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Aisha Down / The Guardian:
A Kapwing study of the 15,000 top YouTube channels finds 278 of them have only posted AI-generated “slop” videos, amassing 63B+ views and 221M+ subscribers  —  Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media - and generating about $117m a year, data shows

Bloomberg:
Sources: SoftBank is in advanced talks to buy NYSE-listed DigitalBridge, a private equity firm that invests in data centers and digital infrastructure operators  —  SoftBank Group Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., a private equity firm that invests in assets …

Joel Khalili / Wired:
Since the GENIUS Act's passage in July, the total value of stablecoins circulating rose from ~$250B to $300B+, as they become the “respectable” face of crypto  —  In a year that began with a memecoin trading frenzy, stablecoins have emerged as the respectable face of the crypto industry.

Lydia Wheeler / Wall Street Journal:
Sources and a memo: the US DOJ is using a novel reading of a federal anti-fraud law to probe contractors, including Google and Verizon, over their DEI programs  —  Google and Verizon among those being investigated under novel interpretation of law applying to government contractors