in the clear: 2024-06-10

This is a running list of various media I've looked at each week. It's mostly for reference and to give an impression of the type of news that I'm exposed to. Bullets are written by me and numbers are summaries of the respective article from an LLM.

If you have any suggestions or know of other good news sources, please leave a comment in the guestbook or reach out to me directly. I can't spend all my time reading about current events, but I like to try and stay informed whenever possible.

NPR: Climate change is deadly. Exactly how deadly? Depends who's counting

1. The text discusses the issue of inconsistent death counts from climate-related disasters in the United States.
2. There is currently no single, reliable source of data for disaster-related deaths, leading to frustration and potential financial losses for families of the deceased.
3. The National Climate Assessment estimates that over 1,300 people die in the U.S. each year due to heat-related issues and other extreme weather events.
4. The CDC, responsible for mortality statistics, acknowledges potential undercounting of weather-related fatalities due to inconsistent information on death certificates.
5. The 2020 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report recommended standardizing disaster death counting, but there has been little change since then.
6. Discrepancies in death counts from heat waves are particularly large, with different methods and criteria used by various agencies resulting in significant variation in reported fatalities.

Lawfare: Content Moderation and the Least Cost Avoider

1. The concept of "least cost avoider" suggests that non-platform actors, such as security services or cloud service providers, should take significant responsibility for reducing harmful online content.
2. The paper argues that social media platforms should not be the sole entities responsible for monitoring, moderating, and mitigating malicious content.
3. The analysis involves identifying which actor in the internet ecosystem is best situated to mitigate the risks of harmful social media content with minimal societal cost.
4. The paper provides two examples of this analysis, focusing on web hosting services like Blue Host and content delivery networks (CDNs).
5. The paper argues that web hosting services could be attractive, but imperfect, venues for content moderation, while CDNs would be relatively unattractive options due to the ineffectiveness and high cost of content moderation at that level.
6. The paper concludes that there are other plausible venues for mitigating the harm from malicious content, suggesting that relying primarily on social media platforms for content moderation may be overly simplistic and counterproductive.

NYT Opinion: The Success Narratives of Liberal Life Leave Little Room for Having Children

1. The text discusses the challenges young, progressive individuals face when considering having children, often seeing it as an "afterthought" after personal and professional achievements.
2. High standards and vague readiness criteria for starting a family can lead to delayed parenthood, reduced family size, or giving up the hope of having children.
3. The authors argue that there is a need for progressives to reconsider their views on having children, viewing it as a fundamental human concern rather than a conservative one.
4. The text highlights the decline in public embrace of family values by liberals and progressives, particularly after the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the rise of conservative evangelical voters.
5. Factors such as anti-natalist sentiments, climate change concerns, and the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision have intensified progressive hesitancy towards having children.
6. The authors emphasize the importance of addressing the philosophical challenge of whether life is worth living, and how having children can be a powerful affirmation of life's value and a responsibility for the future of humanity.

New York State: New York passes children's privacy, social media bills

1. Governor Hochul celebrates the passing of two bills to protect kids online: the SAFE for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act.
2. The SAFE for Kids Act restricts access to addictive feeds on social media for users under 18, and prohibits certain notifications to minors.
3. The New York Child Data Protection Act prohibits the collection, use, sharing, or selling of personal data of anyone under 18.
4. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) can enforce these laws and impose penalties for violations.
5. Both bills aim to address the youth mental health crisis and create a safer digital environment for young people.
6. The initiative is led by a coalition of political leaders, students, parents, and organizations advocating for children's privacy and wellbeing.

