Washington Post: “A guide to contemporary doomsday scenarios — from the threats you know about to the ones you never think of…There are just so many things we don’t want to happen. There are so many potential doomsdays. This is not the cheeriest topic, to be sure, but it’s endlessly fascinating if you can stomach… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: November 2022
What Is the Filibuster and How Can the Senate Reform It?
Democracy Docket: “In June, Senate Republicans blocked a landmark piece of voting rights legislation, the For the People Act. In October, they blocked a revised, compromised version, the Freedom to Vote Act. In November, it was the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that failed. If Democrats hold a slim majority in the U.S. Senate,… Continue Reading
Internet providers play tricks to raise your bill. Here are the worst.
Washington Post: “Last year, I encouraged Washington Post readers to participate in a major nationwide study of ISPs by uploading a copy of their monthly bills to Fair for Fair Internet, a project of Consumer Reports and other partners. Some 22,000 Americans did, and the results released Thursday reveal the many ways internet and cable… Continue Reading
9 in 10 US counties have experienced a climate disaster in the last decade
Rebuild by Design: “Ninety percent of U.S. counties have experienced a federal climate disaster between 2011-2021, with some having as many as 12 disasters during that time. In 2021 alone, the U.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar climate disasters with over 688 direct or indirect fatalities. We can do better. Rebuild by Design worked with APTIM and… Continue Reading
Intel unveils real-time deepfake detector, claims 96% accuracy rate
VentureBeat: “On Monday, Intel introduced FakeCatcher, which it says is the first real-time detector of deepfakes — that is, synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s likeness. Intel claims the product has a 96% accuracy rate and works by analyzing the subtle “blood flow” in… Continue Reading
Data, the New Cotton
Arnett, Chaz, Data, the New Cotton (June 6, 2022). Just Tech: Social Science Research Council (May 25, 2022), U of Maryland Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2022-07, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4129512 “The early transformation of the United States into an industrial power is often attributed to our innovative capitalist system. “Capitalism” is a convenient abstraction… Continue Reading
Promoting Global Financial Stability: 2022
Financial Stability Board: Promoting Global Financial Stability: 2022 FSB Annual Report 16 November 2022. “The current economic environment is particularly challenging for financial stability.New shocks may expose a number of current vulnerabilities while a number of vulnerabilities associated with structural changes are emerging. This annual report provides an overview of the FSB’s work to tackle… Continue Reading
The Official Apple Rankings
“Brian Frange is a comedian and writer who has been yelling about apples for years. He started yelling about apples professionally in 2016 while working on Comedy Central’s Not Safe with Nikki Glaser while serving as co-host on the Not Safe Podcast. Shortly after that he started the Tumblr apple review blog The Appleist and… Continue Reading
Where Abortion Is Legal and Where It Loses Protections Without Roe v. Wade
WSJ: “The Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to an abortion. The majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization upended nearly five decades of precedent and allowed stronger state restrictions to take effect—including total abortion bans. Lawmakers on both sides of the… Continue Reading
The Constitution’s Disqualification Clause Can Be Enforced Today
POGO: “The attack on the United States Capitol complex to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021, led to the first application of the disqualification clause contained in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in more than a century. Section 3 prohibits public office holders who have taken an oath… Continue Reading
Lawsuit, Citing EPIC, Alleges Amazon Locks Customers Into Prime Subscriptions With Dark Patterns
EPIC: “A recent class action filed in Washington alleges that Amazon used dark patterns to make cancelling customers’ Prime subscriptions more difficult. Dark patterns “are design features used to deceive, steer, or manipulate users into behavior that is profitable for an online service, but often harmful to users or contrary to their intent.” The lawsuit… Continue Reading
Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report
CDC FluView – “All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received. A description of the CDC influenza surveillance system, including methodology and detailed descriptions of each data component is available on the surveillance methods page. Additional information on the current and previous influenza seasons for each surveillance component are available on… Continue Reading
