Myers Park Hoofprint

The Myers Park High School Newspaper

Local/National

Reneé W(Rapp)ed

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Reneé Mary Jane Rapp is a name widely known by a variety of individuals: theater kids, original Mean Girls fans, pop/rock enthusiasts, or people with the simple yet chronic condition of addiction to Tik Tok. She rose to popularity with her role of Regina George on the broadway adaptation of early 2000s chick flick Mean Girls, playing the part from June of 2019 to March of 2020, when production shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapp furthered her acting career by securing the role of Leighton Murray on a teen comedy series titled The Sex Lives of College Girls, and her singing one by visiting Los Angeles, Manhattan, Boston, and Atlanta on her first tour “Everything to Everyone: The First Shows and releasing her debut album, Snow Angel, in August of 2023. What many recognize her from is her most recent project, a Mean Girls reprise, which came out in theaters just a couple months ago, in January of 2024. Although it received mixed reviews, it is indisputable that the movie painted Rapp in a positive light for the general public. 

However, while most could list these facts about the actress/singer when prompted, many could not speak on her background. She did not simply emerge from a void of nepotism, she worked from the bottom up, making an honest living before stepping into the view of Hollywood’s eyes. Unlike most celebrities, who are derived from the glitz and glam of New York City or Southern California, Rapp comes from a region familiar to the majority of Hoofprint Readers: Huntersville, North Carolina, a well known suburb of Charlotte. Rapp attended North West School of The Arts, an arts school in the heart of Charlotte.

Rapp was born on January 10, 2000, approximately forty minutes away from Myers Park High School. She attended Hopewell High School for a couple years, before transferring to Northwest School of the Arts, abandoning her role of the varsity women’s golf team to fully pursue her passion for theater. Her theater teacher during her time at the school, Corey Mitchell, explained that Rapp “has a special distinction…There is a difference when that vocal ability is coupled with sincere emotions that can move an audience and that literally can excite an audience.” During her senior year of high school, she notably won Best Actress at Charlotte’s Blumey Awards for her performance as Sandra in the Northwest production of Big Fish. This win led her to receiving the nomination for Best Performance by an Actress at the Jimmy Awards In New York City, which she ultimately won as well. She stayed in Charlotte for a period of time after graduating, acting as Wendla in Theater Charlotte’s production of Spring Awakening. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical (local) at the 2018 BroadwayWorld Charlotte Awards as a result of this role. 

Denise and Charlies, Rapp’s parents, still reside in Huntersville, having moved to the town back in 1995 due to a job opportunity for Denise, who is a certified public accountant. That’s to say, although Rapp has moved on to bigger and better pursuits that Charlotte could not fully fulfill, she still has a connection to the Queen City. Rapp has only been in the spotlight for a couple of years, and still has ample time to establish herself as “one of the greats.” It can only be hoped that her fame won’t blind her too much, so that she will seldom forget about her roots, at Northwest and in Charlotte as a whole. It would be a shame to forget the beauty this city has to offer, even if such isn’t always obvious or acknowledged. Nevertheless, it will be exciting to see where her career takes her next.

H2-Overconsumption

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Photo contributed by Eleanor Haviland

The rise of the anti-single-use plastic water bottle movement has incited a rise in the reusable water bottle industry. In the past 20 years, names such as Camelbak, S’well, Hydroflask, and many others have rotated through the trend cycles impacting both our water consumption and our overconsumption of new products. A trip to Target or a quick shop on Amazon can supply you with the newest fad but the impact of this modern movement of always needing trendy water bottles could prove more harmful than it seems. With the increase of social media and influencers, water bottles have become more of a status symbol or collector’s item than a resource for hydration, affecting people’s pockets, the environment, and society.

     Staying on each water bottle trend comes with a hefty price tag. There have always been popular brands but when comparing to icons of the past: the classic green Gatorade bottle at $6 and a 32-ounce Nalgene is $16, with trends of the present: 30-ounce Stanley Cup is $35 and a 32-ounce Hydroflask is $30, the price disparity is glaring. Sometimes the water bottle itself isn’t enough and one needs accessories to enhance it . A rubber bottom to “protect” the easily dented metal, an interchangeable lid to match your mood for the day, or a cute silicone animal to cover your straw can all be purchased to personalize the hydration station. The sticker industry is also safe as long as people keep curating the perfect gallery on their water bottles only to misplace it the next month. Are these customizations super fun and cute? Yes. Are they also an arbitrary expense on top of the already stupidly expensive water bottle? Yes again. 

