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“Social media companies fuel and profit off of hate and disinformation. Could they also be subsidizing it? Monetization.wtf is WHAT TO FIX’s go-to resource to investigate how social media platforms redistribute revenue to their users. With billions of dollars flowing through social media, understanding who gets paid by platforms, how much, and for what, is …
Urban Institute – Regulatory Changes Could Significantly Reduce Eligibility for Benefits, Particularly among Older Workers. September 18, 2025. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is preparing a proposed rule that could significantly reshape how disability eligibility is determined for two major programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This brief examines the …
The Register: “Tried by two-thirds of firms, ignored by most devs, and productivity barely moved. Software development was one of the first areas to adopt generative AI, but the promised revolution has so far delivered only modest productivity gains, and Bain says only a full rethink of the software lifecycle will shift the dial. As …
NextGov/FCW – “At least 15 government oversight websites were down — and with them, access to watchdog reports and required hotline and whistleblower links — as of Wednesday evening. That’s not due to the federal shutdown that began at midnight; it’s a deliberate move by the White House, whose Office of Management and Budget is …
404 Media – AI Work Slop is Killing Productivity and Making Workers Miserable “A joint study by Stanford University researchers and a workplace performance consulting firm published in the Harvard Business Review details the plight of workers who have to fix their colleagues’ AI-generated “workslop,” which they describe as work content that “masquerades as good …
Peters Report Finds that DOGE Continues to Operate Unchecked, Likely Violating Federal Privacy and Security Laws, and Putting the Safety of Americans’ Personal Information in Danger. “U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a report revealing that the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is …
Pluralistic, Cory Doctorow: “A week ago, I turned that book into a speech, which I delivered as the annual Nordlander Memorial Lecture at Cornell, where I’m an AD White Professor-at-Large. This was my first-ever speech about AI and I wasn’t sure how it would go over, but thankfully, it went great and sparked a lively …
Dollar Dominance Monitor: “The US dollar has served as the world’s leading reserve currency since World War II. Today, the dollar represents 58 percent of foreign reserve holdings worldwide. The euro, the second-most-used currency, accounts for only 20 percent of foreign reserve holdings.” But in recent years, and especially since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine …
BoingBoing: “A controversial new Medicare pilot program will introduce AI-driven prior authorization, with contractors paid to deny claims. Starting January 2026, the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) model will require providers in six states to obtain pre-approval for certain services, using AI to screen requests. Critics warn that this combination of financial incentives and …
Strength in Numbers: “Trump is unpopular Compare Trump’s topline job approval (-11) to that of other recent presidents, and he stands out quite clearly (not in a good way): The president’s entire domestic policy agenda is underwater, too — especially on the economy and inflation, the two issues that won him the 2024 election: But …
Canaries in the Coal Mine? Six Facts about the Recent Employment Effects of Artificial Intelligence, Erik Brynjolfsson, Bharat Chandar, Ruyu Chen. August 26, 2025. This paper examines changes in the labor market for occupations exposed to generative artificial intelligence using high-frequency administrative data from the largest payroll software provider in the United States. We present …
World Bank Blogs: “In an increasingly connected world, digital trade is transforming how goods, services, and data move across borders. From online marketplaces and virtual professional services to cloud computing and digital payments, the digital economy represents a vital engine for growth and inclusion. Digital trade refers to trade in goods and services that are …
