in the clear: 2024-06-17

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: Uber and Lyft are fighting minimum wage laws. But in this state, the drivers won

1. Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota have been fighting for a minimum wage law, with driver Farhan Badel testifying before state legislators.
2. The companies have used aggressive lobbying tactics, including sending warning messages to riders and drivers, and threatening to leave the state.
3. Minnesota drivers formed the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA) to address low pay, safety concerns, and other issues.
4. Uber and Lyft classify drivers as independent contractors, not employees, which means drivers pay their own expenses and don't receive employee benefits.
5. A report by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry found the median take-home wage for drivers in the Twin Cities metro area is below local minimum wages.
6. Uber and Lyft have influenced minimum wage laws in other states, such as Washington, to maintain drivers' classification as independent contractors.

Proton Blog: Proton is transitioning towards a non-profit structure

1. Proton is transitioning to a non-profit structure, with the Proton Foundation as the primary shareholder.
2. This change ensures Proton's mission to prioritize people over profits remains permanent, preventing hostile takeovers.
3. The Proton Foundation will support organizations defending online and offline freedom, pledging 1% of Proton's net revenues.
4. Proton will continue to operate as a for-profit Swiss corporation, Proton AG, under the foundation's supervision.
5. This hybrid model allows Proton to maintain profitability, independence, and a competitive spirit while preserving its core values.
6. The change to a non-profit structure aims to protect Proton's mission and pay forward the community's support for the future.

Mozilla Blog: Introducing Anonym: Raising the bar for privacy-preserving digital advertising

1. Mozilla has acquired Anonym, a company known for privacy-preserving digital advertising technology.
2. The acquisition aims to transform the online advertising industry, addressing concerns about user privacy and sustainable data practices.
3. Anonym's technology securely combines encrypted data sets from platforms and advertisers for privacy-safe measurement and optimization.
4. This partnership aims to create a more sustainable advertising ecosystem while preserving user privacy.
5. Anonym, founded in 2022, is backed by several venture capital firms and strategic individual investors.
6. Both Mozilla and Anonym believe in the potential of advanced technologies to enable relevant advertising while preserving user privacy.

NPR: If AI is so good, why are there still so many jobs for translators?

1. Duolingo, a language learning app, replaced some human translator jobs with AI, but the CEO downplays the significance of these cuts.
2. AI has been improving language translation for close to a decade, yet the job market for human translators and interpreters is still growing.
3. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for human translators and interpreters grew by 49.4% between 2008 and 2018.
4. Despite advances in AI, the demand for human translators and interpreters is not decreasing; many businesses and governments are currently hiring.
5. MIT economist Daron Acemoglu suggests that AI's capability to take over human jobs, including translation, is often exaggerated.
6. Duolingo still employs human translators to double-check machine-generated translations and maintain consistency in style and tone.

After Babel: The Surgeon General Calls for a Warning Label on Social Media

1. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, has called for warning labels on social media due to its potential harm to adolescents' mental health.
2. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms.
3. The average daily use of social media by adolescents is 4.8 hours, and nearly half of them say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.
4. The Surgeon General's call is based on strong empirical evidence, despite ongoing debates in the academic research community for certainty.
5. The mental health crisis among young people is considered a public health emergency, and action is needed despite the lack of absolute certainty.
6. The Surgeon General's recommendation aims to protect children based on the best available evidence, considering the potential costs of inaction.

Daily Beast: The Surgeon General Is Wrong. Social Media Doesn’t Need Warning Labels

1. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy proposed warning labels on social media, similar to those on cigarettes, due to its impact on youth mental health.
2. However, researchers like Dr. Candice Odgers argue that this moral panic could cause more harm to teens, as they seek social media for support and connection.
3. Murthy's own report shows that social media can be beneficial for teen mental health, providing acceptance, support, and connection.
4. The National Academies of Sciences and the American Psychological Association have released reports stating that social media does not cause changes in adolescent health at the population level.
5. A large meta-study in the Journal of Pediatrics found no evidence to support social media being harmful to teen mental health, and suggests that taking away places where kids can communicate without parental monitoring could contribute to harms.
6. The Supreme Court has been unwilling to go along with labeling/suppressing speech based on a moral panic about new technology and kids, as seen with the California law around violence and video games.

