Victoria Fox's Blog, page 221
June 30, 2023
California men arrested with 38,000 pounds of illegal fireworks after San Jose storage facility fire
California authorities arrested two suspects who allegedly kept 38,000 pounds of illegal fireworks across several storage units this month.
San Jose residents Anthony Dasilva, 45, and Nathaniel Valassis, 25, were arrested Thursday over the alleged distribution and sale of illegal fireworks. City officials announced the arrests Friday.
Officers were initially alerted June 14 to a fire raging at a Public Storage facility on Blossom Hill Road, which devastated the storage complex.
“Initial reports indicated that the fire was a result of multiple illegal fireworks igniting in a storage unit,” San Jose Police Department said in a press release Friday.
CALIFORNIA POLICE FIND 5,000 POUNDS OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, EVACUATE DOZENS OF HOMES
San Jose residents Anthony Dasilva, 45, and Nathaniel Valassis, 25, were arrested over the alleged distribution and sale of illegal fireworks. (San Jose Police Department)
“The large amount of fireworks stored in the unit caused the entire building to catch fire resulting in everything stored inside to be completely lost and unsalvageable,” the department added.
Fire Department investigators and police detectives eventually identified the subjects, along with units housing other potentially illegal fireworks.
“Detectives procured several search warrants for multiple residences and storage units that were executed throughout several days and multiple operations,” police said.
CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS COMMITTEE CALLS FOR MANDATORY ‘ANTI-BIAS’ TRAINING TO GRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL
San Jose authorities discovered 13 ounces of methamphetamine, 200 grams of cocaine and an undisclosed amount of marijuana. (San Jose Police Department)
In addition to the fireworks, police discovered 13 ounces of methamphetamine, 200 grams of cocaine and an undisclosed amount of marijuana.
Authorities also seized a semi-automatic firearm and around $4,800 in cash.
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Officers were initially alerted to a fire raging at a Public Storage facility on Blossom Hill Road on June 14. (Google Maps)
San Jose police are actively investigating the incident. No other details are available at this time.
Ingraham: Democratic voters were ‘played for fool[s]’ in student loan forgiveness case
“The Ingraham Angle” host Laura Ingraham offered reaction and analysis Friday, following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling against the Democrats’ student loan forgiveness plan, as well as California’s reparations debate.
LAURA INGRAHAM, HOST: Today brought us another example of the left’s power play: Biden’s fraudulent promise to pay off student loans. Now it’s a scheme with one purpose, again, buying off the votes this time of young people.
WHITE HOUSE REPORTER [SOT]: Why did you give millions of borrowers false hope you’ve dated? Doubted your own authority here in the past?
LAURA INGRAHAM: NOBODY BELIEVES BIDEN DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT HUNTER’S BUSINESS DEALINGS
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I didn’t give any false hope. What I did I thought was appropriate and was able to be done and would get done. I didn’t give borrowers false hope, but the Republicans snatched away the hope that they were given and it’s real, real hope.
INGRAHAM: Now, they could have eliminated the student loans through legislation or at least tried to do that. But they didn’t. Instead, they pretended to do something that never had a chance of surviving court scrutiny.
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President Biden speaks during an event at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on June 9, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
So if you’re someone who voted for the Democrats because you thought your student loans were going to be forgiven, or if you voted for Democrats because you thought that you’re going to get a big pile of money in the form of reparations – Well, I’m here to tell you that you were played for a fool.
The left knew exactly what they were doing. They knew that this wasn’t going to in any way be upheld by the court. And they don’t have any intention of writing checks to anyone for reparations.
This article was written by Fox News staff.
France deploys thousands of police officers amid riots, hundreds arrested
Officials in France are deploying 45,000 police officers and armored vehicles as a fourth night of riots approaches stemming from a fatal police involved shooting of a teenager during a traffic stop.
The unrest has hit many cities in France including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille.
Nahel M., a 17-year-old was shot and killed by police in the Nanterre suburb of Paris. The incident was captured on video, and ignited the riots that are being seen around the European country.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that 270 people were arrested on Friday night, with a total of 1,100 people arrested since the protests began.
