Semua Kabar

For the firsttimein decades, active-duty US Marines are rolling into Los Angeles—not for disaster relief or training drills, but to guard federal buildings during a protest crackdown thatlegal experts saythreatens long-standing limits on military power at home.

The deployment, announced by President Donald Trump on Monday, involves more than 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment of the 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms. Mobilized underTitle 10 orders, the Marines have been commanded to protect federal property and personnel from mounting protests over aggressive immigration raids and neighborhood sweeps. It is a rare and forceful use of federal military power on US soil.

The mobilization follows Trump’sJune 7 orderthat federalized as many as 4,000 California national guardsmen, overriding the objections of state officials and igniting a high-stakes legal fight.

A US district judge on ThursdayorderedTrump to return control of the guardsmen to the state of California, saying the takeover was unlawful, only likely to inflame tensions in the city, and had deprived the state of resources necessary “to fight fires, combat the fentanyl trade, and perform other critical functions.” The injunction wasquickly stayed, however, by a federal appeals court, pending a hearing next week.

Protests began Friday in Westlake, an immigrant-heavy neighborhood near downtown LA, where residents rallied in response to sweeping ICE raids that targeted day laborers outside local businesses. Demonstrators marched, held signs, and chanted for several hours before tensions escalated after police declared an unlawful assembly and advanced on the crowd. LAPD officers and federal agents deployed a range ofcrowd control weapons, including batons, tear gas, pepper spray, and flash-bang grenades.Reportsfrom journalists and observers describe nonviolent protesters—and members of the press—being struck byrubber bulletsandstun devicesduring the crackdown.

Widespread protests are expected in LA and atsome 2,000 other locationsaround the US this weekend.

While the president holds broad emergency powers, legal scholars say that without invoking the Insurrection Act—a statute that permits domestic troop deployments only in cases of a rebellion or civil rights violations—federal law sharply limits what active-duty forces can do. Marines may not act as aposse comitatus, or function as law enforcement. They're barred from conducting surveillance and, in general, crowd control, as well asofficiallyarresting people, and may otherwise only support police in narrowly defined ways, according to Defense Department rules.

Pentagondirectivesgoverning “civil disturbance operations” reinforce these limits. Federal troops are prohibited from arresting civilians, searching property, and collecting evidence. They may not conduct surveillance of US persons. That includes not just individuals but vehicles, locations, and “transactions.” They may not serve as undercover agents, informants, or interrogators. Unless a crime is committed by a service member or on military property, Title 10 forces are likewise banned from engaging in any kind of forensics for the benefit of civilian police—unless they are willing to put in writing that such evidence was obtained by consent.

US Northern Command, which oversees military support to nonmilitary authorities in the contiguous 48 states,said Fridaythat Marines would not conduct “arrests” but are authorized to "temporarily hold" people in "specific circumstances" until police arrive to make aformalarrest. The clarification follows the emergence of a video showing Marines in LA detaining a civilian with plastic handcuffs before awaiting police—the first known instance of such an action during the current deployment.

There are numerous other scenarios in which the military can provide assistance to police, including by giving them “information” obtained “in the normal course” of their duties, unless applicable privacy laws prohibit it. Military members can also provide police with a wide variety of assistance so long as it’s in a “private capacity” and they’re off duty. Additionally, they can provide “expert advice,” so long as it doesn’t count as serving a function core to civilian police work.

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment; however, a staff member in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy confirmed for WIRED by phone the current set of policies under which deployed federal troops must operate.

There is one major caveat to the military’s restrictions. During an “extraordinary emergency,” military commanders may take limited, immediate action to prevent massive destruction or to restore critical public services, but only so long as presidential approval is “impossible” to obtain in advance. And while military personnel are naturally expected to maintain order and discipline at all times, under no circumstances are they required to stand down when their lives, or the lives of others, are in immediate danger.

Still, enforcement of these rules in the field is far from guaranteed. Legal experts warn thatadherence often variesin chaotic environments. Trump administration officials have also demonstrated a willingness to skirt the law. Last week, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem asked the Pentagon to authorize military assistance in conducting arrests and to deploy drone surveillance, according to a letterobtained by The San Francisco Chronicle—a move experts say directly contradicts standing legal prohibitions.

At a press conference on Thursday, Noem stated the federal government was on a mission to “liberate” Los Angeles from “socialists” and the “leadership” of California governor Gavin Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass. US Senator Alex Padilla, who represents the citizens of California, wasforcibly removedfrom the press conference after attempting to question Noem. Outside the press conference room, federal agents forced the senator to the ground, where he was temporarily placed in handcuffs.

Unlike the National Guard, which is well trained for domestic crowd control, active-duty Marines generally receive relatively little instruction in handling civil unrest. Those who do typically belong to military police or specialized security units. Nonetheless, the Marine Corps has published footage online showing various task forcestrainingwithriot-control tacticsand “nonlethal” weapons. Constitutional concerns do not arise, however, when Marines face off against foreign mobs—such as incivilian zonesduring the Afghanistan war or on the rare occasion protestersbreach the perimeterof a US embassy. And wartime rules of engagement are far more lenient than therules of forceby which Marines must adhere domestically.

In a statement on Wednesday, Northern Command confirmed the Marines had undergone training in all “mission essential tasks,” including “de-escalation” and “crowd control.” They willreportedlybe accompanied by legal and law enforcement experts.

Constitutional experts warn that deploying military forces against civilian demonstratorsblurs the linebetween law enforcement and military power, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for unchecked presidential authority. The risk deepens, they say, if federal troops overstep their legal bounds.

If lines are crossed, it could open a door that may not close easily—clearing the way for future crackdowns that erode Americans’ hard-won civil liberties.

Updated 7:40 pm ET, June 13, 2025: This story has been updated to include details about the first known arrest in 2025 of a protester by US Marines.

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

Best Travel Tote Bag OverallAway The Everywhere ToteRead more

Best Packable Travel ToteL.L. Bean Zip Hunter's Tote Bag With StrapRead more

Best Leather Tote for TravelLongchamp Le Pliage Xtra M Tote bagRead more

Best (Vegan) Leather ToteCincha The Vegan Leather Go-Tote – NavyRead more

It seems liketotes don't want to work these days. They're floppy, allergic to moisture, and too cool to carry actual stuff. They went vegan, then minimalist, then micro. Finding the best totes for travel shouldn't be harder than finding your gate. You want something spacious, wipeable, and tough enough to survive TSA.

Theseare the best totes for travel. They don't collapse under pressure, don't mind getting dirty, and, most importantly, carry your baggage (emotional or otherwise). We've schlepped them through airports, overstuffed them with travel essentials, and wedged them under seats.

For more travel bags, check out our guides to theBest Metro Totes,Best Laptop Backpacks, andBest Toiletry Bags.

I'll be testingthe Metro Tote from Monos,the Travel Tote from Béis, andthe Suncatcher Daytripper Carryall Tote from Sidney Baron.

For business travelers and solo flyers who pack light, the Away Everywhere Tote is the one-bag solution for back-to-back meetings, red-eye flights, and weekend getaways. Made from water-resistant nylon and accented with leather trim, it was clearly designed by someone who knows the realities of travel: fumbling through security lines, sprinting to trains, dodging coffee spills. It's fashionable enough for client dinners and durable enough to store in the overhead bin or under your seat.

The dimensions are dialed in to meet most airlines'personal item requirements, and it comes in a variety of low-key tones, from coastal blue to clay pink. A full top zipper keeps your essentials secure. There's a trolley sleeve that slides over a rolling luggage handle (though be warned: it looks like the exterior zip pocket, which has caused me more than one accidental drop). Inside, a padded sleeve cradles up to a 16-inch laptop and multiple interior pockets—plus a handy key clip.

Just know this: There's no dedicated water bottle pocket, which feels like a strange omission in 2025.

L.L. Bean's Field Tote is all grit and no gimmicks: a thick, double-layered polyester shell, burly double-stitched seams, and handles that feel industrial. Inside, a thermoplastic lining shrugs off moisture, mud, and mystery goo with wipe-clean ease. It's not fully leakproof, but it's close, and that makes it perfect for hauling damp beach towels, snow-crusted boots, or a post-workout fit.

It's a single, cavernous compartment, with no fussy pockets. There's an open-top version, but we love the zip-top model for travel. WIRED director Michael Calore tested the extra-large, 53-liter version, and it's massive enough for a week's worth of produce, a couple half-gallon cartons of oat milk, and a 12-pack of hard kombucha if you're also planning on going grocery shopping during your vacation.

If you're shopping for a travel tote that's as stylish as it is packable, the Longchamp Le Pliage Xtra M is a jet-setter's dream. This updated model ofthe best-selling Le Pliageis ideal for slipping under the seat in front of you or sightseeing through a new city. The rich leather trim and nylon body complement most outfits, and it comes in eight sophisticated shades (though the cognac brown is a standout). Spacious enough to hold your in-flight must-haves—laptop, snacks, passport, and an extra layer—and it stays pretty compact and lightweight. Best of all, it folds flat, so it's easy to tuck in your luggage.

This vegan leather bag is deceptively huge. The base is 7.5 inches deep, so while it doesn’t look that big in pictures, it holds an astonishing amount of stuff—I’ve packed enough clothes in it for a full weekend trip. I usually have concerns about vegan leather cracking and breaking with use, but Cincha’s soft pebbled fabric does not look or feel obviously plastic. It has stood up to several months of use being tossed in and around car trunks without getting scuffed or cracking.

It has two (two!) mesh water bottle holders in the interior, a laptop sleeve that holds a 13-inch laptop, and three interior pockets (one that zips shut). There is one exterior zip pocket that fits my iPhone for easy access. As far as carrying options go, it has two grab handles, two hidden fabric shoulder straps that tuck away into zip pockets, and my favorite accessory—two loops for the separatetravel beltso you can strap it to the rest of your luggage. However, it is more than 2 pounds heavier than aLongchamp Le Pliage, so this is strictly for when you can sling it around on top of your carry-on.—Adrienne So

The Cuyana System Tote is a modular gear-hauler that shape-shifts with your itinerary. Designed to outlast the churn of fast fashion, this travel tote starts minimal, but the genius lies in its add-ons. Alaptop sleeveorinsert organizercreates a structure on the go, with dedicated slots for your computer, water bottle, and other work essentials.

Instead of stitched-on straps prone to failure, the System Tote's handles are cut directly from its leather body, minimizing points of wear. The main compartment snaps shut rather than zips, something to know if you're the spill-averse type.The Classic Easy Tote ($298)offers a zippered alternative.

Modularity extends to accessories: ASystem Flap Baginsert doubles as a clutch or in-bag organizer, anda detachable, adjustable strap(also available in awide model) converts the tote into a crossbody, perfect for hands-free airport sprints if you're unintentionally trying outairport theory.

What sets BaubleBar apart is its playful personalization. Your chosen icons (up to six depending on the size) are embroidered directly onto the canvas tote. The process is super user-friendly, with predesignated spots to help you visualize your picks. Choose from zodiac signs, cutesy foods, initials, and more. Just note that it's a final sale, so be sure of your design before ordering.

Inside, you'll find a roomy main compartment with a small interior pocket and key loop. The large size fits everything you need for a beach day trip, and the medium and small options are better for light shopping or city exploring. It closes with just a snap button, which isn't the most secure for crowded areas. The quality of the playful embroidery makes it a fun choice for travel.

I recently took this versatile and large tote from Topo Designs to Colorado for a long weekend as a stand-in for my ski boot bag (yes, Arapahoe Basin is still open!) after using it all winter to haul my curling gear to the club. The main compartment, which zips closed, is big enough for ski boots, gloves, and the like, and there's plenty of room to stash socks or other gear in the side pockets. Come July, this tote will make the perfect bag for my cook kit on asummer campingroad trip. When you have a tote this stylish and durable the question is not whether it's coming on the trip but what you're going to use it for.—Martin Cizmar

Power up with unlimited access toWIRED.Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just$2.50$1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content.Subscribe Today.

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Best Overall 2-in-1 LaptopLenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, 2025)Read more

Best Detachable LaptopMicrosoft Surface Pro 13-inch (11th Edition, 2024)Read more

Best 2-in-1 ChromebookAcer Chromebook Plus Spin 714Read more

Best Dual-Screen 2-in-1 LaptopAsus Zenbook Duo (2025)Read more

The best 2-in-1laptops have aimed to bridge the gap between laptops and tablets ever since touchscreens became ubiquitous on laptops (Windows laptops, anyway). Clamshells are still the standard, but many of ourfavorite laptopstoday also happen to be 2-in-1s, thanks to their combination of power and flexibility. Whether you want a computer that can rotate its display or a tablet with a detachable keyboard, these are our favorites we've tested.

We review dozens oflaptopsevery year. Make sure you read our comprehensive guide onpicking the best laptop for your needs, as well as our other computing buying guides, including theBest MacBooks,Best Tablets,Best Cheap Laptops, andBest Gaming Laptops.

Updated June 2025: We've added the Surface Pro 12, Zenbook Duo, Lenovo Yoga 9i, and ROG Flow Z13.

A 2-in-1 is a laptop that can go from a standard clamshell laptop configuration to a tablet setup. Over the years, there are really two types of designs that fall into this category: the convertible 2-in-1 laptop and the detachable tablet.

Laptops with rotating displays—also called convertibles—use a 360-degree hinge that can position the screen flat, in “tent” mode, or flush against the underside of the laptop. Think of this as a touchscreen clamshell laptop with a fancy hinge. The flexibility of positions makes them great for everything from signing documents to streaming TV shows and movies—all with the ability to go right back to a standard laptop orientation when it’s time to do some work.

Detachable 2-in-1s, on the other hand, are Windows tablets meant to be used with magnetic keyboards, not unlike aniPad Pro. These let you completely separate the screen from the keyboard, using a kickstand on the back of the display to keep it upright. This is a design popularized byMicrosoft’s Surface lineup, which is still going strong more than a decade since its introduction. We’re even starting to see dual-screen laptops arrive to add even more flexibility (ifyou have the cash to spare). The main benefit of the detachable 2-in-1 is the portability. While they aren't as good to use on your lap, they are thinner and lighter, making for better standa-lone tablets and devices to travel with.

Should You Buy a 2-in-1 Laptop?

The big draw of 2-in-1 laptops is that they can be used as both a laptop and a tablet. While in laptop mode, they’re generally comparable to any other clamshell laptop you’ll find. However, Windows and ChromeOS aren’t exactly the best touch-oriented operating systems out there, so you may find the touchscreen experience lacking when using it as a pure tablet.

If you already use arecent iPadorAndroid tabletregularly, you may not get as much out of a 2-in-1. But if you don't, these 2-in-1 laptops can give you the functionality of both devices in one—hence, the name. Beyond that, convertible laptops use 360-degree hinges to offer even more capabilities, such as flipping the laptop upside down in various modes.

