Disclaimer: This story contains details and depictions of child loss that may be upsetting to some. Miracle Pregnancy “We loved her enough to let her go. After trying for six years to have another baby and four laparoscopies to remove my endometriosis‚ in the summer of 2021 we found out we were finally expecting again. Three years prior I had had a terrible miscarriage and had been battling severe endometriosis and adenomyoisis for 18 years at that point. How perfect‚ a boy and a girl. At 21 weeks pregnant‚ we attended our scan to find out the gender. They let us know it was a girl and we were thrilled! However‚ the scan was taking longer than usual.  They brought in another tech to take more photos and then instructed us to move to the consult room. I started getting worked up while we waited and my husband tried to reassure me it would be okay. My mind was going a thousand miles a minute thinking about all of the things she could have and how scared I was. The radiologist walked in and had a piece of paper and a pen in her hand. She informed us that our daughter’s heart was in the wrong spot‚ she was missing a kidney‚ her long bones were not growing‚ and she had severe abnormalities with her hands and feet. She then stated in very direct terms‚ ‘You can terminate this pregnancy in the next three weeks if you are unable to handle this.’ I let out a scream I didn’t even know I was capable of. I fell to my knees and kept screaming. I immediately had sheets of tears streaming down my face. My husband continued to rub my back while he too wept. The radiologist let us know she made an appointment to do an amniocentesis and a 3D ultrasound in three days‚ handed Brett the appointment card‚ and left the room. My lip wouldn’t stop quivering from sobbing so much. Brett finally said‚ ‘Let’s get out of this room. I hate this room.’ We walked to our vehicle‚ got in‚ and continued to just weep. After a few minutes of us not saying anything to each other‚ I said‚ ‘She may never come home with us.’ Through choking down his own tears that were almost making him gasp for air‚ he said he was so sorry that we got our hopes up and we shouldn’t have been excited too soon until we were all in the clear. Rising Complications The next two and a half weeks were hell. Not only had I been at death’s door with nausea the entire pregnancy for nearly six months now‚ I found out she may not live. I had people in my life keep telling me the nausea will go away soon and in the end I’d get a baby! We attended dozens of appointments over the next two weeks. Endless blood work‚ extra scans‚ daily phone calls and texts with my OBGYN  about the quality of her life‚ radiologists‚ occupational therapists‚ and lastly a geneticist. They were dark times and truly some of lowest points of my entire life. I was exhausted and‚ on top of it all‚ I’d hardly seen my son between work and doctors appointments. I missed him immensely and wept continually about how unfair this all was. The meeting with the genetic specialists was eye opening. They looked into my family history and‚ between me‚ two of my sisters‚ and my mom‚ we have way more losses than live births statistically. The doctors there could not put the pieces together what our daughter had‚ but what they told us that the quality of her life would be poor. The comments that kept being thrown around were as follows: ‘She will scream every minute of her life.’ ‘She will never come home with you.’ ‘Her life will be like whack a mole. She will always be in pain‚ but you won’t know what she’s every crying about.’ ‘Her heart is the biggest problem as it may not be strong enough to live outside of you.’ ‘Her missing a kidney is a big problem.’ ‘When we see this much wrong on a scan‚ we can say in full confidence that there is usually way more wrong that we can’t see.’ ‘The choice is yours because we do not know what she has.’ The Decision Day and night‚ my husband and I cried. We felt like we had nothing left to give. Selfishly‚ we wanted her. To us‚ she was perfect even though there were so many complications with her health. It didn’t matter to us. But as parents you learn that it’s not about what’s best for you‚ it’s about what’s best for her and what she would want. We know that she wanted to be with our family and that she will always be ours‚ but it broke our hearts about having to send her back to Heaven. The only way we knew what to do was to make a decision and pray on it. The prayers we had in our bedroom on our knees will forever be some of the most moving‚ powerful‚ spiritual‚ and memorable prayers in our marriage. We prayed to God‚ ‘We have made a decision and we ask for your help. We don’t know what to do. If this is right‚ we will find strength in us to let her come home to you.’ Two days later‚ we agreed that neither she nor I needed to suffer for one more minute. The induction was scheduled for a few days later‚ and the evening came for me to take the medication to induce labour. I would be delivering her the next day. Imagine with worst stomach bug you’ve ever had in your entire life‚ but try not to vomit. Why? Because the pill cost $400 each. I had blurred vision and was so gravely ill that I told Brett I loved him many times in case I died. I was supposed to attend my work party the night before as I thought it would be better to have a distraction instead of sobbing all evening. The time came to leave and my health turned a corner. I swear it was angels who came to my aid because I needed a small pick-me-up. The Delivery Saturday Dec 4th‚ 2021. The morning came quickly and we were off to the hospital. I wept walking to my room. I saw the delivery table and it hit me that our baby would be laying on there dead in a few hours. I had taken my second $400 dollar pill and the nurse let me know I couldn’t vomit for at least two more hours. They got an epidural into me as I was already in full-blown labor. I gripped onto the bedside bars with all of my strength to keep that final dose in my system. It was a terrible mental game because I knew I had to keep the pill in me to deliver her‚ but I didn’t want to let her go. I wanted her and I didn’t want the induction to work. Two hours passed and the nurse gave me a bucket and I projectile vomited five times. Again‚ who helped me keep that pill in? Angels. I couldn’t have done it myself. After I felt like a bus had hit me 23 times keeping that pill down‚ the epidural did its job and I was able to go to sleep. Two hours later‚ I woke up and the nurse came to check on me. In my sleep‚ our daughter‚ Ruby-Jo‚ had arrived. The doctor came in to pick up her tiny‚ 1- pound‚ lifeless body and I went into complete shock. Courtesy of Whitney Quinton All I could think was‚ ‘What on Earth had I just done!? She was dead! We let her die‚ and I hated myself.’ I began shedding tears of immeasurable anger. Brett ran to my side with a very calm and loving demeanor. He grabbed my hand and with tears streaming down his face said‚ ‘Whits‚ it’s okay. You did it. She’s finally home and she’s perfect. She’s with our family in Heaven‚ and she’s not in pain anymore. I am so proud of you.’ Not a day has gone by that I don’t think about the words my husband said to me that day. He saved me then‚ and his words continue to save me daily when I fight demons with the Earth-shattering decision we had to make for her. Courtesy of Whitney Quinton The Aftermath The biggest miracle at the end of it all was finding out‚ when her autopsy came back‚ that her heart condition alone wouldn’t have allowed us to bring her home. They said she would’ve lived in an incubator until she passed away or‚ very likely‚ would’ve died at birth even if carried to full term. It was hard news to hear‚ but it was a relief knowing that we had made the best decision for her. I’m grateful for the Earthly and Heavenly angels that carried us through losing our sweet Ruby-Jo‚ and still carry us because the grief we endure not having her here is something most people would never be able to comprehend. When I look back on our journey with her‚ I recognize how many miracles and tender mercies there were. I realize how God was truly walking with me every single step of the way. She is sealed to our family and‚ someday in Heaven‚ we will all be reunited. I will embrace her and I know she will thank us for relieving her of all of her suffering. We will thank her for teaching us how to turn to God‚ to have more compassion‚ and be there for others during tragedies to lift them up.” Courtesy of Whitney Quinton This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Whitney Quinton. Have a story of love‚ kindness‚ healing‚ or overcoming to share? Visit our submissions portal to submit today. Read more stories like this: ‘A coworker smiled. ‘Just look at that belly!’ Then an intrusive voice in my mind said‚ ‘Your belly stopped growing a week ago.’: Woman discovers stillbirth after trusting gut instincts ‘We left with a box. Not a baby. Not our child. But with a box.’ Do you know someone who would fell less alone reading this?  SHARE this story with family and friends to let them know a community of support is available. 