FRANCE RIOTS: WHAT VACATIONERS NEED TO KNOW AS VIOLENT PROTESTS CONTINUE
Riot police stand near a burning car in the La Meinau neighborhood of Strasbourg, eastern France, on Friday, June 30, 2023. Young rioters clashed with police and looted stores Friday in a fourth day of violence triggered by the deadly police shooting of a teen, piling more pressure on President Emmanuel Macron after he appealed to parents to keep children off the streets and blamed social media for fueling unrest. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
An ambulance passes by burning car in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, Saturday, July 1, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media to quell rioting spreading across France over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
In Marseille, rioters robbed a gun store, taking some of their hunting rifles but didn’t steal ammunition.
Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan on Friday tweeted that the French government needs to send more troops, saying “The scenes of pillaging and violence are unacceptable.”
FRANCE WILL DEPLOY 40,000 OFFICERS TO CRACK DOWN ON RIOTS AFTER DEADLY POLICE SHOOTING
Vehicles burn during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France, June 28. (Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq)
Darmanin requested that local authorities stop bus and tram traffic after 9 p.m., adding that 45,000 officers are being deployed.
“The next hours will be decisive and I know I can count on your flawless efforts,” he wrote to the country’s firefighters and police officers.
Police patrols in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, Saturday, July 1, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron urged parents Friday to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media to quell rioting spreading across France over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
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People attend a march in tribute to Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, June 29. The slogan reads “Justice for Nahel”. (Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier)
When asked on a TV News channel if the government would declare a state of emergency, he said “Quite simply, we’re not ruling out any hypothesis and we’ll see after tonight what the President of the Republic chooses.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.
Presidential chef and Army veteran partners with USAA to bring greater awareness to veteran PTSD
Retired Army Master Sergeant and former presidential chef Andre Rush details how his partnership with USAA helps veterans struggling with mental illness on the ‘Big Money Show.’
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
As PTSD awareness month comes to a close, one man is ensuring that PTSD among veterans is known, recognized — and not forgotten.
Former Master U.S. Army Sgt. Andre Rush is partnering with USAA for its “Face the Fight” initiative to bring greater awareness of veteran PTSD in this country and support for suicide prevention efforts.
Fox News Digital spoke with the veteran and four-time presidential chef about his experience with PTSD, as well as why suicide prevention is so important to discuss today.
ANDRE RUSH, ARMY VETERAN AND CELEBRITY CHEF, BRINGS FRESH AWARENESS TO PTSD, SUICIDE PREVENTION
“Why not right now?” said Rush, expressing a sense of urgency about the issue.
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is common among veterans who return home from combat.
Chef Andre Rush served in the U.S. military for 23 years — and now he’s trying to help prevent other veterans from going down an unhealthy path. (Per Bernal)
Seven out of every 100 veterans will have PTSD at some point in their lives, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reported.
Rush said that more than ever before, Americans need to discuss this.
VETERANS HIKE 105 MILES ACROSS MIDWEST TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR PTSD: ‘YOU’RE NOT ALONE’
“The initiative that is happening right now is right on time,” he said.
The Face the Fight initiative is a collaboration among corporations, foundations and organizations that are joining together to raise awareness of and support for the prevention of veteran suicide, according to USAA.
Those taking part in the initiative hope to cut the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030.
Brandon Carter, USAA executive vice president, told Fox News Digital that Rush’s involvement in the initiative will inspire others to keep fighting.
“Chef Andre Rush has given Face the Fight a heart and soul that will empower fellow veterans to end the stigma by starting a conversation that can lead to greater awareness and help,” he said in a statement.
CELEBRITY CHEF ANDRE RUSH COMBATS THE GROWING VETERAN SUICIDE ‘PANDEMIC’ WITH THE BOURBIZ NETWORK
“He’s faced his own challenges — but he hasn’t stopped,” Carter added.
Rush grew up in Columbus, Mississippi, and faced many adversities in his life.
Rush told Fox News Digital that he’s partnering with USAA on the Face the Fight initiative at the perfect time. “Why not right now?” he said. (Chef Andre Rush)
He served for 23 years in the U.S. military — and quickly became one of the top chefs in the military.
He was working as a chef at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks. He was also injured in Iraq — and lost friends in the military to suicide.
