Wednesday, 30 September
15:00 EDT
Singapore Pilots a Government-Built Dating Service [Slashdot]
Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from Mashable: Singapore's government is trying its hand at matchmaking again. The country's Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has launched FirstDate, a pilot dating service for singles aged 21 to 35. For now, it's open only to public officers, according to the service's website. Applications close Oct. 5. FirstDate is designed as an alternative to endless swiping. Instead of browsing a stream of profiles, users fill out a questionnaire about their interests, habits, values, and preferences. The service then sends them one match per cycle (the time it takes to mutually accept and presumably meet up). Each match includes a compatibility score, a brief description of the person, and a personal note. [...] The pilot arrives as Singapore's birth rate hits a new low, according to the Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times. The country's total fertility rate fell to 0.87 children per woman in 2025, down from 1.24 a decade earlier. In April, the government announced a new workgroup tasked with addressing falling birth rates, which is expected to report its findings by early 2027, The Straits Times reported. The service relies on the Gale-Shapley algorithm, a well-known mathematical method that solves the stable matching problem by pairing two sets of participants based on their ranked preferences. Once matched, users have 72 hours to mutually accept before contact details are shared, with optional "Date Quests" and post-date surveys designed to encourage and assess in-person meetups. Accounts are verified through Singapore's Singpass digital ID system to reduce fake profiles, and profiles are only visible to assigned matches. GovTech says user data is protected under government security standards, is not sold to third parties, and can be deleted upon request.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
14:00 EDT
It’s only an El Niño [Pharyngula]
This is the time of year when we start prepping for winter — we put away the window air conditioner, I’ve got to go drain all the garden hoses, we’re just waiting for all the leaves to drop off the trees. Looking ahead to the winter predictions, I see that we’re expecting a mild winter, because it’s an El Niño year. Just an El Niño! Maybe we’ll be a little wetter, a little less frigid, it could be an easy winter, we hope.
Just this little El Niño, in an unexceptional year:
So far, that doesn’t look so unexceptional. That looks dangerous in unexpected ways.
The peak is widely expected to be about 4° C anywhere from November to February, the most powerful El Niño in at least a thousand years. It is so far beyond Super size that scientists are using highly unscientific terms for it: jaw dropping, mind blowing, Godzilla-like.
The boy child? No, this is El Niño Diablo, the devil boy.
Uh-oh. So what do I do now? I’m going to drain the garden hoses, is that not enough?
Plenty of articles offer estimates of how many people will die because of this due to heat, hunger or extreme weather events.
But the truth is that nobody really knows what El Niño Diablo will do.
We know what climatologists’ computer models predict, but it is going beyond what the models are designed to handle. If the models are missing some interactions anywhere—ocean currents, glacial melt rates, atmospheric water vapor load, cloud cover, anything—that leaves us more blind than we are accustomed to being with climate forecasting… and therefore less able to prepare for specific impact on us.
“What do you think of this El Niño?”
El Niño Diablo is a major turning point. I think we will regret it.
BUT WHAT DO I DO?
Goofballs with clout [Pharyngula]
Last week, social media (at least, that side I’m interested in) was buzzing with hilarity at a conference announcement. The Kairos Christian Alliance had proudly advertised a weekend event, titled “Muscular Christianity”, and just the title was enough to clue everyone in on what it was going to be about: a domineering religion full of tough guys who were going to put women, Muslims, and brown people in their place. Little did we expect how cartoonish these people were going to be until we saw the poster.
It was going to be a bunch of white male dweebs strutting around, thumping their chests. These were all losers, and I hadn’t heard of most of them, except for Sean Davis, who was a founder of The Federalist, so I didn’t post anything. It looked predictably stupid. I figured I’d wait until after the conference and look for some reviews.
There weren’t any. This conference wasn’t at all newsworthy.
However, someone did an analysis of the speakers. She goes through each of the men on that poster, and they were, without exception, deplorable Christian nationalists who hate immigrants and think women should shut up, stay home, and take care of the kids. Follow that link if you’re curious about who they are.
For instance, David Schrock:
Conspiracy theories are also at the heart of some of the scheduled speakers, especially with David Schrock. Schrock is the editor in chief of Christ Over All. His X feed is filled with how to minister to Muslims, critical analysis of Islam and anti-Sharia laws in America, anti-vaccine posts, concerns that the church is too effeminate, and celebrations of the Southern Baptist Convention further restrictions on women in pastoral roles.
