The formal agenda of the Federal Communications Commission’s open meeting this week seemed well in line with its normal wonky pursuits. There were items on satellite broadband, a licensing framework for the lower 37-gigahertz spectrum, and newly proposed rules that could help block robocalls. In the practiced government kabuki of …
Read More »Trump Wants to Erase Black History. These Digital Archivists Are Racing to Save It
Meredith D. Clark, a professor of race and political communication at UNC-Chapel Hill, tells WIRED that museums are akin to “public trusts,” and the Trump administration’s assault on them is an attempt to dictate who does and doesn’t belong. “One of the things that power needs to do in order …
Read More »A Tariff Standoff With China, Power Outages, and the End of Christmas
Zoë Schiffer: Got it, OK. Obviously, that makes sense for logistical reasons. It’s easier to just add a tariff charge than raise the price of individual goods. But is it also a way to subtly exert pressure on the Trump Administration, or am I over-interpreting things? Louise Matsakis: I don’t …
Read More »Trump’s Policies Are Creating Uncertainty for Fossil Fuel Companies
“Lawyers are going to have a field day with this,” says Hathaway, who now works as a director at Lawyers for Good Government, a legal nonprofit dedicated to progressive advocacy. It’s clear these new rules are exclusively a gift to extractive industries like drilling and mining. Solar and wind projects—which …
Read More »Trump’s Tariffs Will Widen the Digital Divide
As President Donald Trump’s tariff turmoil continues, it becomes increasingly clear that this unpredictability in the US will create economic stress for American businesses and residents. But as with other types of commercial turbulence, the people who will be hit the hardest are those with lower incomes. Trump’s tariff policy …
Read More »A Philosopher Released an Acclaimed Book About Digital Manipulation. The Author Ended Up Being AI
“When readers discovered the truth about how the book was created, many were hurt. I deeply regret that, but it was necessary,” he says. “Some people have said, ‘I wish this author existed.’ Well, he doesn’t. We must understand that we build our own narratives. If we don’t, the far …
Read More »Behold the Social Security Administration’s AI Training Video
Amidst the chaos and upheaval at the Social Security Administration (SSA) caused by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), employees have now been asked to integrate the use of a generative AI chatbot into their daily work. But before any of them can use it, they all need …
Read More »‘Who Is Doge?’ Has Become a Metaphysical Question
The question of who DOGE is has taken on an almost metaphysical quality as the organization’s mandate has expanded. According to Trump’s January 20 executive order establishing DOGE, every federal agency is required to create a DOGE team of at least four employees. (Ehikan’s claim that there is no DOGE …
Read More »Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border
Lauren Goode: I think Katie should go first. She’s the boss. Katie Drummond: So as you all know, because I can’t stop talking about it, I recently returned from France, and one thing in particular that I am now pathologically fixated on, that I am recommending to all of you, …
Read More »The Real Winners of the Trump Memecoin Feeding Frenzy
On Wednesday, the team behind the official Donald Trump memecoin sparked a trading frenzy after announcing that the investors who held the largest amount of the crypto coin in the coming weeks would be invited to a gala dinner attended by the US president. “At this intimate private dinner, hear …
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