The only real downside to picking a convertible 2-in-1 over a clamshell is some of the design tweaks that have to be made to incorporate the hinge. Sometimes the balance of the weight can feel off, and the heftier hinge can be ugly and sometimes require a larger bottom bezel under the display.

Ultimately, our top pick on this list, the Lenovo Yoga 9i, happens to also be one of the best overall laptops you can buy. Consider its 2-in-1 capabilities to be a nice bonus on top of its stellar performance and features. If you’re aiming for the more budget range and already have a tablet, it’s worth considering whether you can save some cash by sticking with a traditional clamshell.

It's a good question. All in all, it remains difficult to beat the iPad or iPad Pro when it comes to pure tablet usage. From a software and third-party app perspective, iPadOS is a far more robust device when using it without a keyboard, though that may start to change with Apple's recentmultitasking improvements in iPadOS 26, coming later this year.

The opposite is true for Windows tablets, which benefit from the full Windows 11 experience. That means you can get all your work done, in theory, on one device, while still having something highly mobile. There are some people who can even do all their work on only an iPad Pro, for example, but most of us prefer (or require) some kind of desktop computing environment such as macOS or Windows.

I still wish Microsoft would improve the touch experience of Windows though, which would make the proposition of 2-in-1 laptops that much more enticing over iPads.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has been one of my favorite 2-in-1 laptops for a long while now, and the 2025 model doesn't rock the boat. Lenovo has left the more experimental features to its updated clamshellYoga Slim 9i, while the convertible model remains the tried-and-true option.

It's a highly polished laptop, with soft, rounded edges, extremely robust build quality, great speakers, a large touchpad, and a glorious high-resolution OLED screen. Lenovo even manages to squeeze in a USB-A port in its thin chassis. My main problem with this laptop in previous generations was battery life, but with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, that problem is solved. The configurations are limited to an expensive 32-GB RAM model. There may be more options available later, but it's worth noting that you canstill buy the 2024 Yoga 9i, and it sometimes dips to $1,000. That's a fantastic value, even if the newer model is an improvement.

If there's one device that came to define the 2-in-1 category, it's the Surface Pro. The 2024 model, also known as the Surface Pro 11th Edition (6/10, WIRED Review), is easily the best version of the device ever made. The OLED display is downright amazing, battery life is awesome thanks to the new AI-infused Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU, and Microsoft’s Flex Keyboard feels great. It even has an improved webcam. For the first time, it feels like a proper competitor to theiPad Pro.

It's not cheap once you add in the cost of the Flex Keyboard, sold separately. Microsoft has also removed the starting configuration of the device (with 256 GB) to make room for the newSurface Pro 12. For a proper laptop replacement, however, the larger 13-inch model remains the go-to choice and is the best detachable 2-in-1 you can buy.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is simply one of thebest Chromebooksyou can get right now. If you can get by without Windows and can work within the Chrome browser (with an Android app here and there), then the Spin 714 will save you a lot of money for a slick little 2-in-1. Despite what its $699 MSRP suggests, you get a premium-looking laptop with one of the best screens I’ve used on a Chromebook.

Performance on the Spin 714 is great, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU has a little extra juice to boost Google’slatest AI featuresin ChromeOS. Unfortunately, as great as the screen is, this laptop is let down by its tinny speakers. It’s also a tad too heavy to use comfortably in tablet mode for long, but it’s a great performer if you don’t need access to any Windows-exclusive apps.

For road warriors who want to take their dual-screen setup on the go, the Asus Zenbook Duo (9/10, WIRED Recommends) could be your perfect match. At first glance, the laptop looks just like any ordinary 14-inch Asus laptop, but appearances can be deceiving. The keyboard is attached to the bottom chassis magnetically, and lifting it away reveals a second 14-inch screen.

The two screens give you much more real estate to work with while you’re on the road, allowing you to orient them side-by-side for two portrait displays or one on top of the other (with the help of a kickstand). Our testing found the laptop performs pretty well, beating out its predecessor, particularly on graphics and AI tasks. Battery life has significantly improved, with nearly 14 hours of streaming video in our test (on one screen). It's truly a portable workstation on the go.

I love the idea of a smaller Surface device for portability. But Microsoft has struggled in the past to deliver a smaller and more affordable Surface tablet that makes the right compromises. The Surface Pro 12 (6/10, WIRED Review) gets awfully close to nailing that balance. It uses the same overall design—and even the same Snapdragon X Plus processor—ensuring that you aren't losing the premium feeling.

It trades out the OLED display, the Surface Connect port, and the Alcantara fabric keyboard—but what you get is a lighter, thinner, and completely fanless tablet. If it were a bit cheaper, I'd be a bigger proponent of this device. That's especially true since you still have to buy the keyboard attachment, which isn't cheap.

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 (8/10, WIRED recommends) is one of my favorite pieces of tech from 2024 for one reason: its size. This diminutive detachable laptop is only 11 inches, which sounds painful at first. But this isn’t a productivity machine. Rather, it’s better viewed as a companion you can take anywhere for light web browsing, writing, and watching videos.

The Duet Gen 9 is powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor with enough oomph for light work while keeping the battery going for around 10 hours on a charge. The small keyboard and trackpad take some getting used to, but they’re also what helps this thing stay so portable. Finally, the included Lenovo Pen is great for sketching or signing documents, and it’s easily stashed away with a magnetic docking slot on the back of the display when not in use.

The ROG Flow Z13 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the kind of device no one asked for, and upon its release, everyone doubted. And yet, against all odds, it worked. Despite being a tablet, Asus stuffed a discrete GPU beneath its impressive screen, and out came one of the most portable PC gaming devices ever made. Because the computer itself is behind the screen instead of under your fingers, all the hot air stays far away from your hands while gaming, which is a fantastic benefit of this design.

This latest model takes things even further. Under the hood, the Flow Z13 uses the most interesting chip of the year, the AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395, which has powerful enough integrated graphics to make it a step forward above even the RTX 4060 without the use of a discrete GPU. It also has a slightly toned-down aesthetic and improved battery life. It's expensive, but there's truly nothing else like it.

If you want to dip more into the budget range, we’re big fans of the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (8/10, WIRED Recommends). While it usually goes for $500, you’ll frequently find it on sale for under $400. That’s excellent value if all you need is solid performance, a web browser, and the occasional Android app.

The Intel Core i3 CPU in the Flex 5i is powerful enough to handle the lightweight ChromeOS with 20 tabs open at a time, and its 14-inch screen is pretty good for such a budget laptop. Battery life is just OK at a little over seven hours in our testing, but you should be able to eke out a pretty solid workday in most situations. There’s also the matter of the rather small 128 GB of storage, but youcanopen that up with the included microSD card slot.

Budget laptops in the Windows space are guaranteed to come with some compromises, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 (6/10, WIRED Review) holds up well for the price. The laptop is sturdy, if a bit heavy when using it in tablet mode. The keyboard feels nice during extended typing sessions, and the 16:10 display is crisp, though not the most vibrant.

Powering the Flex 5i 14 is an Intel Core i5-1235U processor with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. Even now, those specs are respectable for the price, though they can struggle to keep up with heavier tasks. The included fingerprint sensor is great for quick logins, and there’s a nice selection of ports. A newer model came out a few years ago, and while the CPU upgrade (to the Core i5-1335U) is negligible, you can buy it for around thesame price as the older model.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 for $1,609:If you want the most unique 2-in-1 you can buy, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus (Gen 5) (6/10, WIRED Review) is it. This is a detachable laptop that carries the hardware for a full Windows laptop in its base and a full Android tablet in its display. You can switch between the two when the screen is attached, or detach it to go Android-only.

Asus ProArt PZ13 for $1,100:Another detachable, the Asus ProArt PZ13 (6/10, WIRED recommends) veers toward mimicking Microsoft’s Surface Pro playbook but at a much more affordable price. For $1,100, you geta Copilot+ PCthat can go up to around 19 hours on a single charge. Unfortunately, the performance leaves much to be desired, and its three-piece design is confounding. Still, it’s a nice alternative to the Surface Pro if you’re dead set on the style.

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This week the White House and President Donald Trump attempted to kill, once and for all, California's plan to accelerate the sale of zero-emission cars and trucks in the state. In a ceremony in Washington, DC, on Thursday attended by trucking executives, Trump signed three resolutions passed by Congress aimed at revokingCalifornia’s nearly 60-year-old power to set its ownmotor vehicle emissions rules.

In doing so, the federal government is taking aim at one of the most ambitious vehicle electrification schemes—and climate policies—in the world: California’s goal toban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. The state, along with 10 others that have pledged to follow its more aggressive emissions rules, accounts for nearly a third of the US’s new car sales each year, giving it enormous power to dictate the country’s automotive market. Today, one in four vehicles sold in California are either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The move won’t affect the sorts of cars available in showrooms and on lots today, or even next year, experts say. But the attempt to revoke California’s powers, along with a suite of other policies aimed at electric vehicles—including the Environmental Protection Agency’s bid toroll back vehicle fuel economy standards,Congress’push to nixEV tax credits, and the Transportation Department’spause on fundingfor national EV charging infrastructure—could affect car buyers’ interest in going electric. In other words: The electric vibes are bad.

Auto “production decisions are baked in and take years to change,” says Cara Horowitz, the executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. “But if there’s a feeling among consumers about a loss in [electric vehicle] momentum, that could be felt in the market.”

“This is a big, big headwind,” says Simon Mui, who manages clean vehicle policy advocacy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

California immediately responded Thursday with alawsuit. Governor Gavin Newsom alsoinstructed state agenciesto find new ways to promote zero-emission vehicles in the state.

The resolutions are based on a novel legal theory put forward by Republican lawmakers that they can use congressional power usually applied to federal agency rules to do away with California’s “waiver” authority, which was established in 1967 as part of the landmark Clean Air Act. These waivers give the state a unique power to set its own stricter vehicle emission standards.

“It's a completely unprecedented approach,” says California attorney general Rob Bonta in an interview. The Trump administration “tries to mainstream these fringe theories, or just these completely legally inappropriate theories, to try to do things that they actually can't do.”

Ten other states, including Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, joined the lawsuit.

The changing shape of the US electric vehicle market seems to have already had some effect on buyers’ attitudes toward battery-powered cars. Sales data shows that while Americans are still buying electric, therate of growth has slowed. Those sentiments, plus changing regulations and tariff policies, have led to "unprecedented" levels of “havoc” for automakers, according to a report released last week by Bank of America analysts. “The next four+ years will be the most uncertain and volatile time in product strategy ever,” they wrote. Analysts noted that model years 2026 through 2029 will see automakers release just 159 new US models, at a lower annual average than the 20 years previous.

Automakers have generally argued that California’s goals are unrealistic given customers’ enthusiasm for electric vehicles and that loosening regulations promotes consumer choice.

Most have backtracked on once-ambitious plans to convert their lineups to electrics. Ford is“pivoting” awayfrom some battery-powered-vehicle plans in favor of hybrids; Volvoquietly backed awayfrom an “all-electric by 2030” scheme; Mercedes-Benzkicked down the roada plan to go all-electric by 2030 in some markets and now maintains it will sell gas-powered cars well into the next decade;GMandVolkswagenhave delayed several electric models.

In a written statement, John Bozzella, president and CEO of auto industry trade group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, called California’s policies “harmful to auto affordability, to consumer choice, to industry competitiveness and to economic activity.”

General Motors in a statement said it “appreciated” that Trump signed the resolutions and said it has “long advocated for one national standard.”

Ford spokesperson Robyn Jackson wrote in an email: “In America, the customer chooses, and we need national emissions standards that not only drive progress but also reflect market realities.” She called, however, for the US to “preserve tax policies”—including the EV tax credit—“that recognize the future of the global automotive industry is up for grabs.”

The Trump administration's moves could reverse years of public investment in cleaner vehicle technology, experts warn. The 2021 infrastructure law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act triggered an estimated$210 billion investment in the US electric vehicle supply chain, due to pour into vehicle assembly plants, battery factories, and mining operations, many of them in red states. The funding was meant to put the US in a position to compete with Chinese automakers, who havedeveloped cheap and effective EVsthat have piqued interest among car buyers around the world.

The Trump administration is “literally killing the demand for the products that these facilities are producing, the demand for the investments that are already in the ground,” says Mui from the Natural Resources Defense Council. “I would characterize it as shooting yourself in the foot.”

On Wednesday, UnitedStates Customs and Border Protectionconfirmed to 404 Mediathat it has been flying Predator drones over Los Angeles amidthe LA protests. The military drones, a CBP statement said, “are supporting our federal law enforcement partners in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with aerial support of their operations.”

State-level law enforcement agencies across the US use various types of drones and other vehicles, like helicopters, to conduct aerial surveillance, and other agencies use drones in their operations as well. For example, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection “doubled its use of drones” this year,according tothe office of Governor Gavin Newsom, as part of efforts to combat forest fires. However, CBP's MQ-9 Reaper drones, also known as Predator B drones, are military-caliber UAVs used for aerial reconnaissance that can be armed.

In 2020, during President Donald Trump's first administration, CBP flew a Predator drone over Minneapolis during the George Floyd protests. And, in the intervening years, researchers have tracked Department of Homeland Security Predator drones flying over various US cities with no clear explanation. In the case of LA, Trump hasdeployedmore than 700 active-duty Marines and federalized the National Guard, sending nearly 4,000 guardsmen to California over Newsom's objections. In combination with these actions, the presence of the CBP drones paints a picture of expanding federal involvement—and potentially control—over what are typically state matters.

“Military gear has been used for domestic law enforcement for a long time, but flying military gear over LA at a time when the president has sent military units against the wishes of the governor is noteworthy," says Matthew Feeney, a longtime emerging technologies researcher and advocacy manager at the nonpartisan UK civil liberties group Big Brother Watch. “If the federal government portrays immigration as a national security issue, we shouldn’t be surprised if it openly uses the tools of national security—i.e., military hardware—in response.”

Carrying powerful cameras and other sensors, Predator drones can record clear, detailed footage of events like protests from high altitudes.

CBP's “Air and Marine Operations (AMO) is providing aerial support to federal law enforcement partners conducting operations in the Greater Los Angeles area,” CBP told WIRED in a statement responding to questions about whether the operation over LA is routine or anomalous. “AMO’s efforts are focused on situational awareness and officer safety support as requested.”

Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute, warns that “the more the protests spread to other cities, the more of that kind of surveillance we’ll see.”

CBP told 404 Media this week that “AMO is not engaged in the surveillance of first amendment activities.” That statement aligns with acommitmentthe US Department of Homeland Security made in December 2015. “Unmanned aircraft system-recorded data should not be collected, disseminated or retained solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the US Constitution, such as the First Amendment’s protections of religion, speech, press, assembly, and redress of grievances (e.g., protests, demonstrations),” a DHS “Privacy, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Unmanned Aircraft Systems Working Group”wroteat the time.

In practice, though, it is unclear how the Predator surveillance could “support” ICE agents and other federal law enforcement without monitoring the protests and capturing images of protesters.

