Are you running into this, too? I never know what I’m looking at online anymore. Is that an amazing photo? A rare behind-the-scenes video of a celebrity crush or a yet-to-announced brand collaboration? Is it really? Or is it the work of artificial intelligences and clever computer trickery?

And what’s more, no one quite knows whether these advancements are good or bad. Sure, I giggle at the cute video of a dog doing a viral dance … but deepfakes of a president or someone I actually know? That seems problematic. And browse the headlines and you’ve got The Verge proclaiming “Google Is making Deepfake Detection More Accessible” right below Wired offering “Google Makes It Easy to Deepfake … Yourself”.

A law requiring social networks to quickly remove sexual deepfakes and other nonconsensual imagery is now fully in force. That’s great. But experts warn the policy could do little to help victims—and at worst could facilitate censorship online. Roughly one year ago today, President Trump signed into law the Take It Down Act (TIDA), a first-of-its-kind federal law aimed at curbing the proliferation of nonconsensual intimate photos and videos online. Experts were already concerned it would cause chaos.

Though the law has been in effect for a year now, the FTC gave digital platforms operators until May 19, 2026, to comply with Section 3, which holds the platforms partially liable for the distribution of such images. That deadline has now arrived.

Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson sent letters to over a dozen tech companies ahead of the deadline, a list the FTC said included Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Automattic, Bumble, Discord, Match Group, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, SmugMug, Snapchat, TikTok and X. It instructed the platforms to offer users an easy takedown request process and remove offending content within 48 hours, as well as any “known identical copies.” The agency, which is tasked with enforcing the law, reminded companies that violating it could result in civil penalties of more than $53,000 per violation. “The reality, though, is that this means that the burden of identifying, documenting, and reporting harmful AI-generated content still lies with the victims themselves,” Columbia University PhD candidate Kaylee Williams told Gizmodo.

It’s official. The Justice Department revealed Tuesday that President Trump, his family and his businesses will be shielded from being investigated or prosecuted over their taxes. That’s along with the $1.8 billion compensation fund for people who claim to have been the target of politically motivated prosecutions. That fund has been loudly criticized by Democrats as a way to funnel taxpayer money to Trump’s allies. The agreement was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and quietly posted on the department’s website. But Blanche is certainly facing some blowback.

Even the famously conservative Wall Street Journal’s editorial board called the payment deal “rotten” and asked “could future historians ask for a better emblem of today’s warped political age?” Also concerning: NBC News reports that months before the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund was announced, Trump administration official Ed Martin “predicted Capitol rioters would get millions, even if it took until 2028.”

Even top Republicans expressed skepticism. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters “I think that there are and will be, continue to be, a lot of questions around that that the administration is going to have to answer”. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was more blunt. He told Axios that Trump is handing himself a “get-out-of-jail-free card.” After suing the government he runs, Trump “had his own DOJ settle the case and pocketed the prize: special IRS protection for the Trump family. That is self-dealing with a government seal.”

Despite the current affordability challenges, the number of single female homeowners in the U.S. climbed to an all-time high last year, surpassing 20 million. America’s solo female homeowners achieved this record-breaking milestone despite a slight dip in their overall homeownership rate, which decreased from roughly 52% to 51%.

Although this may seem like a paradox, experts tell Realtor.com the easing homeownership rate is not a sign of weaker demand; instead, the number of single women forming households on their own simply outpaced the speed of home purchases. In fact, affluent female buyers are emerging as an influential force, driving a “new era of luxury real estate” at the moment. They fueling a demand for full-service buildings, wellness and lifestyle amenities, and long-term investments.

However, there does seem to be a downside to homeownership. The men they are dating are not responding well, apparently.