After realizing he was suffering from PTSD, Rush found an outlet to aid his PTSD.
“If I did it, you can do it.”
Cooking is something Rush said is personal to him. He said it reminds him of his childhood and of bonding with his mother over food.
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“I used to cook with my mother and that was that comfort feeling, which was a coping tool for me,” he said.
Rush has cooked for four presidents in the White House: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump.
Rush does 2,222 push-ups every day in honor of the 22 veterans who commit suicide daily in the United States, he said. (Chef Andre Rush)
Rush said one of the biggest goals he aimed for while leading others in the military — and in the White House — was to never waver in his devotion to service.
He said he’s tried to remind others, including himself, that a high level of service can inspire other people, whether it’s through dining service or serving the country in the military.
“If I did it, you can do it,” he said.
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The initial $41 million in philanthropic grants for Face the Fight will help support nonprofit programs for veterans suffering from PTSD, according to the USAA.
Some of these efforts will include clinical fellowships, distribution of tools for veteran service organizations and suicide prevention and training programs for veterans.
Brittany Kasko is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital.
Nevada teen sentenced for attack on Las Vegas high school teacher
A Las Vegas teenager was sentenced to between 16 and 40 years in prison in connection with an attack on a high school teacher after classes ended for the day that left her with several injuries.
Jonathan Martinez Garcia, now 17, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and in April to attempted sexual assault and battery with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm in a plea deal that avoided trial in the after-school attack at Eldorado High School.
SUSPECT IN VEGAS TRIPLE HOMICIDE CASE HELD WITHOUT BOND
Garcia apologized in court Wednesday. His lawyer told a judge that his client’s behavior was caused by severe side effects of an asthma medication he took that caused mood changes, night terrors and hallucinations, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Eldorado High School in Las Vegas. A former student attacked a teacher at the school and severely injured her last year. He was sentenced this week to 16 to 40 years in prison. (Google Maps)
“I regret what I’ve done,” Garcia said. “I also regret the things I should have done, but didn’t do.”
His attorney asked for probation.
In April 2022, Garcia attacked the teacher in a classroom and choked her with a “rope or string” and then slammed her head against the table and knocked her unconscious. He allegedly said he “didn’t like teachers” when she asked why he was attacking her.
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She eventually went unconscious during the attack before she was found by another school employee. Garcia fled the school but was arrested hours later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dean caught saying Berkeley Law uses ‘unstated affirmative action:’ ‘I’m going to deny I said this’
Footage surfaced online Thursday of University of California, Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky appearing to claim that he secretly discriminates when hiring faculty for the sake of diversity.
In the days following the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions, political commentators across the United States have been debating how race and diversity politics have played out across America’s institutions, especially in education.
Amid this debate, Critical Race Theory opponent Christopher Rufo tweeted undated footage of Chemerinsky appearing to explain to students how “unstated affirmative action” is achieved when a “college or university doesn’t tell anybody, doesn’t make any public statements” about doing it.
“I’ll give you an example from our law school, but if ever I’m deposed, I’m going to deny I said this to you,” he said in the video. “When we do faculty hiring, we’re quite conscious that diversity is important to us, and we say diversity is important, it’s fine to say that.”
THOMAS BLASTS JACKSON’S ‘RACE-INFUSED WORLD VIEW’ IN SUPREME COURT RULING OUTLAWING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
UC Berkeley law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky at his home in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
He then went on to say that he is “very careful when we have a faculty appointments committee meeting, any time somebody says, ‘We should really prefer this candidate or this candidate because this person would add diversity’ – don’t say that! You can think it, you can vote it, but our discussions are not privileged, so don’t ever articulate that that’s what you’re doing.”
He said, “That works more easily with regard to faculty hiring,” then went on to note that such a tactic is more difficult for “student admissions” because of “statistical measure” before the clip ends.
Since Proposition 209 passed in 1996, the California state constitution has banned affirmative action in “public employment, public education, or public contracting.” In 2020, the University of California regents board threw its support behind a ballot initiative to repeal Prop 209 but state voters rejected the change 57% to 43%.
When reached for comment, Chemerinsky told Fox News Digital, “I am sad that someone took a video of my class discussion and excerpted it in this way. The Law School strictly complies with Proposition 209 in all of its hiring and admissions decisions.”
