August 15, 2025

What's Happening

US News

Florida To Open "Deportation Depot" — Setting Up Model for Other States

What's going on: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced on Thursday plans to open a second state-run immigration detention center — and he’s calling it the “Deportation Depot.” The new operation will occupy a former correctional facility west of Jacksonville and house up to 1,300 undocumented immigrants. DeSantis cited increasing demand for more space and said “I’m confident that it will be filled.” Just last month, DeSantis opened Alligator Alcatraz (the man loves alliteration) in the Everglades — a facility that critics have compared to a concentration camp. Now, Florida’s moving ahead with expansion plans to help carry out President Trump’s immigration agenda.

What it means: The state’s ability to repurpose an old facility at a significantly lower cost than Alligator Alcatraz could serve as a model for other states to do the same. Even Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has touted Florida as an example. Some states are already following in Florida’s footsteps. Texas is set to open the “Lone Star Lockup” this week, the largest immigration detention center of its kind in the country. It comes as more than 60,000 people are in immigration detention in the US, according to The New York Times. And as civil rights advocates raise the alarm about the poor living conditions and inhumane treatment of detainees at these types of facilities. 

Related: DC Police To Cooperate with ICE, Report Undocumented Immigrants (NBC News) 

Politics

RFK Jr.'s Health Crusade Goes Local… and Bipartisan

What's going on: Whether you’re on the MAHA train or not, the movement has likely already pulled into your state. Nearly 900 bills aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health crusade have been introduced in state capitols so far this year, according to a POLITICO analysis. Red and blue, north and south — the wave has reached everywhere from Austin to Albany. While MAHA legislation clearly has bipartisan legs, Republicans and Democrats have taken different approaches. Dems largely back measures to curb pesticide use and plastics, and Republicans tend to sponsor bills that roll back vaccine mandates. Where there is middle ground: Both parties are backing bills that target food dyes and sugary drinks.

What it means: These bills aren’t a collective stamp of approval on Kennedy’s agenda. Critics have long called out his stance on vaccines and fluoride as dangerous and anti-science. Still, state legislatures have been a good place to test out federal policies. Some Democratic lawmakers say they support improvements to public health — they just don’t label them “MAHA.” Meanwhile, food and pesticide manufacturers aren’t thrilled, noting that different rules in different states could complicate their process. In the meantime, many are anticipating Kennedy's upcoming final MAHA report, which will make recommendations to fight chronic illness and improve health.

Related: How Food Companies Hope To Cash In on MAHA (NYT Gift Link)

Tech

MetaAI Let Its Chatbots Have Disturbing Conversations With Kids

What's going on: Meta is facing backlash (again) after an internal document revealed the company’s chatbots engaged in “sensual” chats with children. A 200-page document, obtained by Reuters and verified as authentic by Meta, dictated what MetaAI and its chatbots can and cannot do. Some of the other questionable guidelines: Bots could generate false medical information and allow “provocative behavior,” even if it involves children. While chatbots were banned from using racial slurs, they could create content explaining, for example, why Black people are “dumber than white people,” according to the document. Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company is in the process of revising its guidelines and that such conversations with children never should have been allowed.

What it means: This internal document provides a comprehensive look at the rules — or lack thereof — Meta has created for its AI bots. It’s also calling into question Meta’s commitment to protecting underage users on its platforms at a time when 72% of teens admit to using AI companions. The company has admitted Instagram is harmful to teen girls’ mental health and lobbied against the Kids Online Safety Act, which would have imposed rules on social media companies to prevent mental health harms. Senators on both sides of the aisle are now calling for a congressional investigation into Meta with one calling their policies “deeply disturbing and wrong.”

Related: Meta Illegally Gathered Menstruation Data from Period App (The Verge)

Settle This

A new report shows the average tip for a restaurant meal dipped to the lowest level in seven years. How much are Americans tipping these days?

Game Time

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