The A.I.-Powered Cameras Watching Border Towns, and a Midterms Attack Ad Causes Outrage

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Will Jarvis in Fortressie Mumpford. Today's Friday, October 23rd, here's what we're covering. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, from California to Texas, the Times has been tracking the rise of a new kind of government surveillance. Over the past few years, federal authorities have installed hundreds of AI-powered cameras as part of an effort to secure the border. The cameras sit on tall towers with panoramic views of schools, homes, parks, beaches. They can capture detailed images from up to two miles away. They also have motion detecting radar, infrared capabilities, and can use AI software to track vehicles and people. One of the most powerful aspects of these cameras is that they're part of a larger network, right? There's a bunch of them in a row, and so the point of the technology is that I can pick up someone in one camera and then track them across different camera fields of view. Bora Erden is part of a team of Times reporters that analyzed the locations of the new surveillance towers and used mapping software to understand what exactly the cameras can see. They found that more than a million people in Mexico and the U.S. live within sight of the expanding surveillance system. So my colleagues and I went down to the border to try to talk to folks about how they feel about these towers. Some of the folks that we spoke to don't want border patrols surveilling them. They don't want these towers near their houses, and they feel like they don't want the government watching them, basically. Other people that we spoke to feel ambivalent about it. They feel like this is the reality of living on the U.S. Mexico border. You have a lot of border infrastructure, you have a lot of border patrol agents driving through, and these towers are just part of the border landscape. But the vast majority of people are simply not aware that the cameras are there. They just don't know what the towers are. People that notice the towers kind of think they're cell towers or other communication infrastructure. They don't really know that their Department of Homeland Security towers at all. In response to questions from the Times, U.S. officials didn't provide any information about how effective the towers have been at catching migrants or drug smugglers. Though in a statement, Customs and Border Protection said the new towers are, quote, "essential to border security." Going forward, the Trump administration has plans to build even more of the AI towers. It's secured funding to install 1,500 of them, not just along the southern border, but also near Canada, in Puerto Rico, and in coastal areas across the U.S. in Washington. The Times has learned that the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, a Trump ally and former top aide to the Secretary of Homeland Security. According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Lewandowski has been accused of personally profiting from his role, though it's not immediately clear what specific actions are under investigation. Lewandowski joined DHS last year in what was supposed to be a part-time role as an unpaid adviser to Kristi Nome, who was leading the Department at the time. But he wielded power far beyond the scope of that role, holding meetings in her office without her, and getting involved in the approval of government contracts. Some Homeland Security officials also raised concerns that he was using his role to enrich himself, according to people familiar with internal discussions. It's not the first time Lewandowski's conduct has come into question. Over the years, he's faced allegations of trying to bring a handgun into a congressional office building, roughing up a female reporter, and making unwanted sexual advances to the wife of a Trump donor. In that last case, he faced misdemeanor charges and reached a plea deal that included eight hours of impulse control counseling. The new DOJ inquiry is a rare example in Trump's second term of one of the president's allies or appointees facing an investigation for wrongdoing. In a statement, a lawyer for Lewandowski denied suggestions that his client had done anything improper or illegal. In Ohio, a controversial and highly personal attack at in the state's governor's race has become a political flashpoint, dividing the Republican Party. My daughter needs help, and she can't help you if she needs help herself. In the ads, the mother of Amy Akden, the Democratic candidate, accuses her daughter of lying and exaggerating about her childhood struggles. The two have not spoken since Akden was 12 years old back in the 1970s. At that time, the mother backed her husband after he was arrested on charges that he raped Akden, and the mother lost custody of her. Akden has expressed outrage at the ad, which was put out by the campaign of her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswami. A range of others across the political spectrum have also spoken out against it, including Ohio's sitting Republican governor, who called it, quote, "deeply, deeply troubling." But some in the party have hailed it as a bombshell. Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed criticism of the ad as "wining." And last night, President Trump urged Ramaswami to keep airing it. It's a big thing. It's like a big story about he must take that ad down immediately. He must know the mother is calling the daughter a terrible person and a liar. Overall, the Ohio governor's race has been one of the ugliest in the nation, with both sides leaning into sharply-worded attacks. For example, some ads have called Ramaswami a con man and a swindler. But many say the ad with the mother went too far. One conservative radio host, who advised Ramaswami's 2024 presidential campaign, told the Times that when it comes to that ad, quote, "it is a very fine line that the Ramaswami campaign are walking," adding that they're taking a huge bet. For its part, Ramaswami's campaign has doubled down, saying this week that it plans to spend $4 million airing the ad in the state. Across Indonesia, protesters have taken to the streets, demanding that the government take action to stop fires that are raging in the country's rainforests. For months, millions of people across the region have been living under a stifling blanket of haze, as record-breaking fires fueled by drought and al-Nino have burned out of control. The smoke has gotten so thick that traffic has been forced to accrawl, many schools have been closed, and there's a growing health crisis. According to the Indonesian Health Ministry, hundreds of thousands of people, many of them children, have suffered acute respiratory illnesses recently. One radiologist, who works near where some of the fires are burning, told the Times that of the roughly 60 chest X-rays he looks at a