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Daily Archives: July 14, 2024

Follow the Crypto

“The cryptocurrency industry has been throwing money into politics unlike ever before, and that’s even after political donations from the industry skyrocketed in the 2022 election cycle. Despite the relatively small size of the industry, it has become one of the biggest spenders in the upcoming elections in the United States. Cryptocurrency companies have raised hundreds of millions of dollars to put towards buying crypto-friendly politicians and ousting those who have spoken up for stricter regulations to protect consumers in an industry that is fraught with hacks, scams, and fraud. Although parts of the industry have tried to portray this as a grassroots effort, the reality is that a very small number of crypto companies, and the billionaire executives and venture capitalists behind them, are spending millions with a singular goal: to obtain favorable crypto policy, no matter the cost. This website shines a much-needed spotlight on this spending, without the veneer of press releases in which these companies and executives still try to claim to be “apolitical” or “non-partisan”. Most of the money in the war chests amassed by cryptocurrency-focused PACs has yet to be deployed, and this project will give you a real-time view into where it’s being spent, by whom, and for whom. Join me in following the crypto…Follow the Crypto is a project by Molly White, an independent technology writer, researcher, and software engineer. She is also the force behind Web3 is Going Just Great, where she documents only some of the many disasters in the cryptocurrency and web3 industries. She writes about crypto and about technology much more broadly in the Citation Needed newsletter.”

The Book Bag That Binds Japanese Society

The New York Times [no paywall]: “In Japan, cultural expectations are repeatedly drilled into children at school and at home, with peer pressure playing as powerful a role as any particular authority or law. On the surface, at least, that can help Japanese society run smoothly. During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, the government never… Continue Reading

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 13, 2024

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 13, 2024 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex… Continue Reading

Goodbye to Special Counsel Investigations of Incumbent Presidents

LawFare: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States will remain the subject of intense debate and disagreement for decades to come. The arguments will understandably focus on the precise issue that was before the Court: the immunity that a former president may enjoy from criminal indictment or prosecution. However, with considerable consequence, and… Continue Reading

Nature and Artifice: A Portrait of Vincent van Gogh Not Seen Before

Yale University Press – Yale Books: “David Ebony interviews Michael Lobel, author of Van Gogh and the End of Nature In his latest book, Van Gogh and the End of Nature, author Michael Lobel situates Vincent van Gogh in the midst of the industrial era in 19th-century Europe, and explores the artist’s often fraught relationship… Continue Reading

2024 Presidential Nominating Process: Frequently Asked Questions

CRS Report – 2024 Presidential Nominating Process: Frequently Asked Questions. July 9, 2024: The presidential nominating process is one of the most complex aspects of American politics. This report provides brief answers to selected frequently asked questions about that process in 2024. In some cases, the topics addressed herein are developing rapidly and are subject… Continue Reading