TECH VISIONARIES Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman are among a group that's announced a new non-profit artificial intelligence startup. The goal, apparently, is to make sure the first true AI is "good", and its backers say they've committed $1 billion to the project.

This is an interesting development, considering that Musk previously compared building an artificial intelligence to "summoning the demon."

Also: Prophecies of a Muslim caliphate and the return of Messiah by mystics Baba Vanga and the Vilna Gaon; bulk purchases of prepaid cell phones and stolen propane tanks have Missouri on edge; tangled alliances in the Middle East; and Israel trains against the anti-aircraft missile system Russia sold to Iran.

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