After months of swirling rumors, federal prosecutors last week brought the legal hammer down on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accusing hizzoner of extensive public corruption. Under growing pressure to resign, Adams pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courthouse on Friday, urging New Yorkers to "wait to hear our defense."

There's a very real chance that the first-term mayor will not complete his time in office before the mayoral election scheduled for next November. If so, control of the largest city in the country may fall to Jumaane Williams, the city's public advocate and second in the line of succession since 2019.

An 'activist-politician'
Williams has been a fixture of Gotham politics for nearly 15 years, first serving as a city council member in 2010. A progressive Democrat, Williams has been supported by the Working Families Party and has roots in community organizing. During his time on the city council, Williams "focused on initiatives geared toward police reform and combating gun violence," said The Washington Examiner. His participation in Black Lives Matter-associated protests has "caused some citizens to be concerned about his stance" on the NYPD. 

As a city councilor, Williams led the effort to pass the Fair Chance Act, making it illegal for employers to discriminate based on criminal history. Williams is also an "outspoken mental health advocate" who has been "open about his personal struggles with Tourette's syndrome and ADHD," said CBS News. The "self-described activist-politician" earned his master's degree from Brooklyn College, said the New York Post. 

'I have always been prepared'
Although next in line for the mayorship, Williams has had "his eye on the gubernatorial office," said Patch. He unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor on Cynthia Nixon's ticket in 2018. He ran for governor in 2021 but lost the primary to Kathy Hochul.

Williams and Adams "clashed earlier this year over a police reform bill" that Adams ultimately vetoed, prompting Williams to label the mayor a "fearmonger," said Fox News. Despite their differences, though, Williams has stressed Adams' presumption of innocence. However, Adams "should really put out a plan" for how he intends to lead the city and regain public confidence, Williams said to Fox5 New York. 

"I have always been prepared to do the job I applied for," Williams said to Fox5. "Being public advocate means you have to be ready in case something happens."

How can anyone really know who on the internet is real? That's the basis of what's known as the dead internet theory, a "joke-cum-conspiracy that says if you are reading these words online, you are the last person on the internet," said Prospect. "Everyone else is a bot." 

The theory holds that the vast majority of internet traffic, posts and user accounts are the work of bots and AI-generated content. And proponents claim the massive con is being driven by governments and corporations seeking to shape the direction of the internet and manipulate people for engagement. 

When did the theory emerge? 
Versions have been floating around on the fringes of the web in forums such as 4chan since the late 2010s. But the theory was "solidified and amplified" in 2021 by a post claiming that "most of the internet is fake," said Forbes. The claims went mainstream later that year when an essay published in The Atlantic argued that "unlike lots of other online conspiracy theories, this one has a morsel of truth to it." 

Is the internet dead or close to it? 
Three years ago, the internet "felt" dead because increased understanding of algorithms was "driving people to act like robots," said The Guardian. Now, the "robots are posting like people." The theory "wasn't wrong"; it was "just too soon." 

Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and the release of ChatGPT in 2022 are key examples of this shift. Large language models have led to an explosion of AI-generated material that mimics human content. ArsTechnica reported earlier this month that the dead internet theory had "come to life" with a new AI-powered social media app, SocialAI, made up of "100% fake interactions." 

How much do bots control the internet? 
Nearly half of all internet traffic in 2022 was made by bots, according to research. This is "critically important," said computer scientists Jake Renzella and Vlada Rozova at The Conversation, because social media is the "primary news source" for many, especially young people. There's already "strong evidence social media is being manipulated by these inflated bots to sway public opinion with disinformation." The dead internet theory is a "reminder" to navigate the internet with a "critical mind."