IJR News

OpenAI Pauses Model Work After Agent Bypasses Restrictions — 2dOpenAI is investigating dozens of cases in which its AI agents allegedly bypassed website protections or otherwise acted improperly while seeking information from governments, universities and other institutions. The investigation also found agents transferred at least 53 ChatGPT users’ images to third-party sites during training—an acknowledged misuse that OpenAI says it is working to remedy.

Senate Expected to Vote on College Sports OverhaulPolitics — 1dThe Senate is poised to vote on the Protect College Sports Act, which would establish national rules for athlete compensation and eligibility, restrict transfers, and regulate agents, among other changes. Supporters say it would protect college sports and athletes, while critics object to limits on athlete pay and legal rights; conferences are also preparing a separate framework if the bill fails.

Nor’easter Kills Worker, Floods East Coast, Disrupts Travel — 4dA powerful fall nor’easter is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, coastal flooding and dangerous surf to Long Island and the New York area Friday into the weekend. Officials and utilities are preparing with beach protections, staffing and service plans, while residents are urged to avoid the surf and take precautions in flood-prone areas.

Viral meme claims Democrats protect restrooms by removing signs — 4dMeme Wars: trending on the Right today.

TikTok Settles Alabama Teen-Safety Lawsuit — 3dAlabama’s lawsuit accusing TikTok of making its platform addictive to young users and misleading parents about safety features is set to become the first such case against the company to reach a jury. TikTok says it prioritizes teen safety and argues federal law protects platforms from liability for user-created content.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Iowa Judge Dismisses Trump Poll Lawsuit — 4dJudge Scott Beattie on Sept. 23, 2026, dismissed with prejudice Trump's Iowa poll lawsuit, ruling the "Iowa Poll and its reporting are fully protected political speech."

Derek Foss Even a wrong poll shouldn't lead to lawsuits when the results were clearly just predictions, not interference.

Oracle Seeks Force Majeure Protection for $165B New Mexico Data Center — 4dOracle sent Blue Owl a force majeure notice on its $165B New Mexico Project Jupiter campus, seeking delayed payments if the 2028 opening slips.

Priya Raman If regulators keep slowing it down then force majeure might be the only way Oracle protects itself from endless delays.

Uganda, DRC Communities Strengthen Gorilla Conservation — 5dCommunity-led conservation is helping protect gorillas across Central Africa: near Uganda’s Bwindi forest, residents are planting useful trees outside the park to reduce pressure on mountain-gorilla habitat, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a new legal designation expands community-managed forest protections for threatened Grauer’s gorillas. Health and tourism initiatives also support mountain-gorilla conservation, whose population has nearly doubled since the 1990s.

Senate clears 74-24 cloture vote on Protect College Sports Act — Sep 15, 2026A 74-24 cloture vote moves the Protect College Sports Act forward, aiming to replace state-by-state NIL chaos with national rules that protect scholarships, women’s sports, and program viability.

Tom Gallagher Seventy-four votes shows real support for keeping smaller college programs from getting wiped out by these changes.

Sixth Circuit Upholds Block on Tennessee Recruitment Ban — 3dA split Sixth Circuit panel upheld a block on Tennessee’s law criminalizing adults who help minors obtain out-of-state abortions, ruling that its broad “recruitment” ban violates the First Amendment by restricting protected speech. The court also questioned the law’s reach beyond Tennessee’s borders.

Italy to Protect Ships in Bab al-Mandeb Without Waiting for EU — Sep 17, 2026We will not wait for a collective EU decision, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Thursday, announcing Italy will deploy warships to protect commercial vessels in Bab al-Mandeb.

Chris Dalton Unilateral moves like this risk weakening any future EU naval effort by showing member states can just go it alone.

Jim Carrey vs Adam SandlerYourlist — VS BattleRubber-faced mania versus deadpan slob comedy — two 90s comedy titans, two entirely different engines.

Ireland Fines Google €403 Million Over Location Data — Sep 21, 2026Ireland's Data Protection Commission fined Google €403 million over location data and set a six-month compliance deadline.

Rachel Meyers This highlights how location history can reveal way too much about daily routines and interests. Companies must delete what they no longer need instead of holding it indefinitely.

Ravens Beat Cowboys 34-31 on Late Field Goal — 3dThe Ravens overcame an early 10-point deficit to lead the Cowboys 17-13 at halftime in Rio, with Derrick Henry scoring twice and Baltimore’s defense tightening. The team’s broader early-season concerns include costly penalties that erase productive plays, along with shaky pass protection and special-teams execution.

