Harmony Evans's Blog, page 13
November 17, 2025
Q&A with Ring founder Jamie Siminoff on returning to Amazon post-burnout, his goal to “zero out crime”, privacy and the “surveillance panopticon”, and more (Nilay Patel/The Verge)
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
Ring’s Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
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Grit:
Synthetic Data and the Future of AI | Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
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Lenny’s Podcast:
The Godmother of AI on jobs, robots & why world models are next | Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
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Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
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Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
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Spain’s gambling regulator announces new algorithm to identify risky behaviors
The Spanish Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) has announced an algorithm that would alert to risky behaviors early.
The DGOJ announced on Friday (November 14) that it was set to launch a new algorithm that will detect risky behavior in online gambling. The algorithm was presented at the first International Gambling Congress held in Madrid, based on real microdata from bettors.
@consumogob.bsky.social presenta un nuevo algoritmo para la detección precoz del juego problemático
El algoritmo se basa en microdatos reales que identifican conductas adictivas para detectar patrones de juego problemático en las personas usuarias
Más info: www.dsca.gob.es/es/comunicac…
— Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y A2030 (@msocialgob.bsky.social) 2025-11-14T08:22:06.503Z
It’s designed to identify addictive behaviors and detect patterns of problematic gambling among users, with the hope of offsetting gambling-related harm. The data was collected on gaming platforms, pulling from real people that are medically diagnosed with gambling disorders in order to model the algorithm.
Until now, the average early detection rate of risky behavior sits at around 3%. It’s estimated that detection rates could increase by as much as 10 percentage points. As well as increasing effectiveness, the algorithm would create a standardized method of detection that could then be rolled out across providers.
The next steps for the DGOJ’s algorithmThe algorithm has been described as “a revolutionary tool, both in the conception of developing public policies based on scientific evidence and in the positive effects that it will undoubtedly have for the protection of people at risk of problem gambling and their families” by Andrés Barragán, Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling.
Before it can be rolled out officially, the algorithm needs to be passed through the standard regulatory process. Once formally approved, the DGOJ intends to make its use mandatory for all gaming operators.
The development of the tool was laid out in Royal Decree 176/2023, of March 14, which fostered plans to develop safer gaming environments. Some specific measures included requiring operators to adopt mechanisms for detecting risky behavior in online gaming, as well as to implement measures to protect players. This tool could be one such means of detecting risky behavior, making it easier for operators to comply.
Featured image: DGOJ
Hard Rock Casino Tejon officially opens its doors just outside of LA
Hard Rock Casino Tejon has opened its doors with a bang with a public Guitar Smash opening ceremony in California’s Kern County.
The opening marks the first full-scale gaming and entertainment site in Kern County, around 80 miles north of LA. The casino complex is the result of a $600 million investment, developed in a partnership between Hard Rock and the Tejon Indian Tribe.
Honored to celebrate the grand opening of the Hard Rock Casino Tejon.
PENTA is incredibly proud to partner with the Tejon Indian Tribe and @hardrock to bring this historic vision to life. This project is the first full-scale gaming and entertainment property in Kern County. pic.twitter.com/eQsk3Dyzuh
— The PENTA Building Group (@PentaBG) November 14, 2025
Hard Rock celebrated the opening with a Guitar Smash Ceremony, complete with a color guard presentation, tribal blessing, and $100,000 charitable donation. As part of the celebration, multi-platinum country artist Brett Young played an exclusive live performance.
Doors opened to the public at midday on November 14. The casino is said to have created more than 1,000 permanent jobs in the county.
“Today is a historic day for the Tejon Indian Tribe and for Kern County,” said Chairman Octavio Escobedo III of the Tejon Indian Tribe. “This destination represents our Tribe’s vision, resilience, and longstanding commitment to creating opportunity for future generations. We are proud to see this project come to life and to celebrate this moment alongside our partners and our community.”
Inside Hard Rock Casino TejonAcross the site’s 150,000 square feet, Hard Rock Casino Tejon features more than 2,000 state-of-the-art slot machines, over 50 table games – including Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and Baccarat – several VIP high-limit rooms, and the typical Hard Rock dining options.