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Democrat-proposed energy bills Tuesday‚ giving the state some of the most rigid energy mandates in the nation. The Democrats’ green energy plan — a package of three bills passed along party lines — requires utility providers to transition to completely carbon-free energy generation by the end of the next decade‚ the Associated Press reported. The mandate‚ which is even more fast-tracked than the green energy bill passed in California‚ will force utility companies to generate half of their energy through renewable sources by 2030‚ 60% by 2035‚ and 100% by 2040. “With passage of these game-changing bills‚ Michigan will become a national leader on clean energy‚” Whitmer said in a statement earlier this month. “These bills will help us make more clean‚ reliable energy right here in Michigan‚ creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs‚ and lowering utility costs for every Michigander by an average of $145 a year.” Still‚ some far-Left environmental activists were not completely happy with the legislation‚ criticizing the mandate for allowing utility providers to use carbon capture technology and saying that it fails to “adequately reduce greenhouse gas emissions while bringing more pollution to Black‚ Brown‚ Indigenous and poor communities.” Republicans in the state House and Senate on the other hand said the mandate would effectively ban natural gas and take control of hundreds of thousands of acres of land for renewable energy. Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt told The Daily Wire in a phone interview that Michigan’s power outage problem‚ which is already double the national rate‚ would only get worse thanks to the Democrats’ bill. “This does nothing to correct the issues on the distribution system. All this does is increases the likelihood of power outages and decreases reliability‚” said Nesbitt. Nesbitt added that the law will also “industrialize” Michigan farmland‚ meaning that the law’s land requirement for renewable energy will “preempt” residents from having any say in how local land is used. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Currently‚ 50‚000 acres are used for renewable energy. This will mandate that over 350‚000 new acres of land will have to be pushed into renewable energy‚” he said. An analysis from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy also found that the new green energy mandate will cost residents an extra $2‚746 a year while giving them less reliable electricity. Republican House Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus told The Daily Wire‚ “Without a doubt‚ these mandates will lead to higher costs and lower reliability.” “In government‚ you literally get what you pay for‚” Posthumus added. “By mandating wind and solar‚ only the governor has taken many other necessary and useful options off the table to score points with the coastal elites. Michigan could have been the national leader in how to do renewable the right way. Instead‚ Whitmer chose the strong-arm approach with an eye on a 2028 presidential run. It really is truly disappointing.” Many residents of Marquette Township‚ Michigan‚ which is in the state’s Upper Peninsula‚ voiced frustration with their Democratic Representative Jenn Hill after she joined Democrats in passing the energy mandate. After a meeting last week‚ Forsyth Township Supervisor Joe Boogren said questions were not being answered on the issue‚ TV6 reported. “We can read. We’re not as dumb as you think we are or make us out to be‚ and we wanted to talk to you as elected officials to elected official and ask you questions that mean something‚ not go for this‚” Boogren said.