Lawfare: The Responsibility and Power of Platforms to Tackle Inauthentic Content

1. The rapid spread of fake, sexualized images of Taylor Swift online highlighted the need for regulatory action to limit the creation and circulation of inauthentic content via generative AI.
2. Social media platforms have effective tools to reduce the creation and spread of inauthentic content, but their use is currently at the discretion of the platform.
3. Congress could mandate platforms to use proven tools to reduce the odds of users creating inauthentic content, improving on current efforts to increase enforcement of outdated and ineffective laws.
4. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have made it easier for bad actors to create and spread inauthentic content, which can have significant and long-lasting effects.
5. Proposed legislative responses to combat inauthentic content may be ineffective and could distract from more responsive legislation.
6. Enforcement of existing laws and new regulations may face challenges due to the sheer amount of social media content and jurisdictional issues.

EFF: How to Clean Up Your Bluesky Feed

1. Bluesky's moderation tools allow users to control their feed's content through labeling, curation, and blocking accounts.
2. Users can customize their feed by enabling or disabling a range of content types in the moderation settings.
3. Custom labelers can be subscribed to for additional filtering options, and users can build their own mute and block lists.
4. Custom feeds can be created or subscribed to, allowing users to filter and focus their content in specific ways.
5. Users can customize their main "following" feed, such as hiding replies, controlling what replies are seen, and hiding reposts.
6. It's recommended to enable two-factor authentication on Bluesky for added account security.

NPR: NYC pastor is sentenced to 9 years for fraud, including taking a single mom's $90,000

1. Pastor Lamor Whitehead was sentenced to nine years in prison for multiple counts of fraud, attempted extortion, and lying to the FBI.
2. He was found guilty of bilking a single mother of $90,000, promising an investment and a home, but spending the money on himself.
3. Whitehead lived in a six-bedroom house in New Jersey and owned a two-building apartment complex in Connecticut.
4. He became known for his jewelry and upscale lifestyle, which led to intense scrutiny in 2022.
5. Whitehead was involved in three high-profile incidents, including mediating a surrender in a subway shooting and being robbed of over $1 million in jewelry during a livestreamed church service.
6. He was ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000 in addition to the prison term.

NYT Opinion: How Capitalism Went Off the Rails

1. The Group of 7 countries' leaders faced broad dissatisfaction from the public.
2. Ruchir Sharma's book, "What Went Wrong With Capitalism," attributes this to "easy money" leading to inflation and higher financing costs.
3. Easy money has benefited wealthier Americans but has been detrimental to those who rely heavily on credit.
4. Inefficient markets, corporate monopolies, and the collapse of prudential economic practices are also noted as consequences.
5. Sharma criticizes both Bidenomics and the policies of former President Trump, suggesting both parties are committed to failing ideas.
6. Sharma warns of the dangers of easy credit and runaway spending, stating that both major parties are wandering in a fog towards a potential precipice.

EFF: New ALPR Vulnerabilities Prove Mass Surveillance Is a Public Safety Threat

1. Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) can pose risks to public safety due to large databases of sensitive information and potential cybersecurity threats.
2. CISA released an advisory on vulnerabilities in Motorola Solutions' Vigilant ALPRs, including missing encryption and insufficiently protected credentials.
3. ALPRs can collect billions of license plate scans, which can be used to track individuals without their consent, often unrelated to public safety interests.
4. The onus for protecting ALPR data lies with law enforcement agencies and vendors, as personal data should not be collected if not securely protectable.
5. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in ALPRs have been found multiple times over the past decade, with potential for harm from external factors being substantial.
6. The Michigan Cyber Command Center discovered several high severity vulnerabilities in Vigilant devices, including a hardcoded wifi password and default username/password, potentially allowing unauthorized access to camera controls and stored data.