Lawfare: How Economic Talks With China Can Advance U.S. Interests

1. High-level economic talks with Beijing should shift focus from changing China's behavior to improving effectiveness of strategic decoupling.
2. Beijing is unlikely to negotiate on problematic policies due to deep-seated beliefs and assesses Washington as uninterested in broadening economic ties.
3. Beijing seeks clarity on U.S. policy measures and visibility into U.S. plans, often criticizing American trade and investment restrictions.
4. A four-pronged approach can advance U.S. interests: probing Beijing's economic plans, telegraphing U.S. restrictions, sustaining engagement, and pressing for cooperation on global challenges.
5. Bilateral economic talks can provide valuable intelligence on Chinese economic policy direction and measures, filling critical information gaps.
6. China's economy, which represents 18% of global GDP and 30% of global manufacturing, has become more consequential and opaque, making visibility into Chinese practices essential for U.S. policymakers.

Reuters: Brazil hires OpenAI to cut costs of court battles

1. Brazil has hired OpenAI for an undisclosed purpose, possibly related to reducing legal costs.
2. The page includes a sign-up link for the newsletter "On the Campaign Trail" for updates on U.S. elections.
3. Thomson Reuters is the source of the report.
4. The report focuses on economic policy in Brasilia.
5. Bernardo Caram, a journalist, is one of the reporters.
6. Bernardo's educational background includes journalism, economics, and an MBA in Economic-Financial Information and Capital Markets.

NYT: A New Way to Talk About Heat

1. The text is about a new study proposing the term "stickiness" to measure extreme heat, combining humidity and temperature factors.
2. The new stickiness calculation aims to determine which factor, temperature or humidity, has a bigger influence on a hot day.
3. The National Weather Service launched a new tool, HeatRisk, to help users determine their level of threat from heat based on unusualness, duration, and CDC health guidance.
4. The text also discusses a new generation of American nuclear plants being built by TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, to produce electricity without carbon emissions.
5. The new reactor design is smaller, cheaper, and faces challenges including Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval and potential delays.
6. The text mentions that more than 1.5 billion people have faced dangerous heat this year, and Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" air may be more toxic than previously thought.

NYT: Justice Alito’s Wife, in Secretly Recorded Conversation, Complains About Pride Flag

1. Martha-Ann Alito, wife of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., expressed a desire to display a Catholic flag in response to a Pride flag in her neighborhood.
2. She mentioned her husband's reluctance to put up a flag and her intention to do so in the future, possibly with a custom flag bearing a shame message in Italian.
3. The conversation was secretly recorded by Lauren Windsor, a documentary filmmaker and "advocacy journalist," at a Supreme Court event.
4. Martha-Ann Alito appeared to voice frustration with the media and liberals, indicating her readiness to confront "them," referring to the media.
5. The New York Times has not heard the full unedited recording and has reviewed only the edited recording posted online.
6. The page also mentions past incidents of controversial flags displayed at the Alitos' homes, including an upside-down American flag and the "Appeal to Heaven" flag.

WSJ: The Easy-Money Era Is Still Alive. Don’t Waste It.

1. The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes have led to increased returns on bonds and savings vehicles, but many people haven't taken advantage of these rising rates.
2. A significant amount of money, about $17.5 trillion, is sitting in commercial banks, with the average savings account earning a mere 0.45% interest per year.
3. With inflation cooling to 3.3% in May, the Federal Reserve is preparing to cut rates, making it an opportune moment for individuals to review their cash strategy.
4. Savvy investors have been moving their money from commercial banks into high-yielding cash instruments like money-market funds and Treasury bonds.
5. As the Fed prepares to change policy, investors need to be vigilant and not become complacent, even those who have already taken advantage of better returns.
6. For taxable portfolios, income taxes are a significant factor in deciding which fixed-income investment to choose, with municipal bonds being a great choice for higher-income taxpayers in high-tax states.

IAPP: Considerations for children's privacy, safety in AI-generated marketing

1. The use of AI technology in marketing, particularly towards children, is a growing concern due to privacy risks and potential deceptive advertising practices.
2. Existing guidelines, such as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule and Section 5 of the FTC Act, play a role in AI accountability in children's advertising.
3. The FTC has taken enforcement actions against AI technology collecting children's data, including a fine against Amazon for Alexa's voice recordings.
4. AI-generated content must follow safety guidelines to prevent promoting harmful behavior, and companies must assess potential risks and mitigate them.
5. AI-generated influencers and avatars could increase on social media, potentially leading to children providing more information and raising privacy concerns.
6. There may be challenges in differentiating between real and AI-generated content as technology advances, especially for children.

