To say we live in weird times is an understatement. And as amazing as the technology is, the world of artificial intelligence is making life in a weird world all the more so. In the past month, the song at the top of Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart was not written and sung by a down-on-his-luck guitar player with boots and a cowboy hat. It wasn’t even sung by a pop star as a crossover hit, as has recently been the trend. The No. 1 song, “Walk My Walk,” by the artist Breaking Rust, was 100% generated by AI. It’s a catchy tune, with pop-like beats and a depth of lyric that rivals most chart-topping country songs—which is to say not that deep. The chorus is defiant: “You can kick rocks if you don’t like how I talk, I’m gonna keep on talking and walk my walk.” I’m not sure if telling someone to “kick rocks” is a real insult in certain regions, or just an AI hallucination, but it gets the point across that the singer is going to go his (its?) own way. If I had to be honest, it’s not all that bad, compared with the balance of popular songs on the market. It so perfectly hits the spot of the music market that I suspect the AI prompt that started it was something like, “Write me a catchy country song that mimics the style of chart toppers over the past two years.” Real Music on Ice? It’s not just country music that’s getting the AI love. A group called Fake Music Lab (at least it’s honest!) made a video called “Reimagining ‘Ice Ice Baby’ as a soul song,” taking the ’90s hit rap song by Vanilla Ice and using AI to generate what Ice himself might call a pretty dope melody. In fact, in a twist, Vanilla Ice apparently thought the AI version of his song was so VIP that he reposted it on his own YouTube channel. I guess anything less than the best is not a felony after all. If ’90s rap is not immune, then other genres are certainly fair game. Fake Music Lab also has a bluegrass version of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” and an outfit called ReGrooved has a “dark country” version of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” For these AI cover songs, the flattery of imitation (and paid royalties on the songs) may outweigh any copyright or brand-dilution concerns the artist might have. Given that they’re all robotic voices, no singers were harmed in the production of these songs—except the ones who didn’t get the job. In Praise of Robots When it comes to praising the Lord through music, Asaph the psalmist said it best: So we will not be silent before You. Morning and evening, Your praise will dwell on our lips. Our children will learn the refrain of Your faithfulness, and their children after them will proclaim it anew. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; His steadfast love is the song that upholds the world. Except Asaph never said that. ChatGPT said it when I asked it to write me a psalm in the style of Asaph that talks about singing praises. It turns out AI is well-versed enough in the Scriptures to write a pretty decent psalm.  And it’s not just chatbots writing verse on demand. Just like in country and pop music, AI is generating lyrics, music, and vocals for Christian songs. For example, a YouTube channel called Bible Folk has released in recent months a spate of long videos that contain dozens of songs based on books of the Bible. One video, titled “If the Apostle Paul sang Romans in Folk, it would sound like this …” tackles themes from the book of Romans. With folk backing tracks and a country-like voice, the “album” features songs with lyrics like: I am not ashamed of the gospel call It is the path that saves us all To everyone who will believe the gift of God we freely receive. Like Breaking Rust’s “Walk My Walk,” the music is not awful, especially when compared with its contemporary Christian music competition. Though the Bible Folk lyrics are generally pretty simple, they are at times more theologically robust than some CCM songs. The lyric above is, after all, a paraphrase of Romans 1:16—and if we apply poetic license broadly, a real person writing such songs might be applauded. But a real person is not writing, and a real person is not singing, and any applause would fall on deaf ears—if there were any performers’ ears to hear. These AI songs are at best arrangements of material that living musicians have explored and written in the past century or so of recorded music. All in good fun, there’s nothing inherently wrong with using a computer to make ordered sounds. The Wisdom of Ick But there’s something about AI music—especially of the Christian sort—that doesn’t sit well. And it’s hard to say what that wrong feeling is. A certain “ick factor” presents itself when you find out that it’s a machine writing the song, writing and playing the beat, and packaging it all together. The late ethicist Leon Kass, when describing a similar feeling people get when thinking about human cloning, called this the wisdom of repugnance: Revulsion is not an argument; and some of yesterday’s repugnances are today calmly accepted— though, one must add, not always for the better. In crucial cases, however, repugnance is the emotional expression of deep wisdom, beyond reason’s power fully to articulate it. That wisdom is an echo of what David the (real) psalmist sang about in Psalm 8:4-6: What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet Machines may be shiny and new, but they are not crowned by God with glory and honor. And last I checked, machines are still included in the “all things” under the feet of mankind. When those things get turned upside down, the world feels a bit more icky. I could be wrong, but I suspect that the lasting difference between AI music and music made by human beings will be that AI music will not be lasting. The classic AI tracks of yesteryear will fade into obscurity within months, to be remembered only by future AIs who train themselves on available music.  Only real music will persist, and anything less than the best is a felony. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Originally published by The Washington Stand The post Artificial Music for Artificial Ears: AI Rocks the Jukebox appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When the far left began to subsume cultural institutions, there was one "holy grail" (pun very much intended) target that they had their eyes set on: The church. While some churches resisted the calls to leftism, a fair number of them did not, leading to a rise in hyper-progressive churches...

