Nathan Fielder’s secretive Elizabeth Holmes documentary has become a sold-out smash hit and might make Oscars history

Spoilers ahead

If there is one moment that sums up You Can See Everything, the new A24 documentary on Elizabeth Holmes that until this weekend was shrouded in spoiler-averse secrecy, it is, perhaps surprisingly, the one everyone already knows: co-director Nathan Fielder, the droll comedian known for deadpanning subjects into submission, sitting eye to eye with Holmes, the unblinking fabulist of Theranos infamy. In tight zoom, saturation turned up – Fielder’s arched brows and Holmes’s oceanic blue eyes as stark as two magnetic poles – he asks her: “Are you being real right now?”

That question hangs over much of the colossal three-hour movie, particularly a claustrophobic first half that has made headlines since the film’s existence was announced in September. That first half – essentially, the only part of the movie anyone respecting spoiler guidelines and/or the theatrical experience could talk about – takes place entirely in 2023, when Fielder and his co-director Lance Oppenheim, along with a small crew, embedded with Holmes, her husband, Billy Evans, and their two small children in the run-up to her prison sentence for fraud. We watch as Fielder, over a few surreal weeks in a beachfront rental, attempts to puncture Holmes’s indomitable facade of faultlessness. It’s not exactly comedic, this chess game between three norms-ignoring people, but it can be quite funny: TV’s grand illusionist, an absurdist auteur who will go as far as actually obtaining a 737 pilot’s license for the bit, stymied by a world-class fabricator, with her poorly dissembling husband on the side. This section resembles, in feel, the pull of internet wormhole: the closer you zoom in on a subject, without outside context, the more sense devolves. Was Holmes “being real”, for instance, when she told Fielder, with seemingly complete sincerity, that she has never told a lie in her life? Or when she continued to insist, despite plain reality, that Theranos devices could perform 1,000 diagnostic tests?

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Exclusive: Undercover footage of Dan Jukes raises fresh questions about Reform leader’s statement that £5m gift was for security

Nigel Farage undermined his own claims that a £5m gift was for security when he referred to the money as a reward for Brexit, according to one of his closest aides.

The apparent admission came in undercover footage seen by the Guardian in which Dan Jukes says that it is “priced in” for Farage to profit from politics.

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Paul Mackenzie and his church set up sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children, say prosecutors

A Kenyan court has found the starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of ⁠190 children and one adult in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history.

Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tipoff, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest near the coast ⁠in south-eastern Kenya.

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Last weekend there were mass protests across France, with more than half a million people estimated to have been involved. The unrest included rioting, looting and violent clashes with outnumbered police in cities including Paris, Marseille and Limoges. The interior minister conceded that police ‘lost control’ in some cities, while President Emmanuel Macron demanded a full security review. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley – watch on YouTube

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Na jaren van rechtszaken, boomhutten en protesten gaat de A69 tussen Toulouse en Castres begin november open. Dat de weg omstreden is, wisten we al. Nieuw is dat nu zelfs de grootste voorstanders boos zijn. Over de prijs. En wie er op vakantie overheen rijdt, wacht nog een tweede verrassing: er staat nergens een slagboom.

Wat kost de A69?

Het volledige traject van 53 kilometer, tussen Verfeil en Castres, kost met een gewone auto €8,50 per rit. Dat is ongeveer 16 cent per kilometer. Wie echt van Castres naar Toulouse wil, betaalt nog €1,70 extra voor het aansluitende stuk snelweg richting de stad. Een retourtje komt daarmee op €20,40.

Daarmee hoort de A69 bij de duurste snelwegen van Frankrijk. Het tarief ligt ongeveer 1,6 keer boven het landelijk gemiddelde en is ruim twee keer zo hoog als op grote doorgaande routes als de A6 en de A7.

Elektrische auto's en waterstofauto's krijgen 20 procent korting. Voor wie vaak rijdt, komt er een abonnement met kortingen die oplopen naarmate je meer ritten maakt.

Een retourtje Castres–Toulouse kost €20,40 aan tol.

Waarom zo duur?

De weg is aangelegd door concessiehouder Atosca, die de investering via de tol terugverdient. Een aanvullende afspraak moest met 41 miljoen euro publiek geld een deel van het traject een derde goedkoper maken. De Franse Raad van State gaf daarover een negatief advies, omdat die afspraak het financiële evenwicht van het concessiecontract wezenlijk zou veranderen. Die korting gaat dus voorlopig niet door.

