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The Atlantic – no paywall – The Razor-Thin Line Between Conspiracy Theory and Actual Conspiracy – “A conversation with Julie K. Brown, the investigative reporter who knows more than almost anyone else about Jeffrey Epstein…The Epstein saga hits on practically every theme of every major conspiracy theory, going back for centuries: It entails allegations of horrific …
WSJ via MSN no paywall + alternate free link: “White House officials are preparing an executive order targeting tech companies with what they see as “woke” artificial-intelligence models, their latest effort to go after diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, people familiar with the matter said. The order would dictate that AI companies getting federal contracts …
The New Republic, no paywall – The Roberts court majority seems bound and determined to undermine the American constitutional order. “To cover the Supreme Court these days is to catalogue its lawlessness. The conservative justices’ latest decision in McMahon v. New York allows the president to effectively demolish the Department of Education—a Cabinet-level department that …
Via Just Security – Classified Information and State Secrets: Why the Senate Must Consider National Security Risks in Judicial Confirmations – “A vote to confirm a judicial nominee is a vote to grant that individual a lifetime security clearance and access to some of the country’s most closely held secrets. This week, the Senate Committee on …
MakeUseOf: “While our phones’ screens are their main draw, phone backs have many tricks of their own. In fact, you have plenty of reasons to look at the back of your phone other than cleaning fingerprints…”
ProPublica: “The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data. ProPublica has obtained a blueprint of the system, which would create an “on demand” process allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain the home addresses of people it’s seeking to deport. Last month, in …
The loss of dark skies is so painful, astronomers coined a term for it – ‘Noctalgia’ is a feature of the modern age. The Light Pollution Map uses the Bortle Scale to help find places to mitigate noctalgia. Building the world’s most detailed, interactive global light‑pollution map. Visualize Bortle classes, SQM values & certified Dark‑Sky …
Follow up to Unlawful Orders: How Libraries Became the Front Line in the Fight for Democracy – See also The New York Times / no paywall – Proposed legislation would pressure publishers to adjust borrowing limits and find other ways to widen access. “It’s hard to imagine a library that doesn’t carry “Fahrenheit 451.” But …
Via LLRX – AI in Finance and Banking, July 15, 2025 – This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government documents, NGO/IGO papers, conferences, industry white papers and reports, academic papers and speeches, and central bank actions on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided …
“Warren analysis reveals at least half a billion dollars in monetary contributions, gifts, in-kind donations flowing into Trump Presidential Library. Donations come while Trump makes critical decisions that may impact donors; raises serious concerns about bribery, influence-peddling. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a new Report (PDF) exposing how companies, special interests, and foreign governments …
Food Policy Tracker – “Every day, decisions are made in Washington, D.C. that have profound consequences for how we grow, process, transport, and consume food in this country. We’re keeping track: Consider this your go-to source for actions taken by the president, federal agencies, and Congress that directly relate to or have significant implications for …
Washington Post – no paywall: “President Donald Trump and his advisers have called for dramatically shrinking the size and scope of the federal government, dispatching officials to agency after agency to block funding and slash staffing. The Supreme Court has revived the administration’s efforts to lay off workers, allowing planned reductions in force to resume …