“Artificial intelligence is not new to the workplace, but the debut of ChatGPT just over two years ago ushered in an era of rapid expansion. American workers have mixed feelings about how this technology will affect jobs in the future. About half of workers (52%) say they’re worried about the future impact of AI use… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
Ron Wyden asks for rules about whether you own your digital purchases
Follow up on previous post – Amazon removing the ability to download your purchased books – The Verge: “Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Andrew Ferguson urging the FTC to require that companies admit when you’re not really buying an ebook or video game. Wyden’s letter, shared with… Continue Reading
Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Musk’s DOGE are expected to produce no savings
AP: “Nearly 40% of the federal contracts that President Donald Trump’s administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save the government any money, the administration’s own data shows. The Department of Government Efficiency, run by Trump adviser Elon Musk, published an updated list Monday of nearly 2,300… Continue Reading
How to Get PFAS Out of Drinking Water—and Keep It Out
Wired [unpaywalled]: “Filters in water pitchers or under-sink systems capture dangerous chemicals, only for them to be returned to the environment. A researcher from North Carolina is pioneering a new system that could get rid of forever chemicals forever. There’s something scary in the water at Cape Fear. For years, chemicals giant DuPont and the… Continue Reading
Trump Takes Aim at Law Firm Aiding Jack Smith
The New York Times – “President Trump plans to punish a prominent Washington law firm that has aided the former special counsel Jack Smith, seeking to strip security clearances from lawyers and end any federal government work the firm may have, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal, signed by Mr. Trump on… Continue Reading
The 88×31 GIF Collection
quantum of sollazzo – This is all about distraction, so if you find you want a get away from all the news for few minutes and watch the blinking lights, check in on these memories of how the “web” used to be [note – there are some NSFW gifs here] The 88×31 GIF Collection: A… Continue Reading
“Who’s On First” the final recorded performance
Abbott & Costello perform their greatest routine one last time for a mass audience on The Steve Allen Show, October7, 1956, to commemorate the induction of Who’s On First into The Baseball Hall of Fame. May we all have our greatest routines ready as we need them. Continue Reading
Investing in School Libraries and Librarians To Improve Literacy Outcomes
American Prospect – “Libraries and librarians not only spark a love of learning; they are crucial to reversing low reading assessment scores across the country. Since a shocking plunge in math and reading scores on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), educators, administrators, and policymakers have grappled with how to address learning challenges… Continue Reading
Website tracking how many people have lost their jobs because of the USAID Stop-Work Order
US AID STOP WORK – Tracking. Informing: “As of February 19, 2025, 55K confirmed, 100K+ estimated globally – these are the confirmed jobs lost from USAID and their implementing partners who have had to lay off or furlough employees due to the funding freeze. The confirmed number is based on 83 organizations. These numbers are… Continue Reading
Your boss is watching
MIT Technology Review [unpaywalled]: “…A New York Times investigation in 2022 found that eight of the 10 largest private companies in the US track individual worker productivity metrics, many in real time. Specialized software can now measure and log workers’ online activities, physical location, and even behaviors like which keys they tap and what tone… Continue Reading
America Needs You paired with solid lessons from Ikigai, Stoicism, Antifragility, Buddhism, and Ubuntu
Brilliant Crank: “In the last six weeks, I haven’t talked to a single person who isn’t drowning in stress from the relentless flood of bad news. Despite their best efforts, some of my friends are falling into the doom loop—consumed by current events and attention-whore pundits saying whatever it takes to keep them trapped. Don’t… Continue Reading
What Is OpenAI’s Powerful New Deep Research Tool Capable Of? I Use It to Analyze the Legality of President Trump’s Pause of Federal Grants
Via LLRX – What Is OpenAI’s Powerful New Deep Research Tool Capable Of? I Use It to Analyze the Legality of President Trump’s Pause of Federal Grants – On February 2, 2025 OpenAI released Deep Research, an AI agent capable of completing multi-step research tasks and synthesizing large amounts of online information. OpenAI’s chief product officer… Continue Reading
