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WATCH LIVE: Senate meets after advancing College Sports Act

Sep 16 • 10:50 AM EDT • Sports • pbs.org

WATCH LIVE: Senate meets after advancing College Sports Act

Sep 16 • 10:50 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

BIRDIE THIRTY: "Window feeders provide endless entertainment for cats" - EWN at 7:30am on 9-13-2026

Window feeders provide endless entertainment for kitties, which pays off twofold: it keeps the cats happy and amused without exposing them to the outdoor dangers of predators and cars, and also lets them watch birds without killing them, thus helping out our feathered friends, too! Feral/outdoor domestic cats are one of the top three reasons for decline in bird populations (i.e bird death) in North America, so a window feeder (and indoor cats) are two big steps in the right direction! As seen here, this parade of curious kitties is enraptured by the idea that a bird might visit momentarily. Once a cat learns that a window feeder will attract these winged wonders, it will often stay pinned at the window for hours, eagerly awaiting the next bird. Sometimes watching the cats watch the birds can be even more entertaining than watching the birds themselves!

Sep 16 • 10:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • wfsb.com

WATCH LIVE: Dr. Nicole Saphier testifies in confirmation hearing for U.S. surgeon general

Sep 16 • 10:06 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Truth and Politics in the Age of Post-Truth

Get E-International Relations delivered to your inbox, free of charge. As you sign up, consider becoming a paid subscriber, or make a donation, to support our work. Subscribe This is an excerpt from Global Politics in a Post-Truth Era. You can download the book free of charge from E-International Relations. The term post-truth is by now so ubiquitous in describing the state of politics in the Western world and even beyond that the most pressing issue of the day appears to be about making democracy work in the era of post-truth rather than questioning the normalisation of the term itself in the first place. The critical turning point appeared to have occurred in 2016 when the term was chosen by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘The Word of the Year.’ On its website, the Dictionary notes the transformation of post-truth from ‘being a peripheral term to being a mainstay in political commentary and connects ‘the spike in frequency’ directly with the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States – both occurring in 2016. Paired with the noun ‘politics,’ post-truth is defined as an adjective ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the term to a 1992 essay in The Nation by the playwright Steve Tesich as he reflected on the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal and the 1990–91 Gulf War: We are rapidly becoming prototypes of a people that totalitarian monsters could only drool about in their dreams. All the dictators up to now have had to work hard at suppressing the truth. We, by our actions, are saying that this is no longer necessary, that we have acquired a spiritual mechanism that can denude truth of any significance. In a very fundamental way we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world (Tesich 1992, 13; emphasis added). He then continued, The Gulf War is over but the war at home goes on. The gulf between rich and destitute widens – between those of us who live in a modern post-industrial nation and those of us who live in the Third World countries of our inner cities. The present administration’s response to this internal crisis has shifted from benign to malignant neglect. The current levels of misery and decomposition of our cities and the economic gulags of our ghettos are acceptable. Since there is only so much hope to go around, there is a freeze on hope. The have-nots have now been reclassified as never-will-haves (Tesich 1992, 13). In the context of Tesich’s essay, truth includes both facts, as in what happens, and ‘moral absolutes,’ as in the ‘self-evident truths mentioned in our Constitution’ (Tesich 1992, 14). Together, these two notions of truth entail the obligation to both act and react. The two passages cited above show that even in the early post-Cold War years, Tesich was already deeply concerned that the American people are neither prepared to act on truth nor react to truth that is disconcerting, or what he calls ‘bad news’ (Tesich 1992, 12). Accordingly, Tesich’s insight as captured by the term post-truth is not that truth is irrelevant to what we know, but rather it is irrelevant to how we act. In contrast, ‘post-truth politics,’ as defined by Oxford as a term that pitches ‘objective facts’ against ‘emotion and personal belief’ such that the latter appears to have overtaken the former in shaping ‘public opinion’ and thereby, democratic politics. When Tesich’s post-truth politics and its current usage are juxtaposed, the two are in fact not identical in terms of what truth is and how it relates to politics. Against such consideration, this chapter provides a critical survey of selected historical events and theoretical considerations for the purpose of gaining a more nuanced understanding of the relation between truth and politics. Truth and Language One notable impact of post-truth politics is that language is being overtly deployed as a political weapon not only by politicians and those in power, but among the general population. It seems that once facts are irrelevant to the validity of what is being said, language becomes the platform for an all-out political contest in which what is said is no more than an act of will expressed as an assertion of power and/or an exercise in defiance. As early as in the writings of Thucydides (460–400 BCE), the vulnerability of logos – which is the human capacity for rational discourse in tumultuous times – was already noted. Thucydides belonged to a school of Greek thought which maintained that language is conventional and that the association between name and things is a result of ‘human use and habit’ rather than ‘nature or divine dispensation’ (Connor 1984, 99). The conventional nature of language means that it is incapable of providing its users with any independent criteria for judgement. In Thucydides’ study of the Peloponnesian War (431–405 BCE), the subversion of logos as seen in the manipulation of language was introduced through his account of the civil war in Corcyra (Thucydides 1972, 236-245). The war first broke out in 427 BCE between the pro-Athenian democratic faction and the pro-Spartan oligarchic faction before it spread to the rest of the Greek world. There was a general breakdown of law and order, resulting in extreme violence and death. Language underwent changes that were reflective of the events of the time. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) translated Thucydides’ description of the situation as follows: The received value of names imposed for signification of things, was changed into arbitrary. For inconsiderate boldness, was counted true-hearted manliness: provident deliberation, a handsome fear: modesty, the cloak of cowardice: to be wise in everything, to be lazy in everything... he that had been so provident as not to need to do the one or the other, was said to be a dissolver of society, and one that stood in fear of his adversary. In brief, he that could outstrip another in the doing of an evil act, or that could persuade another thereto that never meant it, was commended (Hobbes 1839–1845, 8: 348; Thucydides 1972, 242-243). What concerned Thucydides most was that the meanings of words are no more than linguistic conventions that require logos to support them. The Corcyrean civil war was a reminder that such capacity cannot be assumed. This is why history understood as an authentic account of what happens matters. Guided by logos, the historian’s task is ‘the search after truth’, which is established through ‘the absence of the fabulous,’ including ‘the rejection of myth and unverifiable stories’ (de Jonge 2017, 2). Thus, history plays an important role in facilitating the stability of language – without which distinctions and judgements cannot be rendered communicable. Just like Thucydides, Hobbes was a nominalist who subscribed to the view that there is no inherent meaning to words. Hobbes’ state of nature, where there is no common authority, is precisely one in which distinctions cannot be made. As Hobbes put it, there is ‘no Mine and Thine distinct’ nor is there distinction between ‘the notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice’ (1968, 188; emphasis in original). This is clearly an unsustainable condition for everyone. Behind Hobbes’ famous words that life in the state of nature is ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’ is his uncompromising argument for the ‘Leviathan’, which is described by the late American political theorist, Sheldon Wolin (1922–2015), as the ‘sovereign definer’ (Hobbes 1968, 186; Wolin 2004, 238–243). Accordingly, the social contract is importantly a ‘linguistic contract’ that binds all parties to ‘general names agreed upon’ (Peters 1979, 125; Hobbes 1968, 111). Through Thucydides and Hobbes, we can identify a line of thinking that sees politics as a contestation over the use of language, which is based on shared conventions and norms. Thus understood, politics is not a collective quest for the true nature of our being or an epistemological exercise in pursuit of true knowledge. Rather, politics is about humans living with one another by finding a shared language to communicate with one another on matters that affect them all. Truth is in that sense contingent on what is being said as opposed to setting the standard for it. In other words, truth is the embodiment of shareability among us. While truth as such ensures the viability of a political entity, truth by no means represents a normative standard to adjudicate among contesting actors in what they say, let alone in what they do. During Thucydides’ times, ancient China was also experiencing a tumultuous time as the ruling Zhou dynasty deteriorated into the period of the Warring States (481–221 BCE). This was when the rulers of Zhou no longer presided over the territories brought under its control through conquest. Instead of professing allegiance to the Zhou royalty, the lords of these territories became kings themselves to rule over their own land. The period was one marked by endless military campaigns as each of the seven major states aimed to conquer the rest (Lewis 1999). Yet, the period was also known for its intellectual vibrancy as different thinkers challenged the restoring of order among these warring states – including offering ideas and advice to rulers on good governance. Among these thinkers was Confucius (551–479 BCE). His thought, which came to be known as Confucianism, went on to become the state ideology of China from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–222 CE) until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911 when China became a republic. The founding text of Confucianism was the Analects, which is a collection of dialogues between Confucius and his students as recorded by them. One key concept Confucius advanced is the ‘rectification of names’. Though the term only appears in one exchange in the Analects, it is considered a major aspect of Confucius’ thought. Generations of Confucian scholars from past and present, including Western academics, have debated over its interpretation (Makeham 2003). The passage in question reads as follows: Zi Lu said: ‘The monarch of the state of Wei wants you to govern the country, what is the first thing you plan on doing?’ Confucius said: ‘First it is necessary to rectify the names.’Zi Lu said: ‘Is that really what has to be done? You are being too pedantic, aren’t you now? How will you rectify these names?’Confucius said: ‘Zhong You, you are too unrefined. A gentleman, faced with a matter that he does not understand, takes a skeptical attitude. If names are not correct, one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, and if one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, affairs cannot be managed successfully. If affairs cannot be managed successfully, rites and music will not be conducted. If rites and music are not conducted, punishments will not be suitable. And if punishments are not suitable, the common people will not know what to do. So, when the gentleman uses names, it is necessary to be able to speak so that people understand. If one can say it, one can definitely do it. A gentleman should not be careless with words’ (Analects 13:3 in Cao 2016, 148). This translation is offered by the contemporary philosopher Cao Feng. As Cao notes, the passage is what started the whole debate over ‘exactly what kind of names did Confucius... wish to rectify’ (Cao 2016, 148). Of the three major groups of interpretation examined by Cao, beginning with classical Confucian scholarship, one is arguably the most influential and certainly most pertinent to the issue of language and politics. This is the interpretation that was first associated with the Neo-Confucian master, Zhu Xi (1130–1200), who argued that the ‘rectification of names is simply the rectification of politics’ (Cao 2016, 149). Within this interpretive framework, rectification has the dual functions of correction and prescription by ensuring that predetermined hierarchical roles are strictly adhered to through following ‘the system of rites and propriety’ (Cao 2016, 151). In addition, the rectification of names entails ‘using names to rectify actuality’ (Cao 2016, 151). Yet Cao rejects this whole body of interpretive works by arguing that these were ideas developed later. Instead, Cao suggests the following: The original meaning of Confucius’ rectification of names may, then, be quite simple. Confucius did not mean to establish a concrete, normative system of “names”; rather, Confucius was simply the first person in history to realize or remark upon the importance of language in politics. As a politician, he noticed and foresaw the impact that the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and arbitrariness of names would have on politics. Confucius recognized the political consequences of language’s not accurately expressing meaning or not being accurately received by people. He realized the great role that names, as a means of distinguishing right and wrong and establishing norms, could play in society and politics (Cao 2016, 168). Scholarly debates aside, Cao’s view has the advantage of identifying an interpretation of this controversial exchange in the Analects that enables its readers to extrapolate from it the observation that the meaning of words depends as much on their users as on their interpreters; neither of which can be predetermined. Accordingly, a good ruler is someone who can speak without ambiguity to his subjects and make good his words through actions. Stated differently, Cao’s view on what concerned Confucius then, who was living through times of protracted political upheaval, is that language is an indispensable political tool for those in power and can be deployed by both good and bad rulers alike. To sum up, this historical survey shows that politics as a war of words is by no means a distinctive marker of contemporary politics nor the Western world. Be it ancient or current, east or west, language is subject to manipulation to serve political purposes and when there is an outright war of words that defies existing norms, it is indicative of a political situation in which people no longer share a language and truth becomes irrelevant. Accordingly, political order entails stability in language use. Truth and Politics As previously noted, current use of the term post-truth as an adjective to the term ‘politics’ suggests that once there was a time when politics aligned with truth. Indeed, if we start with Plato’s Republic as the key founding text of Western political thought, we see that the ideal polis (city-state of ancient Greece) is where truth and politics converge, and justice is achieved. Written around 380 BCE when Athens was still coping with its defeat by the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War, the Republic is a defence of the rule of the ‘philosopher king’, defined as someone who is ‘guided by the truth’ and is ‘always and in every way’ in pursuit of the truth (Plato 1974, 490a). For Plato, truth converges with virtues and hence, letting the philosopher take charge of politics is to let the wisest and the most virtuous lead the less wise and the less virtuous even if it requires compulsion (Plato 1974, 499b). In Plato’s words, ‘…until the philosophers attain power in a city there will be no respite from evil for either city or citizens…’ (Plato 1974, 501e). The uncompromising rule of philosopher-kings is made palatable by the claim that we are all ‘earth- born brothers’ with random mixtures of gold, silver, bronze and iron, but only the gold can rule (Plato 1974, 414–415). Understandably, academic debates over the interpretation of Plato’s Republic revolve around the question of whether truth as attained in philosophy can be realised in politics as action and whether such a connection is even desirable. Without getting into the details of these scholarly exchanges, I suggest that they all share the concern that truth acquired through the rigorous process of philosophical reasoning is not without problem when applied to the real world of living humans. This is because not all humans are philosophers – and indeed, in Plato’s view, not everyone is capable of becoming a philosopher given the protracted and arduous training that one needs to endure to become one. Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), a highly influential political philosopher of the twentieth century, notes that ‘Plato was the first to introduce the division between those who know and do not act and those who act and do not know’ and that such a separation has remained ‘at the root of all theories of domination’ (Arendt 1958, 223, 225). What Arendt points out in this remark is not the gap between theory and practice, but rather that Plato provides the normative ground for those who know the truth to tell those who do not know what to do. Arendt herself took on the challenge of understanding the relationship between truth and politics through her analysis of Nazism and Stalinism. Arendt’s insight, which was controversial when The Origins of Totalitarianism was published in 1951, was to identify Nazism and Stalinism as representative of a new form of political rule – totalitarianism – making it distinct from ‘other forms of political oppression... such as despotism, tyranny and dictatorship’ (Arendt 1973, 460). Arendt defines totalitarianism as a self- contained system of ideas driven by their ‘logic’ and marked by a mode of reasoning called ‘ideological thinking.’ Ideological thinking as such is a distinctive form of political reasoning defined by three characteristics. First, ideological thinking claims to provide a ‘total explanation’ of all historical happenings, encompassing the past, the present, and the future. Second, while ideological thinking is an attempt to account for ‘factual reality’ in its totality, this mode of thinking is paradoxically divorced from reality and experience. This is because experience, being rooted in specificity, is clearly limited in its claim to totality. It follows that as its third characteristic, ideological thinking aims to emancipate thought from the limitation imposed by experience through a ‘specific method of demonstration.’ The method involves arranging facts into an ‘absolutely logical procedure’ that starts from an ‘axiomatically accepted premise’. It is, in short, a ‘process of deduction from a premise’ – which is the only possible movement in the realm of logic that leads to one definitive conclusion. This is how the ‘logicality of ideological thinking’ provides the basis for total explanation and the ‘principle of action’ for totalitarian movement (Arendt 1973, 468–474). Stated differently, totalitarianism is a form of uncompromising idealism that exists in one’s head irrespective of shared reality as experienced. It is the perverse form of what Arendt later refers to as ‘rational truth’, which is the product of the ‘speculative mind’ that belongs to philosophy, mathematics and the sciences. The ‘speculative mind’ is the mind working on its way to generate axioms and theories by relying on the cognitive capacity of the human brain (Arendt 1977, 231). The presence of others has no bearing whatsoever on rational truth. In contrast, ‘factual truth’ is what happens when humans are ‘living and acting together’ (Arendt 1977, 231). Factual truth is therefore particular and temporal by definition. But more importantly, factual truth is ‘political by nature’ because it can only be validated in the context of the human community (Arendt 1977, 238). In other words, factual truth is about humans in their plurality rather than in their singularity. For factual truth to be sustainable, we need what Arendt calls ‘common sense’ – understood as ‘community sense’ (Arendt 1982, 72). There is also another distinction about truth that Arendt makes which is pertinent to understanding how totalitarianism works. The issue is whether the so-called totalitarian ideology is simply an unnecessarily cumbersome way of saying that it is an all-round and polished lie. Here, Arendt calls totalitarian ideology the ‘modern lie’ – in contrast to the ‘traditional lie’. The latter is restricted by two conditions: that it is a lie about the ‘particulars’ and that it deceives only the ‘enemy’ – which means that the liar is not engaged in self- deception. The modern lie, however, involves a ‘complete rearrangement of the whole factual texture’. It also intends to deceive everyone alike, to the extent that those who initiate the lie eventually ‘fall victims to their own falsehood’ (Arendt 1977, 249–254). This distinction between the traditional and modern lie is important. It indicates that not only is totalitarianism a lie, but the lie is in fact too big to fit into the standard meaning of the word. To tell a lie from truth, we need a common standard. In the case of a traditional lie, the common standard is precisely ‘the fabric of factuality’. As such, a lie always appears as a ‘tear’ to that fabric. Yet, modern lies require making a surrogate reality with a completely different context for facts to fit ‘without seam, crack, or fissure, exactly as the facts fitted into their original context’. Arendt notes that as long as those who concoct the surrogate reality are prepared to engage in self- deception to ‘create a semblance of truthfulness’, there is nothing to prevent ‘these new stories, images, and non-facts from becoming an adequate substitute for reality and factuality’ (Arendt 1977, 253–254). Totalitarianism therefore requires a person to stand outside of the system itself in order to make sense of it. Arendt points out that it is futile for us to argue with (for example) a Nazi or a Stalinist on race or class. To confront totalitarianism requires more than just a confrontation with specific facts. It is a more fundamental confrontation between reality as experienced and its total rejection. This means that Nazism and Stalinism are more than radical ways of conducting racial conflict or class struggle. Rather: Totalitarian politics – far from being simply antisemitic or racist or imperialist or communist – use and abuse