day about a third show signs of respiratory issues. Out on the streets, protesters are now demanding that the country's president declare a national emergency and take steps to prevent the slash and burn agricultural practices that many have blamed for setting the stage for the fires. The president has ordered up additional firefighting resources, but has also defended the government's response so far, saying that, "Ultimately, the only real solution is rain." And finally, please explain to me why I should pay a cleaning fee that costs just as much as an entire night at a hotel, only to be expected to clean the property myself before I. Over the years, people booking on Airbnb have found that their vacation stay can come with a to-do list from the host. It's been a head scratcher for some people who found themselves washing sheets and towels on top of paying a cleaning fee. Now, after many, many complaints, Airbnb says it's going to rain in what hosts are reasonably allowed to ask of guests starting next month, essentially no more long chores lists, no more taking out the trash or having to do the dishes. The company said that now hosts cannot make people do anything that would "require significant time or effort" or would typically be performed by a cleaner. Some hosts are pushing back, saying the new rules are unreasonable, and even starting an online petition with thousands of signatures, calling on the company to reverse the rule change. The new policy comes at a time when Airbnb, which is almost 20 years old, is adjusting its business model and expanding its offerings. It added grocery delivery, car rentals, and even hotel listings. The exact thing it originally pitched itself as an alternative to. The Airbnb CEO said in a recent earnings call that the company is trying to become a one-stop shop for travel. He also told the Times in an interview that Airbnb recognizes that chores have become "yeah" a lot. He said hosts needed to remember that quote, "These people are on vacation and they're on vacation from their chores." Those are the headlines. And if you are not a time subscriber yet, you can get a full month of free access to everything we publish when you download the Times app now. This show is made by Margaret Cadefa, Jake Lucas, Jan Stewart, Tracy Mumford, and me, Will Jarvis, original theme by Dan Powell. Thanks to Isabella Anderson, Sam Donick, Miles McKinley, Zoe Murphy, and Chris Wood. Now time for the quiz. Every week we ask you a few questions about stories the Times app. has been covering, can you get them all? Here we go. First up, German police arrested two people suspected of attacking a weapons manufacturer in Munich. Across Europe over the past few years, there has been a flurry of small-scale sabotage. Western intel agencies think Russia is behind a plot to put explosives on cargo planes. And recently, there's been a new string of apparent attacks, including one just this week, on a very specific type of target. Your question, what has been getting hit? A hint, think communications equipment and the war in Ukraine. The answer, Starlink Systems. The internet service from the company SpaceX has helped Ukraine communicate and steer drones on the battlefield. Starlink uses satellites, but also relies on antennas on the ground. And recently authorities in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Poland say Starlink ground stations in their countries have been vandalized. In at least one case, sat on fire. European officials who've pointed the finger at Russia for previous sabotage attempts have suggested the Kremlin could be behind the whole Starlink situation too, though Russia's denied any involvement in attacks on Europe. OK, next question. This week, we told you about how President Trump has officially designated a stretch of dramatic mountainous desert in Arizona, as Chiracawa National Park. So, in honor of the nation's 64th National Park, we've got a little lightning round for you, with a few questions about other parks out there. Ready? Let's start with the very first National Park, which was, do you know it? Yellowstone founded in 1872. Next one, for about half the year, one particular spot in this National Park gets the first glimpse of sunrise before any other place in the country. That is Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, up on the coast of Maine. All right, your third one is the home of a roughly 380-foot tall tree known as Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world. Hyperion is in Redwood National Park. If you said Sequoia National Park, you're probably thinking of the massive tree known as General Sherman, which is not the tallest at a measly 275 feet, but it is technically the biggest tree by volume. And last question in the lightning round, this one's a bit trickier. According to the National Park's Conservation Association, this is the only park that is fully closed to the public during the winter. That's because weather conditions there can get too extreme. If you're thinking Alaska, think again, it's actually in the Midwest. The answer, Isle Royale National Park, way out in the middle of Lake Superior, which can be battered by ice-cold 20-foot tall waves in winter. And last question, how can something this simple be this good? This is a BMO, which literally translates to bun with cheese. In one capital city, there's a food trend that has absolutely taken over. It's one of the most iconic bakery orders, which can be eaten in lunch, morning, or as a afternoon snack. It's just bread, butter and cheese, but the ultra-simple sandwiches have become a bestseller at bakeries across the city. One bakery chain says it sells 30,000 of them every month. Your question, do you know what city has gone cheese sandwich crazy? A hint here is the name of it in the local language. The answer, Copenhagen. I admit that when I started doing this reporting, I was skeptical. I wasn't sure how good these things could really be. It's just bread, butter, and cheese. But when I arrived in Denmark and I had my first bulmatoast, I really developed a respect for how much effort has gone into these. My colleague Amelia Nirenberg has been covering the phenomenon. Bakery's are constantly experimenting with the dough and the bake and the flour and the butter and the cheese trying to make sure there's a distinctive, there's the most perfect possible version of this incredibly simple sandwich. And what food critics told me is basically that the simplicity is the point. You can do a lot with a fancy dish to hide your sins. But if you just have three ingredients, like there's nowhere to hide, you can't fake it. Your fundamentals have to be excellent or it's not worth doing. That is it for this week's news quiz, if you want to let us know how you did, or if you find a great deal on flights to Copenhagen, or email is the headlines at nytimes.com. The show will be back on Monday with Tracy Mumford.