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We must understand that democracy is morphing with more technocratic systems of governance that lack full oversight and a clear understanding of their social and political impacts.

The post AI and ChatGPT: Yet Another Assault on Democratic Governance? appeared first on scheerpost.com.

Like so many others, he couldn’t completely do the right thing. The Washington Post reports: Nearly a year after the 2020 election, Arizona’s then-attorney general Mark Brnovich launched an investigation into voting in the state’s largest county that quickly consumed more than 10,000 hours of his staff’s time. Investigators prepared a report in March 2022 stating that virtually all claims of error and malfeasance were unfounded, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Brnovich, a Republican, kept it private. In April, the attorney general — who was running in the GOP primary for a U.S. Senate seat —released an “Interim Report” claiming that his office had discovered “serious vulnerabilities.” He left out edits from his own investigators refuting his assertions. His office then compiled an “Election Review Summary” in September that systematically refuted accusations of widespread fraud and made clear that none of the complaining parties — from state lawmakers to self-styled “election integrity” groups — had presented any evidence to support their claims.

A far-right “Christian” group allegedly linked the NSW Premier's brother was likely involved in illegally funnelling property developer cash to stack a Sydney Council, an inquiry has heard. read now...

Ray McGovern and Jeffery Sachs addressed the U.N. Security Council Tuesday on the Nord Stream pipelines sabotage in light of Sy Hersh’s reporting.

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And we’re supposed to take him seriously? Here’s some of what’s keeping the far right up at night. People are just suddenly dropping dead. Actually, dying suddenly is something that has always happened to people. But now we know why: It’s the COVID-19 vaccines. They’re killing us. Every sudden death can be used as evidence. These vaccines, which have saved the lives of more than three million Americans, are being blamed for killing off unknown-but-large numbers of people. Among them: a six-year-old girl in Ohio who died as a result of lifelong health problems including epilepsy, asthma, and respiratory problems. Someone tweeted an image of the kindergartener alongside a syringe. A Facebook user sent a message to her mother, calling her a “murderer” for having gotten the child vaccinated. Vaccination has also been framed for killing a bull rider who died from a rare disease and an actress who died from a bacterial infection. And it’s been implicated in the near-death of Buffalo Bills superstar Damar Hamlin from a heart stoppage caused by impact.

IA applauds the Palaszcuk Queensland Labor Government's new stance on drug law enforcement, sensibly stating that drug use is primarily a health issue, not one of criminal justice. read now...

For the month of February, the Nautilus Marketing Team will feature interviews with organizations and institutions working to increase opportunities for young Black people to imagine and succeed in STEM career paths—and we’ll donate 10 percent of all new member subscriptions toward their initiatives. Black representation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields totaled […]

The post The Interim CEO of Black Girls CODE on the Importance of Self-Belief appeared first on Nautilus.

~ Today's Water Cooler ~

Trump is bringing his spectacle to Palestine Ohio today. Can you believe this? A Fox Business report indicated that former President Donald Trump would treat residents of East Palestine, Ohio to something “like a campaign rally” while they are suffering from a noxious train derailment. Before Trump’s Wednesday visit, Fox Business host Stuart Varney and Fox News reporter Mike Tobin reflected on the former president’s plans. “He’s going to put on a big show,” Varney revealed. “It’s going to be like a campaign rally.” “It probably will be something like that,” Tobin agreed. “And you don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict that he will make the statement that he would have handled it better.” Tobin revealed schools were closed in the town due to security for Trump’s visit. “The mayor of this town says he doesn’t want this to become a political circus, and frankly, Stuart, it’s a little late for that,” the reporter concluded.

Hello, it’s me, your selectively friendly neighborhood preteen, here to solicit some soft-earned pocket money. I’m either Jaden, Jalen, or Jason. You’re pretty sure it’s one of those three names, though probably not the last one because that name feels too 1980s for a kid these days, and, to be fair, you’re right… but also, it is indeed Jason.