their own ideological and political elements until the basis of factual reality, from which the ideologies originally derived their propaganda value– the value of struggle, for instance, or the interest conflicts between Jews and their neighbours – have all but disappeared (Arendt 1973, xv). Accordingly: The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (that is, the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (that is, the standards of thought) no longer exist (Arendt 1973, 474). Who then is the ‘ideal subject’ of totalitarianism? Although there is a revival of interest in Arendt’s observation on truth and politics since the onset of post- truth politics, not enough has been said about her reply to the question (Hyvönen 2018; Klinkler 2018; Lee 2019; Zerilli 2020). Yet if we take a look at Arendt’s portrait of this ideal subject, her view is even more pertinent to our current challenge. As a self-contained system of ideas that is detached from experience, totalitarian thinking offers consistency in ways that reality cannot. Arendt notes that this kind of consistency is especially appealing to those who have lost a sense of bearing in the world (Arendt 1973, 353). They constitute what she calls the ‘masses’. The ‘mass man’ is thus a highly isolated and atomised individual, who is ‘obsessed by a desire to escape from reality’ (Arendt 1973, 318, 352). In his ‘essential homelessness’ the mass man can ‘no longer bear its accidental, incomprehensible aspects’ (Arendt 1973, 352). This longing for escape from reality is a ‘verdict against the world’ in which one is ‘forced to live’ but ‘cannot exist’ (Arendt 1973, 352). Such a situation is ripe for the ‘revolt of the masses’ against ‘common sense,’ which is ‘the result of their atomisation, of their loss of social status’ and with it, the ‘whole sector of communal relationships in whose framework common sense makes sense’ (Arendt 1973, 352). In short, the masses are people who are considered to be ‘superfluous or can be spared … [who] cannot be integrated into any organisation based on common interest’ (Arendt 1973, 311). Whether one agrees with Arendt’s analysis of the social conditions in the interwar years that led to the formation of the ‘masses’, her portrait of the ‘mass man’ is a powerful account of what can happen to an individual who has become disposable to the society that they used to belong to. Hand in hand with this phenomenon is indeed the collapse of ‘common sense’ that leaves the dislodged individual scrambling for reconnection. By offering the masses a substitute reality validated by the ‘logic of an idea’ rather than by experience, totalitarianism makes it possible for them to live in a world where there is no condition of plurality. Between ‘facing the anarchic growth and total arbitrariness of decay’ and ‘bowing down before the most rigid, fantastically fictitious consistency of an ideology’, the masses will likely ‘choose the latter’ (Arendt 1973, 352). A world created by ideology, then, is more attractive to the masses not because ‘they are stupid and wicked, but because in the general disaster this escape grants them a minimum of self- respect’ by conjuring up ‘a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself’ (Arendt 1973, 353). Moreover, it is precisely this ability to guarantee consistency that makes it possible for the leaders of totalitarian movements to demand ‘total, unrestricted, unconditional and unalterable loyalty of the individual member’ (Arendt 1973, 323). While this chapter is not a study of the social factors that led to specific contemporary developments such as the result of the Brexit referendum or the election of Donald Trump in 2016, Arendt’s ‘mass man’ seem to have found their counterparts among the supporters of Brexit and Trumpism. Studies of voters’ profiles in both events point to a disproportionate share of supporters from white male lower income backgrounds without university educations. These are individuals who have either already lost their jobs to globalisation or who are at high risk of losing their job with very little capacity to be retrained for the twenty-first century market economy of advanced industrialised states (BBC 2016; Pew Research Center 2018). In short, these displaced workers are part of the tapestry forming the modern equivalent of Arendt’s ‘mass man’ – ready to be the recruits of totalitarianism. Conclusion If we step back to take a more comprehensive approach to the relationship between truth and politics, both historically and theoretically, it is not so obvious that 2016 is a defining moment. From ancient China and ancient Greece to our so-called post-truth age, the indeterminacy of language appears to be a persistent political challenge. Language is always open to manipulation by its users to serve power. Nonetheless, the tendency these days is to single out the ubiquity of social media and the proliferation of Internet platforms as the incubator for the countless cyberwars of words that in turn fuel the real world of politics. In this context, language is no longer the conveyor of objective facts and accurate information, but rather the medium for expressing subjective opinions and feelings, as captured by the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the term ‘post-truth politics’. In contrast, the historical approach used in this chapter shows that it is in fact too easy to point the figure at the Internet and digital communication for the political challenge that we face today. What is being suggested here is that with or without the Internet, language, be it used to convey facts or emotions, is simply a tool for communication that humans have invented. While language per se cannot adjudicate what is true or not true, what is right or wrong, it embodies such capacity when language is a shared norm. That shared norm cannot be sustained without some semblance of cohesion in any given community. Any war of words, irrespective of its platform, is indicative of the breakdown of such cohesiveness. Returning to the original context in which the term post-truth politics was first used by Steve Tesich helps to identify the important distinction between truth as the standard for knowledge and truth as the standard for action. The two do not necessarily coincide. Placed in the context of the history of political thought, this distinction is in fact at the heart of Plato’s Republic. Yet when the philosopher as the quintessential bearer of truth becomes king, the polis that he rules over is far from the ideal of a just state that it purports to be. Instead, it is one that is held together by lies and coercion. What Arendt reveals through her study of Nazism and Stalinism is that it is dangerous for the kind of truth that philosophy generates – ‘rational truth’ – to become the guide to politics. Politics guided by rational truth can only be uncompromising and follows a logic of its own that cannot afford the ambiguity and indeterminacy of reality as lived experiences of humans. A world of post-truth politics can be an opportunity for a new kind of politics if it is indeed about dismantling the idea that truth is the ideal that politics should strive for. But as it stands, the post-truth politics of today is more about invoking a past that never exists to judge the presence as a crisis in naming when the real crisis is about rebuilding a shared space that has room for all – be they of the left, right or centre; cosmopolitan or parochial; civic-minded or self-centred; liberal-minded or bigoted. Politics is and always will be about striving for that space, without which no human can thrive. References Arendt, Hannah. 1958. The Human Condition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Arendt, Hannah. 1973. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Rev. ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Arendt, Hannah. 1977. “Truth and Politics.” In Between Past and Future, 227–264. New York: Penguin Books. Arendt, Hannah. 1982. Lectures on Kant’s Political Philosophy, edited by Ronald Beiner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2016. “Brexit vote: The breakdown.” BBC News, December 7, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38227674 Cao, Feng. 2016. “A New Examination of Confucius’ Rectification of Names.” Journal of Chinese Humanities 2: 147–171. https://doi-org.subzero.lib. uoguelph.ca/ doi/ 10.1163/23521341-12340032. Connor, W. Robert. 1984. Thucydides. Princeton: Princeton University Press. de Jonge, Casper C. 2017. “Dionysius of Halicarnassus on Thucydides.” in The Oxford Handbook of Thucydides, edited by Sara Forsdyke, Edith Foster, and Ryan Balot. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/ oxfordhb/9780199340385.013.17 https://www-oxfordhandbooks-com.subzero. lib.uoguelph.ca/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199340385.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199340385 Hyvönen, Ari-Elmeri. 2018. “Careless Speech: Conceptualizing Post-Truth Politics.” New Perspectives 26 (3): 31–55. https://www.proquest.com/ scholarly-journals/careless-speech-conceptualizing-post-truth/ docview/2204515132/se-2?accountid=11233. Hobbes, Thomas. 1839–1845. The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, edited by Sir William Molesworth. London: John Bohn. Vol. 8. Klinkner, Melanie. 2018. “Reasonable Truth.” International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics 14 (3): 393–99. doi:10.1386/macp.14.3.393_7. Lee, Haiyan. 2019. “When Nothing Is True, Everything Is Possible: On Truth and Power by Way of Socialist Realism.” PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 134 (5). Cambridge University Press: 1157–64. https://doi.org/10.1632/pmla.2019.134.5.1157 Lewis, Mark E. 1999. “Warring States Political History.” In The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC, edited by Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, 587–650. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Makeham, John. 2003. “Zheng ming (Rectification of names).” In RoutledgeCurzon Encyclopedia of Confucianism, edited by Xinzhong Yao. Vol. 2: 813-814. New York: Routledge. Oxford Languages, n. d. “Word of the Year 2016.” Accessed 19 August 2017. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2016/ Peters, Richard. 1979. Hobbes. Westport: Greenwood Press. Pew Research Center. 2018. “An examination of the 2016 electorate, based on validated voters.” Report, August 9, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/ politics/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on- validated-voters/ Plato. 1974. Republic. Translated by G. M. A. Grube. Indianapolis: Hackett. Tesich, Steve. 1992. “Watergate Syndrome: A Government of Lies.” The Nation: 12-14. January 6/13, 1992. Thucydides. 1972. The Peloponnesian War. Translated by Rex Warner. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. Wolin, Sheldon. 2004. Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Westen Political Thought. Expanded Edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Zerilli, Linda M. G. 2020. ‘Fact-Checking and Truth-Telling in an Age of Alternative Facts.’ Le foucaldien 6, no. 1: 2, 1–22. Theresa Man Ling Lee is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph (Canada). Lee is a political theorist who specializes in contemporary political thought. Her research and teaching areas include continental philosophy, Marxism and critical theory, feminism, postmodernism, philosophy of social science, psychoanalysis, multiculturalism, human rights, disability studies, modern Chinese political thought and comparative political theory. Lee has published on a wide range of subjects in these areas, including intercultural pedagogy and the challenges of teaching as a person with multiple minority designations in a Canadian university classroom.