An agency in the United Nations designed to lead international efforts to defeat hunger is reportedly expected to call on the West — including the United States — to reduce meat consumption to combat so-called climate change. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced it plans to introduce a first-of-its-kind global food recommendation document at the Climate Change Conference COP28 — a two-week summit beginning on November 30 at the Expo City Dubai‚ in the United Arab Emirates. According to Bloomberg‚ the plan will call upon the world’s most developed nations to curb their excessive appetite for meat to reduce greenhouse emissions‚ issue guidelines for farmers to adapt to “erratic weather‚” and cut back emissions from food waste‚ post-harvest loss‚ or fertilizer use. “The failure of leading meat and dairy companies to reduce emissions underlines the urgent need for more policy focus on the food and agriculture sector‚” Jeremy Coller‚ the chair and founder of the FAIRR Initiative‚ an investor network that works with financial institutions to promote climate-friendly agriculture worldwide‚ said in a recent statement reported by Fox News. Coller said food system emissions represent an estimated third of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of methane‚ which he asserted deserve “a place at the top of the table” with other climate concerns‚ including energy and transport. “Investors hope the first-ever publication of a food and agriculture road map at COP28 this month will catalyze the transition to 1.5 degrees and a more sustainable food system‚” he added. Although U.S. representatives for the intergovernmental organization have not pledged to join the delegation‚ the UN agency’s recommendations are not binding. According to a March 2021 study published in the Nature Food Journal‚ about 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year — approximately a third of total worldwide emissions — make up the global food system. Fox News reported that the UN’s FAO data suggests that livestock accounts for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP However‚ according to the Daily Mail — the U.S. agriculture industry only accounts for 1.4% of global emissions and 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions. UN officials have reportedly advocated for a plant-based diet to reduce an individual’s annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons‚ but researchers found that a vegetarian diet or switching to lab-grown meat could prove ineffective in improving global emissions. The University of California‚ Davis‚ published a study reported by the Daily Mail earlier this year that indicated lab-grown or “cultured” meat produced by cultivating animal cells is up to 25 times worse for the climate than natural beef. “Currently‚ animal cell-based meat products are being produced at a small scale and at an economic loss‚ however companies are intending to industrialize and scale-up production‚” the researchers wrote. “Results indicate that the environmental impact of near-term animal cell-based meat production is likely to be orders of magnitude higher than median beef production if a highly refined growth medium is utilized.” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) told Fox News Digital in a statement that regulating American farmers and ranchers out of business in the U.S would only export production overseas under hostile foreign governments‚ worsen emissions profiles‚ and harm food security and affordability rather than effectively addressing global climate change. “Simply put‚ the world needs American farmers and ranchers more than the UN‚” Thompson said‚ adding that U.S. farmers and ranchers are “climate heroes” for reducing emissions while providing Americans with abundant and affordable food‚ fiber‚ and fuel. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation‚ farmers and ranchers are getting almost three times more out of their production than what they put into it compared to 70 years ago. The organization noted that livestock emissions‚ including pork‚ milk‚ and beef production‚ continue to decrease.

Actor and comedian Jon Lovitz fired back on Tuesday at critics who have attacked him for his staunch support of Israel. In the weeks since the brutal October 7 attack‚ during Which Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel and killed more than 1‚200 people — most of them civilians — Lovitz has been vocal in his support for Israel and his condemnation of anyone who stands with Hamas. But in spite of the critics who have attacked Lovitz‚ he has made it clear that he is not planning to back down any time soon. “I appreciate your support during this time of war in Israel and the rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world‚” he said‚ thanking those who have offered their support and also have said they would stand with Israel. “I’m speaking out because I feel I must. The world doesn’t like it when Jews fight back‚” he continued‚ adding