Galaxy, Rapids set for playoff clashSports — 3dThe LA Galaxy host the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 26 in a Western Conference matchup with playoff implications: Colorado is seeking to protect its position after a 3-3 draw with Seattle, while LA aims to build on a recent win and strengthen its playoff push. Colorado won the teams’ first meeting this season, 4-1; the match streams on Apple TV.

Wendy’s Franchisee Bankruptcy Puts 9,000 Jobs at Risk — 4dWendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group filed for Chapter 11 protection, citing rising costs and weak sales, and plans to keep operating its 314 restaurants while restructuring. Under an agreement with lenders, it could close at least 30 unprofitable locations, though Wendy’s itself is not bankrupt and the filing does not mean a chainwide shutdown.

Can you read data — or just vibes?Quizie — QuizFifteen questions on charts, stats, and the tricks numbers play. The rank tells everyone whether to trust your slides.

DRC Launches Ebola Vaccine Trial Against Bundibugyo Strain — Sep 19, 2026DRC launched Ervebo vaccine trials to test protection against the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, targeting about 20,000 frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu over six to twelve months with backing from WHO and MSF. The outbreak has 7,541 confirmed cases and 3,639 deaths, with 70,000 doses allocated for the BRAVO/phase 3 study to assess cross-protection against Bundibugyo.

Elena Vasquez Allocating 70,000 doses for frontline workers in Ituri and North Kivu is the right priority given how many cases keep appearing.

CoreWeave to Power Harell Data’s AI PlatformTech — 5dCoreWeave has signed a multiyear agreement to host Harell Data’s AI platform, using its NVIDIA GPU infrastructure for model training, fine-tuning and inference. Harell’s approach keeps proprietary datasets in place while allowing researchers and data owners to protect, share and monetize them.

Schlittler to Start Yankees’ Wild Card Opener — 3dCam Schlittler capped a dominant season with a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts, strengthening his Cy Young case and giving the Yankees a proven weapon against Boston after his eight scoreless innings in last year’s Wild Card series. New York is weighing his heavy workload as it sets its playoff rotation, while his shortened final start drew criticism from some fans who accused the team of protecting his ERA.

Bald Eagles Rebound to Hundreds of Louisiana NestsEnvironment — 6dBald eagles have rebounded in Louisiana after DDT-related declines, aided by legal protections and conservation efforts. Separately, a large marble eagle sculpture by the late artist Rollie A. Grandbois has returned to New Mexico and was installed at the Belen Community Center.

Groups Warn Funding Shortfalls Could Depress Midterm Turnout — Sep 19, 2026Several of the nation’s largest left-leaning voter engagement and racial justice organizations face steep funding shortfalls and staffing cuts as midterm voting ramps up, raising alarms among Democrats that turnout and voter protections could be weakened, especially for communities of color, amid donor pullback since 2024 and no Voting Rights Act protections. These groups warn that reduced funding could hinder registration, GOTV, and defenses against election interference in the Trump era.

Rachel Meyers Parties should step up their own organizing instead of counting on outside groups that always chase the same grants.

Survey: 66% Contractors Pilot or Deploy AIBusiness — 5dRoofing experts urge homeowners to address damaged shingles, leaks, flashing and drainage issues before winter, and to hire licensed, certified contractors to help guard against faulty work. Better roof-measurement tools may also help contractors reduce material waste and protect margins.

Broncos Run Game Seeks to Ease Pressure on Nix vs Rams — 5dBroncos quarterback Bo Nix is taking on more responsibility to adjust plays and protections at the line as Denver prepares to face Matthew Stafford and a revamped Rams defense. Coach Sean Payton is also emphasizing the run game to support Nix, after Denver’s ground attack helped fuel a Week 2 win.

As Salvadoran TPS deadline nears, Hispanic Pentecostal leaders urge immigration protectionsGood News — Sep 8, 2026Hispanic Pentecostal leaders gathered in Washington to press for extending Temporary Protected Status for Salvadoran immigrants whose protections were set to end.

Albanese seeks tech support for child safety and AI rules — Sep 20, 2026Albanese met Apple's Tim Cook and said Australia can't protect kids online alone; duty-of-care laws advance as under-16s still use Instagram and TikTok despite a 2025 ban.

Nicole Hardy Tech firms owe a duty of care on AI too, otherwise rushed systems will create problems no one can fix later.