NOW STARTING: “Generative AI and the Erosion of Anonymity.” Join Tianshi Li, Neil Chilson, @jaystanley.bsky.social, & moderator @mdaepp.bsky.social for a convo on the risks of AI and data brokers and safeguards for emerging technologies. 📩 Login info after registration: https://foso26.cdt.org/
“Classified U.S. intelligence assessments from recent months have determined that the Kremlin has again authorized a digital influence campaign to peddle content across social media in hopes of seeding or amplifying domestic divisions around the election season…”
Russia Aims to Inject Chaos Into Elections, U.S. Intelligence Finds
The Kremlin is once again seeking to undermine confidence in American democracy with online influence campaigns, U.S. officials said.
nytimes.com
But that's no more true than imagining that trust in electoral security dropped in 2000 because of some objective failing of electoral institutions. Trust in the press and academia has declined because other institutions have found it profitable to wage a campaign meant to achieve that effect.
Oil prices’ lurch above $100 a barrel is propelling the U.S. past another unwelcome milestone: The war with Iran is sticking Americans with a 12-figure bill.
Americans Have Spent $100 Billion More on Fuel During the Iran War
Higher gasoline and diesel prices have led many families to save less and curb spending elsewhere.
on.wsj.com
“A.I. destroying humanity is the worst possible way to kick off a conversation about the public policy of A.I.,” said Milton Mueller […] “It completely diverts attention away from human agency. It pretends that the machine itself is going to cause the problems.”
As A.I. Fears Rise, Experts Suggest Focusing on the Humans in Charge
Warnings from industry leaders about doomsday scenarios ignore the power that people have to control how artificial intelligence is used, policy experts say. They are urging lawmakers to act now.
nytimes.com
Our Commonwealth was founded 344 years ago on the ideals of freedom of religion, free elections, and free expression. Tonight, I was honored to join Gov Cox and the Knight Foundation for an important conversation on how we protect our fundamental freedom outlined in the First Amendment:
Today we partnered with Knight Foundation to celebrate the inaugural First Amendment Day! Visitors of all ages gathered to explore, reflect, create, and engage with the First Amendment. If you missed today's events, engage with the First Amendment from home: https://ow.ly/BUPU50ZLFV2
“The survey identified […] a 30 point decline when asked to compare their freedom to express themselves without fear of government interference or punishment ten years ago to their expectations for ten years from now.”
Knight Foundation-SSRS Poll: Americans Feel Free Expression is Eroding
For more than two decades, Knight Foundation has commissioned research to better understand Americans’ lived experience with the First Amendment and free expression. As the country marks its 250th ann...
knightfoundation.org
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 3w ago“Jimmy Kimmel Live” has decided against broadcasting an interview on Thursday with James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, and will instead post it on YouTube. Kimmel said that the show made the decision because the FCC had “threatened” ABC over “traditional editorial decisions.”
For Lawfare, I wrote about the First Amendment problems with Meta’s settlement. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
The First Amendment Problems With Meta’s $17 Billion Deal
Meta's settlement includes some social media speech restrictions that states can't directly impose.
lawfaremedia.org
#Philly! Free tickets are still available for next week’s special event with @governor.pa.gov and UT governor Spencer Cox.
Knight Foundation@knightfoundation.org · 2mo agoKnight Foundation in partnership with Disagree Better and @constitutionctr.bsky.social presents The First at 250: Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) and @governor.pa.gov on the First Amendment. Sept. 9, 5:30 PM, Kimmel Center, Philly. Free tickets here: ensembleartsphilly.org/rent-our-spa... #TheFirstAt250
PhD candidates/new grads: Postdoc opportunity with me focused on political economy and tech. See details here: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32502
Cornell University, Department of Communication
Job #AJO32502, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, US
academicjobsonline.org
Blog post: "Nonfeasance, Misfeasance, and Malfeasance: Academic Freedom and Academic Discipline" I explain the different standards for academics' on-the-job and off-the-job work, and argue against gaming the system by gerrymandering "the job." 3d.laboratorium.net/2026-08-23-a...
Nonfeasance, Misfeasance, and Malfeasance: Academic Freedom in a Nutshell
Here’s a simple taxonomy for thinking about academic duties and freedoms. There are basically three kinds of reasons why a university could take disciplinary action against an academic:
3d.laboratorium.net
Floods from powerful storms devastated Gary, Indiana, a city where a third of residents live below the poverty line. Electricity has been out for 10 days throughout much of the city, and residents said they were growing increasingly desperate on Friday. nyti.ms/4c40WOQ
Scoop: For nearly a year, NSF has struggled to make new grants. Now we know that it will not catch up. In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
Exclusive: NSF set to issue lowest number of new grants in four decades
The US science-funding agency is withholding $1 billion of its budget so that the money can go to a special White House project.
nature.com
I am hiring a Research Associate to join my team at Scholars at Risk: apply.interfolio.com/191007. Great way to get started in international human rights work, particularly if you have an interest in academic freedom
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
I have long been a fan of @techpolicypress.bsky.social and @justinhendrix.bsky.social, so this wide ranging conversation about election security, technology, disinformation and the new role of AI was a treat.
Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · last mo.Americans are relying more and more on AI to get information, including on elections. Every chatbot the Brennan Center for Justice tested pushed back on election conspiracy theories, Larry Norden tells Justin Hendrix. But half of all responses still contained an inaccuracy or bad citation.
Knight Foundation in partnership with Disagree Better and @constitutionctr.bsky.social presents The First at 250: Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) and @governor.pa.gov on the First Amendment. Sept. 9, 5:30 PM, Kimmel Center, Philly. Free tickets here: ensembleartsphilly.org/rent-our-spa... #TheFirstAt250
A new survey from @knightfoundation.org and @ssrsresearch.bsky.social reveals a disquieting decline in how free Americans feel to use the freedoms protected by the #FirstAmendment without government interference or punishment. 🧵
Knight Foundation-SSRS Poll: Americans Feel Free Expression is Eroding - Knight Foundation
For more than two decades, Knight Foundation has commissioned research to better understand Americans’ lived experience with the First Amendment and free expression. As the country marks its 250th ann...
knightfoundation.org
“Excel allowed recent growth rates to be extended into the future through a simple copy and paste — so simple that it ended up being done without common sense checks on the unrealistic extrapolations…Hence the technology bubble and tech wreck of 2000.” www.ft.com/content/5ef8...
A short history of valuing stocks
I’ve spent my career trying to find what shares are really worth — will it protect me from losses in the next crisis?
ft.com
Today's Reliable Sources lead: Americans feel free expression is eroding www.cnn.com/newsletters/...
Thanks for mentioning our new poll in today’s Reliable Sources, @brianstelter.bsky.social!
TGIF! We’ll be back on Sunday with some great summer weekend reads; you can suggest one by hitting reply and sharing the link.
edition.cnn.com
Breaking: Meta is ordered to pay $942 million to address harm to kids from social media, significantly increasing the cost of a landmark verdict.
Meta Ordered to Pay $942 Million to Address Harm to Kids From Social Media
A New Mexico judge ordered the social-media giant to create a new $567 million fund in addition to paying $375 million in previously determined civil penalties.
on.wsj.com
As AI detection and certification systems gain users, can we really know for sure if a text was AI-generated? And does it matter? Read our new article featuring AI detectors, voluntary certifications of human authorship, and provenance tracking. buff.ly/8YNgDzz
A human wrote this – believe me
From metadata to AI detectors, several organisations are aiming to provide evidence of whether a piece of content was AI-generated. It’s not an easy task.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk