NBC News – and the U.S. is less ready than ever: “Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat to democracy in the United States in 2024, according to researchers, technologists and political scientists. As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2024
Does Working from Home Boost Productivity Growth?
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Letter, January 16, 2024: “The U.S. labor market experienced a massive increase in remote and hybrid work during the COVID-19 pandemic. At its peak, more than 60% of paid workdays were done remotely—compared with only 5% before the pandemic. As of December 2023, about 30% of paid workdays… Continue Reading
Scathing DOJ Report on Uvalde Texas School Shooting
“The Justice Department released a report on its critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary School. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the review shortly after the tragedy on May 24, 2022, in which 19 children and two teachers died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde,… Continue Reading
Each Facebook User Is Monitored by Thousands of Companies
Consumer Reports: “By now most internet users know their online activity is constantly tracked. No one should be shocked to see ads for items they previously searched for, or to be asked if their data can be shared with an unknown number of “partners.” But what is the scale of this surveillance? Judging from data… Continue Reading
New Digital Tool Provides State-by-State Analysis of High Court Rulings on Abortion
Center for Reproductive Rights: “Since the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion in its 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, states have become the battlegrounds for abortion rights. State courts are deciding whether and how their own constitutions protect abortion rights, some for the first time. Plus, voters… Continue Reading
Tracking RSV
Via Data is Plural: “The US CDC’s Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network collects data on hospital admissions due to lab-confirmed RSV at acute-care facilities in 58 counties, across 12 states. The CDC uses the data to estimate weekly hospitalization rates — overall as well as by age group, race/ethnicity, and sex. Those rates, which… Continue Reading
Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms facilitated child sexual harassment
Engadget: “Last December the state of New Mexico sued Meta for failing to protect children, claiming that Facebook and Instagram algorithms recommended sexual content to minors. Now, an unredacted internal Meta presentation has been revealed, with the company’s own employees estimating that 100,000 child users were harassed daily, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to… Continue Reading
Why do people use ChatGPT?
First Monday. Why do people use ChatGPT? Exploring user motivations for generative conversational AI by Marita Skjuve, Petter Bae Brandtzaeg, and Asbjorn Folstad. “Generative conversational artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, has attracted substantial attention since November 2022. The advent of this technology showcases the vast potential of such AI for generating and processing text… Continue Reading
Politico’s new feature creates AI-generated summaries of federal bills for subscribers
“Politico Pro paid subscribers will now see “thousands more Federal bill summaries” generated by AI. The new Legislative Compass feature delivers both brief and in-depth bill summaries of federal bills, which Politico says should help public policy professionals respond to legislative changes faster. The news comes after Politico’s parent company, Axel Springer, and OpenAI announced… Continue Reading
World scientists’ warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot
Merz JJ, Barnard P, Rees WE, et al. World scientists’ warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot. Science Progress. 2023;106(3). doi:10.1177/00368504231201372 “Previously, anthropogenic ecological overshoot has been identified as a fundamental cause of the myriad symptoms we see around the globe today from biodiversity loss and ocean acidification to the disturbing rise in novel entities… Continue Reading
Is A.I. the Death of I.P.?
The New Yorker [free to read]: “Intellectual property accounts for some or all of the wealth of at least half of the world’s fifty richest people, and it has been estimated to account for fifty-two per cent of the value of U.S. merchandise exports. I.P. is the new oil. Nations sitting on a lot of… Continue Reading
Why the World Is Betting Against American Democracy
Politico: “When I asked the European ambassador to talk to me about America’s deepening partisan divide, I expected a polite brushoff at best. Foreign diplomats are usually loath to discuss domestic U.S. politics. Instead, the ambassador unloaded for an hour, warning that America’s poisonous politics are hurting its security, its economy, its friends and its… Continue Reading
