ProPublica: “…Exeter is one of the largest auto lenders in the nation, specializing in high-interest loans to people with histories of not paying bills or defaulting on debt, a practice known as subprime lending. The company, which has more than 500,000 active loans and a partnership agreement with CarMax, the country’s largest used car retailer,… Continue Reading
The New York Times [gift link]: “…But the chief justice and Justice Kavanaugh had spent formative years as White House lawyers, working to protect presidential power. At oral arguments, Justice Kavanaugh and some other conservatives worried aloud that presidents without sufficient immunity might become overly cautious or vulnerable to politically motivated prosecutions. Chief Justice Roberts,… Continue Reading
“Today and in the future, a growing array of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and capabilities will be incorporated into the products that specifically serve educational settings. The U.S. Department of Education is committed to encouraging innovative advances in educational technology improve teaching and learning across the nation’s education systems and to supporting developers as they… Continue Reading
Science Committee Passes Nine Bills to Support the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence – September 11, 2024, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology passed nine bipartisan bills to ensure U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). The bills encompass a range of initiatives, including increased support for AI research and development and the promotion of AI… Continue Reading
Te Hedgehog Review. Dispatches from the telephone reference desk. Stephen Akey: “How do you find the life expectancy of a California condor? Google it. Or the gross national product of Morocco? Google it. Or the final resting place of Tom Paine? Google it. There was a time, however—not all that long ago—when you couldn’t Google… Continue Reading
Your Local Epidemiologist: “September 8th was 988 Day—a day to raise awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which only 18% of adults are aware of. The three-digit number has been available for two years at no charge. Dialing this number connects people with a network of crisis call centers, so that when a person calls,… Continue Reading
Medium: “….What Have You Compiled Here? This is a list of what I believe to be, to the best of my knowledge and ability, the 365 most famous quotes in human history. The quotes are grouped into 27 categories, with each category containing between 10 and 25 quotes. There’s also a bonus category of proverbs… Continue Reading
“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature, intended to be used with compatible versions of the Apple AirPods Pro headphones. Once installed and customized to the user’s hearing needs, the Hearing Aid Feature enables compatible versions of the AirPods Pro to serve as… Continue Reading
Washington Post: “Researchers studied the effect of five laws requiring supermarkets and restaurants to reduce waste, part of a broader effort to keep food out of landfills, where it contributes to climate change…Nearly every state-led effort to ban food waste analyzed by researchers appears to be failing — except one, according to a new study.… Continue Reading
Vox: “New college admissions data for the first group of admitted students since the US Supreme Court sharply limited affirmative action last year suggests that the decision has had a negative impact on Black enrollment at some universities. While some colleges have seen major fluctuations in the enrollment of students of color in the class… Continue Reading
MIT Technology Review: “As long as chatbots have been around, they have made things up. Such “hallucinations” are an inherent part of how AI models work. However, they’re a big problem for companies betting big on AI, like Google, because they make the responses it generates unreliable. Google is releasing a tool today to address… Continue Reading
JSOR Daily: “Trees are more than just a pretty sight in urban environments. Nestled amidst sidewalks, pavement, and concrete, the sight of an oak or maple tree has always been a refreshing touch of home for me in a bustling city. Beyond their aesthetic value, trees provide numerous tangible benefits to the holistic environmental health… Continue Reading