A U.S. government-backed recruiting ad exploited what officials said was an obvious crossover in interests.
This led to a rapid intake of job applications that will likely fulfill a key role that has been criticized over the past few years for being at the center of disastrous diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices.
'We've leaned into that community.'
On April 10, the Department of Transportation put out a call for applicants to consider transitioning to a career in one of the most prioritized roles the federal government has to offer: air traffic controllers.
The one-minute ad targeted adult gamers by focusing on their attention to detail, multitasking, and simply put, their ability to take in a vast amount of data through a screen.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed on Friday there was an obvious crossover in interest between gamers and air traffic controllers.
"We polled 250 random students at our academy, and only three of them were not gamers. Like, there must be a correlation between gaming and people wanting to become air traffic controllers," Duffy said at the Semafor World Economy event in Washington, D.C. "So we've leaned into that community."
The recruitment push turned out to be shockingly successful, and after just seven hours, the recruitment portal was almost ready to be shut down.
"We went live last night at midnight — and as of 7:00 this morning, we had almost 6,000 applicants. We are going to shut down the application process at 8,000."
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Duffy told the audience, "If we're not there right now, for sure we'll be there by noon," at which point there will not be a need for any more applications.
As Return previously reported, Duffy met his goal to recruit at least 2,000 new air traffic controllers last September by bringing in 2,026. This came from a group of 10,000 applications, with more than 8,300 being referred to aptitude testing.
On Friday, Duffy spoke more about the correlation between the gamer mindset and what it takes to be an air traffic controller.
"If you think just what these gamers are doing on screens, and they're talking, and there's a lot of things going on. They're used to that, and that's actually what you're doing, in a tower, in a facility," Duffy continued. "They've become well-suited, from the games they've played, to actually have a great life [and] job that pays well and can support their families."
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John Moore/Getty Images
The transportation secretary did stress that the applicants have to be qualified and will go through an assessment process. However, "We've had a flood of people, young people coming in that want to be air traffic controllers ... this has been wildly successful."
The department will still endeavor for its ongoing goal of hiring at least 8,900 new air traffic controllers through 2028.
An audit from 2025 by the Office of Inspector General stated that the FAA employs about 13,000 air traffic controllers in over 300 facilities across the U.S. Nearly 10,600 of those are "certified professional controllers."
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Former Dem NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio’s socialist push to offer free universal child care resulted in dozens of empty buildings and a $100 million--and counting--price tag.
The post Nolte: De Blasio’s NYC Socialist Preschool Scheme Wasted $100M — and Counting — on Empty Buildings appeared first on Breitbart.
An earthquake hit Japan's northeastern coast Monday and officials urged people to evacuate for higher ground amid tsunami warnings.
The post VIDEO: Earthquake Strikes Japanese Coast with Risk of Incoming ‘Mega-Quake’ and Tsunamis appeared first on Breitbart.
The future is here, and it seemingly includes CEOs using chatbots to create plans to avoid having to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars.
That was a judge's conclusion after a smaller American studio sued a giant, publicly traded South Korean conglomerate that allegedly prevented it from putting out its product.
'Lock down Steam/console publishing rights and access rights.'
Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han handles nearly $2 billion of revenue across a multitude of companies, which includes PubG Studios, a massively popular online shooter game.
Since 2021, Krafton has controlled Unknown Worlds, an American studio responsible for the game Subnautica, which sold over five million copies in two years.
With so much success from the first game, Krafton agreed to a $250 million earnout if Subnautica 2 was able to meet specific sales targets. Krafton's CEO was not keen on letting that happen and subsequently plotted "Project X," a plan to prevent the payout.
After internal reports projected Subnautica 2 was likely to hit its targets, things got hairy. According to court documents, when Krafton’s Head of Corporate Development Maria Park warned CEO Kim that removing Unknown Worlds' leadership via "dismissal with cause" opened them up to "lawsuit and reputational risk," he turned to ChatGPT for help.
The chatbot told Kim that the earnout would be "difficult to cancel" but suggested forming an internal task force to either negotiate a "deal" or execute a "takeover" of the company; Kim obliged and allegedly continued to follow ChatGPT's suggestions.
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Not only did Kim allegedly share his strategies from ChatGPT with colleagues, but the strategies included a "pressure and leverage package" against Unknown Worlds.
Among its recommendations, ChatGPT suggested Krafton undermine any David versus Goliath narratives, while urging Kim to prepare for scenarios like buyouts and replacements.
Most jarringly, it also suggested locking down Unknown Worlds' ability to post its new game for sale on Steam, the largest gaming distributor for PC games.
"Lock down Steam/console publishing rights and access rights over code/build pipeline through both legal and technical aspects," ChatGPT said, the lawsuit revealed. "For the earn-out freeze, keep room for negotiations through provision stating 'immediate removal if specific development results are achieved.'"