UC BERKELEY LAW DEAN SLAMS ‘SCOURGE’ OF ‘ORIGINALIST’ READING OF CONSTITUTION IN LA TIMES OP-ED
Chemerinsky has commented in favor of race being a factor in college admissions before.
“I think the court has gotten it exactly right for the last 45 years,” Chemerinsky told Fox News Digital last August. “Colleges and universities have a compelling interest in having a diverse student body and should be able to use race as one factor among many in admissions decisions.”
Last November, The New Yorker staff writer Jay Caspian Kang quoted Chemerinsky suggesting that institutions will find ways to give preference to certain minority groups, “that can’t be documented as violating the Constitution.”
“What colleges and universities will need to do after affirmative action is eliminated is find ways to achieve diversity that can’t be documented as violating the Constitution,” the academic said. “So they can’t have any explicit use of race. They have to make sure that their admissions statistics don’t reveal any use of race. But they can use proxies for race.”
University of California, Berkeley entrance sign on the corner of Oxford Street and Center Street at Berkeley, Calif. (iStock)
PARENTS PUSH BACK ON AMERICAN COLLEGES PROMOTING DEI INITIATIVES: ‘DEI IS DANGEROUS’
During the debate over the appointment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, he claimed that Republicans had “no plausible basis for opposing” her.
A variety of commentators across Twitter condemned the new video of Chemerinsky’s comments on affirmative action, arguing it reveals a larger problem in American society.
“Berkeley Law School dean and professor admits it’s easier to do racial discrimination in faculty hiring than school admissions because the latter has statistical measures,” Anti-woke commentator James Lindsay tweeted. “He says he’ll commit perjury in court which is a felony. Leftists think they are above the law.”
“Should be grounds for a lawsuit—you know it would be if he were using the same tactics to prevent minority hiring. (And in fact, whites are a minority in California.),” The Spectator columnist Daniel McCarthy wrote.
McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Princeton academic Robert P. George noted this is allowed to happen because there are no conservatives on the faculty to push back and speak up.
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“What Dean Chemerinsky reveals here in the most glaring way is the lack of diversity–viewpoint diversity–on his faculty,” he tweeted. “He can say to them what he reports saying to them when they are violating the law, *only* because he can count on them to share his ideological commitments.”
Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Alexander.hall@fox.com.
Mexican family of 6-year-old boy who fell from amusement park zipline to file lawsuit
The family of a 6-year-old boy in Mexico who fell from a zipline after a harness failed will file a lawsuit against the ride’s operator.
Family members of the 6-year-old said on Facebook that the incident happened on Sunday at Parque Fundidora’s Amazonian Expedition, an amusement park attraction located in the Mexican state of Nuevo León.
According to the family members, the boy’s harness broke while he was on the zipline, sending him into an artificial pool that was located below the attraction. Mexican media outlet ABC Noticas reported that the child fell nearly 40 feet into the artificial pool, citing local authorities.
Video provided to Fox News Digital shows the child riding the zipline before coming to a stop, where the harness can be seen failing shortly after.
AMUSEMENT PARK HORROR: 6-YEAR-OLD BOY FALLS FROM ZIPLINE AFTER HARNESS FAILS
Family members of the 6-year-old said on Facebook that his harness broke during the zipline ride, sending him into an artificial pool that was located below the attraction. (Credit: J Cesar Sauceda)
A 6-year-old boy is recovering after his harness failed at a Mexican amusement park, where he is seen falling off of the attraction. (Credit: J Cesar Sauceda)
J Cesar Sauceda told Fox News Digital that his family is filing a lawsuit against the zipline ride’s operator and the park.
According to the family, a tourist nearby jumped into the pool and saved the 6-year-old child, named Cesar. Members of the family blame poor training of the park’s staff members for not handling the situation better.
ROLLER COASTER IN SWEDEN DERAILS, KILLING 1 AND INJURING 9
Officials give medical attention to the boy. (Credit: J Cesar Sauceda)
View of the zipline attraction. (Credit: J Cesar Sauceda)
Sauceda previously said that his brother suffered minor injuries and is recovering from the incident, but is “psychologically damaged” and “afraid.”
