Author: Josh
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Policy: Encryption
The Europol chief, Catherine De Bolle, has called for Big Tech to provide law enforcement with access to encrypted communications, arguing that this is a “social responsibility” akin to allowing police to enter a locked house with a warrant. While this argument may seem reasonable on the surface, it fundamentally misunderstands the role of encryption…
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News Today: 28/01/25
A fossil of vomit In a remarkable paleontological discovery, a 66-million-year-old fossilized regurgitation has been unearthed along Denmark’s Stevns Klint coastal cliff, a site renowned for its rich Cretaceous-period deposits. Local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke made this unusual find after splitting open a piece of chalk, revealing a compact mass of sea lily fragments—marine invertebrates…
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News Today: 27/01/2025
Somerset Flooding In late January 2025, Somerset experienced severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall from Storm Herminia, prompting local authorities to declare a major incident. The deluge brought widespread disruption, with several communities severely affected. Over 100 residents were evacuated from flood-prone areas, including South Petherton, where Burnworthy House care home had to be cleared.…
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Utah: School book ban
In July 2024, Utah implemented a sweeping new law aimed at regulating the content available in public school libraries. The legislation requires the removal of books deemed “sensitive material,” a term defined to include content considered pornographic or indecent under state guidelines. A key feature of the law allows a small number of districts—just three…
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USA: The limits of Presidents
The power of the President of the United States, while substantial, is carefully circumscribed to prevent overreach. The framers of the Constitution designed a system of governance that distributes power across the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, ensuring no single branch dominates. This system of checks and balances is foundational to American democracy, and its…
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Policy: Global Issues
Global Health Inequalities Issues: Global health inequalities are among the most pressing challenges of our time, characterized by stark disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. Many low- and middle-income countries face limited healthcare infrastructure, lack of trained personnel, and insufficient resources to address even basic medical needs. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis disproportionately…
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USA: The Presidential Pardon
<disclaimer: Since this is AI generated, it has the biases of any AI generation tools. It is meant more as a general guide, rather than an accurate representation of say recent events.> The power to grant pardons is one of the most significant tools available to the U.S. President, representing a vital aspect of executive…
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Politics: Biden vs Trump, Executive orders
(Note, all the below is only speculation… from a language model.) An executive order is a directive issued by the President of the United States to manage operations of the federal government. These orders have the force of law but do not require approval from Congress. They are often used to direct federal agencies and…
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USA: Ban on gas exports
The narrative surrounding President Joe Biden’s awareness of the pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals has become a focal point in political discourse, particularly following comments made by Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson’s assertion, circulated on social media, alleges that during a January 2024 meeting, President Biden seemed unaware of an executive order…
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Crypto: Ethereum critique
Introduction Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain platform that extends the capabilities of blockchain technology beyond what was originally conceived with Bitcoin. Introduced in 2015 by a team led by Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum was designed to serve as more than just a digital currency. While Bitcoin focuses primarily on being a decentralized currency and store…