials and a top-and-bottom, dual-pivot design that allows them to easily be positioned for the best view and stay put while riding road or trail. When the going gets rough, they can be pivoted down without tools behind the headlight or windscreen. And as long as you don’t overtighten them, if the extended mirrors take a hit, they will most likely fold or pivot unscathed.  At the core of the design is the adjustable arm, which clamps onto balls at each end, one affixed to the mirror and another mounted on the handlebar. Doubletake formerly used Ram Mount arms and balls but recently introduced its own improved designs. Tension on the clamping arm is controlled with a large thumbscrew near the middle, so all three types of Doubletake mirrors (Adventure, Dual-Sport, and Enduro) can be easily positioned for the best view, pivoted, or removed…entirely by hand.   Doubletake mirror housings are made with super tough, glass-reinforced Zytel, and the convex mirror lenses are bright and clear and meet SAE and CE specs. Arms are made of lightweight diecast aluminum with an oversized thumbscrew, and the base mount ball has a full aluminum core that resists crushing over time, coated with nitrile for grip and durability. Mirror balls are 1-inch diameter, so that end of the arm will also clamp and support things like phone mounts, GPS, or cameras with standard 1-inch ball mounts (and Doubletake sells base kits and arms without mirrors). Base kit balls are 1-1/8-inch for more rigidity, so the thumb screw on the arm is off-center (closer to the mirror) to compensate. Each single mirror base kit comes with five bolts (coarse, fine, long, short, and reverse thread) and an extension to fit most threaded mirror mounts, and Doubletake has matched many of its kits to specific bikes.  Doubletake sent us pairs of all three mirror types, plus a couple of its small Trail mirrors that can be zip-tied to dirtbike handlebars. The Adventure Kit mirror has a teardrop shape for the widest field of view, and its slightly larger size and shape provide a better rearward view than the stock mirrors on my Honda Africa Twin, especially since they can be positioned higher or farther out to the sides if desired (the better to get around big shoulders and luggage). Ours came with 6-inch arms that were a bit longer than stock, but shorter, more compact arms are available as well. Tightened with just enough tension to keep them from moving on their own, the mirrors can still be adjusted without loosening the thumbscrew, and they don’t seem to vibrate any more than the stockers. I also tried the smaller round Dual-Sport mirrors on my Yamaha WR250R, and they work brilliantly.  Adventure mirror Dual-Sport mirror Installation was fairly easy. On my 2018 Africa Twin, the base kit balls mounted into the stock female mirror mounts – a good thing since I couldn’t get them off (someone went crazy with red thread locker I guess). Rather than use the internal tooth lock washer that Doubletake provides (the outside diameter of which was a bit too large for my taste), I used blue thread locker gel to secure the base kit bolts. Otherwise, everything fit well and easily. Same story on the WR250R. Extensions and longer bolts are provided in case you need to clear something like a clamp or brake master cylinder.  See all of Rider‘s Parts & Accessories Reviews here Adventure, Dual-Sport, and Enduro mirror kits start at $63.50 per side. Be sure to see if a specific kit is offered for your bike when you order. The new arms and base kit balls are available separately to upgrade your older Doubletake mirrors, and the company offers many other parts and accessories, like handlebar adapters and clamps, replacement mirror glass, and yes, even replacement mirrors. The website has loads of installation, fitment, and sizing help and information, and everything is backed by a lifetime warranty.   Shop for Doubletake Mirrors The post Doubletake Mirrors Review  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) intends to put a “black box” warning on COVID-19 jabs, CNN reports. The outlet cited two unnamed people “familiar with the agency’s plans.” Black boxes are the agency’s most serious warning and typically accompany products that carry a risk of life-threatening or disabling reactions. The FDA is finalizing plans to put a "black box" warning on Covid-19 vaccines, sources tell CNN, its most serious alert meant to warn about drug risks.https://t.co/toYYb357fN — CNN (@CNN) December 12, 2025 CNN has more: The plan to install the warnings for Covid-19 vaccines is being orchestrated by Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s chief medical and scientific officer and director of the agency’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, according to one person, who declined to be named because they weren’t authorized to share the information publicly. The plan has not been finalized and may still change. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the plans for the warnings, expected to be unveiled by the end of the year, would be applied only to mRNA vaccines or to all Covid-19 vaccines, or whether they would apply to all age groups. Three vaccines are approved by the FDA for use in the US, and two of them — from Pfizer and Moderna – use mRNA technology, which has been a key focus of the administration. “Unless the FDA announces it, any claim about what it will do is pure speculation,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement to CNBC. Megyn Kelly discussed the reports of the FDA potentially adding the black box warning to the COVID-19 jabs with “All-In” podcast co-host Chamath Palihapitiya. Kelly called it an “outrage.” “This was forced on us. Every school, including my own, they were expelling boys who would not take the vaccine once they hit 16. This is downright dangerous,” she continued. Footage below: Megyn Kelly on Reports of FDA Potentially Adding a Black Box Warning to COVID Vaccines “This is an outrage. This was forced on us. Every school, including my own, were expelling boys who would not take the vaccine once they hit 16. This is downright dangerous.” pic.twitter.com/YZyGTx8ebi — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 4, 2025 CNBC shared further: It’s also unclear if this warning will only apply to certain age groups and what issue the label will point to. Prasad, in an internal FDA memo last month, tried to link 10 deaths in children to Covid vaccines, without providing any evidence. He also highlighted myocarditis, an extremely rare side effect after administration of mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna. Cases of that side effect were detected with early use of the jabs, when first and second doses were recommended to be taken as closely as three weeks apart. The side effect was also predominantly seen in boys and men. Watch the full interview below: