Lucas Ropek

Staff Reporter

Lucas Ropek was previously a staff writer at Gizmodo covering cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency.

Lucas Ropek's posts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

RFK Jr.’s Strategy for the Bird Flu Epidemic: Spread, Baby, Spread

Kennedy's approach to bird flu doesn't seem wholly dissimilar to his approach to covid-19.

Health Lucas Ropek Mar 19

Gavin Newsom at 2024 DNC

Gavin Newsom Is Reportedly Sending Burner Phones to Tech CEOs, a Normal Thing to Do

The California governor has been sending prepaid cell phones to executives throughout his state.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Mar 18

Trump in a helicopter

White House Announces Plan to Use Federal Lands to ‘Reduce Housing Costs’

The Trump White House is ready to divvy up public lands for private profits.

Conservation Lucas Ropek Mar 18

Sam Altman at a tech conference in Italy

San Francisco Is Getting Its Own Council of Tech Oligarchs

More than usual, San Francisco's C-suite will now have access to city hall.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Mar 17

Elon Musk speaks virtually during the Alternative for Germany (AfD) general election campaign launch in Halle, Germany, on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.

Right-Wing State and Local Govs Seek to Follow in Elon’s Footsteps and DOGE Themselves

Conservative lawmakers have DOGE fever.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 17

Publicis Groupe says its CoreAI can sift through a ton of personal data.

Data Broker Brags About Having Highly Detailed Personal Information on Nearly All Internet Users

The advertising industry is immensely powerful, and disturbingly opaque.

Privacy & Security Lucas Ropek Mar 15

Luigi Mangione Attends Hearing In State Court In New York City

Reddit Accused of Cracking Down on Luigi Mangione Content

Luigi content is on the run from the (moderation) law.

Social Media Lucas Ropek Mar 14

Amazon truck

FTC Claims That It Can’t Take on Amazon Case Due to DOGE Cuts, Then Changes Its Mind

The federal agency appeared to realize this was not a good look for Trump.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 14

Elon Musk speaks at the Capital One Arena

Judge Calls DOGE Firings a ‘Sham,’ Orders Thousands of Workers to Be Reinstated ‘Immediately’

It's a major setback for Elon's government destruction project.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 13

New Yorkers Hold Tesla Protest Against President Trump And Elon Musk

Republicans Want to Make Hating Elon Musk a Crime

The MAGA wing of the Republican party wants to use the DOJ to bite back against Musk protesters.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 13

Influencer Tate Brothers Return To U.s. Despite Sex Trafficking Charges In Romania

Spotify Pulls Down Andrew Tate’s Podcast About ‘Pimping Hoes’ Amid Criminal Probe

The music streaming platform received criticism for keeping the show for as long as it did.

Internet Lucas Ropek Mar 12

Elon Musk and Donald Trump in a Tesla

Trump Says He Will Designate Attacks on Tesla Dealerships as ‘Domestic Terrorism’

The president wants to protect his campaign underwriter's car business.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 12

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas.

Tech Execs Are Pushing Trump to Build ‘Freedom Cities’ Run by Corporations

A pro-corporate libertarian movement is attempting to take over the U.S., with Trump's help.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 11

Photo: Lukas Schulze

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Is Trying His Best to Be the New Elon Musk

Rockets are the path to power, baby.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Mar 11

Elon Musk on Capitol Hill

Democrats Expected to Pass a Bill (Drafted by Elon’s Lawyers) That Threatens Your Retirement Fund

It's not enough to ruin the federal government. Musk doesn't think corporations should have to play by state rules, either.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 10

Elon Musk and Donald Trump at a SpaceX Launch

Trump Scrambles to Cover His Ass as Courts Zero-In on Musk’s Role at DOGE

Trump claims DOGE will proceed with a "scalpel"-like approach to government cost-cutting which, based on the unit's history, is doubtful.

Politics Lucas Ropek Mar 7

U.S. oligarch Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol after a meeting with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., while on the Hill to talk about President-elect Donald Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," on Thursday, December 5, 2024

Senate Votes to Strip CFPB of Ability to Regulate Platforms Like X

Conservative activist and friend of Donald Trump, Laura Loomer, is freaking out.

Tech Policy Lucas Ropek Mar 6

Trump Confidant Roger Stone Sentenced In Obstruction And Witness Tampering Case

Roger Stone Wants Regime Change in Honduras to Support a Techno-Colonialist Crypto City

The colorful political operator wants to defend a parasitic capitalist project in Central America.

Cryptocurrencies Lucas Ropek Mar 6

Canadian Officials Cancel Starlink Contract, Propose 100% Tariffs on Teslas

Musk is in the firing line for Trump's pointless economic war on America's allies.

Commerce Lucas Ropek Mar 5

Donald Trump and financier Jeffrey Epstein attend a Victoria's Secret Angels event sponsored by Rogers & Cowan at the club Duvet on 21st Street in New York City, New York on April 9, 1997.

Trump’s AG Claims She Will Release More Epstein Docs, but They May Be Redacted for National Security

The search for radical "transparency" isn't going so well inside the new Trump White House.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Mar 4

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