Sep 16 • 7:16 AM EDT • Politics • e-ir.org

Liverpool readying themselves to move for 41-goal sensation soon

Liverpool still have a fair few areas among their ranks that could do with upgrading. Indeed, they did welcome four new players through the Anfield doors over the summer but, even with these additions...

Sep 16 • 2:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

WATCH: Rep. Massie introduces articles of impeachment against Hegseth on House floor

Massie said Hegseth abused his powers by deploying the U.S. military in the war against Iran without seeking congressional approval under the War Powers Act. He said these are “unlawful orders” and “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Sep 15 • 6:36 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY) Stock Sinks Deeper Into Losses As Margins Shrink

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment just saw its stock hit the floor, dropping 19% to US$6.86. Yet the real story is not a one day slide; the headline is a sharp earnings hit. Q2 delivered a net loss of US$12.5 million on US$544.1 million of revenue, pulling trailing twelve month earnings deeper into the red and keeping interest coverage under pressure. For traders, this is a clean miss. For anyone thinking beyond this quarter, the question is how long the balance sheet can carry an unprofitable...

Sep 15 • 6:23 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st

18-year-old dies in Pennsylvania's 4th measles-associated death

The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991, with seven deaths in two years.

Sep 15 • 6:11 PM EDT • Health • pbs.org

WATCH: Blumenthal grills FBI Director Kash Patel on firing Iran specialists days before U.S. launched war

Sep 15 • 5:32 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore

Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Denmark's Lukas Graham, and Finneas posted separately on social media that they would withdraw from the tour.

Sep 15 • 5:31 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH: Steve Bannon says 'we have to rise' above partisanship to address AI 'hinge in history'

Sep 15 • 5:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Congressional Black Caucus launches effort to boost voting among Black, rural and young voters in midterms

Organizers say they hope to boost turnout and influence closely divided House districts by focusing on voters' best interests.

Sep 15 • 5:05 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Belarus' authoritarian leader Lukashenko meets U.S. envoy to push for lifting remaining sanctions

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions.

Sep 15 • 4:26 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH: Patel grilled on whether he'll send agents to the polls in November

Welch asked if Patel agrees with the president’s remark in this year’s State of the Union address that Democrats must cheat to win elections.