     Even worse than your bank account’s well-being is the health of our environment. While reusable water bottles are far more eco-friendly than their single-use plastic counterparts, the impacts of metal manufacturing and the bottle’s disposal method can prove just as harmful. According to Treehugger.com, many water bottle manufacturers use only virgin materials in production, despite the vast amount of recyclable stainless steel and aluminum available.” Not only is obtaining metal ore harmful to the ecosystem, but most of the United States’s supply is outsourced meaning tons of emissions from international transport alone. The carbon spewing doesn’t stop at mining, with manufacturing exacerbating air and water pollution. Treating, shaping, and painting the metal for these trendy water bottles involves the use of toxic chemicals that inevitably make it into our air and waterways and eventually wreak havoc on our ecosystems and human health. 

    Perhaps the biggest long-term effect of these water bottles is their disposal. The idea of reusable water bottles is to relieve the strain of extra plastic in our landfills but even worse than plastic in landfills is metal that can’t be recycled. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just recycle metal with your cardboard and paper products, your decrepit dented receptacle requires specific after-life treatment at a metal recycling plant. Many bottles contain layers of insulation with mixes of aluminum and stainless steel making the recycling process difficult.  In many cases, if it isn’t easily melted down it is rejected by the metal recycling plant and sent to a landfill anyway.  In a landfill, the metal can potentially leach toxic chemicals to its surroundings, practically defeating the purpose of a reusable water bottle in the first place. 

     While buying a 40-pack of plastic water bottles is by no means better than refilling your Owala, it is important to consider moderation when feeling the urge to jump on the new water bottle bandwagon, and at the end of the day, we all need water somehow.

The Future of High School Sports

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Photo contributed by NCHSAA

Spring sports are in the air, and so is the change coming to high school sports. In the next few years, we will see some of the changes coming to high school sports as they are significantly changed in the years to come. In the fall, our school will have a new conference rival, the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness deals (NIL), and shift the responsibility of the NCHSAA as it currently stands. In the future, we will see an expanded classification system with conference realignment in 2025-2026.

One of the most impactful changes will be the addition of a new conference opponent to our sports teams’ schedules as Ballantyne Ridge High School opens its doors in the fall. The athletic teams will be known as the Ballantyne Ridge Wolves, wearing orange, gray, and Carolina blue. Ballantyne joined the conference two years after Palisades, another relief high school, opened its doors. The Wolves will be the 7th team in the conference and intend to offer all sponsored CMS sports with both JV and Varsity teams. The school’s athletics will be led by newly hired athletic director Jeff Smith and will be hiring coaches in the coming months.  

Another change is the adoption of the NIL policy for private school athletes. The main governing body of independent high schools, the NCISAA, approved NIL deals for private schools athletes in February. Under the rules established, schools can not use NIL to recruit students, and students are prohibited from doing deals that promote certain activities such as alcohol, gambling, and cannabis. The approved proposal was similar to that of the public school body, the NCHSAA, who attempted to introduce NIL to public schools last year but was shut down by legislators. The recent move by the NCISAA has raised fears that private schools will be able to lure public school students looking to receive NIL money, creating an increasing gap between public and private schools.

NIL was not the only thing impacted by the legislature, as politicians in Raleigh passed a bill that dramatically reshaped the authority of the NCHSAA. The bill handicaps the ability of the Association to raise money and provide scholarships and would give much authority to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt. The Association would have to work more closely with the Superintendent’s Office moving forward, with the full impacts not being for a couple of years. The most impactful implication is a potentially degraded championship experience, caused by the loss of corporate sponsorships. This could lead to games being moved from large venues to small school facilities which would create ticket crunches similar to last year’s regional game between Myers Park and North Mecklenburg.

While those impacts are still speculative, one of the most important changes is the expansion of the school classification system in North Carolina, moving from 1A-4A all the way to 8A, creating 4 additional classifications. The new classification would coincide with conference realignment in the 2025-2026 school year, and would provide room for growth for the NCHSAA as more schools are added. Hopefully this change will create a more even playing field between schools because schools would be placed according to average daily membership numbers, which correlates to school size. Some do fear that the new classification would disadvantage schools by taking away school performance as a factor in aligning the school, as was previously the case in the 1A-4A system.