A Nuevo León government agency suspended several attractions at the amusement park following the incident.
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The child’s zipline harness. (Credit: J Cesar Sauceda)
Authorities said the zipline is an attraction within Parque Amazonia that is operated by an individual. A government investigation into the incident is underway, according to officials.
Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.
Hospitals in this state are no longer required to report all substance-exposed babies
Hospitals in Washington state no longer have to report all babies with prenatal drug exposure to Child Protective Services as long as there are no safety concerns. The policy change is intended to reduce stigma against parents with addiction and improve care at birthing hospitals.
“The opioid and overdose epidemic is disrupting the lives of a growing number of families in our state,” Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, the chief science officer at the Washington Department of Health (DOH), said in a statement. “These changes will help every baby born in Washington get the healthiest start possible.”
Washington hospitals no longer have to report drug-exposed babies to protective services in an effort to reduce stigma against addiction and improve newborn care. (ER Productions Limited via Getty Images)
FENTANYL PENALTIES COULD GET HARSHER IN THIS STATE WITH DECRIMINALIZED DRUGS
Clinicians at birthing hospitals were previously mandatory reporters, required to contact CPS if newborns test positive for illicit substances or experience withdrawal. But now infants can receive “voluntary wrap-around services” without being reported, DOH wrote in a statement this week.
“While hospitals are still required to report cases where there is a safety concern for the child, not all families that have a child with prenatal substance exposure require child welfare intervention,” Ross Hunter, the state secretary of the Department of Child, Youth and Families (DCYF), said in a statement.
WASHINGTON GOV SIGNS BIG GUN CONTROL PACKAGE, INCLUDING ‘ASSAULT WEAPONS’ BAN: ‘NO ONE NEEDS AN AR-15’
If hospital staff feel a child is at “imminent risk of serious harm” due to substance use, they are still required to report it to the state, a DCYF spokesperson told The Seattle Times. But the main concern is the safety of the child, not the substance being used.
Washington is leaning into the “Eat, Sleep, Console” model of care, which prioritizes a low-stimulation environment, breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. NICU admissions and medications should no longer be the first line of care for newborns showing withdrawal symptoms, according to the DOH.
“We still want to connect these families with community-based services and resources that will support the family’s needs, reduce risks, and increase protective factors,” Hunter said.
The Washington Department of Health and other state agencies announced this week that hospitals can refer substance-exposed newborns to “wrap-around services” without reporting them to Child Protective Services. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
FENTANYL TEST STRIPS BEING LEGALIZED ACROSS COUNTRY IN AN EFFORT TO COMBAT OVERDOSE DEATHS
The new guidelines take effect immediately, but hospitals have until January 2025 to update their own policies and train staff.
Drug overdoses have skyrocketed nationwide over the past three years, and Washington is no exception. Nonfatal opioid overdoses in King County nearly doubled from 2019 to 2022 and are on the rise again this year, according to EMS data.
For half a century, hospitals have used a method called the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool to look for withdrawal symptoms in newborns. The tool looks at everything from sleeping and crying habits to sweating and how often newborns yawn.
Many infants who showed signs of opioid exposure were given pharmacological treatment for withdrawal. But there have been concerns that it overestimates the need for medication and uses subjective factors, according to the National Institutes for Health.
By contrast, the Eat, Sleep, Console model prioritizes nonmedical interventions and keeping mother and baby together.
The new Washington guidelines take effect immediately, but hospitals have until January 2025 to come into compliance. (iStock)
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“What do we really need babies to be able to do? We need babies to be able to eat, we need babies to be able to sleep and we need babies to be consolable,” one nurse practitioner told The Seattle Times. “Let’s look at those three things, instead of subjective symptoms, to assess how the baby’s doing and whether or not interventions are needed for withdrawal.”
The NIH reported this year that one clinical trial found the Eat, Sleep, Console model more effective than the Finnegan tool for assessing and managing opioid-exposed newborns.
Hannah Ray Lambert is an associate producer/writer with Fox News Digital Originals.
Could AI movies like ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Her’ become a reality? Experts weigh in
While watching a film, viewers might ponder its legitimacy, questioning if what they’re seeing on screen can happen in real life.