While researchers note that the use of Predator drones over LA is not unprecedented—and, at this point, perhaps not surprising—they emphasize that this pattern of activity over time only makes it more likely that the federal government will deploy such monitoring in the future, regardless of how a state is handling a situation.

“It’s not new or even all that unexpected from a spooked Trump administration, but it’s still a terrible use of military technology on civilian populations,” says UAV researcher Faine Greenwood. “It’s basically continuing a worrying trend, but also people should be angry about it and refuse to normalize it.”

In recent days,Los Angeles residents have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration’simmigrationpolicies and the increasingly frequent ICE raids. WIRED’s senior politics editor, Leah Feiger, joins Zoë Schiffer, director of business and industry, to discuss the related flood of information on social media, and how AI chatbots like Grok andChatGPTare delivering incorrect and at times, inflammatory answers.

Mentioned in today’s episode:AI Chatbots Are Making LA Protest Disinformation Worse, by David GilbertI Joined Every Class Action Lawsuit I Could Find, and So Can You, by Andy VasoyanVibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs, by Will Knight

You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky at@zoeschiffer. Write to us atuncannyvalley@wired.com.

You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how:

If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tapthis link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts and search for “Uncanny Valley.” We’re onSpotifytoo.

Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.

Zoë Schiffer:This is Zoë. Before we start, I want to take a chance to remind you that we really want to hear from you. If you have a question about AI, politics, or privacy that's been on your mind or a topic that you wish we talked about on the show, you can write to us at UncannyValley@WIRED.com, and if you listen to our episodes and enjoy them, please, please rate them on your podcast app of choice. It really honestly helps people find us. Welcome to WIRED'sUncanny Valley. I'm WIRED's director of business and industry, Zoë Schiffer. Today on the show we're diving into how AI chatbots are fueling disinformation about the ongoing protests in Los Angeles. In recent days, LA residents have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration's immigration policies and the increasingly frequent ICE raids. Social media is filled with information and footage about the protests and as people try and fact-check what's actually going on. AI chatbots like Grok and ChatGPT are delivering incorrect and at times inflammatory answers. We'll discuss how this pattern has been unfolding and the consequences it can have on this political moment. I'm joined today by Leah Feiger, senior politics editor at WIRED. Leah, welcome to the show.

Leah Feiger:Thanks for having me, Zoë.

Zoë Schiffer:Since last weekend, these massive protests have broken out in Los Angeles, so maybe let's just start there with a very high level of what has been going on.

Leah Feiger:So last week, protests broke out in LA following ICE raids across the city, and at first it was smaller than people were claiming online. They were like, “There are hordes of people. They have taken over Los Angeles. This is wild.” The truth of the matter was that these were in very specific areas and very much linked to ICE raids. But over the weekend things took a turn. Trump called in the National Guard, much to California governor Gavin Newsom's chagrin, and there was a lot of back-and-forth online about states' rights versus federal rights versus how all of this was getting depicted. Lots of arrests, a lot of people really upset about this administration's pretty controversial immigration policies, and some pretty dismaying imagery of ICE raids, not just in LA but throughout the country. So this has been boiling up for quite some time, and LA is really one of the first places that we're seeing this kind of response.

Zoë Schiffer:Yeah, I mean, I think that's what really stood out to me from the beginning. It feels like kind of the first time that we've seen a groundswell of opposition to the Trump administration in a really full-throated way, in a way that I think we expected to see at various points throughout this administration since January. But we really haven't so far, despite the fact that what they've been doing, what they've been saying is pretty unusual compared to how politics normally run.

Leah Feiger:Absolutely. It's been kind of wild, and obviously there's been the Tesla Takedown protest movement and a couple of smaller protests that happened right when DOGE, Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, was kicking off. But you're totally right, there has not been anything in this specific way, and part of this is because it's just really incredibly personal. We're hearing stories from protesters about their family members being taken by ICE and not hearing from them again. There's been some amazing profiles across the country of people being shocked that their neighbors were taken off the streets. And again, the administration has been saying that they're going to be doing this the entire time. The big difference here is, one, the response from people in the community in LA, and two, the fact that this is now really becoming a state's rights versus federal issue.

Zoë Schiffer:And I feel like as this has been unfolding, even for you and me, we've been trying to figure out, like you said, what is really going on here? What is happening? And so one of the things that they've been doing, very 2025, is turning to chatbots, asking ChatGPT, asking Grok, what's happening here?" So what are some of those questions that people are trying to get answered, and what is happening when they talk to chatbots about what's going on?

Leah Feiger:OK. A little bit of a controversial take to get us started. I think there's actually something incredibly pure about people seeing a photo or a video on social media and going, “Wait, is this real? Is this accurate?” That's actually kind of good. That to me is a good thing.

Zoë Schiffer:Yeah, media literacy.

Leah Feiger:Media literacy. We've been screaming about this for so long. But the devastating part of this is that these chatbots are just absolutely not up to the challenge. So can I give you an example here? Would that be OK?

Leah Feiger:OK. So obviously there's been these people taking to the streets following these ICE raids, and conservative posters have been totally flooding their feeds with inaccurate information. They've been posting old protest footage, clips from video games, movies, claiming that there's all of these agitators. It's been a lot. And as a result, people have been turning to AI chatbots like Grok, et cetera. So one of these specific cases is when the federal government sent in 2,000 National Guard troops, the SF Chronicle actually published a photo of these troops sleeping on the floor. These images were shared by Governor Newsom, who was like, “You literally sent these troops to our state that we did not ask for, that is fully inciting this situation, and now they actually have nowhere to sleep.” Right after Newsom shared this, a ton of people were claiming on X, on Facebook that these images were fabrications, they were AI generated, or they were totally referencing a different event. And we're not just talking random posters. We're talking like Laura Loomer, queen of the conspiracists.

Leah Feiger:Yeah, exactly. Who has Trump's ear already. This became widespread. And so people went to X's Grok and they were like, “Grok, what is this?” And what did Grok tell them? No, no. Grok said these were not actually images from the protest in LA. It said they were from Afghanistan.

Leah Feiger:They were like, “There's no credible support. This is misattribution.” It was really bad. It was really, really bad. And then there was another situation where another couple of people were sharing these photos with ChatGPT, and ChatGPT was also like, “Yep, this is Afghanistan. This isn't accurate, et cetera, et cetera.” It's not great.

Zoë Schiffer:I mean, don't get me started on this moment coming after a lot of these platforms have systematically dismantled their fact-checking programs, have decided to purposefully let through a lot more content. And then you add chatbots into the mix who, for all of their uses, and I do think they can be really useful, they are incredibly confident. When they do hallucinate, when they do mess up, they do it in a way that is very convincing. You will not see me out here defending Google Search. Absolute trash, nightmare, but it's a little more clear when that's going astray, when you're on some random, uncredible blog than when Grok tells you with complete confidence that you're seeing a photo of Afghanistan when you're not.

Leah Feiger:It's really concerning. I mean, it's hallucinating. It's fully hallucinating, but with the swagger of the drunkest frat boy that you've ever unfortunately been cornered by at a party in your life.

Zoë Schiffer:Nightmare. Nightmare. Yeah.

Leah Feiger:They're like “No, no, no. I am sure. I have never been more sure in my life.”

Zoë Schiffer:Absolutely. I mean, OK, so why do chatbots give these incorrect answers with such confidence? Why aren't we seeing them just say, “Well, I don't know, so maybe you should check elsewhere. Here are a few credible places to go look for that answer and that information.”

