Technology

Elon Musk’s first month of destroying America will cost us decades

Published

1 year ago

February 21, 2025

Elon Musk’s first month of destroying America will cost us decades

Let’s pause and look at what the Elon Musk administration has done so far.

There’s been a lot of panic about the immediate but somewhat abstract constitutional crisis as Elon Musk’s misleadingly-named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rips the government apart. And as much fun as we all are having watching Congress render itself irrelevant and wondering whether the courts even matter, there’s a concrete nightmare looming. Mass unemployment, the defunding of crucial social programs, and just plain incompetence mean that America, as we know it, is already in for hard times.

The degree to which we have failed not merely ourselves but also our children and grandchildren is breathtaking

The scale of destruction in the past four weeks starts at the Soviet devotion to Lysenkoist biological theories, and at maximum, is the American version of Mao’s Cultural Revolution: a disastrous triumph of ideological purity over basic reality. I am not sure it has occurred to the majority of people that we are about to make a Great Leap Forward and destroy our prosperous, relatively peaceful society.

Musk has, in the short term, set us up for a shock to the economy from both unemployment and frozen government grants. This will be felt more or less immediately.

But the long-term costs will be measured in decades. The degree to which we have failed not merely ourselves but also our children and grandchildren is breathtaking. Musk projects — such as undercutting practical preparations for possible disasters and dismantling an educational and scientific system so good that our actual enemies send their children to us for college — combine with disastrous Trump policies like mass deportation to undermine American society. And by alienating our longtime allies and cozying up to Russia, we set ourselves up to be a pariah state.

Let’s start with the federal workers. How many federal workers has Elon Musk fired? As of Valentine’s Day, Reuters figured 10,000. That number is almost certainly higher now. Many of the “probationary” employees he targeted were, in fact, quite senior — people who had just gotten promoted or who had been working for government contractors and then transitioned to working for the government itself. Often, these people were military veterans. Another 75,000 have taken a buyout from the Musk regime.

Kansas City, Missouri, for instance, doesn’t have enough jobs to absorb all its ex-federal workers

Among those fired: hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees, including air traffic controllers that keep flying safe. Over 1,000 people from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides healthcare to vets. On top of these specifics lies the basic fact that unemployed people have less money to spend in the rest of the economy. The pain might be most visible in reputationally liberal areas like the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. But it’s widespread — Kansas City, Missouri, for instance, doesn’t have enough jobs to absorb all its ex-federal workers. There are laid-off workers in Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Florida — in fact, all over the US.

It gets worse, because the recent pause in federal spending — driven first by an executive order from President Donald Trump and now by the chaos of DOGE — threatens the stability of many, many more people. Take, for instance, farmers and ranchers. They’re Trump voters, mostly, but this may push many of them into bankruptcy, since they depended on government programs to pay for farm upgrades they already made. The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, means that an agricultural buyer who dropped $2 billion into the sector is now gone. Rural areas broadly rely on federal funding, of course.

It gets worse. Acts of aggression toward our trading partners mean that Canadians are starting to avoid US products. The EU is considering an import block on soybeans. That’s fewer places for farmers and ranchers to sell their products. America might not give a good goddamn about science or scientists, but cutting their funds also hits hospitals, which guarantees worse patient care.

Did you think I was done? I haven’t even gotten to the existential disasters. The Department of Agriculture has fired, it says accidentally, a number of people working on bird flu. (The agency is now attempting to rehire those workers.) Because the Musk regime froze all communications, there was no word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on bird flu for weeks.

There’s no considered plan, just careless mass destruction — and Musk’s desire to control everything, whatever the risks

There are other things to fear. DOGE reportedly fired a bunch of nuclear workers before realizing that they were, in fact, quite necessary, and then struggled to rehire them. Oops! Good thing that’s only nuclear weapons. Nothing to worry about, I’m sure.

DOGE isn’t yet inside the CDC, where all the dangerous microbes are kept, but they’re aiming at it. Also, the CDC has access to all electronic healthcare records — so if, let’s say, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decides he wants to ship everyone on psych meds to a work farm, a thing he has proposed, he can do that.

The Trump administration, obviously, would have done some of this damage without Musk — he wasn’t leading the initial federal spending freeze or bringing in witless cronies, like RFK, Brendan Carr, and Kash Patel, with their own idiotic agendas. But DOGE has targeted a shocking sweep of basic government services with an unprecedented level of slash-and-burn nihilism. There’s no considered plan, just careless mass destruction — and Musk’s desire to control everything, whatever the risks.