Het gevolg is ophef tot diep in het kamp van de voorstanders. Carole Delga, sociaaldemocratisch voorzitter van de regio Occitanie en jarenlang pleitbezorger van de weg, noemt €20,40 voor gewone mensen niet op te brengen. Ze wil een spoedoverleg met het ministerie van Transport. Lokale bestuurders van links tot rechts sluiten zich bij de kritiek aan.

Geen slagboom, wel een betaaltermijn

Voor Nederlandse automobilisten zit het venijn misschien vooral in de techniek. De A69 werkt met 'péage en flux libre': portalen boven de weg lezen je kenteken of tolbadge, terwijl je gewoon doorrijdt. Niemand houdt je tegen. Juist daardoor vergeten automobilisten weleens te betalen.

Zo betaal je op de A69

• Met een tolbadge gaat het automatisch.
• Zonder badge betaal je binnen 72 uur: online op kenteken bij Atosca, of in een tabakszaak met Nirio-logo.
• Te laat? Dan komt er €90 bovenop de tol, of €10 als je binnen 15 dagen betaalt.
• Na twee maanden volgt een boete van €375.

De aanmaning gaat naar de kentekenhouder, ook als je de auto had geleend of gehuurd. Let daarnaast op nepberichten: betaal nooit via een link in een sms of mail over 'openstaande tol', maar alleen via de officiële site, een Nirio-punt of je badge.

Niemand houdt je tegen bij de tolpoort, want die is er niet.

Is er een alternatief?

Ja. De bestaande nationale weg tussen Castres en Toulouse blijft gratis. De snelweg moet 20 tot 30 minuten schelen. Voor wie op vakantie in de Tarn één keer naar Toulouse rijdt, is het een afweging tussen tijd en geld.

Voor dagelijkse forenzen telt het hard op. Rekenvoorbeeld: wie 21 werkdagen per maand retour rijdt zonder abonnement, is ruim €400 per maand aan tol kwijt.

Wanneer gaat de weg open?

Atosca houdt het op 'de eerste week van november'. Franse media noemen 6 november, maar die datum is nog niet officieel bevestigd. Ook de tarieven moeten formeel nog worden vastgelegd in een ministerieel besluit.

De milieustrijd rond de A69 is nog niet voorbij. De strijd om de portemonnee is net begonnen.

Meer weten?

• AutoWeek: Nieuwe dure tolweg gaat volgende maand open in Frankrijk
• ANWB: Tolwegen en tolvignetten in Frankrijk
• Frankrijk Actueel: Nieuw systeem voor betalen op de A69

AMSTERDAM (ANP) - De stemming op de Europese beurzen was maandag negatief na een weekend met gewelddadige demonstraties in met name Frankrijk. De schade in de Amsterdamse AEX-index viel mee met een min van 0,1 procent, geholpen door stevige plussen van de opgeveerde chipbedrijven Besi, ASML en ASMI. Die volgden op het herstel van Amerikaanse AI-aandelen na de scherpe koersdalingen van vorige week.

Behalve in veel Franse steden gingen afgelopen weekend ook in het Italiaanse Milaan veel mensen de straat op om te protesteren tegen de kosten voor levensonderhoud. Dit liep geregeld uit op rellen, plunderingen en vernielingen. Bij beleggers leven zorgen over de hoge staatsschulden van de landen.

De AEX-index sloot 0,1 procent lager op 1141,38 punten, iets onder het slotrecord van 1142,88 van vrijdag. De MidKap verloor 0,5 procent tot 1057,70 punten. Parijs, Frankfurt en Londen verloren meer dan 1 procent. De hoofdgraadmeter in Milaan leverde 1,6 procent in.

Albert Heijn

Wolters Kluwer was na Besi (3,4 procent) de sterkste stijger in de AEX met een winst van 3,2 procent. De Amerikaanse bank JPMorgan verhoogde het koersdoel voor de informatieleverancier. Ook dsm-firmenich deed het goed met een plus van 2,5 procent. Aandeelhouders van het voedings- en gezondheidsbedrijf gingen akkoord met de benoeming van Richard Ridinger als voorzitter van het toezichthoudend bestuur.

Ahold Delhaize won 0,8 procent. Het moederbedrijf van Albert Heijn maakte maandag bekend aangifte te hebben gedaan van het cyberbeveiligingsincident waar het sinds ruim een week mee te maken heeft. Zondag werd al duidelijk dat komende vrijdag de bezorging van boodschappen wordt hervat. De leveringen aan supermarkten kwamen vorige week alweer op gang.

