What I'm Reading - 6/8/25
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to conduct AI training for the Journalism Educators Institute. I landed on Thursday and immediately went to the Nitty Gritty for a cheeseburger and then the Memorial Union terrace for a beer. It was a perfect night for a beer on the water. I hadn’t done this in quite some time.
I’m back on the shore now. My last visit until after the Fourth of July as next week I’m in London and then I had to Wisconsin to spend two weeks at the cabin. I can’t wait.
Have a great Sunday!
What I’m Reading
AI Developments
TechCrunch: Anthropic's AI is writing its own blog — with human oversight
TechNet & The Morning Consult: National AI Attitudes Survey
PwC: PwC Launches First-to-Market Solution to Provide Assurance For AI
National Journal: How the Campaign Consultant Class Embraces AI
Euronews: Meta faces complaints in 11 countries over data use for AI
Stories About Specific Countries
Politico: Dutch snap election set for Oct. 29
The Wall Street Journal: Poland Elects Conservative With Ties to Trump as President
The Wall Street Journal: Mexico’s Judicial Election Puts Spotlight on Former President’s Son
The European Commission: The EU sets out its International Digital Strategy
Political & Social Commentary
Financial Times: ‘Humanity deserves better’: Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs on tech’s next chapter
The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE): The Role of Generative AI Use in 2024 Elections Worldwide
The Associated Press: The Democrats' 2028 podcast primary is underway
Axios: MAGA's world tour exports Trumpism beyond U.S. borders
Prototyping Politics by Soren Dayton: Inside Game, Outside Vibes
Chaotic Era: Behind the scenes of the DNC’s online vibe shift
The Verge: TikTok gives everyone more control over what’s on their For You page
The New York Times: The Washington Post Plans an Influx of Outside Opinion Writers
The New York Times: Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans
Eating Policy by Jennifer Pahlka: What DOGE didn't do
The Verge: “More than 50 people” are making over $1 million a year on Substack.
Business Insider: Bluesky started out at Twitter. Now it's a Twitter rival. CEO Jay Graber explains what happened.
Axios: Exclusive: X piloting new program to elevate content users agree on
Tech for Campaigns: Tech for Campaigns 2024 Digital Ads Report
The Associated Press: Elon Musk is gone, but DOGE's actions are hard to reverse. The US Institute of Peace is a case study
The New York Times: Opinion | Anthropic C.E.O.: Don’t Let A.I. Companies off the Hook
Hollywood Reporter: The Twilight of Evening News: Anchor Swaps, Trust Gaps and a Looming AI Threat
Nieman Lab: “I don’t want to outsource my brain”: How political cartoonists are bringing AI into their work
The New York Times: How Donald Trump Has Remade America’s Political Landscape
Legal & Regulatory
CBS News: Democrats ask Supreme Court to let them defend political contribution limits
Now + Next: Governors Break Ranks Over AI Regulation Patchwork
The Wall Street Journal: Reddit Sues Anthropic, Alleges Unauthorized Use of Site’s Data
Axios: Senate Commerce reconciliation text ties AI ban to broadband funds
Miscellaneous Insights & Reports
Techdirt: How I Built A Task Management Tool For Almost Nothin
Techdirt: Stop Begging Billionaires To Fix Software — Build Your Own
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett | Podcast on Spotify: Jimmy Fallon: I Wasn’t Prepared For The Hate… It Was Brutal. I Was Starving, Living on $7.25!
Company Announcements
US Digital Service: United States Digital Service Origins
Pinterest: The 2025 Pinterest Summer Trend Report