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U.S. negotiators head to Moscow after huddling over a peace framework with Ukraine officials, Luigi Mangione arrives at a Manhattan courtroom for pre-trial hearings in his murder case, and the Supreme Court hears arguments on who is responsible for music piracy. It’s Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire: U.S. Negotiators In Moscow, And Trump’s Caribbean Crackdown Topline: U.S. negotiators are in Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the White House faces growing scrutiny over its drug crackdown in the Caribbean.  Ukraine peace deal: Last week, a draft of the U.S. peace plan leaked, including significant concessions from Ukraine. After outrage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and virtually every European head of state, the White House spent the following days meeting with Ukrainian officials who lobbied for more favorable terms. Specifically, Ukrainian officials want to remove portions of the text that hand over large swaths of land in the East and cap their military at 600,000 personnel. And perhaps most importantly, they want explicit guarantees that if Russia invades in the future, the U.S. and NATO will have their back. Those talks concluded Sunday in Miami, where three of Zelensky’s top advisers huddled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukraine’s secretary of national security called the meetings productive and said, “The U.S. is hearing us, supporting us, and walking beside us.” Witkoff to Moscow: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are in Moscow on Tuesday for an expected sit-down with Putin. But he’s unlikely to sign on to the current deal if it doesn’t allow him to seize large portions of land in Eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, including some territory still in Ukrainian hands. Speaking last week, Putin warned that “when Ukrainian troops leave the territories they hold, then the fighting will stop. If they don’t, then we’ll achieve that through military means.” 50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at DailyWire.com/cyberweek. But the reality is, even if Zelensky agreed to hand over land in exchange for peace, which seems unlikely at the moment, there are significant legal hurdles. Under the Ukrainian constitution, any change to the country’s borders must be approved by voters through a nationwide referendum. Caribbean capers: The administration is facing increased scrutiny over White House confirmation that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel after at least two people survived the initial strike. On Monday, Democrats continued to slam Hegseth and the president, accusing them of committing war crimes. Now, Congress is stepping in, with the Republican-led armed services committees in the House and Senate vowing to conduct “vigorous oversight” and a “full accounting” of the alleged incident. Luigi Mangione In Court For Pre-Trial Hearings Topline: Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in a New York City courtroom this week for key pre-trial hearings. Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League grad, has been charged with stalking and killing Thompson in December 2024. Thompson, a father of two, was shot from behind while walking toward a New York City hotel to attend a corporate investor conference. Prosecutors say Thompson was targeted over the suspect’s grievances with the health insurance industry, citing a “manifesto.” Recovered shell casings also had the inscriptions, “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Mangione is facing life in prison for the state case against him, and potentially the death penalty if he’s convicted in the federal case. Mangione has pleaded not guilty on all counts. The state case: Mangione appeared in a New York City court on Monday to begin a pre-trial evidentiary hearing. His lawyers are asking that key evidence be suppressed at trial, arguing that it was found on Mangione without a warrant and before Mangione was read his Miranda rights. The evidence in question is crucial to the case, including the 9 mm handgun matching the murder weapon, and a notebook that prosecutors say contains writings revealing Mangione’s motive for the assassination. The defense also wants statements Mangione allegedly made to police, which they say were made before the suspect was read his rights, tossed. The prosecution’s case: Prosecutors say the search of Mangione’s backpack was lawful and not unreasonable, as officers needed to search the suspect’s bag for safety reasons. Officers needed to ensure there were no weapons or dangerous items on Mangione when they found him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. That was after a days-long national manhunt. As far as the statements Mangione made before being read his Miranda rights, the state says Mangione spoke to them voluntarily and before he was in formal custody, so the Miranda requirement doesn’t apply. They also note that the only statement they plan to use is when officers asked Mangione for his name, and he allegedly gave a false name in response. Looking ahead: Pre-trial hearings in the state case could last several weeks. As for the federal case, the next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, and a trial date may be set then. Prosecutors have filed a “notice of intent” to seek the death penalty. SCOTUS Hearing On Music Piracy Case Topline: The Supreme Court is stepping into a billion-dollar showdown that’s pitting the music industry against internet giants. Cox Communications v. Sony Music will decide who’s responsible for illegal downloading of copyrighted content – and whether millions of Americans could lose their broadband access.  