Air France-KLM

Unilever verloor 1,2 procent. Zakenkrant The Wall Street Journal meldde dat het levensmiddelenconcern maandag nog de verkoop van pleistermerk Welly bekendmaakt.

In de MidKap zakte luchtvaartcombinatie Air France-KLM 1,8 procent na de grote storing bij de elektronische paspoortcontrole op Schiphol afgelopen weekend.

De Keniaanse sekteleider Paul Mackenzie is schuldig bevonden aan de moord op 190 kinderen en een volwassene. Hij zou zijn aanhangers hebben opgeroepen zichzelf en hun kinderen te verhongeren, zodat zij "Jezus konden ontmoeten".

Mackenzie richtte de Good News International Church-sekte in 2003 op, die door de jaren heen heel populair werd. Duizenden mensen volgden zijn preken, waarin hij onder meer zei dat onderwijs en gezondheidszorg slecht waren. Toen de fysieke kerk in 2019 de deuren moest sluiten, verhuisde Mackenzie naar het Shakahola-bos in Kenia en spoorde hij zijn aanhangers aan hem te volgen. Drie jaar geleden werden er lichamen van meer dan vierhonderd mensen gevonden.

Mensen werden naar het bos gelokt met de belofte van betaalbare landbouwgrond, maar troffen er een gewapende militie, meldde de Keniaanse Nationale Commissie voor de Rechten van de Mens (KNCHR) in een rapport. Wie niet wilde vasten, of wie probeerde te ontsnappen, werd gewurgd of doodgeslagen.

A Florida police department claims that scammers used AI to clone a sheriff’s voice, with scammers increasingly using voice clones that trick people into thinking they’ve missed jury duty or have a warrant out for their arrest are increasing.

According to Florida news outlet News6, scammers cloned Osceola County Sheriff Steve Moser’s voice and left a voicemail with a resident.    

“They cloned his voice and was using Steve’s picture as well to say it was him making the phone call, and it was not,” Sheriff Chris Blackmon told News6.

Impersonating a police officer is a third-degree felony in Florida. The Osceola County sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This particular scam cloning cops is spreading across several states, with reports of jury duty and arrest warrant scams targeting people in Georgia and Pennsylvania in the last week. These other reports don’t mention AI voice cloning explicitly, but note that the scammers sometimes have similar voices and tones as local police officers.  

Voice cloning scams have been around for years, with scammers using commercially available AI voice impersonation tools to target the elderly, families, and businesses. Last year, 404 Media investigated real-time deepfake scams that incorporated voice and video to defraud people. In 2024, we reported on the ways scammers cloned celebrity voices and use AI videos in YouTube ads to scam people.

Scammers often impersonate company executives or leadership to trick employees into sending money, and voice cloning appears to be an increasing part of that. In February, scammers cloned a managing partner of a law firm with AI. Ultimately, a private bank ended up transferring $108 million.

