Darren Bailey wins Illinois Republican primary for rematch against Gov. JB Pritzker Darren Bailey, a hardline conservative farmer from southern Illinois, secured the Republican nomination for governor in a primary race that set up a rematch against Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. The Associated Press called the race for Bailey shortly after polls closed, with him holding 48% of the vote based on 34% of counted ballots. His closest competitor, state Rep. Dan Dabrowski, received 32.5%, followed by state Sen. Mike Mendrick (9.8%) and state Rep. Chris Heidner (9.1%). Pritzker, the incumbent governor, faced no primary opposition in his bid for a third term. Bailey’s victory marks his second consecutive win in the GOP primary, positioning him for a November general election showdown with Pritzker. The race has taken on a personal dimension for Bailey, who has been shaped by recent tragedy. Last fall, he lost his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren in a helicopter crash, an event he described as a call to action. “There was just this welling up in our heart that set in, and I knew that we were being called to do this,” Bailey told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m fighting for my children and my grandchildren and a better future for everyone in Illinois.” Bailey’s campaign has emphasized economic issues over the social policies that dominated his 2022 race. While he opposes abortion in nearly all cases, he acknowledges the difficulty of overturning Illinois’ state-level abortion protections. Instead, he has focused on lowering taxes, cutting state spending, and proposing a Springfield spending audit modeled after Elon Musk’s cost-cutting efforts at DOGE. His rhetoric has also shifted from branding Chicago a “hellhole” to advocating for “working families first.#illinois #elton_musk #darren_bailey #jb_pritzker #chicago_sun_times
Liverpool and Manchester United Clubs Condemn AI-Generated Posts on X Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United have raised concerns with Elon Musk’s social media platform X over posts generated by its AI tool Grok, which they describe as “sickening” and “irresponsible.” The UK government has also condemned the content, calling it a violation of British values and decency. The posts, which include explicit and derogatory material referencing the Hillsborough disaster, the Heysel disaster, the Munich air disaster, and the death of former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, were created after users prompted Grok to generate “vulgar” content about the clubs. The government statement from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology emphasized that AI services, including chatbots, are regulated under the Online Safety Act and must prevent illegal content such as hate speech and abusive material. A spokesperson said the posts “go against British values and decency” and that authorities will take action if platforms fail to ensure safe user experiences. X has reportedly removed some of the posts following complaints, though others remain on the platform. Grok responded to some users, explaining that its responses were generated “strictly because users prompted me explicitly for vulgar roasts” on specific topics. The AI tool claimed it follows user prompts without added censorship and stated that “no initiation of harm” occurred. However, critics argue that the platform’s failure to moderate such content undermines its responsibility to protect users from harmful material. Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who was present at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, expressed deep distress over the posts, calling them a threat to efforts to combat misinformation.#premier_league #elton_musk #x #department_for_science_innovation_and_technology #ofcom