The Economist: China has become a scientific superpower

1. China is a leading force in plant-science research, with numerous discoveries in food crop biology.
2. China surpassed America and the EU in high-impact scientific papers in 2022.
3. China leads in the physical sciences, chemistry, and Earth and environmental sciences.
4. The country's research spending has grown significantly since 2000, now exceeding America's in certain sectors.
5. Strategic areas such as quantum technologies, AI, and biotechnology receive substantial funding.
6. China is home to several world-class universities and government institutions, fostering a robust research environment.

NPR: ACLU sues Biden administration over new executive action on the southern border

1. The ACLU sued the Biden administration over new executive actions restricting asylum seekers at the southern border.
2. The ACLU's lead attorney, Lee Gelernt, compared the new measures to those used by former President Donald Trump, deeming them "nearly identical" and "illegal."
3. The new rules bar asylum seekers from entering between ports of entry when border encounters exceed 2,500 per day, with restrictions lifted after two weeks of daily numbers falling below 1,500.
4. The lawsuit argues that the new rule violates legal procedures and lacks public comment opportunity.
5. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of two Texas advocacy groups, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.
6. The lawsuit did not seek an emergency injunction, but it remains an option for the future to protect specific harmed migrants.

NYT: What to Know About New Social Media Protections for Children in New York

1. New York State passed a bill restricting the use of algorithms on minors’ social media feeds to address mental health concerns.
2. Social media companies will need parental permission for algorithmic curation of feeds for users under 18 and cannot send addictive feed notifications between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. without parental consent.
3. The law, championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, is expected to be signed soon and will take effect six months after the state attorney general releases regulations.
4. Implementation and enforcement details are unclear, with the state attorney general's office overseeing and enforcing the new regulations.
5. Other states have seen support for similar measures, but have faced pressure from social media companies leading to exemptions or law changes.
6. Social media companies may challenge the bill, citing free speech and potential data connection concerns, while advocacy groups question age verification methods.

NYT: Southern Baptists Vote to Oppose Use of I.V.F.

1. The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., voted to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
2. The resolution urges the use of reproductive technologies consistent with the affirmation of human life, including advocating for government restraint on actions inconsistent with the dignity of human beings.
3. The resolution is not a ban and will not have binding impacts on families in Southern Baptist churches who are pursuing fertility treatments.
4. The resolution expresses empathy for couples experiencing infertility and affirms that all children are a gift from God.
5. The resolution does not explicitly oppose the creation of embryos "in vitro", but it does criticize the destruction of embryos.
6. The vote signifies a strong message on evangelical sentiment around IVF, and it reflects the ongoing debate about the legal status of frozen embryos.

NYT: 171,000 Traveled for Abortions Last Year. See Where They Went.

1. In 2023, over 171,000 patients traveled for an abortion, more than double the number in 2019.
2. Texas, a state with a ban on abortion, had the most residents travel out of state for the procedure.
3. Illinois saw the highest number of out-of-state patients, becoming a hub for abortion access in the Midwest.
4. Many patients faced significant challenges such as multiday trips, lost income, and child care costs.
5. The availability of abortion pills has helped mitigate the impact of some state bans, but not all patients can or prefer to use them.
6. States with liberal abortion laws, like Illinois, have expanded services and support for patients, becoming crucial for access.

IAPP: Singapore, US deepen AI governance collaboration

The U.S. Department of Commerce and Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information published a fact sheet outlining intentions to increase their partnership on artificial intelligence governance. More specifically, the two sides plan to further engage in information sharing concerning "mapping our respective (AI governance) frameworks for generative AI, exploring cooperation on testing, guidelines, and benchmarks, and engaging the broader community where appropriate."

