As part of Olympic security, French authorities are using—and critics argue, abusing—an anti-terror law to restrict the movements of hundreds of people. / AP
“Aug. 2, 2024, was Black Friday for the artificial intelligence boom, as a week of rough earnings from Big Tech led to what felt like the entire media industry to ask: is the AI bubble popping?” / Where's Your Ed At
David Lynch says he's unable to leave his house due to emphysema, but has no plans to retire: “I would do it remotely if it comes to it. I wouldn't like that so much.” / The Daily Beast
The ridiculous plot for M. Night Shyamalan's new movie—where an entire concert is staged for a sting operation—is loosely based on an actual, ridiculous sting operation. / GQ
“Over-describing something trivial can lead to your players fixating on it.” Dungeons & Dragons taught me how to write alt text. / Eric W. Bailey
Why are so many prized midcentury homes being gutted right now—or worse, torn down? Money, obviously, and that's also the reason it hurts so much. / Snake
See also: It's another botched art restoration—this time at an 18th-century Spanish church, where one of the new cherubim appears to be wearing a backpack. / Hyperallergic
Facebook is the cause of Facebook's AI slop, which creators are using to generate engagement—and score performance bonuses from Facebook. / 404 Media
A US district judge rules Google has been running a monopoly in search and advertising—the decision could result in anything from a slap on the wrist to a breakup. / The Verge
Unrelated: A beautiful visual search for public domain content. / Public Work
Are book covers the reason men don't read novels? Depends on the man. / The Biblioracle Recommends
“It's unlikely that a DJ mix or a remix compilation will ever have such an impact again.” For many, Kruder & Dorfmeister were the sound of a highly specific moment in time. / zensounds