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Warren accelerates ’20 Democrats campaign finance disarmament

Elizabeth Warren says she's no longer going to do fundraising the old-fashioned way – with a ceaseless cycle of receptions and dinners punctuated by telephone solicitations.

"My presidential primary campaign will be run on the principle of equal access for anybody who joins it," the Massachusetts senator said in a message to supporters of her campaign, promising that she won't sell any sort of additional access – not even a grip-and-grin photograph – based on the generosity of a donor.


"No fancy receptions or big money fundraisers only with people who can write the big checks. And when I thank the people giving to my campaign, it will not be based on the size of their donation. It means that wealthy donors won't be able to purchase better seats or one-on-one time with me at our events. And it means I won't be doing 'call time,' which is when candidates take hours to call wealthy donors to ask for their support."

Her decision is an attempt to up the rectitude ante in a campaign finance disarmament race with her rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, most of whom have already promised to eschew donations from corporate political action committees. It also means she's doubling down on a reliance on small-donor donations that has characterized the field so far – a tactic in which she's so far lagged behind several others including her principal rival among the unambiguously progressive aspirants: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who took in $6 million in small gifts in the first day after announcing his candidacy.

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The Untold Costs of AI: The West Is Paying for the Future That Hasn’t Arrived

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The Untold Costs of AI: The West Is Paying for the Future That Hasn’t Arrived

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been heralded as a technological revolution that will transform our world. From curing diseases to automating dangerous jobs to discovering new inventions, the possibilities are tantalizing. We’re told that AI could bring unprecedented good—if only we continue to invest in its development and allow labs to seize precious, finite natural resources.

Yet, despite these grand promises, most Americans haven’t experienced any meaningful benefits from AI. It’s yet to meaningfully address most health issues, and for many, It’s not significantly improving our everyday lives, excluding drafting emails and making bad memes. In fact, AI usage is still largely confined to a narrow segment of the population: highly educated professionals in tech hubs and urban centers. An August 2024 survey by the Federal Reserve and Harvard Kennedy School found that while 39.4% of U.S. adults aged 18-64 reported using generative AI, adoption rates vary significantly. Workers with a bachelor's degree or higher are twice as likely to use AI at work compared to those without a college degree (40% vs. 20%), and usage is highest in computer/mathematical occupations (49.6%) and management roles (49.0%).

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What a health insurance CEO's murder reveals about America's pain

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What a health insurance CEO's murder reveals about America's pain

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson represented a horrific and indefensible act of violence. His family deserves our deepest sympathy.

As a physician and healthcare leader, I initially declined to comment on the killing. I felt that speculating about the shooter’s intent would only sensationalize a terrible act.

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A Look Ahead at AI, privacy and Social Media Regulation under the New Trump Administration

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A Look Ahead at AI, privacy and Social Media Regulation under the New Trump Administration

Artificial intelligence harms, problematic social media content, data privacy violations – the issues are the same, but the policymakers and regulators who deal with them are about to change.

As the federal government transitions to a new term under the renewed leadership of Donald Trump, the regulatory landscape for technology in the United States faces a significant shift.

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Presidential promises, promises, promises....

Former President Donald J. Trump answers question from Pastor Paula White-Cain at the National Faith Advisory Board summit in Powder Springs, Georgia, United States on October 28, 2024.

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Presidential promises, promises, promises....

When Donald Trump made his first successful run for president in 2016, he made 663 promises to American voters. By the end of his 2021 term of office, he could only fulfill approximately 23 percent of his vows. Before we get too excited as to what will happen when Trump 2.0 takes effect on Jan. 20, let’s take a moment to reflect on covenants made by a couple of other presidents.

PolitiFact tracks the promises our presidents have made. PolitiFact is a non-partisan fact-checking website created in 2007 by the Florida-based Tampa Bay Times and acquired in 2018 by the Poynter Institute, a non-profit school for journalists. Here’s a report card on three presidents:

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