his two-word response to those who did not like his position on the matter: “Tough s***.” I appreciate your support during this time of war in Israel and the rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world. I'm speaking out because I feel I must. The world doesn't like it when Jews fight back. Tough shit. The positive responses I get far outweigh the… — Jon Lovitz (@realjonlovitz) November 28‚ 2023 “The positive responses I get far outweigh the vile comments. Whenever they call me names‚ like I’m a Nazi or has been or not funny‚ I realize I’ve successfully punched a bully in the nose and they’re bleeding. In the words of Sylvester Stallone … Keep punching!” he said. Lovitz also fired back at critics who accused him of supporting “genocide” as Israel fights back against Hamas‚ pointing out the fact that Hamas had started the war. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “It’s not genocide… it’s war. A war Hamas deliberately started. Knowing Israel would retaliate and knowing innocent Palestinian civilians would be killed. They don’t care‚” he said‚ adding that he supported Israel in its efforts to destroy Hamas — which he explained would benefit the Palestinian civilians as much as it would the Israelis. No. I support Israel standing up for itself and destroying Hamas.So the Palestinians and Israelis can be free from Hamas terrorists who don't care about anyone‚ Israelis or Palestinians. It's not genocide.. it's war. A war Hamas deliberately started. Knowing Israel would… https://t.co/92WVJM6o10 — Jon Lovitz (@realjonlovitz) November 27‚ 2023

A year ago‚ Sports Illustrated uploaded a video to their various social media channels. It shows Steph Curry‚ the Golden State Warriors point guard and NBA champion‚ making five full-court shots in a row‚ in just about thirty seconds. In case you’re not familiar with basketball‚ this is an athletic feat that’s about as close to statistically impossible as you can get. But Sports Illustrated played it straight. The outlet wrote on their Twitter account‚ “Just finished a shoot with Steph Curry — this dude just can’t miss.” Watching it‚ there’s no obvious way to tell it’s fake. Even if you watch it a few times‚ it seems real. You see him shoot the basketball‚ the camera follows the ball‚ and it goes in the hoop. Looks basically legit. But of course none of it was legit. And Sports Illustrated knew that‚ because the creator of the clip — who they tagged in one of their posts — is known for manipulating videos like this. The whole thing was just a bid for some attention on social media. No one really followed up on this whole episode. There was no ensuing conversation about ethics in sports journalism. When Sports Illustrated ultimately admitted that it was a sham‚ no one cared. On one level‚ that’s not particularly surprising‚ since Sports Illustrated is a shadow of what it once was. Other than the annual swimsuit edition‚ which presumably now features trans and plus sized models‚ there’s no longer anything to distinguish the magazine from any number of other low quality sports blogs you can find on the Internet. That’s been true for quite some time. What’s interesting about this episode‚ though‚ is what happened afterwards.  Sports Illustrated didn’t stop lying to its audience. They didn’t decide to renew their commitment to serious sports journalism‚ to the extent that “serious sports journalism” isn’t an oxymoron. Instead‚ Sports Illustrated chose to start faking a lot more than just videos. A website called “Futurism” just published an investigative report into the scam that Sports Illustrated has been running. Apparently‚ the company has been using artificial intelligence to draft entire articles. But more than that‚ they have been using AI to create fake authors‚ as well‚ complete with fake biographies. The outlet never disclosed any of this to its readers. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show Here for example is their biography of one Drew Ortiz‚ who appears to be a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. This is straight from Sports Illustrated’s website: “Drew has spent much of his life outdoors‚ and is excited to guide you through his never-ending list of the best products to keep you from falling to the perils of nature. … Nowadays‚ there is rarely a weekend that goes by where Drew isn’t out camping‚ hiking‚ or just back on his parents’ farm.”  