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Legal complaint against FIFA to cover impact on women’s schedule

A legal complaint against FIFA has been extended to cover its “abusive conduct” towards the women’s game in Europe. The complaint by the European Leagues umbrella group, which includes the Premier League and Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) as members, was first lodged with the European Commission in October 2024.

Sep 8 • 9:33 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Influencers, weed and disruptions stir controversy at U.S. Open

Social media influencers and other spectators are stirring controversy at this year’s U.S. Open, with viral videos, bright lights and other distractions prompting complaints from tennis fans and some of the sport’s biggest stars. The debate intensified during Naomi Osaka’s first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova, when people in a courtside suite were seen filming themselves […]

Sep 6 • 6:37 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers

Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??

Sep 6 • 6:05 PM EDT • Technology • theargumentmag.com

Kokua Line: Why can’t new business register with state?

Question: Can you check what is going on with the slow approval times at the State of Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Office? Historically, if you paid the expedited review fee, your registration documents for a new entity would be approved within a week or sooner. Now, even paying the expedited review fee, I have been patiently waiting for months. My filing to form a new business submitted in June still has not been approved. Without the state’s approval, I cannot open a bank account, sign a lease, hire employees, or start my business. This has resulted in damages due to the delays. My emails to the DCCA have not been responded to. I heard that there is an issue with a new vendor of their supposed updated system, but forming a new business or other business registration tasks seem to have come to a standstill. I heard that they are working on May submissions now. I cannot believe that this unacceptable delay has not been publicized, complaints from the public more prevalent, and the elected officials not having been told by their constituents to immediately address this problem.

Sep 6 • 6:05 AM EDT • Business • staradvertiser.com

The Seattle Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over copyright infringement

The lawsuit joins a growing list of copyright complaints against OpenAI and other AI companies, including suits from publishers, authors and musicians.

Sep 4 • 8:02 PM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com

Postal Service Internal Watchdog Opens Inquiry After Whistle-Blower’s Complaint

The Trump administration’s effort to screen mail-in ballots for the midterms is facing numerous challenges.

Sep 4 • 7:01 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

St. Clair County defers decision on investigating health director facing workplace complaints

PORT HURON — A St. Clair County Board of Commissioners committee decided on Thursday night to table a decision to launch an independent investigation into the county medical director, Dr. Remington Nevin — an investigation that public health nurses in the county have been requesting for months. Nevin is facing complaints of a toxic workplace, including […]

Sep 4 • 1:19 PM EDT • Health • michiganadvance.com

Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message

Todd Monken has a hard job ahead of the 2026 NFL season. He has to lead the Cleveland Browns, a team that had a very poor 2025 campaign. There is a lot of expectations on both him and the team for the coming games. Despite this being his first head coaching role in the league, […] The post Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

Sep 4 • 12:44 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Health dept. nurses ask again for investigation into Dr. Nevin

St. Clair County commissioners will revisit a request for a third-party Health Department investigation in October after corporate counsel reviews complaints.

Sep 4 • 9:56 AM EDT • Health • thetimesherald.com

Suspended UNC football GM Michael Lombardi resigns amid complaint, investigation

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Michael Lombardi’s tenure at the University of North Carolina was a short one. The Tar Heels’ football general manager resigned from his position on Thursday, according

Sep 3 • 6:55 PM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com

Skin care business remains open as police investigate suspected financial crimes

JH Mountain Glow has generated complaints of fraud over years, Chamber says.

Sep 3 • 2:14 PM EDT • Business • 891khol.org

Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo

Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.

Sep 2 • 8:21 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Farage compares standards inquiry to investigations faced by fellow ‘outsider’ Trump

Reform UK leader dismisses criticism of his failure to register £5m gift as a sign of a ‘complainants’ society’

Sep 2 • 11:24 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Reform up against 'complainants' society', Nigel Farage tells BBC

The Reform UK leader said a "whole ecosystem" didn't want "new kids on the block succeeding".

Sep 2 • 8:10 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

‘Israel is politics’: Was a woman kicked out of a salon for supporting Israel or being Israeli-American?

Brandeis Center files civil rights complaint after a customer was kicked out of an Alexandria, Virginia salon

Sep 2 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • forward.com

Yamaha reacts to Quartararo complaint: 'He should follow Miller's example'

Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli hit back at Fabio Quartararo's criticism. The Italian believes the Frenchman should look at Jack Miller's attitude.

Sep 2 • 4:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

California lawmakers kill wildfire bill after utility complaints

Legislation that would have helped wildfire victims receive compensation more quickly, but that utilities said didn’t do enough to reduce their financial risks, died in Sacramento after the Assembly declined to vote on it.

Sep 1 • 5:59 PM EDT • Business • latimes.com

BBC axes ‘iconic’ Ski Sunday winter sports show after nearly 50 years on TV

Ski Sunday is being axed amid complaints that the BBC’s sports coverage continues to go downhill

Sep 1 • 11:24 AM EDT • Sports • theguardian.com

Sony Institutes Harassment Policy Following PS5 Disc Controversy

PlayStation has been receiving an uptick in online complaints after announcing it would stop manufacturing discs in 2028

Sep 1 • 9:45 AM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

FDA alerts patients after multiple complaints at West Coast imaging center

“Some clinical image quality deficiencies were severe,” the agency said, adding that the center is now required to submit an “extensive corrective action plan to the ACR.”

