Will the real De Blasio please stand up? A lesson from a UK newspaper’s gaffe

The Times of London published a scoop that wasn’t. Quotes blasting Zohran Mamdani’s plans, attributed to former New York mayor Bill de Blasio, were disowned by de Blasio, who called the piece “entirely false,” demanded a retraction, and reaffirmed his support for Mamdani. The Times apologized and removed the story, saying it was misled by someone posing as de Blasio. Semafor identified the respondent as a Long Island wine importer named Bill DeBlasio, who said he used ChatGPT to craft the remarks, underscoring a basic lesson: verify sources, especially in an AI age.