Prologue Journal – Page 36017 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Inflection AI Raises $1.3 Billion in a Booming Market for Generative AI

Wall Street Journal Venture funding in generative AI startups rose to $12.7 billion in the first five months of 2023, compared with $4.8 billion in all of 2022, according to PitchBook. https://www.wsj.com/articles/inflection-ai-raises-1-3-billion-in-a-booming-market-for-generative-ai-5954424c

TDI Towing in Philadelphia Charged in Catalytic Converter Scheme

New York Times TDI Towing in Philadelphia spent millions buying stolen catalytic converters off the street and selling them at a profit, prosecutors said. The case is among the latest to target a growing crime. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/us/philadelphia-catalytic-converter-theft.html

Group of eight tourists lost in Russia’s North Caucasus mountains

Disclaimer: TASS is Russian government propaganda, and not a reliable news source. The tourist group split in two, and they took different paths https://tass.com/emergencies/1640671

Russians attack southern oblasts of Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles

Pravda Ukraine Russian forces attacked the city of Zaporizhzhia on the night of 29-30 June, as well as Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, using drones and ballistic missiles. Source: Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Details: At 01:16, the Air Force called on the residents of Zaporizhzhia to stay in shelters due to an…

U.S. Says Russia May Have Detained a General Involved in Wagner Rebellion

New York Times President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made highly choreographed appearances in an effort to project power and control, and U.S. officials suggested Gen. Sergei Surovikin was probably being held. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/europe/russia-putin-wagner-ukraine.html

Can Russia Tame Wagner in Africa Without Destroying It?

New York Times The mercenary group is so deeply enmeshed in the Central African Republic and several other nations that it can’t be easily replaced, experts say. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/world/africa/central-african-republic-wagner-africa-syria.html

DOD: Chinese spy balloon did not collect, transmit data as it transited US

Fox News The Chinese spy balloon that flew across the U.S. earlier this year did not collect and transmit data back to Beijing, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen Pat Ryder said Thursday. “We were aware that it had intelligence collection capabilities,” Ryder said, hours after reports saying that the Chinese spy balloon used American equipment…

Merrick Garland’s Cheap Talk

Wall Street Journal He has an obligation to prove the Hunter Biden probe wasn’t tainted by politics. https://www.wsj.com/articles/merrick-garlands-cheap-talk-hunter-biden-fbi-investigation-irs-whistleblower-felony-charges-tax-470b46ac

Frank Lloyd Wright Built 120 Homes Near the End of His Life. Just One Original Owner Remains.

Wall Street Journal Roland Reisley is now the only person living in a house designed for him by the late celebrated architect. https://www.wsj.com/articles/frank-lloyd-wright-built-120-homes-near-the-end-of-his-life-just-one-original-owner-remains-ef654ec6

Christians Err if They Give Up on America

Wall Street Journal Some believers turn away from patriotism and the freedom that lets their faith thrive. https://www.wsj.com/articles/christians-err-if-they-give-up-on-america-fourth-of-july-nationalism-integralism-d30470dc