Aug 31 • 1:42 AM EDT • Business • radiologybusiness.com

David Trinko: Golden age for entertainment in Lima

Someone walking by the newspaper’s booth at the Allen County Fair last week complained loudly, “There’s nothing to do in Lima.”

Aug 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • limaohio.com

The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science

“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 27 • 6:47 PM EDT • Science • wessiler.substack.com

Pakistan lodge complaint with Sky Sports over interview with Imran Khan’s sons

The interview was conducted on Wednesday at Lord's and broadcast during the lunch break on the first day of the second Test

Aug 27 • 5:10 PM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

Is Germany benefitting yet from the crisis in US research?

Science|Business - Table.Media partnershipScience|Business has partnered with Table.Media, a leading source of news about higher education and research in Germany. Each week, we are publishing one of each other’s stories to give readers an even broader range of insight into R&D policy across Europe.Drawing over 500 participants, the German Academic International Network conference in San Francisco brings together researchers, universities, scientific organisations and policymakers in the US as part of an attempt to recruit international talent for Germany. It also serves as an annual barometer for the uncertainty triggered by the Trump administration’s science policies. As was the case last year, Germany’s political presence was unusually strong: federal lawmakers, nine state ministers of science and research, and federal research state secretary Marcus Pleyer all attended. Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has observed a marked shift at US universities a year after the Trump administration began sweeping interventions: the initial state of "shock and paralysis" has given way to a strategic approach to the situation. Universities are seeking new funding sources, mounting legal challenges against interventions and opening themselves up more to international collaborations, including with Germany, he said. Early-career international researchers with expiring visas are considered particularly vulnerable. Germany is benefiting from increased demand among this pool of young talent; the country’s 1,000 Minds Plus programme, designed in part to lure German academics back home, has already filled up around one-third of its capacity. Meanwhile, Markus Blume, Bavaria’s science minister and current chair of the federal Conference of Science Ministers, sees an "enormous outflow of talent from the US." An increasing number of international researchers want to leave. Applications to Canada have risen by 42% January, and those to Europe by 32%. Meanwhile, the number of people drawn to the US is plummeting. "In this context, Germany must position itself as a prime destination offering reliable conditions, institutional stability and academic freedom, including through smart collaborations," Blume told Table.Briefings.“Darkest hour”At the get-together in San Francisco, the former president of the US National Academy of Sciences, Marcia McNutt, highlighted the gravity of the situation on the ground in a keynote address. She described the present moment as the "darkest hour for the US scientific system." At the same time, she said that cooperation should be maintained, especially during a crisis. Established researchers in the US are less likely to leave. Ulrike Malmendier, a former member of the German Council of Economic Experts and an economist at Berkeley, explained why established researchers are not packing their bags and leaving the US in droves: working conditions and the concentration of talent at places like Berkeley and Stanford remain unparalleled. According to Peter-André Alt, managing director of the Wübben Foundation, which helps Germany attract international academics, political restrictions are not the only grievance voiced by US-based researchers. "There are evidently still many areas where, fortunately, unfettered research is possible," Alt told Table.Briefings. Instead, the primary complaint concerns the cost of living, which has "skyrocketed” to absurd levels. "Runaway inflation, like that currently seen in the US, is certainly no draw for young scientific talent,” he said. Return homeA growing number of early-career researchers from Germany appear to be considering a return home. Jörn Benzinger, who is responsible for recruiting early-career researchers from abroad at Ruhr University Bochum, reports numerous conversations with researchers who are taking a closer look at the German academic landscape."Germany has definitely moved more into the spotlight,” he said. States, university alliances and research organisations joined forces to recruit talent. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia were prominently represented, as were alliances such as the Berlin University Alliance and the University Alliance Ruhr. Benzinger sums up Germany’s approach with a new formula: "collaboration is the new competition." He notes that it is becoming increasingly difficult for individual universities to gain international visibility, while regional research ecosystems and collaborations are growing in importance. Afraid to leaveThe crisis in the US academic sector is also straining transatlantic research relations. Benzinger reports that some US-based researchers had to decline brief invitations to Germany because they could not be certain of being allowed to re-enter the US afterward.He considers the simple poaching of researchers to be the wrong approach; what is needed, he says, are "reliable offers and long-term partnerships."However, Green Party politician Ayşe Asar, who also attended the conference, sees a significant need for improvement, particularly regarding career paths in Germany.While lifetime professorships and academic freedom certainly make Germany attractive, young researchers also require predictable career paths, tenure-track positions and flatter hierarchies.

Aug 27 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net

Portland removes 100-foot buffer between entertainment businesses

In 2007, Portland implemented an ordinance that regulated the location and density of businesses with both liquor licenses and entertainment licenses in the downtown and waterfront zones. In response to business owner complaints, the council removed this buffer on Monday.

Aug 25 • 2:08 PM EDT • Entertainment • spectrumlocalnews.com

Elon Musk won't face election bribery charges in Wisconsin

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in July referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney’s office for possible charges.

Aug 25 • 1:24 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

Williamstown Board of Health Gets Update on 330 Cole Ave.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Board of Health last Monday saw evidence supporting a tenant's complaint about ventilation issues at their 330 Cole Ave. residence. Health...

Aug 24 • 5:46 AM EDT • Health • iberkshires.com

A Kenosha car dealership under fire, a grocery store upgrade in Whitefish Bay, and more Milwaukee business news

Milwaukee Business Journal's Tim Gibbons joins the show to discuss a Kenosha car dealer with an EEOC complaint, Vet/first responder affordable housing

Aug 23 • 10:15 AM EDT • Business • wtmj.com

Wall Street's sleep habits inspired me to quit and launch a startup

Josh Hou spent his year as a banker at Evercore hearing analysts complain about their health — and got the idea for his startup.

Aug 20 • 5:30 AM EDT • Health • businessinsider.com

A college football coach used to complain about the transfer portal. He reframed his thinking

Dave Doeren had to “reframe” the way he thought about the changes in college sports. Researchers have another name for what he did.

Aug 20 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

City deal sets protest limits outside downtown Kroger amid small business complaints

Aug 19 • 10:05 PM EDT • Business • local12.com

Oregon elections office won't investigate Drazan complaint

The Secretary of State's office declined to open an investigation into a complaint about potential election law violations by Sen. Christine Drazan.

Aug 19 • 8:27 PM EDT • Politics • statesmanjournal.com

US Open ticket prices compared to summer sports events as prices soar

U.S. Open ticket prices are drawing complaints from fans as resale costs for even basic entry continue to climb.

Aug 19 • 7:21 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Framework responds to complaints that BIOS update bricks Ryzen 7040 laptops

Framework says it's replacing some out-of-warranty AMD mainboards.

Aug 19 • 4:21 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com

Despite complaints about other sports, the NFL has become the most predictable league in America

Over 13 seasons, 58% of Super Bowl participants had the NFL's best regular season record, making the playoffs far more predictable than other sports.

Aug 17 • 4:12 PM EDT • Sports • foxnews.com

US Commander Says Mental Health a Priority Aboard USS Lincoln

A top US military commander said mental health is a valid concern after meeting crew deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where conditions aboard the aircraft carrier have led to complaints during its long deployment in the Iran war.

Aug 16 • 6:35 PM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com

Georgia massage business shut down after complaint led to sexual battery arrest

Police in Georgia say a complaint at a massage business led to a sexual battery arrest — and the business was then shut down.

Aug 14 • 4:09 PM EDT • Business • wjcl.com

Growing threat to free speech: Bogus copyright claims making political stories disappear

In what media experts are calling a threat to free speech, bogus copyright complaints have led to the scrubbing of dozens of stories about a congressional candidate from Google search results.

Aug 14 • 3:24 PM EDT • Politics • sun-sentinel.com

Glenn Fogel runs the world’s largest online travel business. He still personally reads customer complaints because ‘you gotta get that sh*t right’

The travel industry, like every sector, is experimenting with the best use cases for AI. Fogel is working towards a world where tourism becomes an intelligence system in its own right

Aug 14 • 6:07 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com

Glenn Fogel runs the world’s largest online travel business. He still personally reads customer complaints because ‘you gotta get that sh*t right’

The travel industry, like every sector, is experimenting with the best use cases for AI. Fogel is working towards a world where tourism becomes an intelligence system in its own right

Aug 14 • 6:07 AM EDT • Business • fortune.com

Highland Health Systems; Albany Gastroenterology Consultants Settle Data Breach Lawsuits

Settlements have received preliminary approval to resolve class action data breach complaints against Highland Health Systems and Albany Gastroenterology Settlements have received preliminary approval to resolve class action data breach complaints against Albany Gastroenterology Consultants and Highland Health Systems stemming from breaches of patient data.

Aug 13 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • hipaajournal.com

Neighbors complain about noise from Universal’s ‘Fast & Furious’ ride

Universal Studios Hollywood plans new sound barriers around its “Fast & Furious” coaster after neighbors complained about screaming during ride testing.

Aug 12 • 10:58 AM EDT • Entertainment • scrippsnews.com

Health and safety complaints trigger state investigation at NKY long-term care facility

After a sexual assault allegation & a wrongful death lawsuit, an independent care facility is now under a state investigation.

Aug 7 • 6:03 PM EDT • Health • fox19.com

‘GTA 6’ Publisher Dismisses Digital Replacing Discs Controversy

'Grand Theft Auto 6' will only be sold digitally, and now Take Two is dismissing complaints about that, saying its business is already digital.

Aug 7 • 9:37 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com

Former Clancy nanny testifies about mother's mental health issues before killings

Months before Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children, she lost significant weight, couldn't sleep and complained of postpregnancy mental health issues, the family’s former nanny testified at her murder trial Wednesday. But the nanny never worried the Massachusetts mother might be a danger to her children or to herself.

