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AuthorWilliam McClain

Why the Tesla Recall Matters [Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic]

By William McClain
In [The Atlantic]
February 20, 2023
274 views
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  • Tesla is voluntarily recalling over 350,000 of their vehicles due to issues with the self-driving-assistance software. The fix will be shipped “over the air”, meaning the software will be updated remotely and the hardware does not need to be addressed.
  • Missy Cummings, a professor in the computer-science department at George Mason University and a former NHTSA regulator, sees the voluntary nature of the recall as a positive sign that Tesla is willing to cooperate with regulators. She has previously argued that the US should proceed more cautiously on autonomous vehicles.
  • Cummings also views this recall as a software story: NHTSA is entering an interesting—perhaps uncharted—regulatory space, where the question arises, how do we ensure that when manufacturers do over-the-air updates to safety-critical systems, it fixes the problems that it was supposed to fix and doesn’t introduce new safety-related issues?
  • Cummings is a conservative person when it comes to self-certification. She believes that a preapproval process for anything with artificial intelligence in it should be in place and that AI is a nondeterministic technology that needs more rigorous testing and care than a basic algorithm.
  • Cummings is passionate about safety and wants to ensure that the technology on the road is safe and effective, even if it means she has to endure harassment from the Musk fandom.

Published February 19, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Caroline Mimbs Nyce’s original post Why the Tesla Recall Matters

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February 18, 2023 [Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American]

By William McClain
In Heather Cox Richardson [Letters from an American]
February 20, 2023
242 views
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  • Republican leaders are recognizing that the sight of Republican lawmakers heckling the president of the United States didn’t do their party any favors. This behavior called attention to the fact that Republicans have repeatedly suggested cuts to Social Security and Medicare, or even the elimination of these programs, in speeches, news interviews, and written proposals.
  • Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) told The Hill that Republicans should stick to “reasonable and enduring policy” proposals. This reflects the Republican Party’s problem of not having clear policies that voters support.
  • Cutting Social Security is a centerpiece of the ideology the party adopted in the 1980s. This economic vision has cut services and neglected infrastructure while dramatically moving wealth upward.
  • Republicans have combined their economic vision with a culture war. This has created a new ideology that is based in Christian nationalism, which insists that the United States is a Christian nation and our laws should be based in evangelical Christian values.
  • Mitch McConnell and other Republicans are now condemning this new ideology. This is resulting in a rift within the Republican party.
  • The extremists are on the same side as authoritarians like Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin. The United States is traditionally committed to global affairs and opposing autocracies, and this is reflected in Vice President Kamala Harris’s remarks at the Munich Security Conference.
  • Mitch McConnell went to Munich to demonstrate U.S. commitment to global affairs. He promised that the Republicans will continue to support Ukraine, demonstrating that the party is not the “crazies” seen in the headlines.

Published February 19, 2023
Visit Letters from an American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post February 18, 2023

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The U.S. cannot afford to turn against immigration [Noah Smith, Noahpinion]

By William McClain
In Noah Smith [Noahpinion]
February 20, 2023
257 views
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  • Immigration is a necessity – We need continued robust immigration flows, especially of high-skilled immigrants, in order to keep our nation both prosperous and secure.
  • Fertility rate is declining – Despite a very small post-pandemic uptick, the country’s total fertility rate has fallen well below the replacement level over the past decade and a half.
  • Immigration is beneficial to innovation and technical leadership – Immigrants are responsible for 30% of U.S. patents and 38% of U.S. Nobel Prizes in science, and nearly three quarters of all U.S. innovation since 1976 can be attributed to high-skilled immigration.
  • AI research is especially important – AI systems will be crucial to precision weaponry in the not-too-distant future, and the U.S. is in danger of falling behind if we don’t retain our ability to welcome China’s best and brightest.
  • Border chaos is not worth it – Making it easier to apply for asylum by crossing the border illegally rather than presenting yourself at a point of entry naturally creates a ton of disorder at the border and fuels an anti-immigration sentiment.
  • Compromise is necessary – A long-term bargain between increased border security and increased legal pathways to immigration must be struck in order to increase immigration.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit Noahpinion to read Noah Smith’s original post The U.S. cannot afford to turn against immigration

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Where Are the Black Female Doctors? [Kristen French, Nautilus]