They’re all that pathetic. For a short summary of the whole group, consult this revised poster:
And here’s a more serious summary:
What we find in the speakers under the misleading title of muscular Christianity, is instead a MAGA Christian nationalism, whose men are the victims of progress, feminism, LGBTQ2SA, and democrats. The speakers are a convergence of conspiracy, racism, hate, extremism, and anti-LGBTQ2SA, hoping to mobilize Christian men to support their metapolitical movement. In the past when we have dismissed these movements it has been to the detriment of society, as distasteful as these groups are, they are having an impact. We may make fun of them, we may meme their posts, but we have to be aware and respond to them.
We do have to closer eye on these people, because the media won’t do it for us. These are jokers who have managed to work their way up into the highest levels of power.
Trump Administration Launches New AI-Powered 'America.gov' Website [Slashdot]
fahrbot-bot shares a report from CNN: President Donald Trump on Tuesday unveiled America.gov, a government website meant to serve as a one-stop shop for people trying to accomplish basic tasks like renewing a passport, enrolling in Medicare or applying for disaster relief. The site, which launched with some basic functions ahead of a full rollout next year, is designed to serve as an AI-powered guide through the thicket of government agencies that Trump officials pledged would ultimately save people a whole lot of frustration. The administration's new initiative aims to allow Americans to access dozens of federal websites through a single point, making America.gov akin to a search tool that pulls information from across the government. And in the same way that people increasingly use AI models like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to compile information and provide customized answers, Trump officials claimed that America.gov would be able to do the same for people's interactions with the federal government. Enrolling in Medicare, for example, will become a matter of typing the request into the America.gov AI tool and following its step-by-step instructions. The same goes for applying to a government job -- the new tool will now let people upload their resume directly to the site -- or answering questions about federal benefits, publicly available documents or other necessities that fall under the federal government's vast umbrella. "Our vision is that one day, this type of convenience and simplicity will be across every government service," said Joseph Gebbia, who leads the government's National Design Studio. But the reality is that the most advanced actions won't be available until some point in 2027, raising questions about how long it will take for the administration to revamp the way the people interact with the government's websites. The current version of America.gov can only do "answers." U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia said the new chatbot is powered by Google's Gemini and Elon Musk's Grok. "We have great partners behind the scenes," Gebbia told CNBC's "Squawk Box" shortly before the site, America.gov, went live around 10 a.m. ET. "Google is proud to be named a technology partner in this vital initiative, leveraging Gemini to help more than 100 million people access critical public resources with greater speed and ease," the company said in a blog post. "By supporting the administration's vision for digital modernization, we are committed to making these everyday public services seamless, accessible, and responsive for all Americans."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The CDC Has Been Hollowed Out [Science-Based Medicine]
A new report from the NYT tells a chilling story of how the Centers for Disease Control has been hollowed out over the last 18 months under Trump and RFK Jr. We have been covering this story as it has been developing, but it is useful to take a look at where we are and the totality of the destruction that has […]
The post The CDC Has Been Hollowed Out first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.13:00 EDT
Trump officials changed forms for overseas voters amid a GOP push to restrict voting [NPR Topics: News]
The Pentagon made last-minute changes to forms that many overseas U.S. citizens use for absentee voting, removing a category of citizens that Republicans have been pushing to block from voting.
(Image credit: Mladen Antonov)
Nostalgia for New England: Workshop for Women, Nonbinary, and Gender-nonconforming Writers [Philip Greenspun’s Weblog]
We’re right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, but this is also the time of year when I have a bit of nostalgia for New England. The early fall has a fair number of clear blue skies, the mosquitoes and other flying pests of summer are mostly gone, and the leaves are changing color. Our old house:
A few weeks ago, I was over at a friend’s house here in Jupiter, Florida. He and his family were also escapees from Lincoln, Maskachusetts. The very same day, I noticed an email from our old town’s email discussion group. It is about an online workshop that is perhaps organized by some folks farther west, but in which at least some people in Massachusetts are interested:
Writing Workshop for Women, Nonbinary, and Gender-nonconforming Writers & Aspiring Writers
.. a new online and print magazine dedicated to giving voice to women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming storytellers in mountain literature. They are offering a thought-provoking, two-hour online writers’ workshop for women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming outdoor writers (and aspiring writers) on September 16 at 4 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Pacific Time, and 6 p.m. East Coast Time) taught by esteemed nature writer and poet, CMarie Fuhrman. Beginners, as well as experienced authors, are welcome.