Aug 6 • 1:38 PM EDT • Health • pbs.org

Trump grows angry over reports on depleted munitions — believing it weakens him in Iran negotiations

President Donald Trump has privately complained in recent days that disclosures on the dwindling US munitions stockpile make the United States look weak at a critical juncture, senior US officials said.

Aug 6 • 1:32 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

New York City lawmaker accused of using government staff for political fundraising

The accusations, outlined in a formal whistleblower complaint, come as concerns about wrongdoing in New York City government remain heightened.

Aug 6 • 5:55 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com

Healthcare access dominates complaints from CT's incarcerated

Health services accounted for a third of the nearly 2,000 complaints received by the Correction Ombuds regarding the conditions in CT prisons.

Aug 3 • 3:45 PM EDT • Health • ctmirror.org

Nearly 23,000 pounds of Ukrop's baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler recalled over metal sliver concerns

A consumer complaint about metal found in a fully cooked product triggered the Ukrop's Homestyle Foods recall of baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler.

Aug 2 • 2:18 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com

Sony vows to press on with discless plans, saying "digitalization is progressing" across all media despite heavy protest from players

Sony has heard your complaints, but it's done little to move the needle when it comes to PlayStation physical media and discs.

Jul 31 • 5:35 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net

The new "science golden age" looks suspiciously like a grift

This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 The Trump regime is trying to usher in a “Golden Age in Science” where scientific research is run like a Trump family business, artificial intelligence is all that matters, profit is everything, and expertise is for chumps. Or at least that’s the vision emerging from a new 123-page “Report to the President” from Michael Kratsios, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In a normal administration, you could probably skip over learning about a science policy document — but this is no normal administration, and this is no normal science policy document. Instead, it’s Trump’s attempt to end the actual golden age of science that was kicked off in 1945 with the publication of '“The Endless Frontier” by Vannevar Bush. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) [ Harmeet Dhillon demonstrates danger of posting through it ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Liz Dye · Jul 29 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Bush, at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s request, laid out a vision of federal support for science that centered on funding universities to do basic research, saying that as long as those institutions were “vigorous and healthy and their scientists are free to pursue the truth wherever it may lead, there will be a flow of new scientific knowledge to those who can apply it to practical problems in Government, in industry, or elsewhere.” Kratsios’s report is supposed to be the successor to Bush’s, and even apes the format, but this isn’t really a document about science policy. It’s one about ending science research as we know it in favor of shoveling cash at big tech companies. While it might be temping to wave this away as an aspirational policy document, Trump has already begun to shift billions in research funds to AI projects and has taken a hatchet to science funding across the board. He’s teed up the shift Kratsios proposes here, and since neither Congress nor the Supreme Court seem inclined to stop him from doing whatever he wants with taxpayer money, it isn’t doomering or hyperbole to say we are staring down the barrel of a world where the only “science” the government intends to support is for-profit tech and defense advancements. Science for dummies Part of how you can tell this isn’t a document about science is that you are immediately faced with an absolute wall of business-speak of the worst sort. Did you know we must “tightly couple our science and technology enterprises to ensure that groundbreaking ideas invented in the United States are rapidly prototyped, tested, manufactured, and scaled domestically”? You do now! That tone isn’t surprising, because Kratsios has no background in science or research. He has a bachelor’s in political science and spent most of his career working for Peter Thiel at Thiel Capital. After a stint in the first Trump administration as Chief Technology Officer, where he also did not do any science, Kratsios was tasked in 2020 with overseeing the Pentagon’s research budget for a brief time, a position that, as the Wall Street Journal put it, “carries a great deal of power in terms of dictating investment allocations.” He spent the Biden years at Scale AI as “head of strategy,” which you will also note is neither a science nor a research job. But Scale AI has contracts with the Department of Defense and, as the Washington Post wrote in 2023, “has been aggressively pitching itself as the company that will help the US military in its existential battle with China.” And now you have the necessary background for our new golden age, which is going to be a golden age of taking money away from scientists and universities and giving it to companies like Scale AI. A note from Aaron: Working with brilliant contributors like Lisa takes resources. If you aren’t already a paid subscriber, please become one to support our work. 👇 Subscribe In a genuinely galling move, Katsios spends a lot of time slamming universities because of “administrative burdens on researchers” and the “well-documented inefficiencies” in academia, the message being that those damn universities waste the time of amazing researchers with paperwork. Except it’s the administration that is attempting to impose inefficient, unnecessary burdens on those researchers with a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would require senior political appointees to approve every science grant and ensure it aligns with Trump’s personal priorities. Researchers would also have to seek prior government approval to attend conferences or publicize their research. And political appointees could terminate any grant at any time if they feel like it. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) [ The murder of expertise ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) Lisa Needham · Jun 11 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) But when it comes to AI, we’re going to “restore permissionless innovation.” The report proposes to give lucky ducky innovators a pile of cash up front for grants lasting five years or longer, saying “awards should be fully-funded in year one, with all resources earmarked upfront, to minimize administrative burdens and reduce pressure for researchers to generate intermediate results to secure continued funding.” Yeah, wouldn’t want to have to make the Very Special Tech Bros show results or get money parceled out year by year like the plebes at universities. The report also proposes that we should have “fast grants” with “simplified applications requiring just a few pages of writing” because that is definitely how science works, just writing a bit off the dome and getting some cash. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) [ Tech elites are turning AI into ChatGPTrump ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Paul Waldman · July 29, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Oh, and we should have prizes and challenges, where multiple teams compete. The proposed prizes include incentives like “advance procurement commitments,” which means the federal government agrees to buy whatever is being developed. There’s also “regulatory fast-tracking,” making sure all those great AI thingies don’t have to wait too long to be unleashed on a market. These aren’t incentives to do science. These are incentives to develop things with tax dollars that you can then sell to the government for more tax dollars. In the suggestion that might be the most unhinged, the most very opposite of how both government and research work, our new age will include “golden tickets.” That’s where an individual reviewer in an agency — yes, just one person — can “recommend unconventional proposals that may not pass consensus-driven review panels” because somehow this will “surface valuable ideas too divisive for committees and attract higher quality reviewers by empowering them to exercise independent scientific judgment.” Yes, that’s saying that a random person in an agency should be able to shovel money at some idea even if it can’t pass a review panel, and that the opportunity to do so will attract better employees because apparently all the best minds in science are chomping at the bit to be allowed to unilaterally fund AI research based on their personal vibes. But that isn’t at all how actual science works, and actual scientists aren’t unhappy about review panels. They work collaboratively, not siloed in some secret race to create the next AI chatbot. A 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research examined whether peer review panels succeed in helping agencies predict which research ideas will best advance science. Peer review was better at finding “diamond in the rough” applicants than a single government program official. How about that. Trump always wants a taste It’s painfully clear that what Katsios is trying to do here is turn the whole of government science research and funding into the sort of “move fast and break things” paradigm that is the hallmark of big tech. That method works to line the pockets of tech executives, but it isn’t science. There’s a reason the government funds different kinds of research than private tech companies do. What Katsios either fails to understand or deliberately ignores is that the federal government is the main funder of basic research precisely because it can take a long time for it to bear fruit and is not intended to be profitable as such. “Basic” here does not mean rudimentary or simple, but rather research that is designed to advance scientific knowledge instead of achieving a specific outcome or product. Big tech companies don’t widely fund that sort of research, because it doesn’t make them money. Industry dollars account for only about 20 percent of basic research funding, while the government contributes around 60 percent. Big tech companies and startups do, however, rely on and benefit from that basic research. A 2019 study found that 35 percent of all patents obtained by venture-backed startups from 1976 to 2016 cited federally supported research. Basic research funded by the NIH contributed to every single drug the FDA approved from 2010 to 2016. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) [ The Saudi nuclear farce and governance by whim and meme ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Noah Berlatsky · Jul 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Unlike inventing the next ChatGPT, actual science is slow and iterative. Government funding of research that, on its face, would not appear to lead to any big new invention is actually what underpins those big new inventions. If the government hadn’t funded research into desert lizard venom, we wouldn’t know about semaglutide, and we wouldn’t have Ozempic. If research scientists hadn’t studied how bees optimize nectar foraging within a colony, we wouldn’t have the algorithm that assigns internet traffic across computer servers. The report assiduously ignores that a symbiotic, profitable relationship between the federal government, universities, and private companies already exists. Each federal research dollar generates about $1.50 to $3.00 in long-term economic benefits. The $36 billion the government awarded in NIH research funding in fiscal year 2025 generated $94 billion in new economic activity. Trump’s proposed new golden age is intended to strip those billions from universities, resulting in the dismantling of departments and the shuttering of labs. But Katsios has a plan for that: Universities should just become trade schools to churn out no-show STEM degrees! “Require universities and community colleges to embed practical technical training and externships into STEM curricula. Let hands-on experience and industry credentials count toward degrees.” It’s quite the feat to, on the one hand, strip schools of funding for scientific research while simultaneously demanding to control what is taught and, oh, also, colleges need to give degrees to employees at big tech companies just for being employees at big tech companies. The new golden age would also exacerbate the brain drain Trump’s policies have already caused. Nature found that in the first quarter of 2025, US scientists submitted 32 percent more job applications abroad than in 2024. A March 2025 poll by Nature of roughly 1,600 scientists found that over 1,200 said they were considering leaving the country. Europe is investing $565 million to make it a “magnet for researchers” and provide funding for scientists who relocate. The new golden age is also about embedding Trump’s xenophobia into the fabric of American science. The report complains of an “over-reliance on foreign students” that “creates a security challenge our institutions are ill-equipped to address” and that a “reliance on foreign talent sidelines American students.” This is, to put it mildly, nonsense. International students pay far higher tuition and often receive no financial aid. Their tuition dollars are what make it possible for American students to get financial aid. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, international students contributed $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported over 378,000 jobs. Those 1.1 million international students accounted for only six percent of the total number of students in higher education that year, but were such an economic engine that for every three international students, one job was created or supported. It’s impossible not to wonder whether part of Trump’s loathing for universities and their leading role in scientific research is that there is no way for him to corrupt the process and make money off it in the same way he can by giving millions and billions to Silicon Valley types who, in turn, give him millions in cash. There’s no way for his children to invest in universities that the government then gives no-bid contracts to, fattening the family’s bottom line, which is pretty much the Trump sons’ current venture capital practice. Trump and Katsios’s view of science is narrow, cramped, and wrong. We’re not in a crisis, we’re not a failed state. We’ve been a science superpower for decades, and the only thing that threatens that is Donald Trump. Tech bros are already living high off the hog in this administration. They don’t need any more of our tax dollars. Hopefully this new golden age never comes to pass. Thanks for reading Public Notice. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share We’ll be back with more tomorrow. If you appreciate today’s PN, please do your part to keep us free by signing up for a paid subscription. 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 Thanks for reading, and for your support.