Ultimately, high school sports will face many changes and challenges in the years to come. Regardless of these changes, one thing that will never change is how high school sports are such a significant part of the high school experience.  Our lives are forever touched by the experience of high school sports, whether we are athletes or spectators cheering on our teams.

MLB Baseball National League Preview

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Photo contributed by Creative Commons

Baseball is almost back, and MLB teams have begun playing in Florida and Arizona during the spring training period. Teams from the East Coast travel down to Florida, while teams from the West Coast travel to Arizona. Teams are figuring out how to use and manage players for the upcoming season, testing rookies, veterans, and new pieces who can make an impact. The National League hosts half of the MLB teams split between three divisions, and the 15 teams will compete during the 162-game season in order to make it to the World Series. 

The competitive nature of the National League East will be an exciting battle and the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, and Washington Nationals are the beasts of the East. The best record of the 2023 MLB season was 104-58, held by the Atlanta Braves, whose explosive home run-hitting offense led the league in hits, home runs, and runs scored. The Philadelphia Phillies have had the Braves number the past two years. Sending the Braves home early in the playoffs, stumping their historical regular season the past two years. The Braves-Phillies rivalry is one of the best in baseball; stars Ronald Acuna Jr. and Bryce Harper will face off once again in the upcoming season. The Mets are pursuing a better season after a disastrous season. Down south, The Miami Marlins look to return to the playoffs, and all-star ace Sandy Alancantra has young award potential for the 2024 season.

The NL Central division with the Cubs, Brewers, Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals is unpredictable. Each year there is a surprise, like last year the Chicago Cubs fell out of playoff contention during the last week of the regular season. The Milwaukee Brewers look to lead the division again. Brewers lose the presence of their ace Corbin Burnes as he signed big money with the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB offseason. The Reds have promising shortstop Elly De La Cruz who shot out on the scene as a sweet-swinging rookie. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a young squad with great potential. The first pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, Paul Skenes, looks major league-ready. The Saint Louis Cardinals are in a rebuilding stage for next season. The five teams of the NL Central will battle for the full 162 games.

The NL West has been dominated by the Dodgers for a decade but a big surprise last season was the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks made it all the way to the World Series as a wild card. The Dodgers have loaded up on stars including Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The NL West is the Dodgers to take this upcoming season. Can the Diamondbacks make another Cinderella run? The San Francisco Giants have entered a rebuilding state, the Giants lack the quality pitching as they did back in the early 2010s. The early 2010s pitching led the Giants to three World Series victories. Down the road, the San Diego Padres are a star-studded team. Players Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Junior look to hit the ball hard next season. NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell is returning another year for the Padres to be their ace.

From east coast to west coast the national league is loaded with talent. Ball Clubs are looking to make big leaps. The 162-game regular season is a long hard grind for teams, Up-and-comers, injuries, surprises, and crazy things can happen. Every game will count as teams chase the top of the division for the whole season. While Spring Training ends the road to the World Series starts.

Keep Pounding High School Kickoff

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The 2024 high school football season will be kicked off in fashion. The Carolina Panthers are hosting a two-game Friday night event for the second straight year at Bank of America Stadium.  The Myers Park Mustangs, Independence Patriots, Weddington Warriors, and the Providence Day Chargers will all have the opportunity to duel underneath the brightest lights in town at the Keep Pounding classic on August 22 2024.. Tickets are already available for fans to purchase as the clock ticks down till the official kickoff for high school football.

At the Keep Pounding Classic press conference that took place on Feb 13, 2024 players, coaches, and former alumni came together to celebrate the exciting return of high school football. NFL athletes Thomas Davis Senior, Captain Muunerlyn, Ikem Ekonwu, and Hakeem Nicks were in attendance supporting their respective schools. Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekonwu, a tackle for the Panthers, played his high school ball at Providence Day. Super Bowl champ Hakeem Nicks got his start playing at Independence. Captain Munnerlyn, a former standout defensive back for the Panthers, currently works as the defensive backs coach for Myers Park. Lastly, Panthers legend Thomas Davis Senior is a Weddington supporter as his son is a sophomore phenom for the Warriors. These icons of the game were selected as honorary captains for the games in August.   Panthers Director of Community Relations Riley Fields stated, “Anticipation will be high for this year’s Keep Pounding High School Classic, and we are excited about the new double-header format.”Fields is expecting a “memorable experience for the high school football community”. Mecklenburg County Athletes have dreamt to play under the same lights as NFL stars such as Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, and Christian McCaffrey, and now this dream is going to be a reality. Between the four teams, the talent is deep, and each school is loaded with stars at every position. 