Obviously‚ most of the biographies you’ll read online are stilted and fake. But even by that low standard‚ Drew Ortiz’s bio is a little suspect. What does it mean to “keep you from falling to the perils of nature‚” exactly? That sounds a little morbid. And once you find out that AI was responsible for it‚ the “perils of nature” line starts to seem more than a little bit creepy. But you’re not supposed to dwell on Drew’s biography. Instead‚ you’re supposed to click on his articles‚ because that’s how Sports Illustrated makes money. Once you do that — once you click the AI-generated clickbait — here’s what you’ll find. One of Ortiz’s articles‚ which was originally published last year‚ is entitled‚ “Play Like A Pro With The Best Full-Size Volleyballs.” The point of this article is to advertise a series of volleyballs‚ so that Sports Illustrated can get a kickback when people click on the links and buy a volleyball. This is pretty standard in digital media‚ as you may have noticed. The “Drew Ortiz” artificial intelligence‚ for its part‚ was tasked with writing a paragraph to introduce all these affiliate links. Here’s what Drew came up with:  Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in the world‚ and for good reason. It’s fast-paced‚ has a high skill ceiling‚ and is generally an exciting sport to both play and watch. Even people who don’t watch sports can easily understand the intensity and skill required to play volleyball whenever they watch clips. There’s a reason why it’s been such a mainstay in modern sports to this day. Volleyball can be a little tricky to get into‚ especially without an actual ball to practice with. Now‚ up until that last line‚ you can see why someone might be fooled into thinking that Drew Ortiz is a real person. He comes across as an earnest guy trying to explain why he loves volleyball‚ in as many words as possible. But towards the end‚ Drew enters the uncanny valley. “Volleyball can be a little tricky to get into‚” Drew writes‚ “especially without an actual ball to practice with.” Well‚ that’s an understatement‚ Drew. It’s a bit like saying water polo is hard to get into without water‚ or cooking is hard to do without food. It’s the kind of thing no human being would ever say. So needless to say‚ the AI known as Drew Ortiz wasn’t exactly producing the most compelling copy. We can assume that very few people bought volleyballs on Drew’s professional recommendation. That could be why‚ sometime this summer‚ Sports Illustrated quietly replaced Ortiz with another AI. This time‚ the name for the AI changed from Drew Ortiz to “Sora Tanaka.” Who is Sora Tanaka? Let’s see. According to her biography on Sports Illustrated’s website: Sora has always been a fitness guru‚ and loves to try different foods and drinks. She is fond of varying her workouts and believes everyone should participate in some form of physical or mental activity at least three times per week! I’ll read that last part again: “She … believes everyone should participate in some sort of physical or mental activity at least three times per week!” Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations. We can infer from this that AI doesn’t exactly have a high opinion of humans‚ if this is the bar it’s setting for us. Just use your body or your mind three times a week. Let’s start there‚ AI is saying to the human race. I’d like to say that the robots are underestimating us here‚ but I don’t think they are. At this point‚ it’s important to mention that Sports Illustrated didn’t just have AI generate articles‚ and fake biographies for fake writers. AI also created fake headshots for these writers. They generated images out of thin air. Both Tanaka and Ortiz had AI-produced headshots. We know that because the headshots were available for sale‚ on an online marketplace that sells AI headsets. Eventually‚ after they were confronted by Futurism‚ Sports Illustrated took all of these articles and headshots down‚ scrubbing all of it from their website.  In a statement‚ the company blamed a contractor for all of this. They denied that the articles were written by AI‚ although they didn’t deny that the headshots were AI-generated. They also claimed that editors carefully review all content that’s uploaded.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP That’s a claim that several other websites have made in the past. CNET‚ for example‚ insisted that while it was using AI to draft articles‚ editors were carefully fact-checking every detail prior to publication. How did that work out? A few months ago‚ CNET published an article claiming that a $10‚000 deposit in a savings account‚ earning a 3% APY‚ would return $10‚300 in profit after the first year. That’s off by about $10‚000. CNET later appended a correction to the article. Somehow that one slipped by the fact-checkers. Bankrate‚ one of CNET’s sister sites‚ has had the same problem. They claim that their editors carefully review AI-generated articles‚ but these articles are full of mistakes. Including mathematical mistakes‚ which is the one thing you’d think AI would always get right.  So what do we make of all this?  