The New York Times – unlocked: “President Trump has moved swiftly to wage his war on the federal bureaucracy, defying norms and legal limits. On Feb. 13, his administration escalated those efforts by starting to terminate most of an estimated 200,000 probationary employees, who were recently hired or promoted to a new position and have… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
Google’s new policy tracks all your devices with no opt-out
digitaltrends: “Google has begun enforcing new tracking rules across connected devices, such as smartphones, consoles, and smart TVs, as BBC reports. The tech giant once called the fingerprint tracking technique “wrong” in 2019, but has since reintroduced it.Google has commented that other companies broadly use the data, and it started using it on February 16,… Continue Reading
The Generative AI Con
Wheres’ Your Ed At, Edward Zitron: “It’s been just over two years and two months since ChatGPT launched, and in that time we’ve seen Large Language Models (LLMs) blossom from a novel concept into one of the most craven cons of the 21st century — a cynical bubble inflated by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman built… Continue Reading
Trump signs executive orders limiting power of agencies
Washington Times: “President Trump on Tuesday [February 18, 2025] signed an executive order [Ensuring Accountability For All Agencies] declaring that only the attorney general or the president, instead of federal regulators or bureaucrats, can speak for the U.S. when interpreting the meaning of laws carried out by the executive branch. The order was among three… Continue Reading
As measles outbreak rages in Texas, RFK Jr. pushes anti-vaccine message
Popular Information: “The largest measles outbreak Texas has seen in over 30 years is sweeping through the western part of the state. According to information released yesterday by the Texas Department of State Health Services, 58 cases have been confirmed throughout five counties. The total number of cases is likely much higher, however, with “health… Continue Reading
The Story You’ve Been Told About Recycling Is a Lie
Mr. Clapp is a journalist and the author of “Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash,” from which this essay is adapted. The New York Times [unlocked]. The Story You’ve Been Told About Recycling Is a Lie. “It’s not just your old DVD player getting shipped to West Africa. Today’s waste trade is an… Continue Reading
AI in Finance and Banking, February 17, 2025
AI in Finance and Banking, February 17, 2025 – This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to… Continue Reading
The war on DEI is a smoke screen
The Verge – [unpaywalled] “Violent metaphors abound for what’s happening in Washington: Elon Musk and his allies have taken a “slash-and-burn” approach to the government and a “sledgehammer” to government institutions, doing away with supposed waste and excess while leaving the fundamental structure intact. All of this is being done with the stated goal of… Continue Reading
Climate and DEI Deleted From Government Websites, Federal Workers Fired
Via LLRX – Climate and DEI Deleted From Government Websites, Federal Workers Fired – Since January 20, 2025 America has been catapulted into an unimaginable inflection point. Sabrina I. Pacifici chronicles seismic events in recent weeks which have upended America’s democracy, jeopardized our economy, financial system, national security, science and medical communities, and fractured our… Continue Reading
Those Who Have Stood Up To Help Fired Federal Employees
A community resource created to support federal employees affected by workforce reductions. For the tens of thousands of federal employees who have been fired, there is a new site, Fed Layoffs, A caring community resource to help federal employees navigate their next chapter. You’re not alone in this journey. [We are not selling anything, we… Continue Reading
Back Up Everything. Even if Elon Musk Isn’t Looking at It.
The New York Times [unpaywalled] – “In recent weeks, Elon Musk and his aides have gained access to many federal agencies’ systems and unknown amounts of data. Many readers have written in to share their fears that the agencies — and the personal data they possess on hundreds of millions of taxpayers — are now… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 15, 2025
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, February 15, 2025 – 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… Continue Reading
