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Category Archives: Congress

AI’s Threats to Election Security

Brennan Center for Justice: “Increasing awareness of the power of artificial intelligence coincides with growing public anxiety about the future of democracy, with significant concern about AI’s potential to harm elections. A new series from the Brennan Center and Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology explores how AI could impact various parts of… Continue Reading

Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict: Frequently Asked Questions

CRS – Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Updated October 20, 2023. [77 pages] “…Hamas’s attack preparations may have extended over several years. Possible motivating factors for the attacks’ timing include the potential to disrupt Arab-Israeli normalization efforts, bolster Hamas’s domestic and regional position, capitalize on Israeli political turmoil, and use… Continue Reading

The Necessary and Proper Stewardship of Judicial Data

Huq, Aziz Z. and Clopton, Zachary D., The Necessary and Proper Stewardship of Judicial Data (September 20, 2023). Stanford Law Review, Vol. 76, Forthcoming , Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 23-55, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4578337 – “Governments and commercial firms create profits and social gain by exploiting large pools of data. One source of… Continue Reading

Climate-exacerbated wildfires cost the U.S. between $394 to $893 billion each year in economic costs, damages

Joint Economic Committee, Democrats – Report [PDF]: “Wildfires represent a growing threat to the health and well-being of communities across the country. The United States has already seen a devastating string of catastrophic wildfires this year in places like Maui, the western United States, and Louisiana as these disasters become more and more damaging due… Continue Reading

Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics

65% say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics: “Americans have long been critical of politicians and skeptical of the federal government. But today, Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. Majorities say the political process is dominated by special interests,… Continue Reading

Climate Change and Human Health Glossary

NIH Climate Change and Human Health Glossary – “A glossary of terms used to describe the science of climate change and its impacts on human health. The goal of this glossary is to help standardize language, enable data harmonization, and encourage clear communication on climate change and health among scientists, health care providers, policymakers, advocates,… Continue Reading

What You Need to Know About Generative AI’s Emerging Role in Political Campaigns

Tech Policy Press – Hype vs. reality: Tom Di Fonzo, journalist-in-residence for the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) asks, where does the technology stand heading into 2024? “New generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney have sparked intense debate about how this accessible wave of artificial intelligence could transform industries ranging from healthcare… Continue Reading

Israel and Hamas: Major Conflict After Surprise Attacks

CRS Insight – Israel and Hamas: Major Conflict After Surprise Attacks: “On October 7, 2023, Gaza Strip-based militants led by the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO) engaged in a series of surprise attacks by land, sea, and air against Israel . The assault targeted Israeli military bases and… Continue Reading

An AntiMonopoly Approach to Governing Artificial Intelligence

An AntiMonopoly Approach to Governing Artificial Intelligence, Tejas Narechania & Ganesh Sitaraman. Vanderbilt Technology Accelerator for Political Economy & Regulation.. “Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in the fall of 2022, debates over regulating artificial intelligence (AI) among policymakers, technologists, and scholars have intensified. But for all the interest in regulating AI, there has been little discussion… Continue Reading

Congress Should Regulate Artificial Intelligence

Tech Policy News: “Since the explosion of ChatGPT about a year ago, it seems that policymakers everywhere want to regulate artificial intelligence. It has become a focus of Congressional attention with Senator Chuck Schumer’s recent AI Insight Forum.  This is all to the good, given that many of our troubles with the online world stem… Continue Reading

Medicare Disadvantage

Hartmann Report: The report, titled Our Payments, Their Profits, opens with this shocking exposé: “By our estimate, and based on 2022 spending, Medicare Advantage overcharges taxpayers by a minimum of 22% or $88 billion per year, and potentially by up to 35% or $140 billion. By comparison, Part B premiums in 2022 totaled approximately $131… Continue Reading