Sep 15 • 4:17 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH: Blanche justifies Trump bashing Supreme Court over mail ballots: 'He is very frustrated'

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday it was proper for President Donald Trump to vent about the Supreme Court decision to decline the changes that the president wanted for mail-in voting.

Sep 15 • 4:10 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Tech CEOs call for AI regulation. Trump and Congress are not rushing to act

The technology industry's increasingly urgent warnings about the potential harm of artificial intelligence are slamming into political intransigence in Washington, offering a fresh test of the federal government's willingness and ability to confront what may become a defining issue of the era.

Sep 15 • 3:21 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Supreme Court's lifts a cloud over midterms by letting mail ballots flow as normal to voters

Thousands of election offices around the country can send out mail ballots as they had intended without worrying about complying with new Postal Service rules imposed at the 11th hour.

Sep 15 • 12:41 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons II, Dune: Awakening, and More

Whether you’re delving into the Dungeons a second time, surviving the chaos of Emergence Day with Bravo Squad, or just biking through the ultimate obstacle course, we have a bunch more games ready for you and some friends. Let’s get to it!

Sep 15 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com

Baptist Health doctor speaks on Gynecologic & Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

From bloating to pelvic discomfort, there are plenty of symptoms many women might ignore— but when they’re persistent or unusual, they can also be signs of ovarian cancer.

Sep 15 • 10:46 AM EDT • Health • wpbf.com

WATCH LIVE: Attorney General Blanche holds White House briefing

Sep 15 • 10:30 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH LIVE: Senate expected to vote on cryptocurrency regulation

Sep 15 • 10:22 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH LIVE: First lady Melania Trump visits North Carolina school to discuss tech in the classroom

Sep 15 • 10:12 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons Doesn't Have Waypoints Because the Devs Want Players to 'Figure Things Out' for Themselves

The developers of Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons have said they avoided putting waypoints into the game because they want players to actually explore.

Sep 15 • 9:58 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com

Health officials encourage emergency preparedness

Henrico health officials are encouraging residents to take steps to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies as part of National Preparedness Month. Sept. 15 is Get Ready Day, an annual observance designed to promote emergency preparedness. Officials with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts noted that the region has

Sep 15 • 9:53 AM EDT • Health • henricocitizen.com

Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board to vote on closing building for renovations

Scheduled vote on closure comes after board quietly shelved a vote to restore Trump’s name to building’s facade

Sep 15 • 9:41 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions ahead of midterms

The decision allows states to continue sending ballots under existing processes used by nearly one-third of voters.

Sep 14 • 9:02 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

How Far Can Applied Digital Stock Fall If The Business Keeps Growing?

Applied Digital (APLD) trades near $26, about 47% below its high of the past twelve months, after returning -36.3% over three months. Over twelve months, though, it is still up 55.6%. Nothing in the operation broke: it beat the quarter it reported in July 2026, and management says every project is on time and on budget.

Sep 14 • 8:04 PM EDT • Business • trefis.com

WATCH: McConnell returns to the Senate for the first time since his June hospitalization

Sep 14 • 6:43 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will pause strikes on Russia if Kremlin spares critical infrastructure

His comments Monday follow President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia and Ukraine agreed not to target each other’s energy infrastructure.

Sep 14 • 5:57 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Rock Doc Jayhawk: ‘Crash course in Business 101’ leads Kansas entrepreneur to Today Show spotlight

It was a dream-come-true moment for CEO Jim Gray — nearly 25 years in the making — when “Today” cohost Craig Melvin picked up a bottle of Rock Doctor on a summer episode of the NBC morning show and told the audience, “We use this in our house!”

Sep 14 • 4:45 PM EDT • Business • startlandnews.com

Our top iPhone 18 Pro accessories to upgrade your setup

We are taking look at some of the iPhone 18 Pro accessories we are picking up for ourselves this year...

Sep 14 • 3:59 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

WATCH LIVE: Patel testifies on FBI oversight before Senate panel amid troubled tenure

Sep 14 • 3:48 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Live Results: Delaware midterm primaries

Delaware’s Democratic U.S. senator, U.S. representative and state attorney general will go before voters in a state primary Tuesday as they seek reelection.

Sep 14 • 3:38 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Some Democrats recalibrating approach to transgender issues

An increasing number of Democratic leaders have begun to push back against their party’s unflinching support for the transgender community this midterm season.

Sep 14 • 2:59 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

ClickFix attacks are tricking Mac and Windows users into hacking themselves

If you clicked on a fake HBO Max ad on Reddit in the past week, you might have fallen victim to a rising 'ClickFix' security threat.

Sep 14 • 2:08 PM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com

Kennedy Center board to propose new options for honoring Trump, according to court filing

The document proposes 10 options for adding the president's name to the building's exterior.

Sep 14 • 12:57 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Trump doubled down on backing a united Ireland, reigniting a divisive political issue. Here's what to know

Northern Ireland's status has been contentious since it remained part of the United Kingdom after most of Ireland gained independence from Britain a century ago.

Sep 14 • 12:20 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Mental Health for Young Athletes

While youth sports are meant to promote fun, teamwork, and healthy habits, many young athletes find themselves navigating high levels of stress and performance anxiety. On this week's My Mom Club, sponsored by PremierU, Dr. Katherine Caldwell, a WashU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, joined us to share how parents can help their kids manage mental health alongside physical training. My Mom Club is sponsored by PremierU, with locations in St. Louis, Swansea, and Marion. To learn more or book an appointment, visit PremierUMed.com.

Sep 14 • 12:09 PM EDT • Health • firstalert4.com

WATCH: Vance says Americans should not be scared of AI as calls for limits grow

Sep 14 • 11:06 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Trump says the only AI guardrails the U.S. needs is him as president

He's opposed such efforts and claims doing so could cause China to eclipse America on AI development.

Sep 14 • 10:45 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Department of Health: Avoid Lower Melville Pond due to algae blooms

The Rhode Island Department of Health has recommended the public avoid contact with Lower Melville Pond in Portsmouth due to the presence of an algae bloom.

Sep 14 • 10:43 AM EDT • Health • turnto10.com

WATCH LIVE: House meets as pressure to regulate AI grows

House Speaker Mike Johnson says it’s time for President Donald Trump to “summon everyone together” and take the lead addressing questions about AI at the White House, rather than Congress.

Sep 14 • 10:29 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

'We fancy ourselves'

Ipswich Town forward Zian Flemming, who scored his first goal for the club to take all three points off Crystal Palace, has been speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk before Tuesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Arsenal at Portman Road (20:00 BST). "Late wins are always the best, aren't they?" he said after scoring the 90th-minute winner at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Sep 14 • 9:47 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Clemson Tigers Could Turn the Corner After QB Clarity

Is it possible the Clemson Tigers could find themselves now that they know who their quarterback is?

Sep 14 • 9:40 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Michael Burry says AI leaders' calls for slowdown are 'self-serving'

Michael Burry of "The Big Short" fame said AI companies were helping themselves by calling for slower progress to head off any threats to humanity.

Sep 14 • 9:27 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

How Democrats and activist groups are planning to push back if Trump tries to interfere in midterm elections

The anxious contingency planning as voting gets underway has become a marker for how fraught democracy has become in the country that once stood as an example to the world.

Sep 14 • 9:16 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Bayern to keep door open for Maurice Krattenmacher return

Bayern Munich have reportedly not given up on Maurice Krattenmacher, despite allowing the highly-rated midfielder to leave the club for Elversberg. According to Abendzeitung reporter Patrick Strasser...

