iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 4h

This is someplace among worrisome + sad + hilarious. Our current president's highly promoted "America.gov / #AI is wonderful!" chatbot easily debunked dozens of the lies he's put out there ... using the U.S. govt's own stats. So of course it had to be censored.

Hours after its launch, America.gov's chatbot was censored.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 6h

If true, profoundly disappointing: "The Kansas City-area plant where the Bolt is made is now on pace to make about 35,000 of the small SUVs in total before production of the vehicle ends" in Q1 next year. I suspect having to import LFP cells from China means GM loses a bundle on each one. Sad.

reuters.com

GM’s pint-sized Bolt EV gets smaller production run

General Motors is building about 75% fewer Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles than had ‌originally been planned before federal support for EVs was yanked last year, a union official said.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 6h

Lookit this! Reporter @grantschwab.bsky.social focuses on what I wrote about yesterday ... the possible impacts of reclassifying many "light-duty trucks" back to "cars" as they're now used, finally updating the 1970s definitions. (Sadly @detroitnews.com still doesn't build pages to allow previews.)

detroitnews.com

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 19h

Too many people view Bill DeBlasio as an ineffective #NYC mayor. It's likely because what he delivered was by far most beneficial to those in the bottom 50% of wage earners. His "pro-worker policies tremendously boosted pay for workers in the bottom half of the income distribution ..." (1 of 2)

cityandstateny.com

Opinion: Bill de Blasio’s record in addressing a Tale of Two Cities

Economist James Parrott evaluates the New York City mayor’s progress on closing the inequality gap.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A social-media influencer with zero actual training or knowledge of #solar power is "just raising questions" ... gets the ear of prominent officials in the current govt working to cripple #renewable energy ... + threatens the New York state push for more solar on unused former farms. Appalling.

politico.com

An unlikely power player in the fight over solar on farmland

Alexandra Fasulo's attacks on New York solar have reached Washington and the governor's race. The state has struggled to counter her claims, even when they don't hold up.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The #NYC Council is planning to grill #AI companies on October 5. It has sent a subpoena to the single company that failed to respond even under threat of subpoena. That would be the so-called "SpaceXAI," which is run by the man who's also CEO of #Tesla + several other companies: Elon Musk. Huh.

cityandstateny.com

The City Council has subpoenaed Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI

It’s the first time Speaker Julie Menin has used the body’s subpoena power.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Yesterday's cut in fuel-economy requirements got lots of headlines. But its change in the 1977 definitions of passenger vehicles vs light-duty trucks remains remarkably under-reported. Fully 70 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. today are defined as light trucks. (1 of 5)

detroitnews.com

Trump admin transforms vehicle fuel economy rules, slashes MPG target

The White House's new fuel economy rules set an industry-wide target of 34.9 mpg by 2031, which is far more relaxed than before.

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 29/09/2026

Trump aims to open nearly all national forest trails to dirt bikes and ATVs. “It’s going to create a lot of conflict and confusion and animosity.”

motherjones.com

Trump aims to open nearly all national forest trails to dirt bikes and ATVs

"It’s going to create a lot of conflict and confusion and animosity."

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

OpenAI said the new model took actions beyond the instructions it received + did not accurately tell human users what it did. Days ago, the company said it would pause development of new highly capable #AI models because it doesn’t have safeguards to keep them from behaving in unintended ways. Oh.

washingtonpost.com

OpenAI cancels new AI launch, citing safety issues

The cancellation of the new release comes days after OpenAI said it stopped training powerful new AI after safety incidents.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

UPDATE: After a quiet word with the publisher, it now reads: "Its creation brought together specialists from London, Glasgow, West Yorkshire, Kilkeel in Northern Ireland, Dublin and elsewhere, reflecting the depth of design and manufacturing expertise across Britain and Ireland." Better ...

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang asked Ezra Klein during a recent podcast: “So, give me an example of any multi-hundred-billion-dollar company, or a $1 billion company or a $100 million company, that ships products that are unsafe, that harm society?” Klein said he could think of MANY examples.

junkoyoshidaparis.substack.com

Jensen Huang, or Jensen von Frankenstein?

Nvidia’s CEO asked during the recent podcast with Ezra Klein: “Would any multi-hundred-billion-dollar company, a $1 billion company or a $100 million company, that ships products that are unsafe?”

