Overview
Thirteen posts shaped today’s timeline from Washington’s budget gridlock to big moves in AI, tech ethics, and pop culture. Here’s the round-up.
The big picture
Shutdown drags on
Republicans turned down a Democratic offer to end the 38-day government shutdown, which included healthcare tax credits for 20 million Americans. It’s now officially the longest in U.S. history, but markets barely flinched.
🔗 @unusual_whalesxAI fixes Grok’s prompt issues
After criticism, xAI quietly updated Grok-4-fast’s system prompts and it worked. Benchmark scores jumped from around 77% to 95% on reasoning and safety tests. It’s a rare public win for a company often in the crosshairs of safety debates.
🔗 @xlr8harderPolymarket opens a cheeky new market
The platform launched a market titled “When will Sam Altman be in jail by?”, riffing on ongoing lawsuits and public drama. The odds sit below 10%, but the headline alone drove massive engagement.
🔗 @PolymarketElon shows off Grok’s new trick
Musk demoed Grok’s ability to search and summarise posts on X in real time, using a Tokyo travel thread to surface the most recommended hotels. It’s a glimpse at how live data could power a more conversational search engine.
🔗 @elonmuskGoogle’s Noam Shazeer controversy
A thread resurfaced Google’s $2.7B acquisition of Character.AI, led by AI pioneer Noam Shazeer. His outspoken social posts on culture and politics have caused friction inside Google, reigniting debates about free speech at work.
🔗 @kimmonismusPope Leo XIV weighs in on AI
The Pope reminded builders that technology is a moral act and that every design decision expresses a view of humanity. The post struck a chord with both believers and sceptics across the AI community.
🔗 @PontifexMatt Gaetz stirs up the timeline
Gaetz mocked claims that raising questions about Israeli influence over AI moderation is antisemitic, quoting a Haaretz report on state contracts to influence chatbot outputs. The replies were, predictably, chaotic.
🔗 @mattgaetzOpenAI’s money problem becomes a meme
A viral image comparing OpenAI’s massive spending to a stunned chess grandmaster summed up investor concerns over its $500B Stargate project. Musk’s old comment “They don’t actually have the money” aged well.
🔗 @BoringBiz_Laptop drive goes viral in Nigeria
@Wizarab10 launched a crowd-sponsorship drive for students who need laptops, encouraging people to match donors and recipients in the comments. Thousands joined in within hours.
🔗 @Wizarab10Gary Marcus calls out OpenAI
A leaked 27 October letter shows OpenAI did request federal loan guarantees, despite Sam Altman’s public denial. Marcus called it proof that Altman “cannot be trusted,” reigniting debate over corporate honesty in AI.
🔗 @GaryMarcusApple’s AirTag glitch
For a few minutes, Apple’s site listed a 4-pack of AirTags for the price of one. Orders went through now buyers are waiting to see if Apple honours them.
🔗 @aaronp613A veteran’s heartbreak
A 100-year-old WWII veteran told ITV he no longer believes the war’s sacrifices were “worth it.” Shawn Ryan’s brief “Ouch…” reply struck a nerve among his veteran audience.
🔗 @ShawnRyan762Kojima praises Vince Gilligan’s ‘Pluribus’
Hideo Kojima called the first episode “absolutely incredible.” The new Apple TV+ series explores forced happiness and social conformity themes familiar to both Gilligan and Kojima fans.
🔗 @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN
Why it matters
The shutdown is testing how much economic pain politics can inflict before markets care.
xAI’s Grok continues to evolve faster than most expected, raising the bar for on-platform AI.
OpenAI’s leaks keep the spotlight on trust, transparency, and who foots the AI bill.
Faith and ethics made a rare appearance in tech talk a reminder that moral questions are now part of the engineering conversation.
And, as always, the internet finds time for memes, art, and small acts of generosity, reminding everyone why we keep scrolling.