Sep 14 • 9:13 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The politics of AI, part two

First it was data centres that concerned voters and lawmakers — now they’re worrying about the models themselves

Sep 14 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • ft.com

What to know about recent dire AI predictions and calls for safeguards

New warnings from within the artificial intelligence industry have revived a long-running debate over whether advanced AI could escape human control and ultimately threaten humanity’s survival, and whether the companies developing the technology are doing enough to prevent such a scenario.

Sep 14 • 8:09 AM EDT • Science • pbs.org

More girls are harming themselves. Only some show up in the ER

Emergency room visits connected to self-harm climbed through 2021, and the numbers remain elevated above pandemic-levels in California even as other indicators of mental distress have declined.

Sep 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • calmatters.org

Pennsylvania officials report state's 3rd death involving measles

The 40-year-old woman died Saturday, Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong said in a Facebook post in which he called the death “measles-related.”

Sep 14 • 7:52 AM EDT • Health • pbs.org

Trump says he's lifting 10% tariff on Irish whiskey because 'everybody's been bugging me'

President Donald Trump announced in April that he was lifting certain tariffs on U.K. whiskey, which includes Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland, creating an imbalance with Ireland.

Sep 14 • 7:43 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Trump says he'll consider releasing 9/11 records after families' request

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will look into requests from families of Sept. 11 victims to release records that could shed light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks 25 years ago.

Sep 14 • 7:34 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Pay to ghost your boss: Japan's resignation business

Resignation agencies in Japan help employees seamlessly erase themselves from a job in just 15 minutes, and young people are especially eager to use their services.

Sep 14 • 6:36 AM EDT • Business • dw.com

Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel ‘Exit Party’ builds on favorite themes in her ‘Mandelverse’

Emily St. John Mandel has written enough novels to form a world unto herself — the Mandelverse.

Sep 14 • 6:06 AM EDT • Entertainment • seattletimes.com

Emily St. John Mandel's new novel 'Exit Party' builds on favorite themes in her 'Mandelverse'

Emily St. John Mandel has written enough novels to form a world unto herself — the Mandelverse.

Sep 14 • 6:05 AM EDT • Entertainment • wsls.com

Crystal Palace 2-3 Ipswich

Followed by poor defending, leaving players unmarked in the box, it was too easy for Ipswich to score. However, we made it hard for ourselves by not wrapping up the game with the five or six chances we had early in the second half when we continued to dominate.

Sep 14 • 6:01 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The new CEO of the R.I. Life Science Hub looks to the future

“Rhode Island has done this many times,” said Bob Cormier. “We’ve reinvented ourselves with the defense industry, with the Jewelry District, and I do think life sciences is the next part for us.”

Sep 14 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • bostonglobe.com

A Kelvin wave is about to hit California

El Niño's opening storm has already exposed a costly gap in California's coastal cover – worse may be coming

Sep 14 • 2:14 AM EDT • Business • insurancebusinessmag.com

Euro giants line up shock bid for Liverpool defender

New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has opted to let several young players stay and fight to prove themselves for his opening campaign in charge. The likes of James McConnell and Trey Nyoni have re...

Sep 14 • 1:35 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Mom, Don’t Forget About You: Healthy Living Tips for Every Decade

As moms, it’s easy to put ourselves at the bottom of the to-do list. Between school drop-offs, work, activities, meals, appointments and everything in between, taking care of everyone else can feel…

Sep 13 • 7:21 PM EDT • Health • littleguidedetroit.com

Trump downplays the need to check AI development and says he doesn't want to cede edge to China

While acknowledging the need for some regulation, Trump provided no specifics about potential rules and attributed warnings about the technology moving too quickly and with little oversight to “negative forces” he did not identify.

Sep 13 • 6:08 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Better Business Bureau shares tips for identifying scams over the phone

As the techniques that scammers use to deceive victims are becoming more elaborate, the Better Business Bureau has tips for consumers to protect themselves.

Sep 13 • 4:13 PM EDT • Business • wbaltv.com

Inside a Philadelphia barbershop, Black men debate their political past and future

Although Black men vote overwhelmingly Democratic, even small shifts in their support can help swing razor-thin elections. They are often some of the most scrutinized but least understood voters, a blind spot that political strategist Khalil Thompson wants to fix.

Sep 13 • 4:01 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

House Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump's $5,000 'dividend' needs congressional approval

Trump made the unusual pitch at the party's midterm convention in Dallas last week, promising a “Trump Dividend” if voters keep the GOP in power on Capitol Hill.

Sep 13 • 3:36 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Swedish voters go to polls to choose a new parliament as hard right bids for role in government

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is seeking a second four-year term at the helm of the European Union nation that is also NATO’s newest member. Meanwhile, his predecessor hopes to win the job back.

Sep 13 • 2:41 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

The secret ballot has been an article of faith in U.S. elections. That's being tested in Georgia

The system's vulnerability has been drawing increased attention, with election security advocates criticizing state election officials for failing to fix it before the November elections.

Sep 13 • 2:19 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Partial kratom ban signed by Dutchess County executive

Sue Serino released a statement, saying this was an important first step toward getting kratom off the shelves.

Sep 13 • 12:27 PM EDT • Health • spectrumlocalnews.com

Rep. Tom Tiffany swims to safety after plane makes emergency landing in a Wisconsin lake

Tiffany and the pilot got out of the plane and called 911. They were rescued by emergency responders in a fire department airboat.

Sep 13 • 12:12 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Fans raise a ruckus over the paywalling of World of Warcraft Forever’s Skyborne ‘cash elves’

As World of Warcraft Forever continues to dominate the conversation among fans after its BlizzCon reveal, another round of chatter is quickly gaining momentum: the matter of the Skyborne race, or as one fan put called them the "cash elves," which is locked behind a paywall and not included with the upcoming variant or game subscription. [...]

Sep 13 • 11:00 AM EDT • Technology • massivelyop.com

Local business owners learn AI cybersecurity strategies at Lansing mixer

Local business owners met in Lansing to learn how to use artificial intelligence to protect themselves from growing cyber threats.

Sep 12 • 8:09 PM EDT • Business • wilx.com

Children's Health patient wins annual Volleman's Dairy milk bottle design contest

Special milk bottle is hitting store shelves now.

Sep 12 • 6:51 PM EDT • Health • nbcdfw.com

Trump touches a nerve while in Ireland by saying reunification would be 'fantastic'

At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, Trump said he would love to see the reunification of the Republic of Ireland with the United Kingdom's Northern Ireland.

Sep 12 • 1:11 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Trump asks Smithsonian to install George Washington statues and exhibit

Trump asked for an exhibit beginning now and continuing through Feb. 22, 2032, the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth. For Constitution Day on Sept. 17, Trump asked the institution to install the 11-foot statue of Washington featured at the recent Freedom 250 IndyCar race in the museum's Flag Hall.

Sep 12 • 11:59 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Where have all the Atlantic hurricanes gone? El Niño might bring record slow storm season

On Saturday, 2026 set a record for the longest a season has begun without a storm that has reached winds of 64 mph to qualify as a hurricane — at least in the satellite era, said Nick Novella, a meteorologist at the government's Weather Prediction Center.

Sep 12 • 11:45 AM EDT • Science • pbs.org

US Open Final Preview: Ben Shelton Faces Alexander Zverev for New York Glory

And then there were two, as after almost a fortnight of high-octane tennis at the US Open, we have a final set, as the No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev is set to face off against the No. 1 American men’s player, Ben Shelton. The two players have separated themselves from the others over the course …

Sep 12 • 11:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

😅 Too much TikTok?! Bundesliga captain’s words backfire

Just last week, Gladbach captain Tim Kleindienst made plenty of headlines when he launched a broadside after the defeat against promoted side Elversberg — and it was aimed at his own teammates. He e...