The four o’clock undercard game is the Myers Park Mustangs versus the Independence Patriots. Seven-time state champions, the “Big I” Independence Patriots are led by head coach DJ McFadden. His offensive expertise was once at Myers Park, where he called the plays for future first-round draft pick Drake Maye. Now his powerhouse offense is led by rising senior quarterback Justin Little and sophomore All-American running back Jayden Jones, a combo that makes the offense a threat. The Patriots made a deep playoff run, losing to the state-champion Weddington Warriors. Independence is a physical, strong, well-coached team looking for another deep playoff run in 2024. The Myers Park Mustangs offense returns with their most dangerous weapons. Rising Junior Brody Keefe is due for another monstrous season, and last season, the wide receiver caught a dozen touchdown passes and for over 600 yards. Rising senior running back RJ Alexander will lead the ground game for the Mustangs. Second-year head coach Chris James looks to lead the team to another conference championship and another playoff appearance.

The primetime matchup at 7:30 between the Weddington Warriors and Providence Day Chargers could be dubbed “game of the year,” as both of these teams are coming off state championship seasons in 2023. The Chargers have won the last three NCISAA titles, and the Warriors had a historic season en route to a state championship. David Sanders is the most highly touted prospect in North Carolina,  as he is ranked as the second-best player in the nation according to 24/7 Sports. Sanders plays offensive tackle and defensive end for the Chargers. Other Chargers include rising senior running back Ian Cline and defensive back Cairo Skanes. The Weddington Warriors rising junior trio, Thomas Davis Junior, Aiden Harris, and Drew Harris, terrorize opposing offenses. Questions remain on who will be the starting quarterback for the Warriors next season. Weddington has been a powerhouse for a decade, and Head Coach Andy Capone is a strong leader with an intelligent sense for the game of football. The primetime matchup will have everyone watching in August.

Moosehead Grill

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Photo contributed by Hank Thrasher

If you ever ask someone from the Myers Park area, “Where are the best wings in town??”, many will say Moosehead Grill. Montford Road is lined up with many restaurants and bars such as Angry Ale’s, Brazzwells, Park Lanes, The Roasting Company, and Moosehead. Moosehead stands out among the others. The unique restaurant design is an homage to the Pizza Hut that was leased in the same spot during the 90s. Each night loads of people find their way into Moosehead Grill to watch games, jam to music, or just the flavorful and diverse menu that features everything from wings to the quesadillas.

The Origin of the Moosehead

On the inside of the restaurant on the wall is a large taxidermied moose head. Owner Chris  Neilson explains the origin of the taxidermied moose, Nielsen stated, “The moose came from a Passamaquoddy Indian that hunted with my father in the Moosehead Lake region in Maine”, His father specifically got the moose mounted to be the restaurant staple. 

The Beginnings 

“We maxed out nine credit cards and had five friends invest to finance opening,” said owner Chris Neilson. Nielsen’s ambitious yet intelligent goal of opening a restaurant in Charlotte was driven by the fact that “in the 90s, there was nowhere to eat after 10 PM”. Partner Donnie Anderson and Neilson met a man named Ken Mullins, a restaurant supply store owner with, “a handshake, no contract” deal and, Moosehead got the equipment ready to start serving customers and they finally opened in 1996. Moosehead’s unique serving of fresh food till 2 AM. Their business hasn’t looked back with 28 years of success. Donnie and Chris took a high-risk chance and it paid off as they created the perfect bar & grill in the Myers Park area. 

Support a Small Business

Moosehead is a local staple. There’s nothing like it. When supporting small businesses, customers play an important role in boosting the local economy. Nielson stated, “I am able to create a sense of community and give back to our community.” He adds, “It takes years and is still a work in progress but we have built a team that works together to problem solve and continue to grow.” From the ground up, Moosehead is a true reflection of hard work and dedication to serve the community; as a result, Moosehead has grown into a business that is worth much more than a price tag.