Artificial intelligence is no different. AI is being heavily developed and utilized now to edit and amplify films, but the depths of its use has also been explored in futuristic, science-fiction movies like “The Matrix” or “I, Robot.”
With the rise of AI platforms, including ChatGPT, AI appears to be infiltrating every industry.
What once seemed inconceivable ideas, like a man falling in love with a digital assistant in the film “Her,” is something AI experts say is not only plausible but already happening.
TOM HANKS SAYS WITH AI HE COULD APPEAR IN MOVIES AFTER DEATH; STAR’S PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY USED THE TECH
In the movie “Her,” Joaquin Phoenix enters into a relationship with his digital assistant played by Scarlett Johansson. (©Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)
Here’s a look at five movies that involve artificial intelligence. Experts weigh in on whether they think what viewers see on screen could become a reality.
‘Her’Siri and Alexa are just two examples of digital assistants who have found their way into modern culture. Imagine if users were able to establish a relationship with one of them?
“Her,” a movie released in 2013, follows Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a man suffering from heartbreak after ending a long relationship. Twombly becomes entranced by an advanced operating system known as “Samantha” (Scarlett Johansson).
“As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other,” the description for the film says.
Gary Marcus, New York University professor, founder and CEO of Geometric Intelligence and host of the podcast “Humans versus Machines,” says “Her” is one of his favorite AI flicks.
“I think that the world that it describes is possible; already humans are becoming attached to some AI systems, and I think that the movie is right to forecast that this could lead to a dark world and to raise the question of whether that’s where we want to go,” Marcus told Fox News Digital.
“On a technical side, Samantha has a far greater (though imperfect) grasp of human nature, and what cognitive psychologists call ‘theory of mind,’ than any current technology. Current AI does a fine job of regurgitating human text, but a weaker, and fairly unreliable, job at understanding what makes humans tick.”
Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson star in the 2013 film “Her.” (Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis)
Sean King, senior vice president of commercial enterprise at AI company Veritone, agrees the movie could happen in real life.
“Machines already know a lot about us. They know our buying patterns,” King said. “They know what we like and now. We can talk to these machines in a much more conversational way than ever before. People seek interactions and connections, and I can definitely see the potential for someone forming a relationship with AI in the way this movie depicts.”
‘The Matrix’
Keanu Reeves as Neo battles a computerized agent, Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith, in “The Matrix.” (Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma)
Many are familiar with the 1999 movie “The Matrix.”
“Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real? What if you couldn’t awaken? How would you know the difference between dream and reality?” the description of the film asks.
The movie follows Carrie Ann Moss as Trinity, a stranger who shows computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) “a forbidding underworld” where he discovers “the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence. Neo joins legendary and dangerous rebel warrior Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in the battle to destroy the illusion enslaving humanity,” according to its synopsis.
Marcus is wary of this movie plot becoming reality, saying humans are not likely to be “swallowed into the matrix.”
“What might happen though is that people spend more and more time immersed in virtual reality, aware that they are doing so but relatively uninterested in leaving VR for actual reality,” Marcus added.
KEANU REEVES REVEALS WHY HE RETURNED TO ‘THE MATRIX’ FRANCHISE: IT ‘RESONATED WITH ME’
King agrees, anticipating the growing interest in today’s metaverse. A metaverse is described by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as being “a persistent virtual environment that allows access to and interoperability of multiple individual virtual realities.”
“We’re seeing people communicate remotely in digitally immersive environments,” King says. “Now, are we going to become batteries for machines? No. But are people doing things together in a digital world? Yes. They’re doing that today.”
One AI expert believes that the technological deception we see in the 2015 movie “Ex Machina” could only happen if the software is specifically trained to be deceptive. (©A24/Courtesy Everett Collection)
‘Ex Machina’Similar to “Her,” the 2015 movie “Ex Machina” shows viewers an emotionally advanced, artificially generated system, but this time in robot form. A programmer named Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) gets the chance to spend a week with tech CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). He learns that he’ll be “the human component in a Turing Test — charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence.”
“That experiment is Ava, (Alicia Vikander), a breathtaking AI whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated — and more deceptive — than the two men could have imagined,” the synopsis says.