The Economist: The dominant model of the universe is creaking

1. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has been building a 3D map of the universe, examining light from tens of millions of galaxies.
2. Initial DESI results suggest that the density of dark energy may have been changing over time, challenging the assumption that it has remained constant since the universe's start.
3. Dark energy, which accounts for 68% of the universe's energy, is currently thought to be vacuum energy from quantum theory, but this leads to the 'vacuum catastrophe' problem.
4. The standard model of cosmology, which includes dark energy and dark matter, predicts that the universe's expansion will continue indefinitely, possibly leading to the Big Freeze.
5. DESI's findings indicate that dark energy's density increased until around 4 billion years ago and then began decreasing, a phenomenon not explained by current models.
6. The standard model of cosmology may need a re-evaluation if dark energy's density is shown to change over time, with alternative proposals such as the quintessence field being considered.

Freedom to Tinker: Building on Colorado’s Success: All States Need Mandatory Rideshare Transparency Reporting

1. Colorado has mandated rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft to reveal their take rates and disclose ride destination, compensation to drivers, and semi-annual data to the state.
2. The Workers Algorithm Observatory at Princeton University researched the lack of transparency in rideshare platforms, which can result in worker harms.
3. Rideshare platforms use opaque algorithms for decisions on ride assignments, pricing, and driver deactivations, causing frustration and uncertainty for drivers and riders.
4. Dynamic wages and prices can lead to wage discrimination and informational imbalance, impacting drivers and riders.
5. The platforms' concerns about privacy, trade secrets, and data management costs are outweighed by the benefits of transparency.
6. Recommendations to policymakers include mandatory rideshare transparency reports, clear data-sharing standards, and legal protections for those engaging with the data.

NYT: Louisiana Requires Ten Commandments to Be Displayed in Every Public Classroom

1. Louisiana has mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom, becoming the only state with such a requirement.
2. The law, signed by Gov. Jeff Landry, is part of a broader campaign by conservative Christian groups to amplify public expressions of faith.
3. Critics, including the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation, have vowed to challenge the law, deeming it unconstitutional.
4. The law requires a visible display of the Ten Commandments in all public elementary, middle, high school, and college classrooms.
5. Supporters argue it's about sharing legal history and moral codes, while critics say it's a clear constitutional violation of religious freedom.
6. The Supreme Court has previously struck down similar laws, but the current court composition may lead to different outcomes.

NYT: What’s the Best City for New College Graduates?

1. A study by Zumper ranked 100 U.S. cities for recent college graduates based on economic, social, and employment opportunities.
2. The top cities for new graduates include Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, Columbus (Ohio), San Francisco, and Phoenix.
3. The ranking considered factors such as median rent, unemployment rate, population of 18-34 year olds, and number of 25-year-olds with bachelor’s degrees.
4. Cities like Laredo (Texas), Augusta (Georgia), and Providence (Rhode Island) ranked at the bottom due to factors like low median income and small populations of young residents.
5. New York City, despite having the highest median rent, ranked 20th overall due to its large population of residents between 18 and 34, and high median income.
6. The study also highlights the challenges faced by recent graduates, including a rising national unemployment rate and a widening generational wealth gap.

Lawfare: Moving Slow and Fixing Things

1. The "move fast and break things" mentality in the tech industry has led to an increase in cyberattacks, with over $1 billion stolen from U.S. organizations in 2023.
2. Regulators worldwide are pushing for changes in the risk equation, holding software vendors accountable for cybersecurity failings.
3. The EU has agreed to reform its Product Liability Directive to include software, expanding the definition of a "product" and the concept of "defect" to include cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
4. The EU's Network Information Security (NIS) Directive and the Cybersecurity Act aim to improve cybersecurity measures, particularly for critical infrastructure protection.
5. The Cybersecurity Act establishes a certification framework for ICT products, services, and processes, encouraging transparency and accountability in cybersecurity practices.
6. ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, plays a significant role in shaping and supporting the EU's cybersecurity landscape.