Food Staples

13 unique wing flavors, potato skins, nachos, quesadillas, comfort food, and many more filling sides are the core of the menu. They also offer a diverse spread of wings, the household staple is The Uncle Donnie’s Famous Blackened Wings- given the name to pay homage to the original partner Donnie Anderson. The Bee Sting wings have the unique taste of honey and habanero. Similar to the Bee Stings, the Killer Bees have more heat with a hint of mango. The PB & J’s are the most interesting wing with; thai spices, peanut butter, and apple jelly. The original hot Buffalo offers a spicy kick as well as the Poison Poison wings which are made with Carolina Reaper peppers. Moosehead is the dream for the avid chicken wing enthusiast.

Moosehead’s “watering hole” for adults provides 17 draft beers and 10 different bottles. Moosehead supports local breweries by selling local IPAS like NODA’s Jam Session and Olde Meck Copper. Customers enjoy the late nights and the wide offering of drinks. 

Nielsen stated, “It’s the quality of the food, the environment we have created, and good staff that keeps customers coming back.” Charlotte has so much to offer, but no restaurant and bar compare to the Culture Chris Neilson and Donnie Anderson started back in 1996. Moosehead Grill serves the heart of the Myers Park Community. Nothing can beat the Moose!

The Spice of The Carolinas

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Its hard to think of the Carolina Panthers without thinking of Julius Peppers, the defensive lineman made a mark on the football field and on all fans’ hearts over his time with Carolina’s NFL team. From his days as the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft to his recent induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Peppers’ journey showcases his skill and dedication to the sport. The UNC Chapel Hill graduate and North Carolina native entered the NFL with high expectations to live up to, and he didn’t disappoint. He was drafted by the Panthers in 2002, instantly making an impact on the team and earning him the Defensive Rookie of the Year. His agility and speed made him a tough opponent for any team and set him up for a successful future in the league.

Even before beginning his 17-year NFL career, Peppers was a vital player for the Tarheels and made such an impact that his jersey number, 49, was retired. Following suit, he became a significant part of the Panthers’ defense. He played a significant role in the team’s journey to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. Even now, Peppers still holds the record of 97 sacks which is the most in Panther history. Despite standing out on the stats sheet, he showed leadership while serving as captain for the Panthers. Throughout his career Peppers always showed dedication to the teams he played for on the field, but also for the communities around the cities he played for.. On the field Peppers only missed two games due to an injury throughout his entire career, and off the field he earned the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2011 for his community service. From The Observer’s interview with former Panthers teammate of Peppers, Mike Rucker said, “He did so much in the community, but he didn’t hold press conferences to let everybody know he was doing that; he’s also a funny guy. He laughs probably 90% of the day. Believe it or not, he also reads a lot. Very smart. Very educated outside of the football world.”

Pepper’s journey with the Panthers included multiple Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors, proving his skills throughout his years in the league. He left the Panthers and joined the Chicago Bears in 2010 and later the Green Bay Packers in 2014. Yet, he couldn’t stay away from home, and in 2017 Peppers returned to Carolina to play his last two seasons in the league. During these seasons, he was a valuable asset on the defense and became a mentor to younger players. 

After playing his final two seasons with the Panthers, he made the choice to retire in 2018. His retirement sparked the question of if he had earned himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This past year that question was answered. He was announced as one of seven players from the Class of 2024 of the Hall of Fame earlier this year. This selection will permanently place Peppers among the best football players of all time.

 His Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a monumental moment for Panther fans. North Carolinians watched him go from a young prospect committed to Chapel Hill to a Hall of Famer who inspires young athletes every day. He has made history by becoming the first member of the Hall of Fame to have played the majority of his career with the Carolina Panthers. Pepper’s story truly shows how great the power of dedication, leadership, and talent is when one wants to achieve their goals. He has left a legacy and an unerasable mark on the Panthers franchise, let alone the sport as a whole. This incredible honor is truly the only way to recognize Julius Peppers remarkable career in the NFL.

The New York Times Sues ChatGPT

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The New York Times is suing Microsoft and OpenAI, accusing them of using millions of articles without permission to train their chatbots CoPilot and ChatGPT, as well as providing copyrighted information to users. The Times is the first major news outlet to sue Microsoft and OpenAI, claiming billions of dollars in losses. It wants the companies to destroy chatbot models and training sets that incorporate its material. 