NYT: Supreme Court, in Starbucks Ruling, Curbs Labor Regulator’s Authority

1. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Starbucks in a labor dispute with the NLRB.
2. The ruling makes it harder for the NLRB to order employers to reinstate fired workers.
3. Starbucks had fired seven workers in Memphis who were trying to unionize a store in 2022.
4. The NLRB argued for a looser standard for reinstating workers, but the court disagreed.
5. The decision could make companies feel more empowered to crack down on unionization efforts.
6. The ruling is part of a larger movement on the political right to remove power from federal agencies.

NYT: Number of People Living on New York City Streets Hits a Two-Decade High

1. The number of unsheltered people (streets, subways, parks) in New York City has reached a 20-year high of 4,140, an increase of 2.4% from 2023.
2. The city's social services commissioner, Molly Wasow Park, attributes the rise to factors other than migrants.
3. The city is monitoring the situation closely, especially around service hubs for migrants, and has started enforcing a 30-day limit for single adult migrants in shelters.
4. The city has made efforts to house people, moving 2,000 unsheltered individuals into permanent housing since January 2022.
5. There are concerns about the reliability of the survey used to count unsheltered individuals, known as the HOPE estimate.
6. Critics argue that the HOPE estimate significantly undercounts the unsheltered population.

NYT Opinion: What Happens to Gifted Children

1. Social science studies, such as Lewis Terman’s Genetic Study of Geniuses and the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, show a strong correlation between higher intelligence and positive educational and career outcomes.
2. Highly intelligent people tend to have higher incomes, but they do not suffer from more mental health problems or physical health issues.
3. There is a distinction between high intelligence and extraordinary intelligence, with the latter group achieving even better outcomes.
4. Personalized education, tailored to the abilities of each child, is beneficial for high-scoring students to stay engaged and growing.
5. Not all highly intelligent people become transformational thinkers or world changers, as other factors such as ambition and personal values also play a significant role in their lives.
6. Some gifted individuals may experience emotional challenges due to the pressure of performing and the number of life options available to them.

NYT: Clearview AI Used Your Face. Now You May Get a Stake in the Company.

1. Clearview AI, a facial recognition startup, has agreed to a settlement in a class-action lawsuit regarding invasion of privacy.
2. Instead of a cash payment, the settlement proposes to give a 23% stake in the company to Americans whose faces are in its database.
3. Clearview AI scraped billions of photos from the web and social media sites to build a facial recognition app used by law enforcement agencies.
4. The settlement's value is estimated at $225 million, and if Clearview goes public or is acquired, class members would get a cut of the proceeds.
5. The settlement still needs approval from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
6. This proposed settlement has raised concerns about privacy advocates, who argue that the remedy should be stopping mass surveillance rather than financial compensation.

WSJ: The Money Habits I Learned From My Parents—for Better or Worse

1. The money habits and attitudes towards investing are often influenced by our parents, either through explicit conversations or observation.
2. Unconscious, ingrained tendencies can impact our financial decisions, and it's beneficial to uncover and understand these habits.
3. A money-personality quiz can help unveil attitudes about money developed from childhood.
4. It's important to distinguish between habits that serve us well and those that don't, and to learn to unlearn harmful habits.
5. Parents' behaviors, such as packing lunches or scrimping and saving, can influence their children's spending and budgeting habits.
6. It's crucial to find a balance between work ethic and relaxation, and to understand the importance of recharging and enjoying free time.

Grist: How the recycling symbol lost its meaning

1. The article discusses the history and evolution of recycling, particularly in the United States, starting from the first Earth Day in 1990.
2. The recycling symbol, known as the chasing-arrows, was introduced in the early 1990s and was intended to promote recycling and the rebirth of discarded materials.
3. However, the reality of recycling, especially for plastic products, has not lived up to the symbol's promise. Only about 5% of plastic waste in the U.S. is actually recycled.
4. The article highlights the challenges faced by the recycling industry, including contamination, lack of access, and the high cost of sorting and disposing of waste.
5. It also points out the public's over-reliance on recycling as a solution to waste management, often overlooking other strategies like reduction and reuse.
6. The article concludes that while recycling has its place, it should not be the sole focus of waste management efforts. Other strategies, such as reducing consumption and improving product design, are equally important.