At its core, this case asks whether an internet service provider can be held financially liable for its subscribers’ illegal downloading or sharing of copyrighted material. It’s called “secondary liability.” This began back in 2018 when major record labels like Sony, Warner Brothers, and Universal first filed a bombshell lawsuit against Cox, the third-largest broadband provider in the country. They accused Cox of ignoring rampant music piracy. This was primarily peer-to-peer file-sharing via BitTorrent. Think sites like The Pirate Bay. In 2019, a Virginia jury ruled against Cox and awarded the plaintiffs a staggering $1 billion for allowing “habitual offenders” to steal more than 10,000 works. But the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals tossed the damages, so Cox didn’t have to pay the $1 billion. But the Court upheld the liability. Cox appealed, and on Monday, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the case. The case: The main question the justices focused on was whether Cox had an obligation to terminate broadband internet provision of content thieves once the music companies had informed them of the theft. Cox’s attorney argued they can’t set a standard here because there would be no way to isolate and punish a single user when it comes to massive accounts like universities, hospitals, and office buildings. If the Court sides with Cox, it would reaffirm broad protections for ISPs and possibly constrain how aggressively artists and content creators can pursue copyright claims. But if the Court sides with the record labels, that could have a massive impact on millions of Americans, establishing a standard under which internet service providers are required to police user activity and cut off service to anyone found illegally downloading content.

Country star Chris Young just reminded America what real integrity looks like—forfeiting his entire paycheck so fans devastated by a Wisconsin winter storm could get full refunds. A Storm Derails the Show, But Character Prevails When a fierce winter storm swept across southeast Wisconsin on November 29, it created treacherous conditions that left many concertgoers stranded. The region experienced between three and six inches of snowfall coupled with dangerous high winds, transforming what should have been a memorable evening into a safety hazard. While some dedicated fans braved the elements to attend Chris Young’s performance, countless others found themselves unable to make the journey, facing the difficult choice of sacrificing their ticket investment or risking dangerous road conditions. pic.twitter.com/CGMRPlmmju — ChrisYoungMusic (@ChrisYoungMusic) November 30, 2025 Young’s Unconventional Response: Principle Over Profit Rather than pocketing his performance fee as is standard industry practice, Chris Young made an extraordinary decision. He instructed the venue to refund all ticket holders—whether they attended or not—by waiving his entire earnings for the show. Young announced the decision publicly on Instagram, writing, “I waived my fee for this show so all tickets can be refunded. I have instructed the venue to refund tickets to the point of purchase, whether you were there or not.” This move prioritized fan welfare over personal financial gain, a principle increasingly rare in entertainment. Safety and Gratitude at the Core Young’s message emphasized that fan safety remained his paramount concern. He wrote, “Your safety is of the utmost importance and is never taken for granted,” and extended appreciation to those who battled adverse conditions to attend. He also acknowledged the broader impact, recognizing that many fans simply couldn’t make the trip due to circumstances beyond their control. His closing sentiment—”Sending love to your families and I hope you have a safe and happy holiday”—reinforced that genuine care for his audience, not obligation, drove his decision. #chris Young pic.twitter.com/EcrPWbNC8V — Chris Young (@ging69610) December 1, 2025 Conservative Values on Display In an era when corporate interests often trump individual responsibility, Young’s actions exemplify the conservative principle of personal integrity and accountability. He didn’t blame the weather, demand insurance payouts, or pass losses to fans. Instead, he absorbed the financial hit himself, demonstrating that real success isn’t measured solely in dollars but in character. His fans recognized this immediately, flooding social media with praise and calling him a “class act”—a reminder that principled action still resonates deeply with Americans who value honor and genuine care.

'America is losing the AI race to China'

Even if cancer can survive chemotherapy, it’s no match, at least for a moment, for the smile that shines from underneath a pile of puppies. Pile of Puppies is a Portland-based nonprofit that brings large litters of puppies to the homes of chronically or terminally-ill children. It was founded by Jennifer Trepanier, a woman who […] The post A Pile of Puppies Treatment Cheers Up Seriously Ill Kids with Bundles of Cozy Joy appeared first on Good News Network.