Weekend Rewind from Morristown Minute

Morristown NJ

11 October, 2021

4:24 PM

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Weekend Rewind News you need to know from this weekend 10.8.21 - 10.10.21 Deep Faking Journalism by Chris Connors on October 11, 2021 As AI advances and expands, deep fake technology is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from fact. What can be used as harmless fun (as seen on TikTok like the popular Tom Cruise deep fake) is quickly turning into a world of misinformation and fake news. "By five to seven years, we are basically looking at a trajectory where any single creator, so, a YouTuber, a TikToker, will be able to create the same level of visual effects that is only accessible to the most well-resourced Hollywood studio today," said Nina Schick in her Sunday night interview with 60 minutes. In a world where no one can tell the difference between fake and real, what is stopping us from becoming disillusioned with the concept of fact and fiction? What will hold us down to the truth when there is virtually no way to distinguish between fact and fiction? Today's feature article discusses where AI and deep fake technology are heading, what we can do to combat misinformation, and how this seemingly sinister technology can be used for good. Read more at Morristown Minute. THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Chef David Burke preps 1776 Restaurant in Morristown for fall Opening by Eric Blair on October 09, 2021 Chef David Burke will open his 15th restaurant in Morristown, NJ in the former offices of NJ.com overlooking the historic Morristown Green. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, October 8, 2021, at the new restaurant and Top Golf suites. The top restaurant also offers six top golf sweet swing simulator suites where guests can golf virtually across the world's elite course. The Town Council and Mayor Tim Dougherty voted unanimously to approve the building of the new restaurant which is set to open on October 13, 2021. WARNING: Fake/Laced Percocet, Vicodin, Xanax, Adderall Flooding into NJ by Chris Connors on October 11, 2021 At a press conference at the end of September, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced the significant law enforcement effort to protect American communities from the flood of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills across the United States. Fentanyl-laced fake pills are a major cause of the increase in overdose deaths in the United States. "Illicit fentanyl was responsible for nearly three-quarters of the more than 93,000 fatal drug overdoses in the United States in 2020," said Monaco. "The pervasiveness of these illicit drugs, and the fatal overdoses that too often result, are significant threats to public safety and health in this country. The Department will continue to use all of the resources at its disposal to save lives, complementing strong enforcement efforts with public awareness and outreach campaigns, as well." "During the past eight weeks, DEA has targeted the criminal drug networks flooding the U.S. with deadly, fentanyl-laced fake pills," said Milgram. "DEA remains steadfast in its commitment [to] reduce drug-related violence and overdose deaths by dismantling the violent, criminal drug distribution networks across the United States. The fentanyl-laced fake pills seized by DEA could potentially kill more than 700,000 Americans. I urge the American public today to talk to their loved ones about the threats and dangers of fake pills and the simple fact that one pill can kill." "While in the midst of the country's opioid crisis, counterfeit prescription pills like Percocet, Xanax, and Oxycontin, continue to be abused at alarming rates," said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division (AFD) Robert J. Murphy. "The fruitful results of this operation should let counterfeit pill pushers know that DEA will continue to confront, engage and eliminate drug trafficking in order to protect our communities." The fake pills, which are now more lethal than ever, are mass-produced by Mexican drug cartels who source chemicals from China and distribute the fake pills through US criminal networks. A recent seizure by the DEA in NJ revealed 30 kilograms of fentanyl, enough to be converted into about 15 million counterfeit pills. Since 2019, enough Fentanyl has been seized in NJ to create nearly 134 million fake pills. According to DEA officials, four out of every ten pills tested contained enough fentanyl to be deadly after one dose. On October 23, 2021, the DEA is sponsoring a national "Take Back" initiative that aims to collect pills being used improperly or illegally. Information collected from the US Department of Justice at Justice.gov READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE morristownminute.town.newsMorristown, NJ 07960