Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Category Archives: Legal Research

Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 27 States for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws

Federal prosecutors are on call in every district in the country. Interfering with voting rights is a federal offense. Any effort to intimidate, harass, threaten or harm voters will result in a visit from the FBI. Witnesses or victims may call 9-1-1. (Making a false report is a crime, too!) Let’s keep voting safe, free,… Continue Reading

What is voter turnout like in recent elections? How do Americans vote? How are Americans represented in government?

USA Facts – What are the basics of elections and voting in the US? Explore data on turnout rates, representation, and methods of voting. Turnout rate in federal elections for citizen voting-age population In 2020, 66.8% of the citizen voting-age population voted in the presidential election, the highest turnout since 1992. Table of Contents What… Continue Reading

What to expect when we’re electing series – And An Hour By Hour Guide to What We’ll Probably Learn on Election Night

Nov 4, 2024 – 2024 Rapid Research Blog, Rapid Research Blog, ResearchCenter for an Informed Public – What to expect when we’re electing’ series – Our “What to expect when we’re electing” series features articles introducing conceptual tools for understanding election rumoring (both in general and specifically in online settings) and for anticipating the types… Continue Reading

The Powerful Density of Hypertextual Writing

Kottke: “The NY Times has had a difficult time covering the 2024 election in a clear, responsible manner. But I wanted to highlight this short opinion piece from the paper’s editorial board, which I’m reproducing here in its entirety: You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who… Continue Reading

Perplexity will show live US election results despite AI accuracy warnings

Ars Technica: “On Friday, Perplexity launched an election information hub that relies on data from The Associated Press and Democracy Works to provide live updates and information about the 2024 US general election, which takes place on Tuesday, November 5. “Starting Tuesday, we’ll be offering live updates on elections using data from The Associated Press… Continue Reading

ChatGPT rolls out a Google competitor with a skewed view of the news

Poynter: “When I asked the latest artificial intelligence-powered search engine from ChatGPT what’s happening in my city of St. Petersburg, or Orlando and Miami, I didn’t find links to the largest newspapers in Florida. Instead, I found articles from the New York Post, The Sun, People Magazine — and real estate blogs St. Pete Rising… Continue Reading

Nearly 200 Percent Surge in School Book Bans (2023-2024 School Year)

“PEN America today released new documentation of public school book bans for the full 2023-2024 school year, recording 10,046 instances of books banned nationwide, a dramatic 200 percent rise over the previous school year. Since 2021, the free expression organization has counted close to 16,000 instances of book bans in public schools.” “Nineteen Minutes by… Continue Reading

LLRX October 2024 Columns and Articles

Artificial Intelligence and Unconscious Bias Risk – Elizabeth Sweetland reviews: Meredith Broussard, More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech (MIT Press 2023). 248 Pages. Trump’s Election Lawyers Must Heed Their Ethical Duties – Attorneys Stephen Marcus and Bruce Kuhlik discuss the ethical responsibilities of lawyers in the context of predicted attempts… Continue Reading

The chatbot optimisation game: can we trust AI web searches?

The Guardian -“…Looking into the sort of evidence that large language models (LLMs, the engines on which chatbots are built) find most convincing, three computer science researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, found current chatbots overrely on the superficial relevance of information. They tend to prioritise text that includes pertinent technical language or is… Continue Reading

ProPublica’s Coverage of the Election Issues That Matter to Voters

With just days to go before Election Day, political coverage is everywhere. ProPublica avoids horse race coverage of the election, instead deeply exploring issues that voters care about, like immigration, abortion, health care, the economy, extremism and education. Continue Reading

Threatening ‘the enemy within’ with force: Military ethicists explain the danger to important American traditions

Via LLRX – Threatening ‘the enemy within’ with force: Military ethicists explain the danger to important American traditions – Marcus Hedahl, Professor of Philosophy, United States Naval Academy and Bradley Jay Strawser, Professor of Philosophy, Naval Postgraduate School worry that Trump’s actions while president, and his comments about his plans for a potential second term,… Continue Reading

Trump’s Election Lawyers Must Heed Their Ethical Duties

Via LLRX – Trump’s Election Lawyers Must Heed Their Ethical Duties – Attorneys  Stephen Marcus and Bruce Kuhlik discuss the ethical responsibilities of lawyers in the context of predicted attempts by Donald Trump and his allies to undermine the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The authors argue that lawyers considering advocating unsubstantiated claims of election fraud should learn… Continue Reading