DOGE is said to be seeking access to detailed financial records about every American taxpayer. Musk also wants access to Notify.gov, which contains everyone’s phone numbers, along with details such as whether they receive Medicaid. A Social Security chief resigned rather than let Musk into those systems. He reportedly has access to bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal details as part of the “God mode” access granted to DOGE. So far, this access has only been confirmed at USAID — but it’s not difficult to imagine that it’s been granted elsewhere, too. Oh, DOGE is apparently now inside CISA, indiscriminately hacking away at staff. No way that can possibly expose sensitive information to the US’s adversaries, of which there seem to be an increasing number lately.

At no previous point in my lifetime has a sitting president had to appear on television and tell the public that he is not being manipulated by a scheming vizier

How organized is DOGE? Well, they’re struggling to keep straight whether a contract is worth $8 million or $8 billion. This isn’t an operation targeting government waste. It’s about destroying anyone and anything that might be targeted toward having a functioning society — effete goals like feeding the hungry, stopping climate change, and caring for the sick. DOGE relies on operatives’ elite mastery of the Ctrl + F shortcut and their fierce commitment to anti-“woke” Silicon Valley supremacy. Who needs government expertise when you’ve got ideological conviction, right? Destroying bourgeois experts has never led to bad results!

The military was one of the last DOGE holdouts, but lists have already been submitted for layoffs there — supplemented by plans from TV personality and drunkard Pete Hegseth, who is for some reason the defense secretary, to fire generals and other senior staff, possibly as soon as this week.

You may, at this point, be wondering, “What about Donald Trump?” It is perhaps worth noting that at no previous point in my lifetime has a sitting president had to appear on television and tell the public that he is not being manipulated by a scheming vizier. Not even George W. Bush had to do that, and plenty of people were suspicious of Dick Cheney.

Anyway, Trump shares many of Musk’s goals and has spent his free time dismantling the Pax Americana while sanctioning overseas concentration camps for refugees and dubbing himself a king. If Trump decides to try wresting back control of domestic politics from Musk, the destruction will continue — albeit perhaps with fewer people named “Big Balls.”

The Purge is being declared, but only for Trump supporters

Of course, if Musk and Trump turn on each other, that could wreak its own havoc. Sure, Musk has control of all the payments systems, everyone’s personal data, and a bunch of other sensitive stuff, but Trump also has, you know, an army.

Beside atrocities like blocking AIDS relief and the Panamanian jungle concentration camps, attacks on the rule of law might seem a little dry. Who cares that the disgraced mayor of New York may skate on corruption charges in an open quid pro quo arrangement? But let me make it practical: the Purge is being declared, but only for Trump supporters. Any illegal or violent activity they engage in will be excused, especially if it targets Trump or Musk’s supposed enemies. Pardoning January 6th rioters was just the start.

As all this happens, the putative opposition party is still watching SNL, voting to confirm picks for the Trump / Musk regime, and tweeting weird shit about inflation. Aside from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who is presently being threatened by Trump’s border czar for informing people of their rights — there has barely been pushback. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, perhaps the most lukewarm Democrat in existence, has nevertheless managed to make one of the strongest showings in the party by slamming the “king” comments. Certainly, there’s resistance from some Americans. People have been annoying their elected officials and protesting fairly continuously.

But many more people are simply tuning out — trying to pretend this isn’t happening. Well, it’s a matter of time before all this comes for them: the potential recession; the impoverished dystopia; the sicker, worse America.

Put it all together. We are in the process of being rendered unemployed, sick, helpless, and fearful of a law that works nakedly in the interest of Musk’s power. I still believe it is possible to stop what is in motion, but the window is closing. It has only been a month. Think of what a year will bring — and what we will lose.

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Technology

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

Technology

300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

AI Assistant
Llama
Gemini AI Sidebar
AI Sidebar
ChatGPT Sidebar
Grok
Asking ChatGPT
ChatGBT
Chat Bot GPT
Grok Chatbot
Chat With Gemini
XAI
Google Gemini
Ask Gemini
AI Letter Generator
AI Message Generator
AI Translator
AI For Translation
AI Cover Letter Generator
AI Image Generator ChatGPT
Ai Wallpaper Generator
Ai Picture Generator
DeepSeek Download
AI Email Writer
Email Generator AI
DeepSeek Chat
ChatGPT Picture Generator
ChatGPT Translate
AI GPT
ChatGPT Translation
ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Published

15 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”