Jul 30 • 8:12 AM EDT • Science • publicnotice.co

Report: College Sports Commission opens inquiry into UNC football

The College Sports Commission has approached North Carolina’s football program about a potential investigation, with GM Michael Lombardi placed on paid leave following an HR complaint, per sources cited by The Athletic.

Jul 28 • 11:46 AM EDT • Sports • sportsbusinessjournal.com

Did Griswold play politics on Marx complaint?

Victor Marx won the Republican gubernatorial nomination last month by fewer than 2,500 votes. Thirty-nine days earlier, Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s Elections Division found campaign finance complaints against Marx legally sufficient to pursue. Marx, it now alleges, accepted at least $78,000 above Colorado’s donation limits. But it didn’t investigate until weeks after he’d won. […]

Jul 28 • 6:57 AM EDT • Politics • denvergazette.com

Public health survey documents the stench in Boyle Heights

Amid growing complaints from neighbors, the L.A. County Department of Public Health conducted a door-to-door outreach survey in the neighborhood surrounding the warehouse.

Jul 27 • 11:11 PM EDT • Health • latimes.com

Merrimack business owners complain of ongoing road construction

Some business owners in Merrimack say a construction project is taking its toll on a small plaza along Milford Road.

Jul 27 • 5:28 PM EDT • Business • wmur.com

‘Nefarious activity’ complaints lead to massage business rules change in Farmington

FARMINGTON -- The city has changed its rules for massage businesses in the wake of complaints made to the Police Department of inappropriate behavior taking place at such businesses.

Jul 27 • 4:57 AM EDT • Business • nwaonline.com

Political turmoil, lower pay yield small candidate pool for HTA’s top job

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has attracted about 60 applicants in its search for a new president and CEO, a significantly smaller candidate pool than past searches as the agency tries to recruit a leader after years of political turmoil and uncertainty about its future.

Jul 26 • 6:05 AM EDT • Politics • staradvertiser.com

Her Customers Complained on TikTok. What Happened Next Changed the Business

Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson turned her social media platforms into a focus group, product lab, and customer research team all at once.

Jul 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • inc.com

‘Ozempic face’ and hair loss: what evidence is there for weight-loss drug side-effects?

Research into GLP-1 medications is not always robust but complaints such as digestive problems are well known

Jul 25 • 3:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com

LG users complain about unwanted ads on TVs and gaming monitors

Even Microsoft is irked by LG's advertising.

Jul 24 • 4:00 PM EDT • Technology • mashable.com

Former Parkview Health employee says company 'shortchanged' workers of pay

The complaint says Parkview Health failed to pay some employees the required overtime rate because of a time-rounding policy that shortened their hours.

Jul 23 • 2:07 PM EDT • Health • theindianalawyer.com

Microsoft is cracking down on Windows 11 bloatware ads, forces LG to pull McAfee popup

LG has agreed to disable the McAfee popup in its Monitor App Installer, Microsoft's Pavan Davuluri confirms, after weeks of user complaints.

Jul 23 • 6:26 AM EDT • Technology • windowslatest.com

Lilac Hills apartments inspected, no immediate health or safety hazards found

The City of Kalamazoo has completed an inspection of the Lilac Hills apartment complex following complaints from residents about living conditions.

Jul 22 • 11:35 AM EDT • Health • wwmt.com

When Friends Complained About The High Cost Of Wedding Videos, This Entrepreneur Saw Opportunity. She Created A Business That’s On Track For $3.8 Million In Revenue This Year.

Anne Marie Carroll, founder of Wedding Weekender, turned a layoff into a chance to start a business that turns wedding guests into photographers—and creates candid videos to capture the events.

Jul 19 • 12:55 PM EDT • Business • forbes.com

Ryan calls complaints against former BPS superintendent 'disturbing'

Ryan said the school board needs to build trust with the community through transparency and thoroughly investigate each claim against the administration.

Jul 17 • 8:42 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Two more insurers sue CMS over Medicare Advantage star rating methodology

The lawsuits come days after Elevance Health filed a complaint of its own, asking a court to compel the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to remain consistent in how it doles out stars.

Jul 16 • 7:06 AM EDT • Health • healthexec.com

Blanche says in Senate confirmation hearing he's 'restoring trust' in DOJ

Blanche is moving Wednesday to address complaints from Democrats that he has politically weaponized the law enforcement institution

Jul 15 • 10:16 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

WEC finds probable cause that Elon Musk broke state election bribery law

After voting 5-1 in a closed session on July 9, WEC referred the two complaints to the Brown County District Attorney David Lasee.