The Guardian: ‘You cannot do mass surveillance privately, full stop’: Signal boss hits out at government encryption-busting moves

1. Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal, criticizes government efforts to undermine user privacy under the guise of addressing public grievances with big tech firms.
2. Whittaker highlights the issue of mass surveillance as the core problem, which is exacerbated instead of solved by proposed policies.
3. Signal, a well-known encrypted messaging service, refuses to comply with mass surveillance mandates, even if it means ceasing operations.
4. Whittaker is meeting with the Australian eSafety commissioner to discuss Signal's position on proposed online safety standards.
5. There is a push to ban TikTok in countries like Australia due to concerns about user data being handed over to the Chinese government.
6. The Guardian emphasizes its independent, reader-supported model, free from billionaire ownership or influence, and appeals for support in covering critical 2024 news cycles.

NYT: Neighbors Fight Affordable Housing, but Need Libraries. Can’t We Make a Deal?

1. The page discusses a new library in Inwood, Manhattan, which includes a 12-floor tower of affordable housing.
2. This project, known as "The Eliza," is a partnership between the library and a housing development.
3. The library and housing development faced community protests due to an upzoning proposal, which allowed for taller buildings and more affordable housing.
4. The project was part of a commitment to add 1,600 subsidized homes in Inwood, aiming to expand affordable housing stock in the area.
5. The library and housing development faced delays due to public reviews and community protests, despite offering community benefits like a pre-K, a STEM study center, and a teaching kitchen.
6. The project is an example of a "no-brainer" financial logic, where libraries partnering with housing developers can trim construction costs.

NYT: For the Price of a Police Helicopter, New York Could Save the Arts

1. New York City's arts institutions are facing budget cuts, causing fear among them.
2. The city's cultural funding has not consistently matched the level of talent and genius in New York.
3. The overall budget for cultural funding decreased by $7 million between 2023 and 2024.
4. City Council is asking for an additional $53 million to support over 1,130 cultural organizations.
5. The Adams administration is being asked to contribute $18 million, which it has not agreed to yet.
6. The underfunding is affecting smaller, outer-borough nonprofits the most.

NPR: Supreme Court upholds federal ban on guns for domestic abusers

1. The Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on gun possession for those under a domestic violence court order (8-1).
2. This is the first major gun ruling since 2022, where the court had required gun laws to be analogous to those at the nation's founding.
3. The court seemed to draw the line more flexibly, allowing temporary disarmament when an individual poses a credible threat.
4. Zackey Rahimi, the defendant, was sentenced for violating the federal gun law after repeatedly threatening and firing a gun.
5. The case is a victory for "sensible gun regulations", which may make lower courts more hesitant to strike down laws preventing dangerous people from having guns.
6. Challenges to laws barring convicted felons from having guns and state "red flag laws" are potential future cases.

Lawfare: Challenging the Machine: Insights from a Workshop on Contestability of Advanced Automated Systems

1. In October 2023, President Biden issued an executive order on the safe and responsible development and use of AI.
2. A workshop was held in January 2024 to discuss contestability in advanced automated decision-making technologies such as AI.
3. The workshop highlighted the importance of considering the human factor, understanding the risks of advanced technologies, and designing contestable systems.
4. The OMB issued policy direction to federal agencies in March 2024, incorporating some recommendations from the workshop.
5. Multiple agencies have since issued guidelines for the development and use of AI, focusing on safety, security, and non-discrimination.
6. Further analysis and monitoring are needed to ensure the protection of individuals' safety, security, and rights in the AI landscape.

NYT: Recycling Is Broken. Should I Even Bother?

1. Recycling has environmental benefits, such as reducing landfill waste and conserving resources.
2. The recycling process involves sorting, bundling, and selling recyclable materials to buyers.
3. Contamination of recyclables with non-recyclable items increases costs and reduces efficiency.
4. Metals, especially aluminum, are highly recyclable due to their economic and environmental value.
5. Glass and plastics are more challenging to recycle due to quality issues and difficulty in separating different types.
6. Improving recycling can be achieved through regulations, better technology, and consumer choices.