Russia is boosting calls for a civil war over Texas border crisis

PLUS: These States Are Basically Begging You to Get a Heat Pump, and more. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions]( [02.07.24](   [Heat pump mounted on the exterior of a white building and framed by rose bushes]( PUMP IT UP | 3-MINUTE READ [These States Are Basically Begging You to Get a Heat Pump]( BY MATT SIMON [You need a heat pump, ASAP. Now nine states are teaming up to accelerate the adoption of this climate superhero.](   [Portrait of NebojÅ¡a Vujinović Vujo]( SLIME TIME | 7-MINUTE READ [Confessions of an AI Clickbait Kingpin]( BY KATE KNIBBS [Serbian DJ turned internet entrepreneur NebojÅ¡a Vujinović Vujo floods abandoned news sites with AI-generated articles. But he wants you to know he’s a nice guy.](   [Two people sitting at a roulette table at a busy casino.]( BOOK EXCERPT | 14-MINUTE READ [2054, Part III: The Singularity]( BY ELLIOT ACKERMAN AND ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS [“You’d have an incomprehensible level of computational, predictive, analytic, and psychic skill. You’d have the mind of God.” An exclusive excerpt from 2054: A Novel.](   [Photo collage of Texas Governor Abbott, razor wire at the Texas border, and Russian text that reads %22Free Texas%22]( RUSSIAN INFLUENCE | 4-MINUTE READ [Russia Is Boosting Calls for ‘Civil War’ Over Texas Border Crisis]( BY DAVID GILBERT [An all-encompassing Russian disinformation campaign is using everything from bots to lifestyle influencers to powerful state-run media to sow division in the United States.]( ADVERTISEMENT [GET WIRED]( [Stay WIRED-IN during our email exclusive sale. Get full tech coverage with a subscription to WIRED for just$30 $5.Plus free stickers!Subscribe Now.](   [A reciept showcasing all of the reviews that have been purchased. ]( FIVE STARS | 20-MINUTE READ [Online Reviews Are Being Bought and Paid For. Get Used to It]( BY CHRISTOPHER NULL [Critics have long been accused of accepting money from companies in exchange for a review of their gadget, book, or movie. Most writers would scoff at the idea, but the practice is widespread—and growing.](   [Stack of US dollar bills]( BREAKING BAD | 4-MINUTE READ [Ransomware Payments Hit a Record $1.1 Billion in 2023]( BY ANDY GREENBERG [After a slowdown in payments to ransomware gangs in 2022, last year saw total ransom payouts jump to their highest level yet, according to a new report from crypto-tracing firm Chainalysis.](   [Illustration of a magnifying glass over a briefcase revealing tiny cubes.]( CAREER ADVISOR | 4-MINUTE READ [LinkedIn’s New AI Chatbot Wants to Help You Find Your Next Job]( BY AMANDA HOOVER [A chatbot interface on LinkedIn tries to speed up job searches by offering advice such as an assessment of how well a job opening matches a person’s skills.](   [A man walks with an umbrella outside of AT&T corporate headquarters]( CALL WAITING | 5-MINUTE READ [Landline Phone Owners Are Protesting AT&T’s Plans to Drop Service]( BY JON BRODKIN, ARS TECHNICA [In California, AT&T is designated as the Carrier of Last Resort. The fight is on to keep it that way.](   [Two boxes of 200mg Mifepristone tablets and a single pill pack sitting on a dark table]( MIFEPRISTONE | 3-MINUTE READ [A Study at the Center of the Abortion Pill Battle Was Just Retracted]( BY EMILY MULLIN [A scientific publisher found serious flaws in a paper that links the medication mifepristone to more emergency room visits.](   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Senior Verification Engineer]( [NVIDIA]( Location: Santa Clara, CA, USA [APPLY NOW]( [Responsible AI Manager]( [Nestlé IT]( [Location: Arlington, VA, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( ADVERTISEMENT [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( [TikTok]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED Newsletter Questions, Comments or Feedback). This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.