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Monthly Archives: May 2024

The Federal Reserve Banks’ New Transparency and Accountability Policy

Via LLRX – The Federal Reserve Banks’ New Transparency and Accountability Policy – Michael Ravnitzky is an attorney and former journalist who has more than 25 years of experience in using the Freedom of Information Act and state public records laws. On December 21, 2023, the Federal Reserve Banks each announced the adoption of a uniform… Continue Reading

How to Clear Your Browser’s Cache, and Why You Should

Wired: “Every web browser has what’s called a cache: a temporary storage space for web pages that syncs online content to your computer or mobile device. This syncing is designed to help websites load up faster and put less strain on your internet bandwidth. It’s a good idea, and it works well most of the… Continue Reading

Scenes From a MAGA Meltdown

ProPublica: “…Across the country, the Republican Party’s rank-and-file have turned on the GOP establishment. In Michigan, this schism broke the party — and maybe democracy itself…What divides the Republican Party of 2024 is not any one policy or ideology. It is not whether to support Donald Trump. The most important fault line in the party… Continue Reading

Giving Windows total recall of everything a user does is a privacy minefield

The Register: “Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature is attracting controversy before even venturing out of preview. Like so many of Microsoft’s AI-infused products, Windows Recall will remain in preview while Microsoft refines it based on user feedback – or simply gives up and pretends it never happened. The principle is simple. As noted earlier, Windows takes… Continue Reading

Latinos in US get their news from social media, exposing them to risks

International Journalists’ Network: “Latinos in the U.S. who use social media in Spanish are more likely to believe disinformation when they come across it, according to new research about the news consumption habits of Latino communities.  Among the false narratives that have spread widely are the “Big Lie” that U.S. President Joe Biden did not… Continue Reading

Dataset containing detailed purchase histories from 5027 US Amazon.com consumers

Data is Plural: “The MIT Media Lab’s Alex Berke et al. have compiled “a first-of-its-kind dataset containing detailed purchase histories from 5027 U.S. Amazon.com consumers, spanning 2018 through 2022, with more than 1.8 million purchases […] crowdsourced through an online survey and shared with participants’ informed consent.” The published data include “order date, product code,… Continue Reading

Five ways criminals are using AI

MIT Technology News: “Artificial intelligence has brought a big boost in productivity—to the criminal underworld.  Generative AI provides a new, powerful tool kit that allows malicious actors to work far more efficiently and internationally than ever before, says Vincenzo Ciancaglini, a senior threat researcher at the security company Trend Micro.  Most criminals are “not living… Continue Reading

Big Oil Reality Check: Oil and Gas Companies Failing on Climate

“Oil Change International released our Big Oil Reality Check report today in collaboration with over 200 organizations worldwide. The report assesses the climate pledges and plans of eight international oil and gas companies – Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, Eni, Equinor, and ConocoPhillips – against 10 criteria representing the bare minimum for aligning with the… Continue Reading