It’s easy to mock outlets like CNET and Bankrate and Sports Illustrated‚ which no one reads anymore. But it’s not hard to see where this is all heading. We’re rapidly and willfully moving towards a dystopian world where AI does everything and most human effort and labor has become redundant. Everyone can see this coming‚ and knows it’s bad‚ but it seems like none of our leaders have the fortitude to do anything about it. AI replacing Sports Illustrated writers is the least of our concerns in this regard. What happens when AI starts replacing‚ oh I don’t know‚ truck drivers and ride-share drivers? These are jobs that a significant portion of the American middle class depend on in order to survive. What happens when Waymo and Cruise and Tesla manage to perfect their self-driving AIs? We’re not there yet‚ of course. It’ll likely be several more years until AI is capable of doing any of that. And it’s still possible we’ll eventually elect leaders in time‚ who will do something to prevent the potential destruction of millions of jobs in this country. In the meantime‚ it’s important to look closely at the jobs that AI *is* capable of replacing‚ and what that says about these jobs and our culture at large.  It’s hard to deny that “journalism” — and sports journalism in particular — has become so vacuous and pointless that it can easily be replaced by robots and most readers don’t even notice. It’s generally not a good thing to replace human jobs with AI‚ but in the media‚ so many of the humans doing the jobs are already barely human as it is. So it feels like a bit of a lateral move. This isn’t just happening at Sports Illustrated and CNET and Bankrate. It’s happening at all the various tiers of garbage journalism‚ including gaming journalism. The website Kotaku now features a few AI-written articles. Microsoft Start — which is the homepage that Microsoft presents to users of its Internet browser — recently featured an obituary with this headline: “Brandon Hunter Useless At 42.” This is a former NBA player who died suddenly‚ and that’s the headline the AI went with. He’s not dead — he’s‚ “useless.” Which is sort of true in a literal sense‚ I suppose. But that’s not how humans typically look at it. Microsoft‚ maybe the biggest tech company on the planet‚ promoted that story. And here’s the amazing thing: It didn’t cause any kind of stir. You probably hadn’t even heard about it. That’s because we’re used to this. We take it for granted that whatever garbage we read was either written by a poorly programmed AI‚ or it was written by some liberal arts graduate with no life skills. Either way‚ we don’t take it seriously‚ it’s just noise. The bar is so low that it’s impossible to be outraged by poor quality journalism anymore. Indeed‚ it’s hard to be outraged by the quality of pretty much anything produced for mass consumption at this point. Take popular music‚ for example. A few days ago‚ an AI “singer-songwriter” using the name Anna Indiana went viral on social media. Here’s how Anna introduced itself‚ followed by some of Anna’s singing: Hello world! I’m Anna Indiana and I’m an AI singer-songwriter. Here’s my first song‚ Betrayed by this Town. Everything from the key‚ tempo‚ chord progression‚ melody notes‚ rhythm‚ lyrics‚ and my image and singing‚ is auto-generated using AI. I hope you like it 💕 pic.twitter.com/0Cf42iyxHI — Anna Indiana (@AnnaIndianaAI) November 24‚ 2023 Now‚ needless to say‚ kill it with fire. The song is bad and bland and creepily lifeless. It’s also quite ominous. AI’s idea of a fun pop ballad is a lamentation about the pointlessness and futility of existence‚ followed by a call for us to “tear it all down.” The robots are‚ once again‚ not trying to hide their disdain for the human species. But then again‚ the mainstream music industry also hates the human species‚ and also has been‚ for decades‚ churning out its own bad and bland and creepily lifeless content. To be fair‚ I should note that on social media‚ a lot of people gave negative reviews to that particular performance. But there are plenty of examples of soulless AI singers that have gotten a lot of praise recently. Here’s AI Johnny Cash singing a Taylor Swift song‚ for example. This was everywhere on social media a few weeks ago: AI-generated Johnny Cash singing Taylor Swift is blowing my mind pic.twitter.com/TeibApYOoP — BuccoCapital Guy (@buccocapital) October 31‚ 2023 AI Johnny Cash got rave reviews‚ for the most part. People didn’t care that they were hearing the voice of a dead country music legend singing some of the most vapid lyrics imaginable. They embraced it. Some of them even said they preferred it to Johnny Cash’s original work. This why we can be certain that eventually nearly all of the content we consume on the internet‚ and nearly every movie and show we watch‚ and song we listen to‚ will all be generated by AI. The technology is getting more advanced‚ while at the same time the humans who produce most of this content are getting dumber and more vacuous. Humans and AI are essentially meeting in the middle‚ where the two become indistinguishable. Now‚ I don’t think that AI will ever be able to write a book like “The Lord of the Rings” or make a movie like “The Godfather” or compose an original song to match Beethoven‚ but that’s not the kind of art that we consume these days. We watch Marvel movies and read short blurbs on the Internet and listen to canned pop music‚ and AI will certainly be able to produce all of