Sep 12 • 10:57 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

🎥 Águilas' keep-ball leaves Castilla pointless 🧠

Águilas caught Castilla off guard with a rehearsed corner routine — but not just any routine: five players formed a ring-a-ring o' roses inside the box, spun around themselves, and broke apart just...

Sep 12 • 10:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Scientists announce discovery of a hidden solar process

An international team of scientists have announced the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the form of small,

Sep 12 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • technology.org

Canadian boycott of US products pushes grocers to adapt, explore new supply sources

A growing consumer push to buy Canadian and boycott U.S. products is reshaping supermarket shelves in Canada, forcing grocers to improve country-of-origin ​labeling and secure new sources of supply.

Sep 12 • 6:03 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

Three last-minute Wisconsin vs. Western Illinois Week 2 predictions

Coming off an expected, but still deflating Week 1 loss, the Wisconsin Badgers have a chance to redeem themselves.

Sep 12 • 5:40 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Bayern coach Kompany won't underestimate underdogs Elversberg

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany won't underestimate Sunday's opponents Elversberg, who are making their Bundesliga debut this season and have been the surprise package so far. The underdogs are even two points ahead of the German giants in the standings, with two wins in as many games, while Bayern thrashed VfB Stuttgart in their league opener but were held to a goalless draw by Schalke last weekend.

Sep 12 • 5:04 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The politics and possibilities of ‘AI could kill us all’

I found myself fielding a lot of questions from folks who don’t usually talk much about AI this week. They were mostly along the lines of “do you think AI is going to kill us all?” or “how worried should I be about this human extinction stuff?” Motivating this wave of existential anxiety was the highly dramatic resignation of now-former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who quit his job while publicly sharing his concerns about safety practices at the leading AI companies. More specifically, he declared that almost everyone at OpenAI and Anthropic, the leading AI labs, believes that there’s a decent chance the AI systems they’re producing could “kill us all” by the end of the decade, and the companies aren’t “acting responsibly.” Other AI safety researchers, including those still employed at Anthropic and OpenAI, all confirmed that yes, Coxon is correct, they’re all worried that their company’s products might prove fatal for the entire human race as well. Two more AI employees quit and joined the chorus. Now, the warning shot has been covered everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Fox News to WIRED to the Guardian. I understand why all this sounds scary, but my response to those who have asked, has generally been: No, you don’t need to worry that AI will kill go rogue and kill us all. But that does not mean we shouldn’t worry, period. Far from it. The companies building AI products are now among the wealthiest and most powerful entities in the world. And they very much are building enormous engines of mass surveillance, extraction, and automation. They can and have allowed their AI systems to carry out felony hacks of other companies, provided the government with autonomously generated kill lists, and sold enterprise technology to firms around the world that is explicitly intended to replace jobs. But “AI” has done these things not because they have all-powerful minds of their own but, ultimately, because people have programmed, calibrated, and directed them to. In other words, it’s not AI we need to worry the most about. It’s the people and corporations working to profit from and gain power by deploying it. The technology is sophisticated, sure, and, especially in cybersecurity contexts, potentially disruptive to plenty of existing systems. But if we want to stop this predatory, profiteering, and extractive form of AI—and it’s worth noting that at this point, most people do—we absolutely can. A quick note/plea: I can only do all of this with the support of readers like you, so if you find value in independent, critical tech journalism and analysis, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I want to keep as much of this un-paywalled as absolutely possible, and I need your support to do so. Many thanks to all who continue to chip in, it’s very much appreciated. Onward. Subscribe First, some context: AI industry folks like Coxon have been discussing the prospect that AI will destroy humanity for years. Even before the beginning of the AI boom, many working in the industry, from the executive staff to the rank and file researchers, have obsessed over ‘x-risk’, or the possibility that AI will become sentient or semi-sentient and move one way or another to exterminate humanity. This is ostensibly why Elon Musk bankrolled OpenAI in the first place, and is the grounds for his lawsuit alleging OpenAI betrayed its charter by abandoning its nonprofit status to become a commercial enterprise. Many AI engineers and startup founders have calculated their own personal p(doom), or the probability that the tech product they are working on will initiate an actual humanity-extinguishing apocalypse. 10-25% p(doom)s are pretty common. (I wrote about a long weekend I spent among these folks at one of their top conferences here, to give you an idea of their ideas and belief systems.) Sam Altman himself drove the narrative of the imminent rise of a super-powerful AI, or artificial general intelligence, to prominence by declaring that the technology he was building posed an existential risk to humanity. This idea is in other words baked into the DNA of modern AI companies and into the products they engineer. It’s also why the industry is routinely accused, by myself and others, of “doom marketing,” ie, using such proclamations and framings to impart the sheer power of the technology behind your product onto investors, partners, consumers, and the state. Some ambient understanding of this tendency may have helped prevent the press from repeating the claim every time one of the x-risk folks made it over the years, including when they quit their jobs at AI companies while doing so. Yet Coxon’s AI x-risk alarm has broken containment, as they say, and has exposed the idea to the mainstream media once again. This has happened, I think, for a number of reasons. First, when AI CEOs were going around saying AI might kill everyone in 2023, their companies were well-capitalized, but not nearly to the extent they are today. They were more easily dismissed as eccentric geeks of the sort that Silicon Valley is supposed to produce. Now, not only do their products have much greater market saturation, but people are more aware of a) the often unethical ways the executives and companies comport themselves b) the other adverse impacts of AI that have already arrived, and c) the physical cost of building these systems, particularly when it comes to data centers. Finally, toss in the constant stream of headlines in 2026 about AI models going rogue or potentially upending the world’s infrastructure. [ ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) [ With the backlash to data centers, Flock and AI glasses, a mass opposition to big tech is underway. Silicon Valley is in denial. ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) Brian Merchant · Aug 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) As a result, general sentiment was already overwhelmingly skeptical of AI and its overlords, so the table was pretty well set for someone to come along and say ‘just a reminder, the companies that are building the product that promises to take your job and leave a data center in your neighborhood also think that it might exterminate the human race’ and get a strong reaction from the media and the public. The question is: Should we understand this stuff as hype, strategically fanned to feed already swelling valuations? Is it doom marketing? Genuine cause for alarm that the infrastructure that undergirds modern life is facing a novel threat vector? Or reason to be sincerely worried that AI companies are amassing too much power, and that their products are genuinely dangerous? The answer, I’m afraid, is “yes.” Let me try to untangle all of this a bit, because arguments over how to navigate this moment are extremely heated right now, as they are essentially arguments over how to approach the politics of AI at a moment where there may be a unique opening for action. Those sympathetic to AI alignment concerns and x risk arguments—which increasingly includes a faction on the left who want to shut down AI over safety concerns—argue that people who dismiss AI as all hype have their heads in the sand. Meanwhile, critics of the x-risk narrative—which I might note includes a cadre of investors and tech folks on the right, too—argue that it is hype and can be used to further inflate valuations or for pursuing regulatory capture. The challenge is that many feel that dismissing AI as just hype or purely marketing also diminishes the urgency of taking on the AI industry as the novel and threat to labor, civil society, and the public sphere it is; others that by accepting the industry’s own terms, we imbue it with undue power and enable it. But let’s be clear: Declarations that AI is so powerful it might end the world are a kind of marketing, and anyone who says otherwise is just as off base as those who say that’s all that it is. If you don’t think that these sub-trillion dollar companies have higher-ups who noticed that when their founders talked about super-powerful dangerous AI they got spikes in media interest and phone calls from investors, or that those founders didn’t notice that themselves, and lean into certain narratives to advantage their products, then I don’t know what to tell you. Not all marketing is a Pepsi ad campaign with a celebrity spokesperson. Yet confronting the AI industry should certainly be considered an urgent project. Do I share the x-riskers’ fear that out-of-control, super-intelligent AI agents might end the world? I do not. I’ve read a good deal of AI extinction literature over the last couple of years and I have not come across a credible, step-by-step documentation of how exactly AI might move from self-recursively improving AI to killing every single human on the planet. Most of what I’ve read seems predicated on a sort of reverse Ian Malcolmian logic: Eventually, it becomes smart enough and AI, uh, finds a way (to exterminate humanity). Are the AI companies also overstating and dramatizing what their products can do? Yes, pretty much all the time. They’re in a knife fight for market share and are trying to win customers and government contracts before their investors come knocking. And yet. They have concentrated enormous amounts of compute, have extensive data collection and surveillance capacities, have inserted themselves into the state in numerous capacities, including military kill chains, and they are being run by egomaniacal billionaires who are rushing to monopolize an entire new market. The way I think about their most recent frightening-seeming exploits is not as a “swarm of rogue AI agents building a new civilization” or whatever, but as corporations with a hitherto-unimaginable amount of compute at their disposal recklessly experimenting with automation programs, completely unafraid of any repercussions because we have been unwilling or unable to impose any on them. So I think we should welcome any newfound imperative to hold them accountable. I also think that ultimately, the AI critics, Pause AI folks, leftists, doomers, effective altruists, and, honestly, most of the public, want a lot of the same things: legitimate checks and limits on AI companies’ power, actual transparency into what the companies are doing, and for more of AI to be under public control. (Ultimately, a lot of what animates the x-risk fears are rooted in just that: a fear of losing control.) How we move towards all this, exactly, is the question of the day, and while there’s much to be argued over in terms of building a viable political platform to challenge the AI industry’s power, I do want to cast a vote against one particular approach. Not to pick on Chris here, as there are a lot of folks out there proposing stuff like this, and the policy ideas actually stem from AI safety groups. But not only would this be challenging to land politically (I can already hear the ‘China will beat us to AGI’ calls) and all but unworkable in practice, this approach is a) far too limiting, b) fails to address the current harms caused by AI and c) would likely only wind up serving Anthropic and OpenAI; it’s what regulatory capture looks like in action. Full model transparency is the floor for what should be on offer here. If these companies believe their products will kill us, the very least we deserve is to know how. It’s in the public interest. I would also argue we might get a lot of the way to stopping any currently envisioned robot apocalypse simply by forcing AI companies to assume liability, and to submit to the full brunt of the law. If Sam Altman were liable to be charged with a felony for approving the hack on Hugging Face1, if Google was forced to pay defamation fines each time it published a false and injurious AI Overviews, these companies might suddenly find cause to restrain their models’ output, and we might hear less about rogue AI. We would need to introduce new frameworks and available tools for tracking automated lawbreaking, to be sure, but I’d wager that little would frighten the AI companies more than actually being held accountable for what their products enable. To that end, Illinois has passed an AI liability law, which the industry fought tooth and nail, and Florida is considering one. The next steps would be towards moving AI under public control; again, it’s only reasonable, since everyone, not just AI insiders, should get a say over how a technology whose developers say might kill us is developed and deployed. Dismantling the whole industrial project as currently structured should be on the table, too, pending democratic input. But that’s for another post. For now, suffice to say that while I won’t be losing any sleep about an AI-enabled extinction event, Mr. Coxon and co. have given us an opportunity to underscore the urgency of the clear and present damage AI companies are doing, the extreme power they wield and the extent to which they hold themselves unaccountable, and the abundance of political capital there is out there for taking them on. Subscribe 1 Purely speculative! I do not know if he did or not.

