This week, FOLLOW UP kicks off with Manus madness, a $2 million ticket to Trump’s crypto cash-grab, and Elon’s Boring Company worming its way into an $8 billion Amtrak boondoggle. Meanwhile, CryptoPunks gets handed off to a nonprofit like an expired Groupon—proof the NFT hype cycle ends with a 501(c)(3) and a shrug.

IN THE NEWS, Microsoft trims another 3% of its workforce while a former Metaverse engineer delivers DoorDash from a trailer—living proof that “the future of work” is just working for the apps. Klarna quietly admits AI sucks at customer service and hires back actual people, just as OpenAI’s reasoning models hit the brakes. The Pope wants to exorcise AI, Elon’s backfiring Copyright Office coup leaves him empty-handed, and YouTube starts banning AI-faked trailers that made Screen Culture money off Marvel lies. Jamie Lee Curtis goes full Final Girl on Zuckerberg, and Tesla drama ramps up: robotaxis under investigation, employees revolting, and one poor dealership manager gets canned for telling the truth about ol’ Musky. Oh, and scientists say the universe might die sooner than expected—cool cool cool.

A VIP Seat at Donald Trump’s Crypto Dinner Cost at Least $2 Million

Elon’s Boring Company Is ‘Helping’ the Government With an $8 Billion Amtrak Tunnel Project

CryptoPunks was just sold to a nonprofit

Microsoft is laying off 3 percent of its global workforce

Laid-Off Metaverse Engineer Says He Is DoorDashing and Living in a Trailer

Silicon Valley’s Elusive Fantasy of a Computer as Smart as You

Klarna Hiring Back Human Help After Going All-In on AI

Improvements in 'reasoning' AI models may slow down soon, analysis finds

The New Pope Wants to Take on AI

Elon Musk’s apparent power play at the Copyright Office completely backfired

YouTube Cracks Down on Fake Movie Trailer Channels Making Money

Jamie Lee Curtis publicly shamed Mark Zuckerberg to remove a deepfaked ad

Tesla's robotaxi plans have the attention of federal investigators

A Tesla Dealership Manager Blamed Elon Musk for Tanking Sales and Was Immediately Fired

Tesla Employees Against Elon

Open Letter to Elon

Open Letter to Elon - @openletter2elon

Scientists Just Moved Up the Death Date of the Universe

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