Kim did as the chatbot recommended and locked down the publishing, and Subnautica 2 could not be released. When Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill asked for control to be returned, Kim allegedly ignored him and told a Krafton studio rep to relay to Gill that he had "no intention of transferring stuff back to you guys (like the Steam app)."
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Ina FASSBENDER/AFP/Getty Images
While Gamesradar reported that Krafton leadership admitted to using ChatGPT for "faster answers," the company told Kotaku that some characterizations made about them have been false.
In response to claims from Unknown Worlds that Krafton said its chat logs no longer exist, the company said the claim was "simply a distraction from their own efforts to destroy evidence."
In the end, a Delaware judge ruled that Kim relied on ChatGPT to craft a strategy aimed at avoiding the $250 million payment.
"Fearing he had agreed to a 'pushover' contract, KRAFTON’s CEO consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate 'takeover' strategy," Vice Chancellor Lori Will said in her ruling, per Economic Times.
The court maintained that Krafton was expected to exercise independent judgment and not outsource its decisions to AI systems.
PC Gamer has since reported that Unknown Worlds will be given an extension to reach its earnout goals to mid-September, with the possibility of extending to March 2027.
The game is set for early release in May 2026.
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The Shreveport, Louisiana, gunman who killed eight children Sunday morning has been identified as a 31-year-old Army veteran.
The post Shreveport Gunman Who Killed Eight Kids ID’d as Army Vet appeared first on Breitbart.
Sunday, during his show's opening monologue, Fox News host Mark Levin argued against religious leaders and theologians who said war at any time was "wrong" and violated God's word.
The post Levin: ‘To Say War at Any Time Is Wrong or That It Violates God’s Word Simply Is Not the Case’ appeared first on Breitbart.
A triathlete with thousands of followers drowned during the Ironman competition in Texas on Saturday during the swimming endurance challenge.
The post Triathlete Drowns During Ironman Competition in Texas appeared first on Breitbart.
I always liked team sports, so when I got old enough, I signed up for senior softball.
At our first game, I showed up with an old mitt and a small aluminum bat I dug out of my sister’s garage. I didn’t really know what level senior softball was going to be. I figured this mitt and bat would be good enough. If not, I could upgrade.
Another guy couldn’t seem to get a hit with it. He seemed perplexed and somewhat disturbed that there was a special bat for old people.
That bat, it turned out, was for girls. Like girls ages 8 to 12. It was about a foot shorter than a normal bat.
I didn’t know this at the time. I leaned it against the wall in the dugout. When the coach saw it, he turned toward us players: “Whose bat is this?!”
I admitted it was mine. He glared at me and said, “Get this thing out of here! If you don’t have a real bat, borrow one from the other guys!”
I grabbed the bat, hurried to my car, and stashed it in the trunk.
Magic stickSo then I had to borrow another guy's bat. I didn’t know anyone on the team yet. I wasn’t sure how to go about it.
The other bats looked pretty high-tech. Most of them looked new. I didn’t want to scuff up somebody’s brand-new bat. Fortunately, when it was my turn at the plate, one of the guys handed me his.
I hadn’t played softball in many years, so I was pretty nervous. The first pitch came, and I swung late and hit a bloop single over the first baseman’s head.
I hadn’t hit it very hard. I was surprised the ball went so far. I ran to first base. I had my first hit.
The next time I was up, I used that same bat, and this time I made solid contact. The ball flew over the shortstop’s head. It went farther than I’d ever hit a softball. It was almost unnatural how far it went. It was like magic.
'We have the technology'Later, I asked the guy about his bat. He said it was a senior softball bat. All the bats in the dugout were senior softball bats. That’s what everybody had.
When I went up a third time, I hit a grounder. But it bounced hard and skipped passed the third basemen for another hit.
Back in the dugout, I asked a different guy, “What’s up with these bats?” He said it was a special design. Senior softball bats were made of advanced materials. They were more flexible. The bat gave a little when it made contact. And then the ball “trampolined” off it with extra force.
He showed me the little inscription on the bat that said it was specifically authorized by Senior Softball-USA, the world's largest senior softball association.
“Wow,” I said. “So we have our own bats.”
“Yes, we do,” he answered.
Sweet spotAt the next game, another guy showed up with a bunch of old senior softball bats he wasn’t using anymore. He had brought them for me. If I liked one of them, I could buy it from him.
He told me to try them out, see which one I liked. The first one I tried, I blasted a base hit between the outfielders. “I’ll take this one,” I told him.
And the next week, I gave him a hundred bucks.
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Pierre Lahalle/Getty Images
Softball shamanOnce I saw how fun senior softball was, I tried to find ways to get extra practice. A younger woman I knew invited me to a pickup game she played in.
These were young people, mostly in their 20s and 30s. They were good players, much better than I was.