In Brno in Czechia, Red Hat’s large local office has been helping the city’s Masaryk University to teach future technical writers. Whenever someone tries to teach, though, they learn as well. At the Open Source Summit in Prague, a senior member of Red Hat’s documentation team in Brno presented a talk called Diagrams & Dragons: Teaching Technical Writing to University Students the Open Source Way. Red Hat has a large site in Brno, which is the second-largest Czech city and is also the home of the respected Masaryk University. Red Hat’s Brno office has a substantial documentation team — this vulture was part of it for a while. For the last four years, Red Hat has been working with the university’s Faculty of Informatics to teach a course unit in technical writing. Jiří Herrman talked about what the course tutors had learned from the students. For FI MUNI, its course PV177 Technical Writing. Red Hat has a page with some of the materials. “RH has been looking into cultivating technical writers in Brno for a while,” he said, but the launch of the course was “delayed due to the 2020 worldwide global… thingy.” The company particularly wants to work on what he described as “that tricky part of technical writing where you actually have to interact with other humans.” Some of the things that struck this former tech-docs writer the most are covered on pages 7 and 9 from Herrman’s short slide deck [PDF], which discuss what didn’t work. Although the course was aimed at students with some technical knowledge, they found that setting classwork with shell-based tools didn’t work: some of the students had never used the command-line, some came with borrowed laptops without admin-level access, and some came with just phones rather than laptops. Some we found less surprising. Getting students to grade one anothers’ work, much as professional tech writers review one another’s contributions, didn’t work well – partly due to the speed required. In the end, the compromise was to give the students a course in grading each other’s work “without pissing each other off.” It didn’t shock us, but we suspect might leave some training vendors taken aback, that interacting with remote teachers who were presenting online didn’t work well – especially when there were multiple tutors, changing with each class. LLM use You may well have already foreseen the biggest “gotcha” for a course that ran for the first time in 2023. It is, naturally, use of LLM. The students were told that they were not allowed to use LLMs during the course, but naturally enough, they did so anyway. Among the problems that Herrman reported were that giving praise to good work that involved LLM use just encouraged more cheating. However, telling students off for it discouraged them, and that encourages cheating. So the team had to come up with some tactics to try to manage this, which involved teaching the students how to use LLMs instead. They did, however, find some things that did work well. Awarding points, even on a semi-arbitrary basis, with occasional secret prizes, as well dispensing feedback via internet-style memes. A final exercise was to role-play a scenario, “Dungeons & Dragons” style. The quest was “I want to be a tech writer, but how to get there?”. This involved navigating a cross-functional team, creating things like release notes, technical notes, and some real documentation for the process. And as the course materials are open source, the graduates ended up with a permanent FOSS record that they can show to prospective employers. There is a project Github, and you can see some of the student’s archived coursework for 2025 and 2026. The issues around LLM use in tech writing were the primary subject of a “Birds of a Feather” session that Herrman moderated earlier: Technical Writing in the Age of AI. He started by asking how many in the audience were using AI in their tech-writing efforts, getting what he called an “overwhelming majority” who were already on-board. What we found interesting is what people said they didn’t use it for. They find even the best models are poor at writing documentation themselves. They’re also poor at drawing diagrams, and at reading them for review purposes. They’re poor at reviewing docs (“AI is too obsequious and so reviews are overly positive,” and “it doesn’t give good feedback on user focus, or structure.”) However, most of the attendees found uses for it all the same. Examples included “Change management” and “Updating to new code” – in other words, identifying which parts of large products had changed and which therefore needed fresh documentation. Others said they used it for “Documenting decisions from meeting notes,” and in other ways, “Collecting information resources for writing,” and worryingly, to “Summarize notes (from conferences, meetings, etc.) and cluster by themes”. Another use was “Reverse engineering code to figure out intent,” or to “Find existing docs to prevent reinvention or duplication.” Tech writing is a demanding job, and pretty much permanently under-resourced. We can’t and don’t blame anyone for grabbing onto anything that might help. Even so, for us, what stood out from this session was the pretty much unanimous agreement among an audience of tech writers that LLMs were poor at doing the job that tech writers themselves did. Reviewing each others’ docs is a core part of the job: tech writers are used to this, and when they review the bots’ efforts, they find the machinese lacking. That fits our impressions, too. What we found alarming is that, although they find the bots poor at doing what the writers know best, even so, they trusted the bots to be competent in other functions, things the writers don’t look at so closely – for example, finding and selecting where docs need updating. The use for summarization is especially alarming: this is something that studies have demonstrated LLMs are bad at. They shorten, not summarize, and that’s no substitute. We find that worrying, but we regularly hear reports of companies pressing staff to use AI more. This is an all-too-human response: “it can’t do my job, but if I must use it, then this stuff isn’t my jurisdiction, and if it messes up, I can blame someone else.” We just worry at whose desk this buck will eventually stop. ®

Combining the elemental rhythms with human-made materials, DRIFT’s latest sculptural choreography invites visitors to consider their connection to nature in an interactive experience influenced by the planet’s intrinsic processes and systems. “Aeolus” is named for the ancient Greek deity of the wind and comprises an environment characterized by numerous glass rods with tiny lights inside. These are activated by visitors’ movements.

“Like wind itself, the work only fully exists through interaction,” say Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, founders of the Amsterdam-based design studio in a statement. “It is both still and in motion, fixed yet constantly changing.” Light and glass were chosen to further represent ephemerality and transitions. Glass can be so light and clear it appears spectral, and light is immaterial like the wind: it may be here one moment and gone the next.

“Aeolus” remains on view through October 25 at Carpenters inside of Ladbroke Hall in London. The studio has also announced the forthcoming DRIFT Museum, an 8,000-square-meter space inside of the Van Gendt Hallen in Amsterdam slated to open in early 2027. Follow updates on DRIFT’s Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article In ‘Aeolus,’ DRIFT Suspends Illuminated Glass Rods in a Sculpture of the Wind appeared first on Colossal.