Here’s the deal: It snowed last night, as you and I can plainly see. And your walkway has yet to be shoveled, as you and I can plainly see. It’s only a matter of hours, at best, before the HOA comes by to cite you for failure to abide by their ordinances for snow removal. And you’re still in your pajama pants and mismatched grippy socks, as you and I can plainly see.

So go ahead: say no to my offer. I dare you.

I’m only asking for thirty bucks. Is that a scam or a steal? Hey, that’s for you to decide. I’m just an unlicensed, nonprofessional youngster with an inadequate shovel, a mom who says she doesn’t want me sitting around inside all day, and a dream.

So, what do you say? Can I haphazardly shift some snow drifts around your front yard?

Prudent nations would do well to prepare for peace even in the midst of an armed conflict. As we approach the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion this month, the Ukraine war remains the world’s dominant geopolitical conflict. The big-picture structural issue is the post-Cold War order in Europe and the place of a shrunken and Continue reading »

Australia should be proud of its vote in the General Assembly in November last year to condemn the ongoing US blockade of Cuba. The writer’s attention has been drawn to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly in November 2022. It is a matter of concern that it was not known to me, but more Continue reading »

It is absolutely essential that society inquiries into the fate of Australia’s war veterans. There are many reasons for our failure to rehabilitate veterans successfully, but unless we confront the nature of military activity, such investigations will remain superficial. There are several problems about repatriation and rehabilitation of military personnel. The first is that Australia Continue reading »

The Government’s response to the ‘independent’ review of Infrastructure Australia involves a surprise attack on public policy which should be rebuffed. A grim outlook? Picture this: pork-barrelling encouraged while important projects languish; proponents assessing their own proposals; Premiers trashing the Commonwealth via national cabinet saying it should obey their experts; a Minister facing condemnation by Continue reading »

When he was Treasurer Paul Keating complained that the resident galah in every pet shop across Australia was talking about microeconomic reform. Over the last few months the galahs have learned a new script: health reform. After years of largely benign neglect, it is now apparent that Medicare is failing to provide affordable access to Continue reading »

James Charles Ingram AO (27 February 1928 – 15 February 2023) was a senior Australian diplomat with a lengthy, varied and significant career. It began in 1946 when, equipped with a degree from the University of Melbourne, he was, at age 19, the youngest cadet selected for the then Department of External Affairs’ diplomatic cadetship Continue reading »

Important. 

Reacting to China’s announcement that it will be putting forward a proposal for a political settlement to end the war in Ukraine, the US ambassador to the United Nations said that if China begins arming Russia in that conflict this will be a “red line” for the United States. “We welcome the Chinese announcement that they Continue reading »

“It doesn’t matter what we think about the Internet,” the Supreme Court Justice said. “What does God think about it?”

He even went beyond Marge’s demands and delivered for proven liar Tucker Carlson Last week, America received proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Fox News is a dishonest institution that spread Donald Trump’s Big Lie knowing full well that he did not win the election. In a court filing from the defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Machines against the company, it was revealed that all of the top brass and their stars were fully aware that the election had not been stolen yet remained terrified of losing their deluded audience (which they had been instrumental in brainwashing) so they parrotted Trump’s bogus claims. In this specific case, they spread the falsehood that the Dominion machines were rigged for the Republicans. As Dominion argued in the filing: “Not a single Fox witness testified that they believe any of the allegations about Dominion are true. Indeed, Fox witness after Fox witness declined to assert the allegations’ truth or actually stated they do not believe them, and Fox witnesses repeatedly testified that they have not seen credible evidence to support them.” And they had the receipts.

You probably already know most of this if you have been following economic developments resulting from sanctions.

Naked Capitalism
Who’s Winning and Losing the Economic War Over Ukraine?Asia Times
How Putin has shrugged off Western sanctions Related

By Blake Fleetwood / Original to ScheerPost The U.S. suffered worldwide embarrassment in the last two weeks while the American media and  Republican and Democratic politicians hyperventilated over four UFO balloons that turned out to be harmless. At first the military wanted to keep everything about the Chinese balloon flight completely secret, but they were […]

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