When it came time for me to bat, I used my new senior softball bat and hit a deep ball into left field. Everyone was like, “Wow, you really got a hold of that one.”
The next time I was up, I hit another deep ball. People were surprised, shocked even.
“It’s the bat,” I told them. “It’s a senior softball bat.”
They had never heard of such a thing. They wanted to see it. I showed them the little inscription that said: Senior Softball-USA.
“It’s a special design,” I said. “It’s bouncier. Like a trampoline.”
They all felt the bat. They studied it. It didn’t look any different than their bats.
“Try it,” I told them. So they did. One guy, who could already hit the ball a mile, hit the ball a mile.
Another guy couldn’t seem to get a hit with it. He seemed perplexed and somewhat disturbed that there was a special bat for old people.
Another guy got a solid hit, but he didn’t seem particularly impressed. All these guys were really good hitters to start with. My special bat didn’t seem to do that much for them.
I said, “Maybe you have to be a senior to activate the technology.”
Team dreamI made it through that first season. It was a great experience. And being around my teammates reminded me how much skill and competence your average person over 50 represents.
Like the senior softball bat: They had integrated this new technology into their sport in just the right amount. It didn’t significantly alter the game; it just made it a little more fun.
But being on a team. That was the best part. I’ve been a writer all my life. Sitting in a room. By myself. Thinking my thoughts.
What a relief to be with the guys. On a beautiful spring day. In the dugout. With my magic bat.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that a photo circulating online showed an IDF soldier wielding a hammer over the head of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, committing to take "appropriate measures" against those involved.
The post Israeli Soldier Photographed Taking Hammer to Statue of Jesus in Lebanon, IDF Condemns appeared first on Breitbart.
Dalton Rushing, catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, accused the Colorado Rockies of cheating following their 4-3 loss on Saturday night.
The post Dodgers Catcher Dalton Rushing Accuses Rockies of Cheating After Loss appeared first on Breitbart.
An illegal alien has been accused of intentionally starting a fire in New York City that left four people dead and seven others injured. Though an alleged mass murderer, he may yet dodge federal immigration authorities, thanks to NYC officials.
Around 11:43 a.m. on March 16, Roman Amatitla, a 38-year-old Mexican in the U.S. illegally, allegedly set fire to a three-story building in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens and then, according to the office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, stood by and "watched as the building burned."
'An act of mass murder.'
Firefighters discovered three deceased victims in the building: 49-year-old male Chengri Cui, 61-year-old female Shin Chie Ming, and Sihan Yang, a 3-year-old little girl. All three died from smoke inhalation, Katz's office said.
A fourth victim, 64-year-old male Hong Zhao, escaped the fire by jumping out of a window but sustained catastrophic injuries in the fall, including broken bones and head trauma. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to Katz's office.
Seven others — including two firefighters, who endured a terrifying sudden fall to the basement when a stairway collapsed beneath them — were also injured on account of the fire.
The steps that the suspect allegedly took just before setting the fire are bone-chilling. According to the report from Katz, Amatitla:
As smoke began to billow out onto the street, Amatitla allegedly "stayed in the immediate area and watched the fire consume the building," Katz's office said. The DA characterized the deadly fire as "an act of mass murder."
Authorities believe that the suspect selected the building entirely at random, as he "had no known connection to the building or any of its occupants."
Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Getty Images
Amatitla has been charged with eight counts of murder in the second degree, arson in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree, and petit larceny.
Despite the severity of his alleged crimes, the Department of Homeland security claims that the NYC Department of Corrections has refused to honor a request to turn him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
"ICE ARREST DETAINER DENIED. On April 14, ICE requested the NYCDOC not release this monster from jail back into American communities. However, because of New York’s sanctuary politicians, the NYCDOC told ICE that they will REFUSE to cooperate," the DHS tweeted Friday afternoon along with an image of what appears to be the detainer request.
"This monster set fire to a building and watched as innocent people, including a three-year-old, burned to death. New York City sanctuary politicians REFUSE to cooperate with ICE and are choosing to RELEASE this MURDERER onto New York streets," DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
In a response to Blaze News, the DA's office sidestepped questions about the city's cooperation with federal authorities and said only that "the defendant is remanded and is due back in court on May 12."
An NYCDOC spokesperson told Blaze News: "The DOC processes ICE detainers consistent with local law, which defines the extent of our cooperation with federal immigration authorities."
A source familiar with the matter indicated that the NYCDOC notifies ICE about a defendant's possible release only if certain ICE warrants have been issued or the defendant has been convicted of a serious and/or violent crime within the last five years.
The DHS and the respective offices of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) did not respond to a request for comment.
As of Monday morning, Amatitla remains in custody, NYCDOC records confirm. The jail records also note that an immigration detainer has been lodged against him.
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Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Getty Images
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