That naturally includes a Hard Rock Cafe, as well as the Marketplace Food Hall – featuring various fast food outlets such as Constant Grind, Street Tacos, The Roost, and Brick’d Italian Kitchen – and Deep Cut Steaks & Seafood.
The plans to develop the casino site further are ongoing, with the next phase including a 400-room hotel and a 2,800-seat Hard Rock Live venue for concerts and live performances.
“Hard Rock Casino Tejon is only the beginning,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming. “Phase II will bring the full Hard Rock experience to life with a world-class hotel and Hard Rock Live entertainment venue that will make Kern County a premier destination for travelers, artists, and fans from across California and beyond.”
This comes on the heels of Hard Rock also opening doors on a new site in Ottawa.
Featured image: Hard Rock International
Databricks is in talks to raise money at a valuation of more than $130B, up about 30% from September when it raised a $1B Series K at a $100B valuation (The Information)
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
Ring’s Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Grit:
Synthetic Data and the Future of AI | Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Lenny’s Podcast:
The Godmother of AI on jobs, robots & why world models are next | Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Beauïse Genç Brings the Drama for The Times Luxx
Shot by David Roemer (Atelier Management) for the November 2025 cover of The Times Luxx, model Beauïse Genç throws her head back, wrapped in Viktor & Rolf’s joyous cloud of pink feathers. The mood? Bold. Electric. Free.
Wearing showstopping looks from the likes of Schiaparelli, Elie Saab, Dior, and Zuhair Murad, the brunette turns the cobblestone streets into her runway. One moment, she channels gothic romance in a lace mantilla and rosary.
The next, she’s draped in a crimson gown that trails like spilled wine. Then it’s tulle, velvet, and attitude. All while the fashionable city of Paris hums in the background.
Her beauty look is just as sharp. Tiina Roivainen keeps her makeup soft and sculpted. Olivier Lebrun slicks her hair back with high-shine polish, and Treacy Patnelli gives her a clean, minimalist manicure. Set designer Iviu Torre frames it all with cinematic flair.
Trump Tried To Give An Economic Speech At A McDonald’s Conference And It Was An Epic Disaster
The most enraging thing is that the mainstream media will play this off as normal.
Donald Trump has been showing signs of cognitive decline for years, but since the corporate and billionaire owned press views the president as a cash cow who is their ticket to sustaining what shred of relevance they have left in the rapidly changing media ecosystem, the press who depend on Trump the most, try to keep what is evident to anyone with eyes and ears hidden in plain sight.
The current president barely resembles the man who first launched a campaign for president a decade ago.
Trump’s ability to shape narratives and newscycles is long gone.
After Republicans got hammered in the 2025 election, Trump decided that the same president who is overseeing rising prices and inflation would be the perfect messenger for the Republican message of affordability.
The problem is that Donald Trump doesn’t have the cognitive ability to deliver the affordability message.
Since Trump will never have to face the voters again, he apparently sees no need to hold rallies and speak to his supporters.
Instead, this president takes every opportunity to speak in front of non-rally audiences to turn those situations into Trump rallies.
What happened at the McDonald’s event was that Donald Trump’s brain went completely on the fritz.
Read below to see this new low for Trump.
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab is in talks with potential investors to raise about $5B and is aiming for a valuation of at least $50B (The Information)
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
Ring’s Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Grit:
Synthetic Data and the Future of AI | Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Lenny’s Podcast:
The Godmother of AI on jobs, robots & why world models are next | Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Artificial Analysis announces AA-Omniscience, a benchmark for knowledge and hallucination across 40+ topics; Claude 4.1 Opus takes first place in its key metric (@artificialanlys)
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
Ring’s Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Grit:
Synthetic Data and the Future of AI | Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Lenny’s Podcast:
The Godmother of AI on jobs, robots & why world models are next | Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
Inside The AI Bubble: Debt, Depreciation, and Losses — With Gil Luria
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Data Centers in Space + A.I. Policy on the Right + A Gemini History Mystery
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Great Chat:
Turns out, there’s still a line (don’t mock the pope)
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Mike Johnson Humiliated As 5 Republicans Sign Discharge Petition To Force Vote To Stop Trump Union Busting
Successful discharge petitions in the House of Representatives are rare. The Speaker of the House has immense power and control over the legislative body. The speaker gets to determine which legislation comes to the floor for a vote.