By William McClain
In [Nautilus]
February 20, 2023
302 views
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  • Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States in 1864, providing medical care to former slaves in Virginia and later tending to the sick in her own private practice in Boston. She published a book of medical advice, the only known medical book written by a 19th century Black woman.
  • Jasmine Brown wrote Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians from the Civil War to the 21st Century to bring the hidden lives and contributions of outstanding Black female physicians to light.
  • When Brown began to pursue a pre-med track, she realized she had never met a Black female physician nor learned about any in school.
  • The book profiles nine Black female physicians and their stunning achievements amidst overwhelming obstacles—scarce mentors and financial resources, discrimination in schools, and even for those who graduated at the tops of their classes, few employment opportunities.
  • Brown chose the women she wrote about based on having lived at different points over the past 150 years, having retired and having enough information in the archives to give more depth to the story telling.
  • Having personal details about the women’s lives, their marriages and children, their emotional struggles was important to Brown to show the full arcs of their careers.
  • The connection between the book and the present political moment is the threat that affirmative action will be overturned by the Supreme Court, a decision that could lead to another significant dip in representation in the field of medicine.
  • Brown believes that if academic institutions taught more about the history of outstanding Black physicians who have been leaders in the field it could make a difference.
  • Brown hopes that her book will inspire more Black people to go into medicine, and will give people within academia insight into barriers to better representation in medicine.
  • Black History Month is seen by Brown as a catalyst for broader discussion, and if the book gets into more readers’ hands during this month, it can affect the way they think throughout the rest of the year.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit Nautilus to read Kristen French’s original post Where Are the Black Female Doctors?

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Russia’s New Friends [Joseph Politano, Apricitas Economics]

By William McClain
In Joseph Politano [Apricitas Economics]
February 20, 2023
304 views
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  • The bulk of the military response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine came in the form of arms, equipment and training for Ukrainian troops. This was to help them better resist the Russian invasion and largely prevent the direct involvement of armed forces in open combat with Russia to avoid escalating the conflict.
  • The economic sanctions had to hit Russia’s economy hard to deter further aggression but preserve Russian oil and gas exports essential for global energy consumption. The Allies leveraged their economic strength of high-tech manufactured goods and international finance to cut Russia off from critical imports and sources of credit/liquidity.
  • The strategy worked: Russian businesses and markets were roiled by the initial round of financial sanctions and Russian industrial output suffered. This year the Russian economy entered a significant recession with GDP dropping 3.7%.
  • The squeeze on Russia’s industrial base is easing. Cut off from trade with high-income democracies, Russia has been making new friends and new trading partners which has resulted in an increase in total Russian imports.
  • The rising Russia-China Trade Relationship was always the obvious first choice for Russia to turn to when the Allies began implementing sanctions. China can supply Russia with cars, phones, computers and machinery and Russia can supply China with oil and natural gas.
  • Turkey is another source of Russian imports. Exports to Russia are up 120% in the last year, imports from Russia remain elevated and there is a surge in nonmonetary gold imports.
  • To achieve a just peace, further sanctions may be necessary. This could include pressure on Turkey, a NATO member, and China, already a frequent target of sanctions, to limit their trade with Russia.
  • Subscribe now! To receive new posts on economic data analysis, consider subscribing.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit Apricitas Economics to read Joseph Politano’s original post Russia’s New Friends

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Radio Atlantic: This Is Not Your Parents’ Cold War [Kevin Townsend, The Atlantic]

By William McClain
In [The Atlantic]
February 18, 2023
275 views
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  • Cold War Fears: During the Cold War, Western governments feared that a move by the Kremlin would lead to escalation – first to a world war and perhaps even to a nuclear conflict.
  • Russia Invades Ukraine: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is nearly a year old and the Ukrainians are holding on, with Russia taking immense casualties and material losses.
  • Tom Nichols’ Advice: Tom Nichols, an expert on nuclear weapons and the Cold War, counsels Americans not to be obsessed with nuclear escalation, but to be aware of the possibilities for accidents and miscalculations.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 was the first big crisis that Americans had to think about the existential threat of nuclear weapons.
  • 1983 – Year We Almost Didn’t Make It: 1983 was an incredibly tense year, with the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union having completely broken down. It felt like war was inevitable.
  • Pop Culture Reflection: Nuclear weapons were soaked into our popular culture in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Movies, music, and TV put this sense of threat into the minds of ordinary Americans.
  • Cold War Ends Quickly: Reagan and Gorbachev jointly declared in 1985 that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought, leading to a quick end to the Cold War.
  • The Cold War Ended Quickly – The Cold War ended quickly between 1983-1986, creating a false sense of security in later generations.
  • An Example of Nuclear Danger Post-Cold War – In 1995, Norway launched a scientific satellite on top of a missile, causing the Russian defense people to come to President Boris Yeltsin and suggest it may have been a NATO attack.
  • The Current Nuclear Situation – Currently, the United States and the Russian Federation each have about 1,500 nuclear weapons deployed and ready to go.
  • The Danger of Putin’s Regime – Putin’s mafia state is uniquely dangerous as he has convinced himself that he is some kind of great world historical figure who is going to reestablish this Christian Slavic empire.
  • Russia’s Conventional Weakness – Russia is now the weaker conventional power and is now the one saying, “If things go really badly for us and we’re losing, we reserve the right to use nuclear weapons”.
  • The Front Line of the Fight for Civilization – The front line of the fight for civilization is in Ukraine, and it’s imperative that Americans think about this problem and support Ukraine in this fight.
  • The Right Way To Think About This – The right way to think about this is to be engaged and aware, but not to be panicked or become consumed by fear as it is bad for democracy’s ability to make decisions.