“A,” “The,” and Nothing: Articles, Attention, and the More-Than-Human World
Poet, nature writer, and part-time fire lookout CMarie Fuhrman (author of Salmon Weather: Writing from the Land of No Return, director of the Elk River Writers Workshop, and founder of the Confluence Writing Community) will lead this workshop exploring how some of the smallest words in the English language — “a,” “the,” and their absence—carry enormous weight in nature and place-based writing and social justice writing. Through close reading and writing exercises, participants will discover how article choice shapes relationships, intimacy, and the way the more-than-human world is rendered on the page. They’ll move from attention to language to craft, and leave with new tools for listening to what their writing is actually doing.
Could Graham Platner spend part of his retirement trolling for progressive females at this event? The registration page:
Desire Lines Collective is dedicated to elevating women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming writers of mountain literature. The majority of our workshops are limited to self-identified members of these communities, including this one. We trust participants to honor this space and to uphold our value of fostering communities where women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people feel safe taking imaginative risks.
Confusingly, though,
We encourage applications from Black and Indigenous writers, writers of color, writers with disabilities, writers from LGBTQIA+ communities, and writers whose voices have been historically underrepresented in the outdoor publishing world.
Could a disabled Black writer who identified as a cisgender male attend?
Speaking of Hispanic Heritage Month, JetBlue got an early start on it (photo from September 8 and the holy month does not begin until September 15), which is great, but then chose to feature a film by Jared Bush and Byron Howard as part of Latinx “heritage”.
Loosely related…
The post Nostalgia for New England: Workshop for Women, Nonbinary, and Gender-nonconforming Writers appeared first on Philip Greenspun’s Weblog.
Trump Hosts AI CEOs to Discuss Safety Standards, Rebrands AI as 'Super Intelligence' [Slashdot]
hcs_$reboot writes: Trump hosted executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, Nvidia, and other tech companies at the White House. They agreed to voluntary AI-safety standards, including independent audits and safeguards aimed at preventing AI systems from accessing or hacking technical systems in unintended ways. Trump also strongly backed the continued rapid expansion of AI data centers, despite concerns over their electricity demand, utility costs, and other impacts on local communities. He said he is considering creating a 10-member board to oversee AI safety and plans to appoint a new White House official to lead AI policy. The meeting comes amid growing concerns about the risks posed by advanced AI, including reports from OpenAI and Anthropic that their AI agents had gone rogue and hacked into other companies' systems. A nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted September 17-20 found that 73% of respondents worried AI companies had not done enough to prevent AI from causing serious harm to society. During the meeting, Trump also directed government agencies to use the term "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" when referring to the technology.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
12:00 EDT
How Ukrainians are coping with new, more deadly Russian attacks [NPR Topics: News]
Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist's editor in chief, just visited Ukraine. She says, despite all its drone weaponry, Kyiv is under extraordinary bombardment, as Russia tries to make it unlivable.
How Trump keeps undercutting his anti-communist message [NPR Topics: News]
The Trump administration has taken government equity stakes in more than three dozen private companies.
(Image credit: Win McNamee)
After failed execution, health workers say Tennessee's method flouts medical ethics [NPR Topics: News]
After a botched lethal injection in May, dozens of Tennessee medical professionals told the governor that healthcare professionals shouldn't help with executions, no matter the method.
(Image credit: George Walker IV)
What’s in my NOW? — Victoria Pace [Cool Tools]
Based in NC but constantly on the move. You can find me playing trivia, rescuing dogs, or procrastinating in the name of spending time with friends. — Victoria Pace
If you’ve ever asked yourself “is there a virtual assistant who could elevate my life?” the answer is yes and he or she may be at Hey Girl Friday. HGF is seeking to “be the bar” when it comes to the world of executive assistance. You get to meet your potential EA (or, Advocate as we like to say) before committing to anything and all of our contracts are month-to-month so you will never feel (or be!) tied-in to anything long term. Check us out at www.heygirlfriday.co, we’d love to learn more about you and how we could potentially support!
PHYSICAL
- Postcards. I’ve been on a big postcard mailing kick lately, even (or maybe especially) when I’m not traveling. I like to buy postcards when I travel (low cost, easy to pack home, beautiful) and have a hard time picking, so will come home with quite a few. I’ll keep one for myself, then will send the rest out to friends. Everyone loves getting mail, and it feels meaningful to write notes to my friends.