Founded in 2015 by a group of entrepreneurs including Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Amazon Web Services, ChatGPT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing “safe and beneficial” artificial intelligence. The company has developed multiple language models and image generation models. In 2019, OpenAI announced the company was restructuring to include a capped profit arm, which allows the company to combine the benefits of a nonprofit with those of a for-profit company. The design enables the company to continue to follow its mission while raising capital and more closely resemble other AI startups. OpenAI has been valued at over $80 million by investors. In 2019, Microsoft began a partnership with OpenAI and has invested at least $13 billion into the company’s for-profit subsidiary. As part of the partnership, Microsoft’s supercomputers help power OpenAI’s research and Microsoft is also beginning to incorporate OpenAI’s technology into some of its products.

The lawsuit, filed on December 27, is based on material the Times says that Microsoft and OpenAI did not have permission to use. OpenAI and Microsoft have both responded,  saying that their use of the copyrighted material is “fair use”, a legal doctrine concerning the unlicensed use of copyrighted material. An OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement that the company is committed to working with media outlets to help them benefit from the technology and respect the rights of content creators.

The New York Times is not the first group to sue the tech giants. Previous lawsuits have been brought forward by David Baldacci, Jonathan Franzen, John Grisham and Scott Turow, and others. In June, more than 4,000 writers signed a letter sent to the CEO’s of multiple tech companies, accusing them of exploiting their work while training chatbots. Danielle Coffey, The News/Media Alliance president and CEO says “Quality journalism and GenAI can complement each other if approached collaboratively, but using journalism without permission or payment is unlawful, and certainly not fair use.” The Times and other media outlets have installed code on their websites to block OpenAI’s web crawler, GPTBot, from searching their websites for content. 

OpenAI also signed deals with two different news outlets, The Associated Press and Axel Springer. The deal with Axel Springer allows users of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to receive summaries of selected content from Axel Springer’s different media brands, as well as including links to the original articles. 

AI is considered to be a major threat to the news industry, and The Times is claiming the chatbots are threatening their livelihood by stealing billions of dollars of work by its journalists. The lawsuit provides examples from OpenAI’s GTP-4 provided articles hidden behind paywalls on the Times website. Articles include two separate Pulitzer Prize-winning pieces, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek” and an investigation into New York City’s taxi industry that took 18 months to complete. Microsoft’s CoPilot has also output verbatim experts from Times articles. Chatbots have added to the struggle for media organizations to retain their audience and user base, and the Times states that AI threatens high-quality journalism, reducing viewers’ need to visit the publisher’s website and cutting down on advertising and subscription revenue. “These bots compete with the content they are trained on,” said Ian B. Crosby, one of the lead lawyers representing the Times. ChatGPT has also falsely cited sources in multiple instances, which is leading to growing concerns over misinformation.

The lawsuit remains ongoing, and according to media analyst Matthew Scott Goldstein, “This litigation is not going to be resolved any time soon, but when it is, it will shape the landscape and future of publishing.” Legal experts also expect that this will not be the last lawsuit against AI, and some expect the issue to make it to the Supreme Court.

Documents Leak

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Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, was accused of leaking classified Pentagon documents on a Discord server. He had access to highly sensitive information as an intelligence analyst and may spend up to 25 years in prison for his role in the leak. These leaks were brought to light by a Discord user who reported the activity to the authorities.

Some of Teixeira’s messages were deleted before he was arrested, but many remained, which The New York Times was able to obtain. These messages show that Teixeira was fixated on weapons and strange conspiracy theories. He accused the US government of making biological and chemical weapons in Ukrainian labs, creating the Islamic State, and orchestrating mass shootings. One of his messages read that “The FBI and other three letter agencies contact unhinged mentally ill kids and convince them to do mass shootings to make people vote for gun control,” sharing a conspiracy theory of his after a gunman killed three people at a mall in Indiana last summer, according to The New York Times. His messages also showed his many conflicting ideas about the government, as he seemed to both admire and distrust the government as well as political parties.  He shared his government beliefs frequently enough that his Discord friends called him “intel man” and “three letter man,” and he seemed to love their approval (NYT). Although his messages leave many questions unanswered about his motivations, they fill in substantial gaps left by court filings and provide important clues about his mental state. 

