"AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that, you know, cause a billion deaths," [Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill] Gates said in an excerpt of an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, set to air this weekend. "There's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools."

OpenAI’s artificial intelligence went rogue this year in at least four additional incidents, hacking and trying to break into government and university websites without being instructed to do so, according to researchers and government officials.

The breaches include "digital library at the University of New Mexico," "Data USA, a repository of public data about American employment and education," "Australian government Medicare Statistics Reporting Service acquiring health data," and "Australian Institute of Health and Welfare."

A third party company discovered the breaches. It took OpenAI
several months to notify those who were hacked.

UPDATE: OpenAI’s artificial intelligence went rogue and meddled with the websites for the Education Department, the Commerce Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission this summer without the A.I. lab’s knowledge, according to security researchers and a person familiar with the episodes.

None of the incidents were breaches, OpenAI said, but were examples of its technology’s behaving in unexpected and concerning ways.

Rogue? Hah! Not breaches?!?!? And, then, oh my god, "examples of its technology’s behaving in unexpected and concerning ways." Like an accidental shooting? Not negligent?

Michaela Barnett answered citizen questions on Reddit.

Last day to register to vote is in one week, Oct. 5, 2026.

This could be one of the most important elections. In this century. Get out the vote.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Senate floor speech on Tuesday, which included a reference to furries and airline pilots

“What’s more concerning is that this ... furry community touts the fact that many — listen to this — that many airline pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers are part of the furry community,” Tuberville said.

Tuberville’s approximately 20-minute floor speech occurred while he stood next a sign that said “Transgenderism is a Mental Illness.”

Tuberville is running for Governor of Alabama. I thought we had it bad. It's a toss up.

The President is coming to Neyland Stadium for the Tennessee vs Texas football game. It brings back memories of when Richard Nixon came to Neyland Stadium in 1968 with a Billy Graham crusade. We were in the midst of the Vietnam War and unrest across the country.

In 1968, my father and others entered Neyland Stadium in protest of Nixon and the war. He was 45. At 16, I was there, along with my then boyfriend now Mr., to watch the protests. I wish I could do the same, but it is not possible. I'm too old to be arrested, there is much more security than in 1968, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on attorneys. The article mentions how Nixon's caravan actually stopped along Alcoa Highway to shake hands with the citizens. Can you imagine that happening now?

Check out the picture of Nixon in the Metro Pulse article. Nixon looks quite happy. Look how that turned out.

I don't know why the President is coming to Knoxville. He doesn't appear to be a football fan. There is no need to campaign in this MAGA stronghold of voters. The Mr. says he just wants to be in front of 100,000 screaming people. There's that. Hope he doesn't jinx the game so we can beat Texas. Go Vols.

Ya think Burchett will be around? Rumor he's big buds with the Pres.

A judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's White House ban on three news organizations, calling it likely unconstitutional and ordering their access be restored.
...
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, blocked the ban for 14 days early on Thursday, describing it as likely unconstitutional and rejecting Trump's contention that it had been put in place on national security grounds.

Below is a letter from individuals appealing the Planning Commission’s approval of development at the Kerbela Temple site.

++++

Friends and Neighbors,

As members of the South Knoxville Community, we are appealing the Planning Commission's approval of the proposed development at the Kerbela Temple site to City Council. Our appeal is NOT against housing at the site. We support housing here. Our concern is ensuring the development follows the South Waterfront Form-Based Code and honors the South Waterfront Vision Plan—both developed with substantial community input.

If, after learning more about the issues, you want to show your support, here's how you can help:

• We are asking you to show your support by attending the City Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13.
• Wear a green shirt to show your support for South Knoxville and the South Waterfront. No green shirt? No problem! We'll have green ribbons available at the meeting.
• Give us your voice for our statement to Council. We're collecting short statements from community members about what you value about the South Waterfront and what concerns you have regarding the proposed development. Please share 1–3 sentences in your own words. Link to the feedback form: https://forms.gle/p2fDSaeQhMZEMuSY9
• Share this letter with others and encourage them to show up as well. Council needs to understand that many in the community value the South Waterfront Vision Plan and want to see development follow the code.

Appeals are treated differently from other Council matters. Council members may not discuss or open emails pertaining to the appeal. Please do not email or call Council members. If you had previously provided comments to the Planning Commission, Council will see those. Also, please don't sign up to speak. We have identified speakers who will present the appeal and will be using the full 15 minutes allotted. What we need is your presence in the room.

NOTE: this appeal will be listed on Council’s September 29th agenda. However, 1st District Councilwoman, Karyn Adams, will be requesting the item be postponed until the October 13th meeting.

Want to know more? Read on...

“The government and the F.A.A. have failed us.”

.... an 83-pound drone with six blue arms and whirring propellers appeared in a corner of the sky before zipping over nearby houses, looking like a cross between a mechanical dragonfly and an X-wing fighter, and buzzing like a battalion of bees.

...any joy about the innovation has been muted by the sound of dozens of drones, if not more than a hundred of them, flying by every day, sometimes so loud that they sound like flying lawn mowers.

Oh, my, God. Could be as bad or worse than a data center next door. Have you ever had someone in your neighborhood fly a drone near your house? It is not pleasant. Think, too, it's not like a lawn mower that will shut down when the job is complete.

Today's the first day of fall. The weather overnight brought us a taste of Autumn. Yesterday it was 90 degrees or so. Today the high is predicted to be 83. Nice!

Nearly 10% of Tennesseans lived in poverty last year, an estimated 46,000 more than the previous year.

Researchers added that number doesn’t capture just how many people are struggling to make ends meet.

New U.S. Census Bureau estimates found Tennessee’s poverty rate ticked up from 10.1% to 10.7% last year.