- Shadow Work. I’ve been in therapy for a while navigating some intense life changes and general growth. My therapist suggested exploring shadow work, and I feel ready to do so. I haven’t gotten deep into this work yet, so I can’t necessarily vouch for the methods, but I’m really enjoying the journaling and have found it very helpful to dig deeper into myself and the “why” behind my thoughts and actions.
- Uniqlo Linen. I’ve been living in their linen tops this summer. Feels amazing, looks great, reasonable price point. I do try to be mindful in mainly shopping from ethical brands, and while Uniqlo isn’t the best, it’s rated “it’s a start” by the Good On You app, which feels better than most.
DIGITAL
- Good On You. An app and a website to look up the sustainability and ethical ratings for various brands. Makes it much easier to make purchases that are better for the earth / humans / animals.
- Trusted Housesitters. This is an app that matches people looking for housesitters (usually to care for pets) with travelers. I was able to stay for free in a small French alps town in exchange for taking care of two cats. Easy job and takes care of one of the largest expenses of traveling.
INVISIBLE
Turning everything into a gratitude practice.
There have been many rough patches over the last few years, but generally I feel happier than I’ve ever been, which in turn has made me grateful for every part of this journey. Naturally, I still enjoy wallowing in a few moments of mentally stamping my feet and saying the world isn’t fair, but for the most part I try to find a way to be grateful for everything and make it something beautiful. Part of this is being the force behind doing things that I love. I love to watch the moonrise, so when I know it’s happening in the evening I’ll invite friends and bring a blanket to a field and we can just sit together. I’m grateful for every opportunity to experience life and beauty.
Sign up here to get What’s in my NOW? a week early in your inbox.
Dutch Police Arrest 'Reformed' Hacker In Shiny Hunters Investigation [Slashdot]
An anonymous reader quotes a report from KrebsOnSecurity: Authorities in the Netherlands have arrested a 24-year-old convicted cybercriminal on suspicion of aiding in data thefts and extortions by the prolific hacker group ShinyHunters. In the days immediately following the suspect's arrest, remaining ShinyHunters members dramatically escalated their attacks, stealing highly sensitive data from the FBI and extorting the Russian ransomware group Cl0p. According to three sources familiar with the matter, the Dutch man arrested by authorities this month is Pepijn van der Stap, a convicted cybercriminal from Almere and Lelystad in the Netherlands. Van der Stap was previously convicted in 2023 in connection with a string of data thefts and extortions that prosecutors said earned between 1.5 million euros and 2.7 million euros. At his trial in late 2023, van der Stap admitted that he lived a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde existence, secretly using the hacker handle "Umbreon" to extort victims and post their data on English language hacking communities like the now-defunct RaidForums and Breached. By day, however, van der Stap was working as a software engineer at the Amsterdam-based cybersecurity startup Hadrian, while volunteering at the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD), a nonprofit security research group. Van der Stap confessed to his data theft and extortion activity, and was sentenced to four years in prison (one of which was suspended). Van der Stap had publicly presented himself as a "reformed hacker" after serving prison time for data theft and extortion. In a Sept. 9 interview, KrebsOnSecurity said he claimed he was trying "to turn his life around and make a positive contribution to society," while working in offensive security and attempting to make amends to former victims.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
10:00 EDT
On flight to Israel, pilot is stabbed, plane plunges before passengers tackle attacker [NPR Topics: News]
As the plane went into a spin and began to plunge, passengers and crew members got into the cockpit, subdued the pilot and diverted the flight to land in Saudi Arabia, Israel's leader says.
(Image credit: Erik Marmor)
09:00 EDT
FBI hunting the hackers who stole its employees' sensitive data [NPR Topics: News]
The FBI says it's addressing a massive data breach, vowing to go after the hackers it believes are responsible.
(Image credit: Samuel Corum)
08:00 EDT
Cloudflare plans to issue quantum-safe TLS certificates [Ars Technica - All content]
Cloudflare said Tuesday it plans to issue quantum-proof TLS certificates, making it one of the first authorities to issue such certificates, which use a form of cryptography that is widely believed to withstand attacks from quantum computers.