Teixeira may spend up to 25 years in jail for his role in the leak after being charged with two counts of unauthorized handling of sensitive material. This case serves as a reminder of the severity of insider threats and the need for government organizations to be vigilant in guarding sensitive information. Identifying and preventing such breaches before they occur is essential to avoid compromising national security.

This is not the first instance of an insider leaking classified information, and it is unlikely to be the last. In fact, threats posed by insiders are considered by many to be more significant than that of external actors. They are also more difficult to detect, as they are already authorized to access the information they leak. Additionally, insiders may have a better understanding of the security measures in place, allowing them to avoid them more easily. Federal organizations must implement a range of measures to mitigate the risk of insider threats. These include monitoring employees’ activities, implementing more in depth background checks, and strengthening access controls. In this instance, Teixeira’s actions have potentially compromised national security, and the need for strict measures to prevent such incidents cannot be emphasized enough.

In the case of Teixeira, his actions have exposed weaknesses in the US Air Force’s security measures and highlighted the need for stronger protocols to prevent insider threats. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting classified information from insider threats.

In conclusion, Jack Teixeira’s case brings to light the challenges posed by insider threats to national security. His actions of leaking classified information highlights the need for stricter measures to prevent such incidents from occurring. As technology advances and access to sensitive information becomes easier, organizations must take proactive measures to guard against insider threats to ensure the safety and security of the country.

The Run for the Roses

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Every year, on the first Saturday of May, is the first race of the coveted Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby. Held in Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, the race draws a crowd of 155,000 people, with 16 million people watching worldwide. The Run for the Roses proves to have something for everybody, as the longest continuously running sporting event, the first being in 1875. 

The Triple Crown is a series of 3 horse races: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and The Belmont Stakes. A three-year-old thoroughbred must win all three races in one racing season to win the Triple Crown. To be able to compete in the Kentucky Derby, a horse must race 35 times around the US and the world. In these 35 races, points are awarded to the horses that place in the top 4 at each race, and the 20 horses with the most points earn a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. In the 144 years since the beginning of the Kentucky Derby, only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown, including the horse Secretariat, whose story made it to the big screen in 2010. 

One big draw of ‘The most exciting two minutes in sports’ is the betting. Those with enough money can place bets on which horse will win and whether they will be under or over the record time. The ‘Kentucky Derby Superfecta’ is a bet placed on the horses that will be in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The Kentucky Derby draws 233 million dollars in bet money alone. Fitting the lucrative theme, the victors of the race win 1.86 million dollars, a six-pound gold trophy, and the symbolic rose garland.

The traditions are a big part of the Kentucky Derby, from the song “My Old Kentucky Home” to the signature drink, The Mint Julep. Before every race, along with the National Anthem, the song “My Old Kentucky Home” plays. The song was written by John Prine and has been played before the race since 1936. The Kentucky Derby is also, somewhat of a fashion event, where women wear avant-garde derby hats and the men wear bowler hats. In the heart of spring, guests wear pastel colors, and spring themes such as stripes and flowers. 

Leading up to the race is Derby Festival, which is a two-week-long celebration with events including The Pegasus Parade, the hot air balloon race, the steamboat race, The Derby Marathon, and The Oaks. The Oaks is the American premier and most lucrative race for 3-year-old fillies as the highest level derby for female horses. It too has a signature drink -The Lily. Locals love the race so much that the Friday before the race is a holiday for schools in Louisville. Along with the celebration, fans can visit the Kentucky Derby History Museum, where an exhibit on Secretariat is taking place for the 50th anniversary of the horse’s win at the Derby.

This year’s race took place on May 6th.  The winner of the 149th Kentucky Derby was Mage, taking home the roses and cup by tying with the record, set by Secretariat, running the 1-and-a-quarter mile track in 1 minute and 59 seconds. 5 horses were scratched, including the favorite to win, Forte, who beat Mage in the Florida Derby, but did not compete due to a bruised foot. Angel of Empire, who placed third, was the next in line to win, but Mage defied the 15-1 odds. The win means a lot for the country of Venezuela, as the first time a Venezuelan horse, trainer, and jockey have won the Derby. Javier Castellano, jockey of Mage, states, “He’s a little horse with a big heart. It was the dream trip for any jockey.”. Castellano has tried to win the race 16 times, finally winning this year. 

Next year will be the 150th race, and people around the world will gather around their TV to watch the 2 minutes where history will be made, to see who will win the Race for the Roses.