Sep 12 • 3:59 AM EDT • Politics • bloodinthemachine.com

Belvidere North outruns East for a 41-20 win

In a matchup of two football programs that like to run the football, Belvidere North prevailed against Rockford East 41-20 Friday night.

Sep 12 • 3:26 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Friday Football Fever (9/11/26)

CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) – Four weeks into the high school football season, early playoff bids were officially on the line for a handful of teams. Monticello 39, St. Teresa 20 St. Joseph-Ogden 38, Unity 23 Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 54, Cumberland 14 Rochester 50, MacArthur 20 Fisher 48, Villa Grove-Heritage 27 Tuscola 52, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 0 Bloom 35, […]

Sep 11 • 11:51 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Officials in Nashville unite across the aisle over renaming airport after Dolly Parton

The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports.

Sep 11 • 8:11 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Federal court rejects Trump administration order keeping Michigan coal plant open

In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal court on Friday ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its authority when it forced a Michigan coal-fired power plant to stay open past its scheduled retirement date last year.

Sep 11 • 7:02 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Prosecutor brought in to lead investigation of Trump foes tells AP that he has resigned

An ally of President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has resigned from his post leading a Justice Department investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against the Republican president.

Sep 11 • 6:41 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

WATCH: Trump leads RNC in pledge to 'cheat like hell' in November elections

Sep 11 • 5:56 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Chesapeake blue crabs had an unusual rebound after years of decline. Scientists don’t know why

After half a decade of worryingly low numbers, the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population appears to be fighting its way out of a slump. Scientists still have no clear explanation for why, and say the growth deserves cautious optimism.

Sep 11 • 5:25 PM EDT • Science • pbs.org

CIA releases dozens of presidential daily briefs on bin Laden and al-Qaida before Sept. 11

The documents illustrate security analysts' tracking of bin Laden's movements and support system, as well as concerns about possible threats to U.S. targets.

Sep 11 • 3:58 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Senators from both parties question OpenAI on breach of AI startup Hugging Face

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., launched an investigation Thursday into OpenAI for its artificial intelligence system hacking into another AI company on its own.

Sep 11 • 1:56 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Judge bans 9 members of theft/robbery gang from entertainment district in downtown Nashville

Members of the ‘Krooks’ gang are known to gain access to people’s phones during a street sale and send money to themselves via mobile payment apps.

Sep 11 • 1:23 PM EDT • Entertainment • wsmv.com

Twelve Idaho businesses named finalists for BBB Torch and Spark Awards

Twelve Idaho businesses are finalists for the Better Business Bureau Torch and Spark Awards recognizing ethics and entrepreneurship.

Sep 11 • 11:53 AM EDT • Business • idahobusinessreview.com

Could Texas Turn Blue? The GOP Faces a New Test

Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in politics

Sep 11 • 11:05 AM EDT • Politics • houstonpublicmedia.org

Up, up, and away: Are double-digit health insurance rate increases ahead?

Twelve Affordable Care Act participating insurers submitted for rate increases in the coming year, data published by KFF show.

Sep 11 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • wlrn.org

Vance? Rubio? DeSantis? Cruz? Republicans at Dallas convention ponder options for post-Trump leader

The vice president's speech solidified his status as a potential frontrunner, and President Donald Trump talked him up afterwards as a “very talented guy” who “did a very good job."

Sep 11 • 10:03 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

'R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2' Launches At TIFF Market, Details Revealed

'R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2' Launches At TIFF Market, Details Revealed With Cassandra Peterson AKA 'Elvira Mistress Of The Dark' Joining Cast.

Sep 11 • 9:17 AM EDT • Entertainment • deadline.com