Leah Feiger:Because they don't do that. They don't admit that they don't know, which is really wild to me. There's actually been a lot of studies about this, and in a recent study of AI search tools at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, it found that chatbots were “generally bad at declining to answer questions they couldn't answer accurately. Offering instead incorrect or speculative answers.” Really, really, really wild, especially when you consider the fact that there were so many articles during the election about, “Oh no, sorry, I'm ChatGPT and I can't weigh in on politics.” You're like, well, you're weighing in on a lot now.

Zoë Schiffer:OK, I think we should pause there on that very horrifying note and we'll be right back.

Zoë Schiffer:Welcome back toUncanny Valley. I'm joined today by Leah Feiger, senior politics editor at WIRED. OK, so beyond just trying to verify information and footage, there've also been a bunch of reports about misleading AI-generated videos. There was a TikTok account that started uploading videos of an alleged National Guard soldier named Bob who'd been deployed to the LA protests, and you could see him saying false and inflammatory things like like the fact that the protesters are “chucking in balloons full of oil,” and one of the videos had close to a million views. So I don't know, it feels like people have to become a little more adept at identifying this kind of fake footage, but it's hard in an environment that is inherently contextless like a post on X or a video on TikTok.

Leah Feiger:Totally. And that TikTok live stream that you mentioned from Bob, that got debunked by BBC, they took it down. That's gone. But people in response are like, “Oh my gosh, this is the mainstream media. They're just shutting this down. Here's this information.” So it's like when you find the thing, when you debunk the thing, it is still not enough. And I have to get back to the questions of media literacy, and that's perhaps why the AI chatbots getting it wrong are so upsetting to me, because people are actually, not everyone, but there is for sure some good-faith folks going, “Is this real? Please, someone tell me if this is real.”

Zoë Schiffer:Oh, absolutely. Yeah, they want to know. I know. My poor mom, she showed me a video the other day of a bunch of identical baby sloths looking at the camera. She was like, “Aren't these so cute? I found this on Facebook.” And I was like, “Mom, those are not real sloths. We need to move on.” She was crushed.

Leah Feiger:I think though that AI animal slop is something I may be OK with.

Zoë Schiffer:The one form of AI that Leah likes is the AI animals.

Leah Feiger:Nope, nope, I take it back. Anyway, lower stakes, but arguably still contributing to the fact that what's real? I don't know. Who's to say? And the part of the thing is we've in some ways been here before. Five years ago was 2020 and the George Floyd protests across the country, and those were massive, and those were big, and we had a lot of issues of misinformation. We had a lot of people that were saying, “No, this is this. This is this video game. This is this.” But five years later, the landscape has entirely changed. You still have the same bad actors, but it's now way more confusing. Trust in the media is down. Who do you turn to? Your trusty AI chatbot that has been integrated into every single social media app that you have personal access to.

Zoë Schiffer:Which has also stripped away the other fact-checking mechanisms. So here we are.

Zoë Schiffer:We've seen this again and again. I mean, it's been interesting because Elon Musk famously laid off a large portion of the content moderation team at X, formerly Twitter. He also stripped away some of the content moderation rules that the company had spent years weighing and putting in place and debating internally. And as we've had big news events play out in real time, the kind of thing that Twitter was made to do, big earthquake, war, protests, whatever it is, these moments where previously you would've seen everyone flock to X to figure out what was going on, you still see people doing that same behavior, but the ability to ascertain what is actually going on on that platform has declined so much in recent years. There is good information, but it's intermixed with all of this horrible, bad, false information, and it's really hard to tell what is what.

Leah Feiger:It is such a mess, and I am not an X poster anymore, but I do go on frequently to see what's up. It's trash. It's a combination right now in this very specific moment because Elon Musk is back and posting nonstop about space travel, so it's like we have the Elon Musk posts that are at the very top of my feed. We have the LA is burning, the fire is spreading to the rest of America, and then we have a couple of journalists still hanging out being like, “Read my story.”

Zoë Schiffer:Getting no traction? Yeah.

Leah Feiger:And it's so sad. Yeah.

Zoë Schiffer:Yeah, I mean, if you are someone who's trying to become an X influencer, the kind of things that you need to share are inherently a little divisive, a little inflammatory, a little shocking. In some cases, they're getting paid by the platform to post this kind of content. I think that there are a few guardrails in place. If you have a community note on a post, you're not supposed to get money for it, but the incentive structure, like you mentioned, is set up to encourage people to post the craziest thing they can possibly get away with, and that's what we're seeing right now.

Leah Feiger:Although I have to say for what? It's to line the pockets of these companies and these billionaire owners, but the actual posters, I'm sure that many people have made the grift, but there was this amazing New York Times article pretty recently about a very, very established—

Leah Feiger:Yeah, the poster on X. And he was like, “I'm a Republican, and this is what I care about.” He spends no vacations, no weekends. His entire day is on his computer and he's making something like, it's less than $60,000 a year, to which I'm just like, what is the incentive? Is the incentive that amazing hit of serotonin when you have a tweet go viral? That can't pay groceries? So the fact that Musk and Zuckerberg and all of these folks have managed to convince people that this is still the place to be with more incendiary, inaccurate content is arguably the greatest grift of all.

Zoë Schiffer:Yeah. Incredible. OK, we're going to take another quick break and when we come back, we'll share our recommendations for what to check out on WIRED.com this week.

Zoë Schiffer:Welcome back toUncanny Valley. I'm Zoë Schiffer, WIRED's director of business and industry. I'm joined today by WIRED's senior politics editor, Leah Feiger. Before we take off, Leah, tell our listeners what they absolutely need to read on WIRED.com.

Leah Feiger:I really, really stand by this recommendation. It's an article by Andy Vasoyan titled “I Joined Every Class Action Lawsuit I Could Find, and So Can You.” It's scratched every single itch of the person. I want to know, was I supposed to get that extra $5? I would like to know. And this writer did it. They did it. They are on the path. They talk to people who are involved in getting people their money, and this statistic will haunt me forever, which is that something like only 4 percent of these class action lawsuit claims, what comes out, are actually ever claimed by people that deserve it. Devastating.

Zoë Schiffer:I know. I'm part of this. I do get these letters kind of a lot. What did I just get recently?

Leah Feiger:Zoë, you are part of the problem. Get that $7, Zoë.

Leah Feiger:They can Venmo now.

Zoë Schiffer:I did it once and it was like $2, and I was like, OK. I think my expectation was that I was going to get like $3,000, and I was like, that's not what occurred.

Leah Feiger:OK. No, this is a long haul. This is a game. OK, what's yours? What's your favorite thing?

Zoë Schiffer:My recommendation is a story we published this week by Will Knight, our AI reporter. It is about how vibe coding is coming for engineering jobs, and it is so, so good. We've been talking to engineers all across Silicon Valley, hearing about what they're calling the engineering apocalypse that is coming because AI coding agents are getting so, so good. But actually when Will did the reporting, it's a lot more complicated. People said it was like giving a toddler a chain saw and that you could come up with really, really great things. Yes, you can code an entire app and website just by talking to a chatbot, but you can also create really buggy code, code that has all sorts of security vulnerabilities. And people were like, “It totally breaks down as soon as you care about the functionality of the app that you're building.”

Leah Feiger:I'm in a cold sweat right now.

Zoë Schiffer:I know. I know. I was like, this is all of Leah's nightmares combined in one.

Leah Feiger:My actual horror story.

Zoë Schiffer:Leah, we should make you vibe code something for business.

Leah Feiger:Oh my God. I would sit there and start crying. Frankly, that would be good content. I am adding to the clickable hellscape that is online. This is good. This is full circle for us.