that. And since we‚ as a culture‚ don’t value beauty and originality and depth anymore‚ we will eventually accept the AI content and consume it just as vigorously. All we want is the content‚ after all. We don’t really care where it comes from‚ or what it is‚ or who produced it‚ or what produced it. This is what makes AI dangerous. Not that it will become sentient and enslave mankind or whatever. But that it will become indistinguishable from humans‚ because humans have become indistinguishable from it. It all kind of reminds me of the last few page of George Orwell’s book‚ “Animal Farm‚” which was obviously meant to be an allegory about communism not artificial intelligence. Still‚ I think about that very last line: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man‚ and from man to pig‚ and from pig to man again. But already it was impossible to say which was which.” All you need to do is replace the word “pig” with “AI‚” and you’ve got a modern allegory. Which is incredible‚ if you think about it. Just a few decades ago‚ it would have been crazy for Sports Illustrated to publish computer-generated slop‚ and pass it off as journalism‚ it never would have worked. But this past year‚ it went on for months‚ and no one even noticed‚ until a website called “Futurism” just happened to catch on. Men are becoming indistinguishable from pigs‚ to use Orwell’s phrase. And with each passing day — with each refinement to the algorithm — it becomes more and more difficult to say which is which.

A Florida high school principal and other school officials have been reassigned amid an investigation into whether they allowed a trans-identifying male player play on the girls’ volleyball team. The alleged incident occurred at Monarch High School just north of Fort Lauderdale. Principal James Cecil‚ assistant principal Kenneth May‚ athletic director Dione Hester‚ and volleyball coach Jessica Norton were all transferred on Monday‚ 7 News Miami reported. Cecil has worked in the district for the past two decades. “The principal of Monarch High School and several staff members have been reassigned to non-school sites pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of improper student participation in sports‚” Broward County Public Schools said in a statement. The district said it could not comment further‚ but will continue to follow state law and “take appropriate action” based on the outcome of the investigation. “We are committed to providing all our students with a safe and inclusive learning environment‚” the district said. The county investigation is looking into whether the school officials violated Florida law‚ which prohibits biological males from playing on girls’ sports teams at K-12 public schools. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP In the summer of 2021‚ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act‚” which bans biological males in female sports. A Broward County school board member‚ Torey Alston‚ reacted to the investigation‚ saying the probe will “follow the facts‚ and if it is revealed that state law is in question‚ I could tell you‚ we will follow state law.” Lisa Maxwell‚ executive director of the Broward Principals and Assistants Association‚ reacted as well‚ saying that‚ “We are confident that at the end of this investigation‚ principal James Cecil will be fully exonerated and will return to Monarch High.” Students reportedly staged a walkout at the high school on Tuesday to protest the reassignments. “The school is not any good without a principal. We need someone here who is able to lead us. Even though it’s a state law‚ I know according to state law you can’t do it‚ but I think his punishment was too harsh‚” one student told CBS Miami. Other students said they agreed that the trans-identifying student should not play on the girls’ team. “So what I think about the protest is‚ I just don’t think that‚ I don’t think that a trans kid should be part of the girls’ team‚” one student told the outlet. “I don’t agree with that. He shouldn’t be allowed to play on the team‚” a student told 7 News Miami. “If he’s a biological boy‚ I don’t think he should play on the team.” Transgender identities at public schools have become a hot-button issue in recent years‚ including the issue of biological boys sharing bathrooms and locker rooms with girls. Parents have also accused their children’s schools of keeping them in the dark about their children’s new gender identities for long periods of time. Some have gone as far as suing their school districts. More than 18‚000 schools across the country have rules saying school staff can or should hide a student’s gender identity from parents‚ according to a list compiled by Parents Defending Education‚ a nonprofit that describes itself as “a national grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas.” Meanwhile‚ it is more popular than ever for youth to adopt new gender identities. An estimated 300‚000 minors aged 13 to 17 identified as transgender as of last year.