The speaker controls the agenda of the House.
The discharge petition process is a way for members to bring legislation to the floor for a vote without the consent of the Speaker of the House.
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The process, until recently, has been rarely successful because it usually requires bipartisan cooperation and the ability to withstand political pressure.
According to Congress.gov:
Discharge may be attempted only on a measure that has been referred to committee for at least 30 legislative days. Any Member can initiate a discharge effort by filing with the Clerk of the House a discharge motion (also called a discharge petition) that is maintained by the Clerk’s office and made available at the rostrum for Members to sign when the House is in session.
Only one motion may be presented for a bill or resolution. The names of signatories on a discharge petition are updated by the Clerk on a daily basis and are available online for public inspection. Additionally, the last edition of the Congressional Record for each week contains a section entitled “Discharge Petitions—Additions and Withdrawals” that identifies Members who have added or subtracted their names from a petition during that particular week.
Members may add or remove their names until a petition has obtained 218 signatures. If a discharge petition reaches this threshold—a majority of the House’s 435 Members—the list of names is frozen, printed in the Congressional Record, and the discharge motion is entered in the House Journal and in the “Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees” section of the House Calendar.
The difficulty involved in this process makes it surprising that Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) has been able to get 5 Republican signatures for a legislation that would force Trump to end his campaign of union-busting against federal workers.
Rep. Golden is calling on Speaker Johnson to schedule a vote on his successful discharge petition.
Read more about Golden’s discharge petition and what its success says about Mike Johnson below.
5 plead guilty to laptop farm and ID theft scheme to land North Koreans US IT jobs
Each defendant also helped the IT workers pass employer vetting procedures. Travis and Salazar, for example, appeared for drug testing on behalf of the workers.
Travis, an active-duty member of the US Army at the time, received at least $51,397 for his participation in the scheme. Phagnasay and Salazar earned at least $3,450 and $4,500, respectively. In all, the fraudulent jobs earned roughly $1.28 million in salary payments from the defrauded US companies, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas.
The fifth defendant, Ukrainian national Oleksandr Didenko, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, in addition to wire fraud. He admitted to participating in a “years-long scheme that stole the identities of US citizens and sold them to overseas IT workers, including North Korean IT workers, so they could fraudulently gain employment at 40 US companies.” Didenko received hundreds of thousands of dollars from victim companies who hired the fraudulent applicants. As part of the plea agreement, Didenko is forfeiting more than $1.4 million, including more than $570,000 in fiat and virtual currency seized from him and his co-conspirators.
In 2022, the US Treasury Department said that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea employs thousands of skilled IT workers around the world to generate revenue for the country’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
“In many cases, DPRK IT workers represent themselves as US-based and/or non-North Korean teleworkers,” Treasury Department officials wrote. “The workers may further obfuscate their identities and/or location by sub-contracting work to non North Koreans. Although DPRK IT workers normally engage in IT work distinct from malicious cyber activity, they have used the privileged access gained as contractors to enable the DPRK’s malicious cyber intrusions. Additionally, there are likely instances where workers are subjected to forced labor.”
Other US government advisories posted in 2023 and 2024 concerning similar programs have been removed with no explanation.
In Friday’s release, the Justice Department also said it’s seeking the forfeiture of more than $15 million worth of USDT, a cryptocurrency stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, that the FBI seized in March from North APT38 actors. The seized funds were derived from four heists APT38 carried out, two in July 2023 against virtual currency payment processors in Estonia and Panama and two in November 2023 thefts from exchanges in Panama and Seychelles.
Justice Department attempts to locate, seize, and forfeit all the stolen assets remain ongoing because APT38 has laundered them through virtual currency bridges, mixers, exchanges, and over-the-counter traders, the Justice Department said.
