Hartmann Report: The report, titled Our Payments, Their Profits, opens with this shocking exposé: “By our estimate, and based on 2022 spending, Medicare Advantage overcharges taxpayers by a minimum of 22% or $88 billion per year, and potentially by up to 35% or $140 billion. By comparison, Part B premiums in 2022 totaled approximately $131… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
I find documents officials want to keep hidden. Here’s how.
Washington Post: “As The Post’s FOIA director, I’ve helped expose government waste and wrongdoing, and published stories that led to new laws. This is the first installment of Revealing Records, a periodic column by Nate Jones about his work obtaining public records for The Post. Few things make a journalist happier than receiving a manila… Continue Reading
H&R Block, Meta, and Google Slapped With RICO Suit
Gizmodo: “Anyone who has used H&R Block’s tax return preparation services in recent years may have unintentionally helped line Meta and Google’s pockets. That’s according to a new class action lawsuit which alleges the three companies “jointly schemed” to install trackers on the H&R Block site to scan and transmit tax data back to the… Continue Reading
Privacy washing: Google claims to support privacy while lobbying against it
Proton Blog: “In the public eye, Google presents itself as a champion of privacy. “Privacy is at the heart of everything we do,” its CEO said (new window / X-Twiiter posting). But behind closed doors, Google is telling a different story to policymakers and actively fighting against privacy laws that would protect you from online… Continue Reading
TikTok’s Rules Deter Researchers From Crunching Data on Users, Misinformation
Bloomberg Law via Yahoo Finance: “As TikTok gets more popular, researchers at leading academic institutions want to study what users are doing there. Publicly, the company says it’s open to this, and is partnering with academics. But researchers said so far, the video app’s rules about data are too burdensome. TikTok is in the process… Continue Reading
A comprehensive and distributed approach to AI regulation
Brookings – Alex Engler August 31, 2023 – Proposing the Critical Algorithmic Systems Classification (CASC) A defining challenge of AI regulation is creating a framework that is comprehensive, but still results in rules that are tailored to the nuances of AI in different applications, such as in educational access, hiring, mortgage pricing, rent setting, or healthcare… Continue Reading
Political contributions, enhanced
Jeremy Singer-Vine, Data is Plural: “Political scientist Adam Bonica’s Database on Ideology, Money in Politics, and Elections (DIME) gathers “500 million itemized political contributions made by individuals and organizations to local, state, and federal elections covering from 1979 to 2020.” The project, which received a major update last month, “is intended to make data on… Continue Reading
Trump Grand Jury report
Axios: “An Atlanta judge on Friday released the full special grand jury report into former President Trump and his 18 co-defendants’ alleged efforts to subvert 2020 election results in Georgia. Why it matters: The report provides new insight into the probe into 2020 election interference — and shows that the panel sought to indict more… Continue Reading
Artificial Intelligence’s Use and Rapid Growth Highlight Its Possibilities and Perils
GAO, September 6, 2023: “The rise of artificial intelligence has created growing excitement and much debate about its potential to revolutionize entire industries. At its best, AI could improve medical diagnosis, identify potential national security threats more quickly, and solve crimes. But there are also significant concerns—in areas including education, intellectual property, and privacy. Today’s… Continue Reading
Google to require disclosure of AI use in political ads
Politico: “Starting in November, Google will mandate all political advertisements label the use of artificial intelligence tools and synthetic content in their videos, images and audio. As campaigns and digital strategists explore using generative AI-tools heading into the 2024 election cycle, Google is the first tech company to announce an AI-related disclosure requirement for political… Continue Reading
Sen. Whitehouse Lodges Ethics Complaint Against Justice Samuel Alito
“U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, today wrote a letter Chief Justice John Roberts to lodge an ethics complaint against Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for violating several canons of judicial ethics. Whitehouse’s formal complaint follows revelations that Justice Alito accepted but did not disclose gifts of luxury travel… Continue Reading
CBP Tells Airports Its New Facial Recognition Target is 75% of Passengers Leaving the US
404 Media: “Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has told airports it plans to increase its targets for scanning passengers with facial recognition as they leave the U.S., according to an internal airport email obtained by 404 Media. The new goal will be to scan 75 percent of all passengers, the email adds. The news signals… Continue Reading