Zoë Schiffer:You're a TikTok influencer now. You heard it here first. That is our show for today. We'll link to all the stories we spoke about in the show notes. Make sure to check out Thursday's episode ofUncanny Valley, which is all about tech companies and why they're betting big on AI agents. We're off next week and we'll be back the following. Adriana Tapia and Jordan Bell produced this episode. Amar Lal at Macro Sound mixed this episode. Jake Lummus was our New York studio engineer. Jordan Bell is our executive producer. Conde Nast head of global audio is Chris Bannon. And Katie Drummond is WIRED's global editorial director.

As protests continueto swell across the United States in response to aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, civilians are turning to homebrew digital tools to trackICE arrests and raidsin real time. But restricted government documents, obtained by the nonprofit watchdog Property of the People, show that US intelligence agencies are now eyeing the same tools as potential threats. A law enforcement investigation involving the maps is also apparently underway.

Details about Saturday’s “No Kings” protest—specifically those in California—are also under watch by domestic intelligence centers, where analysts regularly distribute speculative threat assessments among federal, state, and local agencies, according to an internal alert obtained exclusively by WIRED.

WIRED has made this article free for all to read because it is primarily based on reporting from Freedom of Information Act requests.Please consider subscribing to support our journalism.

A late-February bulletin distributed by a Vermont-based regional fusion center highlights several websites hosting interactive maps that allow users to drop “pins” indicating encounters with ICE agents.

The bulletin is based on information initially shared by a US Army threat monitoring center known as ARTIC. While it acknowledges that most of the users appear to be civilians working to avoid contact with federal agents, it nevertheless raises the specter of “malicious actors” potentially relying on such open-source transparency tools to physically target law enforcement.

ARTIC, which operates under the umbrella of the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Property of the People, a nonprofit focused on transparency and national security, attempted to obtain additional details about the maps using public records laws. The group was informed by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) that all relevant information is “associated with active law enforcement investigations.”

The NCRIC did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm over implausible, hypothetical risks allegedly posed by these ICE raid tracking platforms,” Ryan Shapiro, executive director of Property of the People, tells WIRED. “But transparency is not terrorism, and the real security threat is militarized secret police invading our communities and abducting our neighbors.”

The documents identify maps and information shared acrossRedditand the website Padlet, which allows users to collaborate and build interactive maps. An “OPSEC” warning concerning the maps was also separately issued in February by the Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center (WSIC). That report indicates the sites are being treated as a “strategic threat” and are under monitoring by a special operations division.

WSIC, which could not be immediately reached for comment, warned in its report about persistent online threats aimed at ICE officers, highlighting posts on social media apps likeXandTikTokthat include messages calling for Americans to stockpile weapons and “shoot back.” While some posts were judged to contain “explicit threats,” most appear to reflect cathartic outrage over the Trump administration’s punitive immigration enforcement tactics, with intelligence analysts noting that many of the users were “discussing hypothetical scenarios.” Nevertheless, the analysts flagged the sheer volume and tone of the content as a genuine officer safety concern.

Each document is marked for law enforcement eyes only—a warning not to discuss details with the public or press.

A separate report obtained by WIRED and dated mid-May shows the Central California Intelligence Center (CCIC) monitoring plans for the upcoming “No Kings” protests. It identifies Sacramento, Fresno, and Stockton, among dozens of other protest sites. The information is widely available online, including on the No Kings website.

The bulletin notes the protests are promoted as a “nonviolent action,” but says the agency plans to produce additional intelligence reports for “threat liaison officers.” It concludes with boilerplate language that states the CCIC recognizes the right of citizens to assemble, speak, and petition the government, but frames the need to gather intelligence on “First Amendment-protected activities” as essential to “assuring the safety of first responders and the public.”

Roughly2,000 protestsare scheduled to take place nationwide concurrent with a military parade in Washington, DC, expected to feature 6,600 US Army soldiers, 150 military vehicles, including 28 M1 Abrams tanks, rocket launchers, and precision-guided missiles.

Protests have erupted in Los Angeles and cities nationwide over the past week in response to a Trump-ordered immigration crackdown and thedeployment of federal troops, including Marines and National Guard units, to support law enforcement.

Demonstrators are pushing back against what they view as an authoritarian show of force—assurveillance drones fly overheadand armored vehicles roll through immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Tensions have flared between protesters and police, fueling concerns aboutsurveillance, civil liberties, and thelegality of using military force to suppress civil unrest.

The use of military-grade equipment and limits on troop authority have emerged as key flashpoints in a broader debate over executive power and immigration enforcement.

The No Kings organizers frame the demonstrations as a nationwide day of defiance: “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.”

Waymo will temporarilylimit robotaxi service in all of its nationwide markets, the company said Friday, as US cities prepare for awave of protestsof federal immigration policies and law enforcement and military crackdowns on demonstrators. TheAlphabetsubsidiary will stop service inLos Angelesaltogether.

Waymospokesperson Sandy Karp confirmed the service pause and adjustments but declined to comment further. There is no indication how long the service changes will last.

The adjustments will affect service in San Francisco; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday afternoon, some San Francisco riders saw in-app messages showing that all of the company’s robotaxis were busy, and so unable to pick up rides.

The move comes a week after protesters set fire to five autonomous taxis operated by the company in downtown Los Angeles. Images of the fires went viral on social media, and became a flashpoint in discussions about protester violence and the role tech plays in citizen surveillance. The incidentraised questionsabout the camera and sensor data collected by Waymo on public roads, and how or if it’s shared with law enforcement. Earlier this week, Karp told WIRED that the company generally challenges data requests that are overly broad or don’t have a sound legal basis. She declined to comment on specific cases.

Waymo sometimes adjusts service areas ahead of major events marked by large crowds and traffic, including sports matches and concerts, and in response to incidents like fires or floods where road safety is a concern.

All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

It’s common knowledgethat a Prime membership gets you free two-day shipping. But there are Amazon Prime perks that make the service more worthwhile—and considering the cost of a yearly membership, you're doing yourself a disservice if you aren't taking advantage of all of them. Below, we've listed some of the perks you should be using as anAmazon Prime member. Arguably, these incentives alone aren't worth the cost of a membership, but chances are at least one of them will come in handy.

Amazon has hadmore than its fair share of debaclesover the years. Still, there are more than 200 million Prime membersaround the world, with over180 million members in the United States. Some sources reportas many as 220 million membersglobally. If you're one of them, these perks are worth checking out—especially during the retailer's member-exclusive Prime Day sales events, which usually fall during July and October.

Updated June 2025: We've ensured coverage is accurate, removing old benefits and adding new information on Alexa+ and fuel savings.

Amazon Prime is a premium membership toAmazon.com. If you're a brand-new member, you cantry it free for 30 days. This trial automatically renews, so set a reminder on your phone to reassess and make sure you cancel, if that's your plan.

Amazon Prime costs$139 per year. You can pay $15 per month instead, but that raises the cost of the membership to $180 per year. You'll save more money by paying once. Eighteen- to 24-year-olds can getPrime for Young Adults(formerly Prime Student), which is $69 annually or $7 per month, and there's a longersix-month free trialbefore you have to start paying.

Finally, some customers are eligible forPrime Access, a discounted Prime membership. If you verify that you receivequalifying SNAP benefits or other government assistance, you can get Amazon Prime for $7 per month.

Prime members are eligible for free next-day shipping on millions of items and free two-day shipping on millions more. Depending on where you live, you may also be eligible forfree same-day deliveryor freeAmazon Locker pickup. Other Amazon-owned stores also offer free shipping to Prime members, includingShopBop,Woot, andZappos.

