Jason Koebler

Jason Koebler

Jason is a cofounder of 404 Media. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Motherboard. He loves the Freedom of Information Act and surfing.
316 posts
Trump Admin Adds Note Rejecting ‘Gender Ideology’ on Sites Court Ordered Them to Restore
News

Trump Admin Adds Note Rejecting ‘Gender Ideology’ on Sites Court Ordered Them to Restore

FDA and HHS sites now note that “The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children.”
Behind the Blog: Backdoors and the Miracle of Wikipedia
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Backdoors and the Miracle of Wikipedia

This week, we discuss Apple's iCloud, Wikipedia as a miracle of humankind, and good soup.
Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website
DOGE

Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website

"THESE 'EXPERTS' LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN."
Elon Musk's Waste.gov Is Just a WordPress Theme Placeholder Page
Waste.gov

Elon Musk's Waste.gov Is Just a WordPress Theme Placeholder Page

Musk told reporters all of DOGE's actions are "maximally transparent." The website tracking waste is currently about an imaginary architecture firm.
Podcast: AI Is Breaking Our Brains
Podcast

Podcast: AI Is Breaking Our Brains

This week we discuss a new Microsoft study that finds using generative AI is "atrophying" people's cognition and critical thinking skills, the right's war on Wikipedia, and, in the subscriber's section, the idea of posting against fascism.
Wikipedia Prepares for 'Increase in Threats' to US Editors From Musk and His Allies
Wikipedia

Wikipedia Prepares for 'Increase in Threats' to US Editors From Musk and His Allies

The Wikimedia Foundation says it will likely roll out features previously used to protect editors in authoritarian countries more widely.
Trump Fires National Archives Director Colleen Shogan
archives

Trump Fires National Archives Director Colleen Shogan

“This evening, President Trump fired me. No cause or reason was cited."
'For Immediate Compliance': FEMA Workers Responding to Wildfires Ordered to Say 'Alien' Instead of 'Immigrant'
FEMA

'For Immediate Compliance': FEMA Workers Responding to Wildfires Ordered to Say 'Alien' Instead of 'Immigrant'

"This is the most 1984 email I've ever seen," one worker said.
National Archives Workers Unsure If Marco Rubio Has Secretly Been Their Boss for Weeks
archives

National Archives Workers Unsure If Marco Rubio Has Secretly Been Their Boss for Weeks

The current Archivist of the United States held an all-hands this week in which she still seemed to be in charge, 404 Media has learned.
DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA
DOGE

DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to a Records System Not Subject to FOIA

Employees at Elon Musk's agency have been told "OMB is asking us to stop generating new slack messages starting now."
‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government
News

‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government

404 Media has obtained audio of a meeting held by Thomas Shedd, a Musk-associate who is now heading a team of government coders. In the call one employee pushed back and said one of the planned moves is an “illegal task.”
Here's a PDF Version of the CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism
open source

Here's a PDF Version of the CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism

A 404 Media reader made a PDF version of the World War II-era manual that's going viral right now.