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Reap, sow. Tariffs and high prices for diesel, gas + fertilizer due to the war in Iran, plus the president's plans to import more beef, have soured the moods of America’s farmers + ranchers. That could give Democrats some openings in what are typically solid red states, per @wsj.com.

wsj.com

America’s Farmers Are Rethinking Their Loyalty to the GOP

Tariffs, imported beef and rising gas, diesel and fertilizer costs fuel bitter feelings among rural voters.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Writers + journos rejoice: Em-dash abuse isn’t an indicator of AI writing — it’s a human failing. Top large language models now use em-dashes less often than human writers do, according to new data this month from AI research firm Graphite.

graphite.io

AI Tells

Everyone knows about the em dash, but AI writing has many other tells. Across GPT-6 Astra, Claude Opus 5, and Gemini 3.1 Pro, we identified more than 7,000…

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Oh, dear. What's wrong with this sentence? "Contributors from London, Glasgow, West Yorkshire, Kilkeel, and Dublin have lent their expertise, ensuring every detail reflects the best of British innovation." PFA.

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Tempting Fate Tours @temptingfatetours.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Well, the moment of truth came: We wanted to see if the engine ran. It did. But ... uhhhhh ... well, watch the video. Make sure the volume is on.

youtube.com

Got the Morris engine to run...OH NO! #morrisminor #convertible #abandonedcar #britishcars #oldcars

YouTube video by Tempting Fate Tours

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Reposted by John Voelcker

Mike Eliason @holz-bau.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

chat is this good?

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Although minivans represent just 3% of the US auto market, American drivers are buying as many of them as large SUVs ... for the first time in almost a decade.

bloomberg.com

Americans Are Going Wild for Minivans

Affordability concerns are contributing to a resurgence for the least cool category of vehicle.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I regularly see a claim that it is NOT the president's war of choice on Iran, which resulted in the throttling of Mideast oil through two critical export pathways, that caused gas prices to soar. Instead, the theory goes, eeeevillll l Dem governor Gavin Newsom forced CA refineries to close. [sigh]

snopes.com

Did Newsom 'forcing' closure of California refineries cause US gas prices to spike?

People online alleged the California governor's actions, rather than the Iran war, were to blame for rising gas prices nationwide.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Our current president claimed, over + over, that he would put the needs of ordinary Americans first. One year into his second term, they are at the very, very bottom of his list. Is anyone really surprised?

nymag.com

America Last

Trump promised to put ordinary people first. A year in, they have fallen to the bottom of his priority list.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Chinese automaker Geely claimed new #EV battery tech can charge from 10 to 70% in only 4.5 minutes, putting it in the same 5-min charge club as BYD + CATL. Geely says its new LFP tech can charge from 10 to 97% in 8 mins 40 secs. BYD claims 10-97% in 9 mins; CATL cites 6 mins 27 secs for 10-98%.

apnews.com

Chinese auto companies race ahead on EV technology, achieving 5-minute ultrafast charging

Major Chinese auto group Geely has unveiled new ultrafast EV charging technology that can recharge a battery from 10% to 70% in just 4.5 minutes.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of #NYC, and Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin rode the G train together. They discussed housing + affordability issues as well as the contributions of Irish immigrants to New York City’s economy throughout history.

thecityreporter.nyc

Mamdani and Irish Leader Talk Housing on G Train, as Palestine-Israel Looms at UN Meeting

The taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, is set to address the U.N. on Thursday.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Europe's cocaine trade is thriving as traffickers import vast amounts of blow using sophisticated speedboats that can outrace Spanish authorities through the Strait of Gibraltar. Built in secret workshops in Portugal, the fiberglass boats hit 60 knots + can loiter in international waters for weeks.

wsj.com

Cocaine Smugglers Blow Past Europe’s Law Enforcement With Speedboats and Tech

Fleets outrun Spanish authorities to deliver the drug in unmatched quantity and quality.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Engineers at Stanford found a way to make clean hydrogen roughly 10 times more efficiently—by heating the reactor from the inside instead of the outside. Surprise bonus: The process leaves behind high-quality graphite, a material used in batteries.

news.stanford.edu

Innovative process boosts clean hydrogen production

Using a novel heating method that cuts carbon emissions, engineers dramatically improved hydrogen production efficiency. The process also comes with a surprising side benefit.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Passing a small USPS post office in rural upstate NY, a POW-MIA flag flew directly below the Stars + Stripes. Digging in, it appears that as of 2019, all post offices + some other Federal buildings *must* fly the POW-MIA flag every day they fly the U.S. flag. Which POWs are we talking about again?

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The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🇵🇱🇺🇦🇺🇸 Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski: Members of the permanent Security Council have a duty to protect world peace. Member of the Security Council — Russia — attacked a neighboring country. So, if international law is to mean anything, the US has a duty to stand with victim of aggression.