Published February 17, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Kevin Townsend’s original post Radio Atlantic: This Is Not Your Parents’ Cold War

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America’s Culture Is Booming. Really. [Ted Gioia, The Free Press]

By William McClain
In [The Free Press]
February 18, 2023
265 views
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  • Jason Allen recently won an art competition with an AI-generated piece—just one example of our current culture boom time.
  • Our culture is just as important as politics, maybe even more so. And right now, some harsh truth-telling is needed.
  • The metrics for our culture have never been larger. A hundred thousand songs are uploaded daily to streaming platforms, 1.7 million books were self-published last year, 2,500 videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and there are now 3 million podcasts.
  • The supply of culture is huge, but the demand side of the equation is ugly. In many cases, the metrics have been shrinking or even collapsing, and there is an ocean of stuff out there, but consumers sip it through a narrow straw.
  • The most obvious saviors of culture are the large culture businesses, but they are the most cautious and risk-averse players in the whole culture ecosystem. They give grants to create more songs and poems and plays and books, but they hardly care one jot about building a smart, discerning audience for culture.
  • The future of culture lies in alternative culture, with platforms like podcasts, Bandcamp albums, YouTube channels, and Substacks. There are 36 YouTube channels with more than 50 million subscribers, and some of these are growing exponentially.
  • MrBeast has launched new music acts, and is likely to become a bigger force than Sony and Universal Music Group combined.
  • There are many other successful stories in alternative culture, although their metrics are often kept private.
  • Hundreds of start-ups are trying to revitalize our culture.
  • Alternative people and platforms are the only successful audience development force in contemporary culture.
  • We need a culture with hundreds or thousands of organizations doing audience development and outreach.
  • The MacArthur Foundation and other organizations should play a role in bringing good music, writing, film, and painting to a million people.
  • The real question is whether the huge dinosaurs like major record labels or movie studios will get on board.
  • We should support the arts by becoming discerning members of the audience.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit The Free Press to read Ted Gioia’s original post America’s Culture Is Booming. Really.

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The Schools That Ban Smartphones [Mark Oppenheimer, The Atlantic]

By William McClain
In [The Atlantic]
February 18, 2023
344 views
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  • St. Andrew’s Episcopal Boarding School – A small school in Middletown, Delaware that has put phones in their place by not allowing them in public and only in rooms at night.
  • Student Body Co-Presidents – Ford Chapman and Trinity Smith, who use announcements to keep students up to date on events & birthdays and process into chapel after dinner.
  • Smartphone Usage Research – Shows how addictive they are, their costs to mental health, and how they impede attention.
  • Pushback Against Smartphones – Different forms, such as banning phones, allowing low-tech phones, prohibiting them during school day, and storing phones in shoe organizers.
  • Student Compliance – High due to discussion of pros and cons of smartphones, and seniors enforcing the rule.
  • Public Schools – Can still push back against smartphones with restrictions, such as allowing phones after school ends and on the bus home, or having students leave them at home.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Mark Oppenheimer’s original post The Schools That Ban Smartphones

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Everything Is About the Housing Market [Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic]

By William McClain
In [The Atlantic]
February 18, 2023
273 views
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  • Bagel stores in San Francisco open too late – key because it is the subject of the article that led to the author’s exploration of the housing crisis.
  • Housing crisis is to blame – key because it is the main theme of the article.
  • Housing crisis affects every facet of American life – key because it is the conclusion the author came to based on their exploration of the housing crisis.
  • The housing theory of everything – key because it is the term used to describe the housing crisis and its effect on life.
  • The answer is to build more homes – key because it is the solution proposed to the housing crisis.

Published February 18, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Annie Lowrey’s original post Everything Is About the Housing Market

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I Never Truly Understood Fox News Until Now [Brian Stelter, The Atlantic]

By William McClain
In [The Atlantic]
February 18, 2023
252 views
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  • Fox News’ news operation accurately reported the vote count. This infuriated President Trump and the MAGA base, causing some viewers to switch to further-right outlets such as Newsmax.
  • Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News revealed eye-popping messages from Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Fox’s senior management, which showed Fox’s sense of crisis was more intense than appeared from outside.
  • Fox News stars signaled to viewers that Trump might still win the election not because they thought he would but because they were worried about their ratings.
  • Fox News only called the election for Biden after other major networks did. This caused Newsmax to surge by catering to MAGA viewers, and Fox’s top talent to freak out.
  • Fox News’ senior executives sought to rebuild their audience’s trust. Fox’s policy of intramural warfare was unevenly enforced, so accurate reporting by their journalists was a perceived threat.
  • Fox’s postelection strategy was to stop “rubbing Biden in their viewers’ faces.” However, in their effort to show their viewers “respect,” they ultimately disrespected both their audience and the American experiment.

Published February 17, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Brian Stelter’s original post I Never Truly Understood Fox News Until Now

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