Prime members get free (and commercial-free)Prime Music streaming, which pulls playlists and podcasts from a selection of 100 million songs and serves them ad-free. Members are also eligible for discounted subscriptions toAmazon Music Unlimited, a separate pick-and-play service like Apple Music or Spotify that offers on-demand access to 70 million songs. Normally it costs $11 per month, but Prime members can get it for $10 monthly.

Prime Videois also included with your membership. There are some killer originals, likeFalloutandThe Boysin addition to othermoviesandshows. You can also streamsports on Prime Video, includingNFL Thursday Night Football. Purchased separately, Prime Video costs $9 per month. Note that these plans are with commercials. If you're a Prime member and you want to go ad-free, it'll cost another $3 per month.

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn't talk about Amazon’s members-only event,Prime Day. The annual "holiday" has outperformed bothBlack Friday and Cyber Mondayin years past, but not every Prime Day deal is actually a bargain. The WIRED Gear team alwayscovers the eventto make good deals easier to find—our coverage is unique in that we only write about deals on products we have personally tested and can verify are great buys rather than flooding our roundups with questionable random brands. This year, we anticipate that (like years past) Prime Day will arrive in the middle of July, with a secondary sale arriving in October. Early Prime Day deals are usually available in the days leading up to the sale, and we'll be covering the best of the best deals.

Even outside of Prime Day, Amazon Prime members are eligible for specialmembers-only discounts. That might mean a few bucks off yourportable chargerpurchase, a 20 percent–off coupon to use oncleaning supplies, or better prices on newAmazon devices. Individual discounts vary, but we see these sorts of promotions pretty frequently—and, as with Prime Day, not all of them are good.

Both during and outside of special events like Prime Day and Black Friday, Prime members get early access toselect Lightning Deals. You will be able to shop 30 minutes before other customers. Whether Lightning Deals are worth your money is another discussion entirely, but it's a perk worth checking out.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of boxes at your door? (Honestly, as a product reviewer, same.)Amazon Daylets you schedule all of your deliveries to arrive on a certain day of the week. Rather than dealing with a box or two at a time on multiple days, you can get one package with all of your orders on whichever day you prefer. If you use Amazon Day, you aren't locked in. That means if you're ordering something you need quickly, you can still opt for the fastest shipping method. Amazon Day is a good way to cut back on cardboard (and your carbon footprint).

If you don't need your order to arrive right away, sometimes at checkout you'll see the option for free No-Rush Shipping. Usually, choosingNo-Rush Shippinggets you a free $1 digital credit to use on things like ebooks, digital games, movies, and the like. The rewards sometimes expire after a certain duration. I've used No-Rush credits to get as much as $10 off digital games on release day. Since video game discounts are rare, especially right after release, this can be lucrative if you time it correctly (and don't mind waiting for your purchases to arrive).

Prime members will get free access toAlexa+. Alexa+ is thenew versionof Amazon's voice assistant. It usesgenerative AIand will cost $20 per month to non-Prime members when it leaves Early Access. Amazon says you'll be able to talk naturally, phrase requests how you like, receive tailored recommendations based on your preferences, create bedtime stories, and more.

Amazon Prime members get free access toGrubhub+, which includes free delivery on orders over $12, plus an assortment of Prime-exclusive discounts at various restaurants throughout the year.

Amazon Freshlets you order groceries via Amazon and get them delivered to your door. It's not available in all areas, but it is a different way to shop if you're trying to avoid in-person trips. You also get a selection of products from Whole Foods available through Amazon Fresh. Somewhat confusingly, there are similarly named physicalAmazon Fresh grocery storesin some cities. If you're shopping at Whole Foods in person, you can scan the smartphone app to get an extra 10 percent off storewide sales, and there are other member-discounts available throughout the year.

There's a separateAmazon Grocery subscriptionthat costs $10 a month or $99 a year. If you have SNAP or EBT benefits, you can get 50 percent off. This subscription gets you unlimited free grocery delivery on orders over $35 or more from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, andlocal retailers.

For families,Amazon Familyis a good way to share benefits between multiple people. You can share membership perks with two adults, four teens (ages 13-17), and four children. Parents can use Amazon Household to approve teens' orders or set up parental controls on kids' content.

Each month, Prime members can benefit fromAmazon First Reads. You'll get at least one Kindle book from the selection for free. Nonmembers can get their two books for $2 apiece. As a reminder, you can read Kindle books even if you don't have a Kindle device, thanks to thefree appavailable for phones and computers. We also have abuying guideto help you pick the right Kindle.

In addition to First Reads, Prime members get access to tons of Kindle books viaPrime Reading. There are more than a thousand items to choose from. Aside from books, you can access audiobooks and magazines, plus comics viaComixology.

Every month, Prime members are eligible for various rewards viaPrime Gaming(formerly known as Twitch Prime). This includes in-game loot in a variety of popular games, free game downloads, free downloadable content (DLC) and expansions, and more. You also get a free Twitch subscription—which sounds like you can watch Twitch for free, but “Twitch subs” are actually subscriptions to individual Twitch streamers, and they normally cost money. With the free subscription you get from Amazon Prime, you can support channels you enjoy—creators make some money off the subscription, but it won't cost you anything extra.

This discount used to be much better, but it's still worth looking into if you are in the market for a new video game. Occasionally, Prime members can receive $10 off when they preorder a game. Eligible titlesshow up herewhen they're available. Some video games also have free Release Date Delivery—just look for that shipping option when preordering a game.

Prime members get access to unlimited full-resolutionphoto storage, and 5 gigabytes of video storage as well. You can store, print, and share photos using the Amazon Photos app and back everything up to the cloud. (Printing is done through Shutterfly, where Prime members get a 45 percent discount.) If your account ever loses Prime status, you'll need to pay at least $2 per month to keep storing your photos and videos, so this shouldn't be yourprimary backup method. You might want to consider usingone of these optionsas well.

Amazon Kids+(formerly FreeTime Unlimited) is Amazon's content service for kids. The service is compatible with several iOS, Android, and Amazon devices, likeFire Tablets. It essentially provides a bevy of parental controls while giving kiddos access to age-appropriate shows, books, games, and the like. Kids+ costs $8 per month, but Prime members can snag the subscription for $6 per month (or $79 and $48 per year, respectively).

By linking your Amazon Prime account to Earnify, a loyalty app owned by BP and Amoco, you can save at least 10 cents per gallon on fuel at over 7,500participating gas stations locations.

Expecting a new addition to your family? Select Prime members can claim afree Baby Registry Welcome Boxby creating a registry that has at least 10 unique items and $10 worth of purchases (by themselves or others).Learn more here.

Prime RXoffers select customers discounts on prescription medication. It's a prescription savings card that can be used at pharmacies nationwide, including Amazon Pharmacy. These savings programs are nothing new—one similar program isGoodRx—and one may argue that giving Amazon information about your medications adds another layer to privacy concerns. However, the benefit is free if you do decide to use it, and it may be worth checking out if you pay a lot out-of-pocket for prescription medication.

Amazon Key offers select Prime membersin-garage delivery. If you live in an eligible area, and you're interested, you'll need to purchase and install asmart garage kit. Amazon Key previously offered in-home delivery, but it's currently on pause. (Of course, this also comes with a slew ofprivacy concerns.)

There are three differentAmazon credit cards. These come in the form of rewards back for Prime members on select purchases or at select retailers. You don't need to get an Amazon credit card; we encourage you to read through all of the available information and carefully consider it before deciding whether or not to get one.

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