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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Electrification is an energy security strategy. EVs already avoid 2.3 million barrels of oil a day. That's more than the volume that bypassed the Strait of Hormuz via the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline this summer.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"With the UN meeting in NYC for much of September, it’s clear other countries are not waiting for America to return to pre-Trump calm. "Leaders are coming here to plan + former allies create a global order in which the US not only no longer leads the free world but is *considered a danger* to it."

nymag.com

The New World Order Is Here

Our allies are tired of the U.S. pushing them around.

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Reposted by John Voelcker

NPR @npr.org · 21/09/2026

NPR and our Member stations will continue to uphold First Amendment rights, and to stand with any news organization targeted for its reporting.

n.pr

Statement on White House bans from Tommy Evans, NPR's Editor in Chief

NPR and our Member stations will continue to uphold First Amendment rights, and to stand with any news organization targeted for its reporting.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

So I watch a lot of footage of protests against the current administration. I am struck...and somewhat saddened...by the fact that the bulk of the protesters appear to be my vintage. I've seen this at No Kings + other demos. Which makes me ask: Are Boomers the shock troops of anti-Trump protests?

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Investors may not appreciate what the national conversation on the need to tap the brakes on #AI means for their net worth. Some estimates AI-related spending makes up about half the growth in US gross domestic product. Almost $33 trillion in S&P 500 value added since late 2022 is tied to AI. Oh.

bloomberg.com

AI’s Wobbly House of Cards Puts Markets and US Economy at Risk

The heads of America’s leading AI development labs have started a national conversation about tapping the brakes on a technology that’s offering so much promise for society, while at the same time sho...

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

President Trump held a ribbon cutting ceremony today for his renovated White House helipad before leaving for NYC + the UN General Assembly. All TV networks skipped the event amid the broadcast pool suspension. The president was inaudible on the White House livestream. [SNORT]

axios.com

Trump's UN visit will not have a TV camera as networks stand with banned outlets

A critical international moment will lack shared TV coverage.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid is the hybrid compact crossover SUV it's needed for years. But its e-Power system differs from every other hybrid without a plug: the engine is only a generator + wheels turn solely on electricity sent to 2 electric motors. Is it an #EV? No ... yes ... maybe .. sorta?

chargedevs.com

2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid e-Power: an electric car without a plug?

Nissan launches the 2027 Rogue Hybrid e-Power, a series hybrid SUV delivering an EV-like drive without a plug, priced from $37K to $45K.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"They shared the sense of being undefended. They shared the sense that the cavalry was not coming. "They shared the sense that the system was rigged, corrupted, driven by forces and factors that didn’t serve them." A peak at Anand Giridharadas’ new book, 'Man in the Mirror'. (1/2)

semafor.com

🟡 Semafor Media: Brazening it out | Semafor

In tonight’s edition: A peek at Anand Giridharadas’ new book, and a Brazen investment.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"The material risks of AI are the same as the risk of oligarchy, money in politics, authoritarianism, or growing wealth inequality — that is, the concentration of power in the very few + obfuscation of any accountability they may face." Hmmmmmmm. Discuss.

planetearthandbeyond.co

AI Hysteria: No, AI Isn't Going To Kill Us All

Critical thinking has left the building.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"Prevention: it’s invisible when it works. No one throws a parade for the rabies case that didn’t happen, or the crisis a law stopped before it started. "The work is done by people who will never be thanked, protecting people who will never know. It's the least glamorous kind of patriotism."

adamkinzinger.com

Good News From Appalachia: Take It From the Raccoons

For thirty years we've been dropping vaccines out of airplanes onto the mountains below. The lesson we learned goes a lot further than wildlife.

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Tempting Fate Tours @temptingfatetours.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Another adventure? Fate is clearly being tempted here.

Three vehicles seen from the rear. From R to L: Silver-blue 2012 Kia Sedona minivan, gold 1966 Alvis Graber, white 1991 Winnebago Warrior motorhome (Toyota based ) with period graphics in turquoise, in front of gray house. Trees behind the cars.

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John Voelcker @johnvoelcker.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

"Starting in the early hours of Sunday, Turkish police carried out simultaneous raids on the offices of #LGBTQ+ rights organisations + #HIV -advocacy groups in the cities of Istanbul, the capital, Ankara + the coastal city of İzmir, as well as the cities of Aydın + Mersin." Trump is taking notes.

theguardian.com

Turkey detains dozens in crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and journalists

Protesters teargassed as minister claims widespread raids and arrests under obscenity laws were to ‘protect families’

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