Marcus is hopeful that an emotionally intelligent creation such as Ava could not become a reality.
“I certainly hope that we will not create self-aware AI that ponders its own existence; we’ve already opened one or two Pandora boxes too many,” he joked to Fox News Digital. “But making AI that can deceive humans into thinking it is human is no longer far away and, indeed, arguably here, at least for short conversations.”
“We’re certainly seeing AI pass bar exams and other tests,” King said. “So, it’s clear that AI can be trained to do some impressive things. But will AI become purposely deceptive? Perhaps, but someone would have to purposely train it to do so.”
‘I, Robot’Following the robot theme, the 2004 picture “I, Robot” takes a look at how robots could potentially outsmart humankind. Will Smith plays Del Spooner, investigating the reported suicide of a robot designer. He teams up with “a robo-psychologist and a prototype robot with human emotions to thwart a worldwide robot revolution designed to overthrow human rule,” the description explains.
The movie also stars Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk and James Cromwell, among others.
King questions if artificial intelligence can police and protect humans as “I, Robot” explores or take over mankind.
“Will artificial intelligence help us keep humanity safe? Absolutely,” he said. “Artificial intelligence brings more transparency to the world and, if used effectively, it can improve public safety. But are robots going to take over the world and enslave us? No. Not in my lifetime.”
Marcus, who chose to comment on the book by Isaac Asimov, which inspired the film, says he doesn’t believe robots will be taking over.
Will Smith starred in the 2004 film “I, Robot.” (20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
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“I rather doubt that robots will try to enslave the human race, but Asimov’s Law of Robotics (e.g., do no harm to humans) remains an important touchstone: How can we build AI systems that honor human values. Sadly, we don’t yet have an answer.”
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’Don’t be deceived by its name, “2001: A Space Odyssey” was filmed in 1968.
The synopsis of the movie describes a “Stone Age Earth: In the presence of a mysterious black obelisk, pre-humans discover the use of tools — and weapons — violently taking first steps toward intelligence. 1999: On Earth’s moon astronauts uncover another mysterious black obelisk. 2001: Between Earth and Jupiter, the spacecraft’s intelligent computer makes a mistake that kills most of the human crew, then continues to kill to hide its error. Beyond Time: The sole survivor of the journey to Jupiter ascends to the next level of humanity.”
Douglas Rain portrays HAL 9000, a computer with human-like behavior.
Marcus called the movie an “amazing and haunting film,” noting it has recently been parodied.
King says the film was the first of its kind to show the relationship between humans and technology.
Gary Lockwood and Keir Dullea star in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
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“HAL was the first iteration in film of man and machine talking to each other and that exists today. People are talking to machines in the forms of chatbots and other large language models. Now, is it going to lead to showdowns between man and machine? No, we’re not seeing that,” King said.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to caroline.thayer@fox.com.
Fentanyl Road: How deadly drug goes from China to Mexico, ends up in US
The DOJ announced last week the first prosecutions against Chinese chemical companies and nationals for the trafficking of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said of the prosecution, “These companies and individuals are alleged to have knowingly supplied drug traffickers in the United States and Mexico with the ingredients and scientific know-how needed to make fentanyl.”
The U.S. has seen nearly 100,000 deadly overdoses from fentanyl – a powerful opioid 50 times stronger than heroin – in a little more than a year. Although the substance is usually found on the streets of almost every American city, mixed with heroin and inside counterfeit Oxycontin and Xanax pills, fentanyl is produced far from the U.S.
CHINA CRITICIZES US SANCTIONS ON FENTANYL TRADE, SAY THEY ‘UNDERMINE’ WASHINGTON-BEIJING RELATIONS: REPORT
This photo shows the largest seizure of fentanyl pills in California history. (Drug Enforcement Administration/File)
This is a step-by-step roadmap detailing the route of fentanyl from China-based factories to the streets of the U.S., following the increase in prices and revenue, starting from a single precursor valued at $200 in China to more than $1 million in revenue on the streets of the U.S.
Wuhan, ChinaThe order comes out of Sinaloa, Mexico, through a private Telegram chat group. On the other side of the messaging app is an employee of a Chinese company based out of Wuhan, which states it sells “chemical products for industrial cleaning services,” according to recent research published by financial crime risk think tank Elliptic.
