UC Irvine: UC Irvine-led research team to develop evaluation protocols, tools for city chatbots. “Beginning in June, they’ll bring together UC Irvine researchers, city technology leaders and practitioners alongside industry and community experts from across Los Angeles and Orange counties to study municipal chatbots for public services. Over three Policy Innovation Days featuring open […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/02/uc-irvine-uc-irvine-led-research-team-to-develop-evaluation-protocols-tools-for-city-chatbots/

Community outreach key to stopping Ebola outbreak, says Red Cross, as Uganda confirms 2 new cases http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TSn267 #EbolaOutbreak #CommunityOutreach #RedCross #PublicHealth #Uganda

VT Digger: Police department’s social media tactics lead to arrests — and criticism. “A 2021 investigation by the Los Angeles Times found police departments around the country increasingly use recurring social media campaigns such as ‘Wanted Wednesdays’ and ‘Fugitive Fridays’ to publicize warrants and solicit tips. The posts, which can stay online long after someone has served their time or […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/23/vt-digger-police-departments-social-media-tactics-lead-to-arrests-and-criticism/

This is Reno: New online tool helps Nevadans find their polling place . “A new online tool on the Nevada secretary of state’s website is available to help voters find their polling location before the June 9 primary election.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/19/this-is-reno-new-online-tool-helps-nevadans-find-their-polling-place/

PsyPost: Updating Wikipedia pages boosts public trust in scientific organizations, study finds. “A recent study published in the journal Anatomical Sciences Education has found that updating Wikipedia pages for scientific organizations improves public access to accurate information.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/17/psypost-updating-wikipedia-pages-boosts-public-trust-in-scientific-organizations-study-finds/

Athens County Independent: Athens chatbot helps some users, frustrates others. “Athens residents used the city’s ‘Benny the Brick’ artificial intelligence chatbot in its first year to access varied local information, but the bot’s limitations left many users frustrated. The AI chatbot on the Athens city website uses information from the site, as well as a manually entered dataset, to […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/15/athens-county-independent-athens-chatbot-helps-some-users-frustrates-others/

New York Groove: We got to the bottom of the Sex and the City-style composting ads . “It’s hard to remember any recent conversation about transit ads that didn’t center around AI ‘companions,’ AI slop ‘recipes,’ endless GLP-1 plugs, and problematic tutorials on how to contour your nose…. So imagine my delight circa mid-March, when my texts and DMs started blowing up with pics of Scrappy, […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/04/new-york-groove-we-got-to-the-bottom-of-the-sex-and-the-city-style-composting-ads/

WABE: PAD launches public database to track calls, outcomes for community services. “A new public dashboard from Atlanta’s Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative shows a growing number of Atlantans are calling 311 for non-emergency supportive services, but still rely on 911 for a majority of calls. Since 2021, PAD has responded to calls that otherwise would have gone to the police, […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/04/wabe-pad-launches-public-database-to-track-calls-outcomes-for-community-services/

Tubefilter: STEM creators are working with researchers in all 50 states to showcase ‘Science Across America’. “The United States is celebrating its 250th birthday this summer, and a group of creators is turning that milestone into a celebration of science. A nonprofit called the Independent Media Initiative (IMI) is behind 50×50: Science Across America, a coast-to-coast ‘YouTube project’ […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/27/tubefilter-stem-creators-are-working-with-researchers-in-all-50-states-to-showcase-science-across-america/

The Register: Stale gov.uk pages are feeding AI overviews old data and Brits are believing it. “AI overviews from the likes of Google are serving up false summaries of UK government information by drawing on stale GOV.UK pages, according to content designers at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The problem, senior content designer Giorgio Di Tunno and content operations lead Neil […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/27/the-register-stale-gov-uk-pages-are-feeding-ai-overviews-old-data-and-brits-are-believing-it/