Jul 14 • 3:36 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

Seahawks Have 1 Major Problem To Fix Ahead Of 2026

There isn't much to complain about for Seattle, but there is one glaring thing Mike Macdonald has to fix.

Jul 14 • 8:27 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Sony faces an anti-trust complaint in Mexico over ending PlayStation physical media

Sony's decision to kill PlayStation physical media has caught the ire of lawmakers in Mexico, who argue that could turn it into a monopoly.

Jul 14 • 7:46 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net

RFK Jr. faces Hatch Act complaint after intervening in congressional races

A top Senate Democrat has requested an investigation into whether the health secretary broke a law that bars political appointees from trying to influence elections.

Jul 14 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Young men report more ‘sextortion’ than any other age group, Australia’s online safety watchdog says

In six months last year, more than 2,000 such complaints were made to eSafety

Jul 13 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • theguardian.com

Pierre Hintze Berated Halo Teams and Dismissed Work-Life Concerns, Sources Claim, as Xbox Leadership Stayed Silent

Sources allege Halo Studios head Pierre Hintze berated teams and dismissed work-life concerns, and HR failed to address complaints.

Jul 13 • 4:00 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com

Matt Damon says Christopher Nolan looked ‘like a drowned rat’ while filming intense scene for “The” “Odyssey”

The actor praised Nolan for “never complaining” throughout the grueling shoot.

Jul 12 • 6:04 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Matt Damon recalls Christopher Nolan ‘looking like a drowned rat’ on ‘The Odyssey’ set

Matt Damon is praising ‘The Odyssey’ director Christopher Nolan for toiling through the intense shooting days alongside his cast and crew, noting that he ‘never’ complained despite ‘looking like a drowned rat’ at one point.

Jul 12 • 6:04 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

AI giants learn the hard truth of the modern internet

Anthropic's distillation complaints expose an awkward question: does AI's fair use argument cut both ways?

Jul 12 • 10:02 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

AI giants learn the hard truth of the modern internet

Anthropic's distillation complaints expose an awkward question: does AI's fair use argument cut both ways?

Jul 12 • 10:02 AM EDT • Technology • businessinsider.com

The First Test of Bar Harbor's New Entertainment Rules.

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Historical Society. BAR HARBOR—The Finback Alehouse was the first real test of the town’s new special amusement permit process, July 7 while eight other permits sailed through the process last week. The permit allows music in places where liquor is served. The town’s ordinance which was recently tweaked for a new process allows for the regulation of noise and hours of activity. The only discussion at the July Town Council meeting was about the Finback Alehouse on Cottage Street, in the heart of Bar Harbor’s downtown district. The Finback’s distinctive design—a front wall that is like a garage door that can be opened and closed—was a key to that discussion. The restaurant, which often hosts live bands, singers, and karaoke, at night, has had one substantiated noise complaint this season, which is documented on its application. According to Bar Harbor Police Chief David Kerns, most complaints about noise happen after 10 p.m., and if the Finback had two more violations within a year, they’d have to stop having music. One town councilor said that he’d have no problem reissuing the permit if the door was down. The permit passed through the process with no conditions. Vice Chair Earl Brechlin moved the motion with two time changes for two holiday weekend dates. It passed unanimously. The council asked the Finback why they’d chosen an indoor license with a wall that can be opened to the street. Dale Stockburger, representing the Finback, said he’d applied for an indoor permit rather than an outdoor structure or partial structure (which is usually applied to tents or pavilions). The restaurant has traditionally had an indoor license. Stockburger said that whether the door is open or closed is immaterial because he now stands outside with a decibel reader to make sure that the music isn’t too loud. OTHER SPECIAL AMUSEMENT PERMITS New Councilor Deborah Vickers worried that she had potential conflicts of interests on two other renewals due to the location of her employee housing. Vickers co-owns the Black Friar Inn. They have employee housing directly behind the Finback, which is also 300 yards from the Bar Harbor Inn, she explained. The Bar Harbor Inn also had a permit up for renewal. The councilors unanimously voted she did not have a conflict of interest. The councilors approved permits at The Bluenose Inn, 90 Eden St, Class A; Acadia Hotel Downtown, 20 Mount Desert St, Class A and C; the Bar Harbor Inn, 8 Newport Dr, Class A, B, C and D; C-Ray Lobster, 882 State Hwy 3, Class D; Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency, 123 Eden Street, Class B; Finback Alehouse, 30 Cottage St, Class B; Project Social, 278 Main St, Class C and D; Bar Harbor Beer Works, 119 Main St, Class B and D; and Mainely Meat BBQ Dreamwood Hill, 369 State Hwy 3, Class D. That process is laid out in the Special Amusement Ordinance of the Bar Harbor Town Code which is Chapter 14 of the town code. Special amusement permits have class codes. These are the meanings: Number - how many musicians are allowed by the permit. Class A - Indoor non-amplified entertainment. Class B - Indoor amplified entertainment or dancing. Class C - Outdoor non-amplified entertainment. Class D - Outdoor amplified entertainment. RESIDENCE LICENSES RENEWED AND A TAXI LICENSE The councilors also renewed the licenses for three specific sorts of residences that require that yearly renewal per the town code. The employee living quarters at Atlantic Oceanside Hotel, 119 Eden St and another at 278 Main Street were renewed. The shared accommodations license renewal at 39 Kebo Street also occurred. These are annual renewals. Bernard Taxi Services’ license was also renewed. This license had been added to the agenda at the meeting. Bar Harbor Update on Leaf and Grass Clipping Disposal BAR HARBOR — Bar Harbor residents will still have a place to throw away their leaf and grass clippings this summer. The town’s agreement with EMR in Southwest Harbor for disposing of those items will continue through November 30. The agreement, according to a town press release, will continue “while the Town continues evaluating long term composting solutions and the required state permitting process.” As of July 1, residents bringing their grass and leaves across the island to the facility in Southwest Harbor will have to fill out a property registration card. Each property can throw out up to 85 pounds of the grass and leaves. “Any disposal exceeding the 85 pound allowance during this period will be the responsibility of the property owner at the applicable disposal rate,” the press release explains. LINKS TO LEARN MORE Watch the meeting Meeting agenda QUICK NOTE: We’d released the Bar Harbor Leaf information as a brief, but wanted to make sure that people saw it, so we’ve included it here, too. HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment

Jul 11 • 4:22 PM EDT • Entertainment • barharborstory.substack.com

Sarasota business owner turns construction wall into outdoor art gallery

A code enforcement complaint sparked a Sarasota business owner's idea to open his wall to local painters

Jul 11 • 3:45 PM EDT • Business • mysuncoast.com

Judge rules Washington health inspectors can enter ICE facility facing 3,500+ complaints, gov announces

A federal judge in Washington ruled in favor of the state on Thursday, ruling that state health inspectors can enter a Tacoma immigration facility.

Jul 10 • 5:22 PM EDT • Health • koin.com

Judge sides with WA, will permit health inspections at Tacoma detention facility

The state’s move to permit inspections was partly prompted by more than 3,500 complaints from detainees regarding conditions at the facility, which describe a pattern of alleged neglect and unsanitary environments.

Jul 10 • 1:40 PM EDT • Health • kiro7.com

PlayStation is getting community noted for its “poor digital ecosystem” as fans continue to ask about discs

As gamers continue to complain about PlayStation on social media, the company's official X account is being flooded with community notes.

Jul 10 • 10:53 AM EDT • Technology • pcguide.com

WA can inspect Tacoma immigration detention center, judge rules

The Northwest's largest ICE processing center in Tacoma has received over 3,500 complaints and prevented health inspections from the state.

Jul 10 • 12:12 AM EDT • Health • seattletimes.com

Annual report on Cedar Hill hospital shows some improvements, leaves out some complaints

Jul 9 • 6:28 PM EDT • Health • wjla.com

Musk-linked mailers draw complaints for targeting wrong addresses, dead voters

Election officials in North Carolina and Georgia are warning about suspicious voter-registration mailers linked to Elon Musk.

Jul 7 • 2:18 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Elevance Health sues CMS in latest challenge to Medicare Advantage star rating methodology

The complaint accuses the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of failing to properly recalculate its grades for Medicare Part C plans, something it promised to do in June.

Jul 7 • 7:27 AM EDT • Health • healthexec.com

Why A.I. Distillation Has Become a Hot Topic in the Race with China

U.S. companies complain that competitors in China are unfairly copying their A.I. systems using a technique that has been around for years.

Jul 6 • 12:04 PM EDT • Technology • nytimes.com

Small Business Administration to help USDA sort 'lawfare' reports

John Rich says he’ll publicize cases of farmers being ‘shoved around’ The Small Business Administration agreed to help the USDA investigate complaints from farmers and ranchers who allege being victimized […]

Jul 6 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • capitalpress.com

This Is Supposedly the iPhone Air 2 in Lavender

The second-gen iPhone Air looks like it'll fix every complaint.

Jul 6 • 10:15 AM EDT • Technology • gizmodo.com

The engineer who became Anthropic's political secret weapon

Tom Brown, an Anthropic cofounder, helped mediate the White House complaints over Fable and Mythos. His background in AI is brief but noteworthy.

Jul 1 • 12:31 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

The engineer who became Anthropic's political secret weapon

Tom Brown, an Anthropic cofounder, helped mediate the White House complaints over Fable and Mythos. His background in AI is brief but noteworthy.

Jul 1 • 12:31 PM EDT • Politics • businessinsider.com

Oregon store pauses Yu-Gi-Oh! card game competitions after complaints about players’ hygiene

The issue of hygiene in competitive gaming has prompted major publishers, including Yu-Gi-Oh! publisher Konami, to enact formal regulations in the past

Jul 1 • 11:57 AM EDT • Technology • independent.co.uk

Oregon store suspends Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments due to hygiene concerns

An Oregon game store announced it is suspending Yu-Gi-Oh card game tournaments for one week due to complaints about the hygiene of attendees.

Jul 1 • 11:06 AM EDT • Technology • upi.com