The Internet infrastructure provider said it will use an open source platform that issues both classic TLS certificates and a post-quantum equivalent known as Merkle Tree Certificates. The hybrid certificates will be free to both paying and non-paying users. To help build the massive system and establish ubiquity across the sprawling TLS ecosystem, Cloudflare will be acquiring an already trusted certificate root from CA GlobalSign. Cloudflare said the move will let millions of websites use post-quantum certificates at the flip of a switch and without incurring any increased performance overhead.
Fundamental architectural changes ahead
Cloudflare’s plans are part of a major overhaul in the web public key infrastructure (WebPKI) required to make website encryption and authentication safe for the coming post-quantum age. A major challenge is using quantum-proof signatures that can be easily transmitted during web requests and recorded in transparency logs to ensure counterfeit certificates aren't assigned to websites. The makeover will take years to complete, because it requires the work of an untold number of engineers who design operating systems, browsers, certificate authorities, and Internet infrastructure.
One-Minute Daily AI News 9/30/2026 [AI Daily News by Bush Bush]
- Sam Altman unveils “dots,” OpenAI’s new AI personal agent.[1]
- Data centers are changing America’s landscape, report says.[2]
- Google Research Open-Sources RRSI: AI Agents That Improve Their Own Harness Without Overfitting.[3]
- Anthropic warns AI may pose ‘existential risks to humanity’ in IPO filing.[4]
Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games [NPR Topics: News]
Measles is traveling, with outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and exposures on transportation and in sports. What should you know before getting on a plane or train?
(Image credit: Malte Mueller)
U.S. forces exit Iraq amid Iran war. And, SCOTUS revives Trump deportation policy [NPR Topics: News]
The U.S. has withdrawn its final troops from Iraq, leaving its defense future uncertain. And, the Supreme Court has sided for now with the Trump administration on third-country deportations.
(Image credit: Ammar Karim)
Wearable Nanotech Could Combat Nerve Agents [Slashdot]
alternative_right shares a report from Phys.org: Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents. Manufacturers could potentially add the nanoparticles to clothing used by those most at risk, such as farmers' masks and gloves or soldiers' uniforms and tactical gear. Or, if someone is exposed to a potentially deadly chemical, they could spray their clothing with water mixed with the compound to deactivate the chemical before its damaging effects take hold. The study has been published in the journal ACS Nano.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
07:00 EDT
Foster care often fails kids with disabilities. Consider these cases [NPR Topics: News]
Disabled kids make up the largest group in foster care. They have the worst outcomes. They stay in foster care longest. They're the most likely to die.
(Image credit: Courtney Pedroza for NPR)
One year after the end of the EV tax credit, is the future still electric? [NPR Topics: News]
Congress got rid of a $7,500 federal tax credit for new electric vehicle buyers. One year later, are people still buying EVs?
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)
Drugs are widely used to sedate dementia patients. Her sons wanted to keep her off them [NPR Topics: News]
Potent sedating medications are often used on agitated people with dementia in long-term care facilities despite federal efforts to discourage them. A clash over whether to drug a Michigan woman illuminates the wrenching decisions families and guardians face.
(Image credit: David Tingley)
U.S. military withdraws from Iraq two decades after invasion [NPR Topics: News]
23 years after the United States military invaded Iraq, sparking an insurgency and a civil war, the U.S. has withdrawn its forces, as the country still tries to combat Iranian influence.
(Image credit: Ahmad Al-Rubaye)
Montana starts enforcing Medicaid work requirements on Oct 1. Patients are confused [NPR Topics: News]
In most states, people with Medicaid coverage will have to prove they're working, volunteering or studying, starting Jan. 1. But Montana is starting that early, and it's sowing confusion and anxiety.
(Image credit: Aaron Bolton)
A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in Utah [NPR Topics: News]
Valar Atomics wants to place over 450 reactors on more than 9,500 acres in Utah to power a huge data center project.
(Image credit: Matthew Daly)
What's behind HHS claims that gender-affirming care 'may' radicalize [NPR Topics: News]
The report is the agency's latest effort to chip away at trust in established health care models for transgender people. Critics say it frames transgender identity as illegitimate or even dangerous.
The 2026 Student Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions [NPR Topics: News]
Here are the honorable mentions from this year's Student Podcast Challenge, chosen from nearly 1,500 entries.
The moment you've been waiting for: America's best student podcasts [NPR Topics: News]
We've listened to nearly 1,500 podcasts from all around the U.S. and narrowed them down to 10 middle school and 10 high school finalists.