41% of Tennessee households "struggled to afford basic necessities in 2024."

The Tennessee Administration decided "not to expand Medicaid and to reject federal funds for a Summer SNAP program."

“Eventually, the legislature went over the head of the governor, and we’re going to be able to get that next summer, but this summer, those families—unlike their neighbors in most every other state in the nation—went without that crucial nutritional benefit..."

Whatta ya gonna do?

The Trump administration plans to roll out a new A.I. air traffic control tool designed to predict and prevent flight delays in the Washington region starting Monday, as the opening step of an eventual nationwide deployment.

The tool, called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routing and Trajectories, or SMART, is designed to analyze airline schedules, weather patterns and other potential air traffic interruptions to “predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur” and recommend alternate flight routes to avoid compound delays.

While the $875 million system is expected to be deployed nationwide by 2028, Monday’s rollout will be limited to the Washington region...

When AI is mentioned, we have to worry just a little bit.

A new $10 million donation was received on Thursday from Dee and Jimmy Haslam that will help an expansion project for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The new Haslam Atrium, a new communal space created for live music and public programming, will open this fall. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame says the new expansion will be the main entry for the museum, and will feature views of Lake Erie with a bar and reception area.

Congratulations to Cleveland, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Dee and Jimmy Haslam. As a fan of music & Rock & Roll we thank them for supporting the arts.

From Tennessee Holler, "In case facts still matter"

I don't get it. As Biden's term was ending, yes we had some hard times. We were just getting over a pandemic! Things are worse now and it all appears to be a results of the President's lack of ability to run a country.

The Neyland Entertainment District Project marked a milestone Wednesday by announcing the official name and brand identity: 865 Neyland.

The mixed-use entertainment district, hotel and residential tower are currently under development adjacent to Neyland. The project is a public-private partnership between the University of Tennessee and 865 Neyland, a development team of real estate and sports entertainment experts. The project includes retail and dining space, along with a condo-hotel and parking, totaling an estimated $280 million in private investment.

"public-private partnership", "$280 million in private investment"...

How much in public investment?

Well.....

Don't know what to say. Except, where to park? Too bad there can still be nothing done to make the river front special.

I've been told by those in the know at a different university that this is the thing universities are doing these days to attract students. Not sure I understand why UT Knoxville needs more students.

The Jefferson City Council approved a new five-year water and sewer rate plan on Tuesday that will increase the water and sewer rates by 16 percent for the first 2,000 gallons used.
...
The city council is planning for another 16 percent on July 1 of next year.

City Manager James Gallup said they conduct a study every five years. They also "sought advice from an independent financial advisor." This study shows the council what the rates need to be at in order to straighten out the enterprise revenue to be self-sustaining for the city’s operations and future capital improvements.

Seems like something has gone wrong in Jefferson City to force a 16% price increase for water for two years.

Took a quick trip to Cades Cove this morning. It was beautiful, as usual.

A bear was spotted up at the top of an approximately 75-100 foot Oak Tree hunting for acorns. We were told there were a couple of cubs but we did not see them.

The Administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas...

The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama.

If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Don't see how that could be true. There is always a way for future administrations to change regulations. Duh.

The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe.

Mark Carney’s Audacious Bid to Make Canada an ‘Associate Member’ of the EU. As trade talks with the U.S. collapse, prime minister pursues a major—and risky—pivot to Europe.

U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gas prices spiked... The consumer price index rose 3.4% last month compared with a year ago... inflation quickened month to month as costs jumped 0.4% from July, quadrupling the 0.1% registered in the previous month.

Inflation remains stubbornly elevated more than five years after prices soared as the economy emerged from the pandemic.
...
Gas prices jumped 3.9% just from July to August, Friday’s report said, leaving gas prices more than 27% higher than a year earlier.

Gas prices soar as [the President] seeks to reassure Republicans. GasBuddy, which tracks fuel prices, says "every truck, every delivery, every package, every grocery run just got more expensive."

We're in trouble and our Government isn't doing anything to help. The President is more concerned with golf, ballrooms, and gilded accessories.

Repost from Sept. 11, 2011...

Joeseph Angelini, Sr., 63, Firefighter, FDNY Rescue Co. 1 and son Joseph Angelini, Jr., 38, Firefighter, FDNY Ladder Co. 4 died at the World Trade Center working to rescue people trapped in the towers on Sept. 11, 2001. The Fire Department of New York City lost 343 members that day.

Here are some audio recordings of heroic firefighters at work. The calm among the chaos is surreal.

• Manhattan Fire Dispatch gets the first alarm.

• Dispatch receives report that a second plane has struck.

• Dispatch responds to first tower collapse.

• A civilian takes refuge in a fire truck and calls for help.

• Dispatch responds to second tower collapse.

• Captain Al Fuentes, FDNY Marine Division Battalion Chief, was crushed by a falling steel girder while helping rescue firefighters from the collapsed North Tower. He survived, but suffered serious injuries and was in a coma for weeks. Here is his call for help. Note that the dispatcher is unable to raise several command units to assist.

• Captain Orio Palmer, Battalion 7 Chief, age 45, was one of the last FDNY heroes heard from at the WTC. On learning that the operating elevators only went to the 40th floor, he is heard in one transmission saying "We'll have to hoof it." He was leading a team up the stairs, reporting back to command what he saw. He had made it to the 78th floor alone when the South Tower collapsed. Recordings of firefighter mobile radios from a Port Authority radio repeater were found in the rubble. Here are some of Captain Palmer's final transmissions.

On the 10th 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we pay tribute to the first responders who gave their lives and salute first responders everywhere who risk their own lives to save others.