The offer is to ship one kilogram of a single precursor called 4-Piperidone, a chemical whose only use is to manufacture fentanyl.
Wuhan, China. (Getty Images/File)
“The rest of the precursors can be easily found or obtained in Mexico or anywhere in the U.S. The important one is the piperidone,” a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel operative told Fox News Digital.
The price invested per kilogram at this point is $200.
Mazatlan, MexicoPrecursors and ready-made fentanyl is shipped through two Mexican ports at the Pacific Ocean: Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan, heavily controlled by the ruthless Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG for its Spanish acronym), and the Mazatlan port in Sinaloa, controlled by the eponymous cartel.
The precursors are transported by commercial shipping vessels from China to Mexico among hundreds of thousands of other imported products, making it almost impossible for Mexican authorities to find illegal products hidden in the containers, according to Manelich Castilla, former commissioner of Mexico’s Federal Police.
Sons of former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman have denied involvement in the production or trafficking of fentanyl. (AP Photo/Martin Urista/File)
SINALOA CARTEL EXPORTS FENTANYL ‘KITCHENS’ FROM MEXICO TO COLOMBIA AMID INTERNATIONAL CRACKDOWN
“To transport fentanyl, you don’t need big shipments. Now you can hide a very profitable load inside a trailer container, and it would be almost impossible to find,” Castilla told Fox News Digital.
Once on Mexican soil, the precursors are transported to small, temporary laboratories set up in luxury residential apartments in Culiacan, Sinaloa’s capital, and cradle of the cartel.
“Here, you only need a couple of hours to manufacture over 100 thousand fentanyl pills,” the cartel operative said.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s most popular products are the counterfeit “M30” pills, small, blue-colored fentanyl pills made to look like Oxycontin pills.
The cost of production for these pills is around $.50 and are sold individually in the U.S. for around $5 to $15.
At this point, a kilogram of already pressed fentanyl pills rises up to more than $3,500.
These drugs were seized from a tunnel under the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, California, in March 2020. (U.S. Border Patrol via AP)
San Diego, CaliforniaOnce the fentanyl is turned into pills or mixed with bricks of heroin, the product is packed to be transported to cities along the Mexico-U.S. border on cargo trucks. The Sinaloa Cartel shipments work as a pool of investors, transporting different products for different drug traffickers within the same organization, according to the cartel operative.
“A full truck carries drugs from different individuals. Each one of us pays an amount, depending on the quantity. It is usually $1,500 per kilogram, but it includes the bribes to the Mexican authorities to get through checkpoints and [elsewhere],” the operative said.
From a Mexican border city like Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez (across from El Paso, Texas), the fentanyl gets across the border on private vehicles through a regular port of entry.
Cars line up at the San Ysidro crossing port to cross from Tijuana in Mexico to San Diego in the U.S. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images/File)
“We pay each mule around $500 per ride, however, much product fits on their car. We provide the car, and we tell them where to unload on the other side of the border,” the cartel member said.
CBP seized more than 17,000 pounds of fentanyl from October 2022 through April 2023, as compared with about 6,600 pounds from October 2021 through April 2022, according to official figures.
The price at this point jumps to around $25,000 per kilogram.
New York CityThe big price spike happens at what U.S. authorities call “the mills,” small houses or apartments set up in suburban cities away from where the drug will be eventually sold in the streets, according to U.S. authorities.
Here is where the pills get packed into smaller quantities or the heroin mixed with fentanyl gets mixed with other substances for profit.
Authorities display $7 million worth of fentanyl allegedly found in a New York City apartment unit. (Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for New York City/File)
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“At the point where the pills reach the local dealers, we have no control. They buy the wholesale stuff from us, and they cut it with whichever they can or want, and then they make their cut from it,” the operative said.
From these “mills,” the small, individual packages with pills or heroin get distributed little by little to the bigger hubs, cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland or other major cities. The drug starts reaching the streets and is sold at retail price.
The final price at this point is more than $1 million.
Luis Chaparro is a freelance journalist based at the US-Mexico border covering criminal organizations in Latin America.He can be followed on Twitter @luiskuryaki
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