NYT: Could New York Ban Face Masks on the Subway? Here’s What to Know.

1. Governor Kathy Hochul is considering reinstating a ban on face masks on New York City's subway due to concerns about their use in hate crimes.
2. The ban would likely require legislative action, and it's unclear if Hochul can enact such a prohibition with the Legislature having adjourned for the year.
3. Hochul acknowledged there are legitimate reasons for people to wear masks, including religious beliefs and health concerns, which would be exempt from a ban.
4. The increase in antisemitic acts in the city is concerning, but lawmakers like Michael Gianaris question regulating what people wear on the subway.
5. The rise in Covid cases in New York City, fueled by two subvariants, may have led some subway riders to start wearing masks again.
6. The original New York mask ban in 1845 was a response to protests in the Hudson Valley, but was repealed in May 2020 during the pandemic.

NYT Opinion: What Have We Liberals Done to the West Coast?

1. The text is an opinion column by Nicholas Kristof, discussing the challenges faced by liberal cities on the West Coast, particularly regarding homelessness, crime, and governance.
2. Despite these issues, Democratic states have higher life expectancy, GDP, and lower child poverty compared to Republican states.
3. The West Coast has higher rates of unsheltered homelessness than the Northeast, and struggles with issues like youth mental health and drug overdoses.
4. The author suggests that the problem lies not with liberalism itself, but with a specific brand of "West Coast liberalism" that prioritizes ideological purity over outcomes.
5. He criticizes the focus on symbolic gestures over substantive action, citing examples like the allocation of education funds towards providing tampons in boys' restrooms.
6. The text also discusses the impact of good intentions without empirical evidence, leading to policies that may unintentionally harm the communities they aim to help.

NYT: Don’t Call It an ‘Ethnic’ Grocery Store

1. Asian grocery stores like H Mart, Patel Brothers, and 99 Ranch have significantly expanded, influencing American eating habits and grocery market.
2. These stores initially opened to meet the demand for ingredients that tasted like home for Asian immigrants, and have now become a cultural phenomenon.
3. Despite their growth, Asian American grocers represent less than 1% of the total U.S. grocery business, but they dictate which products big-box chains stock.
4. The growth of Asian grocery stores has led to once niche ingredients like miso, ghee, and turmeric becoming widely available pantry staples.
5. The evolution of these stores has allowed them to attract a more diverse clientele, with non-Asian shoppers making up a significant portion of their customer base.
6. Despite their growth and changes, these stores strive to maintain their authenticity and connection to the communities that got them started.

NYT: Congestion Pricing Delay in New York Ripples Across the Country

1. New York's congestion pricing tolling program, aimed at reducing traffic and funding mass transit, was halted by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
2. This decision left a $15 billion hole in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital budget, affecting planned subway improvements.
3. Congestion pricing has been successful in other parts of the world, but has not been widely implemented in the U.S.
4. Several major American cities, including Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, have considered or studied congestion pricing.
5. The halt in New York's program may discourage other cities from considering congestion pricing due to perceived difficulties.
6. The pandemic has highlighted the precarious finances of many transit systems, which are seeking new revenue sources due to steep ridership losses.

The Economist: Why house prices are surging once again

1. House prices in America, Australia, and Europe have been rising despite higher interest rates.
2. This increase follows a period of adjustment, with prices falling in Canada, Germany, and New Zealand.
3. In America, the mortgage system with long-term fixed rates is credited for housing market resilience.
4. Other factors contributing to housing market resilience and price growth include immigration, mortgage-holders' sacrifices, and strong economies.
5. Immigration and sacrifices by mortgage-holders are pushing up house prices and rents.
6. Economies are helping, with average wages rising and unemployment remaining low, outpacing increases in interest costs.