Babel or Jerusalem? Pope Leo weighs AI and the human condition. The pope's first encyclical offers a great and energizing hope.; The Washington Post, May 25, 2026

 George Weigel, The Washington Post ; Babel or Jerusalem? Pope Leo weighs AI and the human condition.

The pope's first encyclical offers a great and energizing hope.

"Leo concedes that “it is not possible to provide a single, comprehensive definition of AI,” given the rapidity of its development. He nevertheless lays down a marker in favor of the “grandeur of humanity” that strikes me as the encyclical’s sharpest, most compelling assertion, however many eyebrows it may raise in Silicon Valley:

“We must avoid the misconception of equating this type of ‘intelligence’ with that of human beings. These systems merely imitate certain functions of human intelligence. In doing so, they often surpass human intelligence in speed and computational capacity, offering tangible benefits across many fields. Yet this power remains entirely tied to data processing.”

Leo continues: “So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences. They may imitate language, behavior, and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational, and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom...

The pope is no Luddite. He welcomes the fact that digital networks can build solidarity across previous chasms of distance. But as an experienced pastor, Leo insists that neither the promise of progress inherent in AI, nor the Promethean transhumanist and post-humanist projects he briskly critiques, can ever replace the biblical truth that “humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them.”"

Platner ad contained copyrighted material, Sox cable station says; Bangor Daily News, May 24, 2026

 Callie Ferguson , Bangor Daily News; Platner ad contained copyrighted material, Sox cable station says

"The Boston Red Sox cable station stopped airing a Graham Platner campaign ad that criticized the team’s ownership during Friday night’s game because it violated the network’s intellectual property rules, a representative said. 

The 15-second television spot, which blamed private equity for the team’s recent slump, “included unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property and did not comply with NESN’s advertising standards,” a spokesperson for the New England Sports Network said in a statement to the Bangor Daily News. Red Sox owner John Henry’s sports and entertainment conglomerate has a majority ownership stake in the network. 

The spokesperson did not specify which components of the ad broke the station’s rules, although it featured text closely resembling the Red Sox font. On Saturday, the Platner campaign released a statement implying that the ad’s messaging influenced the network’s decision to take it down."

Carlow, Duquesne leaders to meet Pope Leo during Catholic higher education seminar in Rome; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 24, 2026

MADDIE AIKEN , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Carlow, Duquesne leaders to meet Pope Leo during Catholic higher education seminar in Rome

"In addition to meeting the pope, the university leaders are scheduled to attend a session on ethics and artificial intelligence; visit the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried; and discuss immigration, Catholic identity and lifestyle with Vatican dicastery officials.

Humphrey expects the AI session to be enlightening. She thinks AI can transform education and the workforce in a positive way, but also believes it’s important to have conversations surrounding responsibility and environmental concerns.

“AI is changing the enterprise. It is changing how we teach, and it is creating, I believe, an opportunity to provide a higher level of learning,” she said."

Pope Leo Compares AI Threat to Biblical ‘Tower of Babel’; The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2026

 Margherita Stancati and Sam Schechner, The Wall Street Journal; Pope Leo Compares AI Threat to Biblical ‘Tower of Babel’

"Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence “threatens to normalize an anti-human vision” and said that the concentration of immense digital power in the hands of a few private actors must be countered.

The pontiff’s encyclical letter—a text that is poised to define Leo’s papacy—reads like a sharp warning to Silicon Valley executives and humanity more broadly about the future of civilization as new technologies rapidly advance.

The risk, he said, is that humans will be reduced “to mere cogs in a system driven toward ever greater efficiency.”

Leo used two biblical images to describe the choice humanity faces. 

“The primary choice is not between a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem,” he wrote. 

In the Bible, the Tower of Babel symbolizes a top-down, grandiose project where decisions are driven by pride, profit and a push for homogenization, the pope suggested in his text. In the rebuilding of Jerusalem, diverse people worked together to rebuild the ruined walls and established a fraternal coexistence within them, he added.

Leo’s encyclical has been long-awaited by policymakers, business leaders and different faith groups who see the Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination, as a source of ethical guidance on tech policy."

Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical; The New York Times, May 25, 2026

Motoko Rich and Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Times; Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical

The document marks a powerful foray by the leader of the Roman Catholic church into the debate about the misuse or overuse of artificial intelligence.

"Pope Leo XIV on Monday set out a sweeping vision for corporate executives, politicians and individuals who will shape and be shaped by the future of artificial intelligence, warning leaders to safeguard humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects.

Leo’s declaration came in the form of a papal encyclical, an open letter to “all people of good will” that ran to roughly 42,300 words in its English version. It outlined his desire to protect human dignity and agency in an age in which technology threatens to replace humans in many professional and social roles. He presented it alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, a major A.I. developer, in a symbolic gesture of dialogue between leaders of the spiritual and technological worlds.

While emphasizing that “technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity,” he wrote that “the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs.”

Among other things, Leo called for:

• government regulation of the private companies that are driving the development of A.I.
• protection and retraining for workers whose jobs are threatened
• education to help students think critically about the technology
• action to protect children from violent, hypersexualized or fake information online that is often generated by A.I.
• safeguards to ensure that humans, not artificial intelligence, remain responsible for all decisions regarding the use of weapons.

Above all he emphasized the importance of retaining a fundamental social role for all human beings. “A society that guarantees employment to only a small fraction of the population, despite having a high level of technical development, risks exposing many to forced inactivity, a lack of responsibility and the absence of daily tasks and stimuli, resulting in human and cultural impoverishment,” he said."

Pope Leo will take on AI alongside an Anthropic co-founder; NBC News, May 24, 2026

Jared Perlo, NBC News; Pope Leo will take on AI alongside an Anthropic co-founder 

"Pope Leo XIV is set to release a landmark encyclical Monday focused on preserving human dignity in the face of AI...

Olah, the Anthropic co-founder who will join the pope at Monday’s unveiling, wrote in an X post last Monday that “the questions posed by AI are bigger than the AI community. We urgently need the world — religions, civil society, academics, governments — to participate in creating a positive outcome.”

Anthropic has held a series of events targeting religious leaders across faiths in the past year. In two gatherings during March and April, Anthropic invited Christian leaders to its headquarters to discuss the spiritual development of its AI systems...

Yet some religious experts are skeptical about AI companies’ fierce drive to build intelligent systems, the companies’ eager engagement with religious leaders, and the optics of hosting a leading AI co-founder at the announcement.

“I think most religious people, and certainly people from most Abrahamic faiths, would object to the idea that a system like Anthropic’s Claude could ever have personhood,” said Will Jones, who leads faith outreach efforts at the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to avoiding extreme risks from transformative technologies...

Many theologians within the Vatican are strongly opposed to granting AI any notion of personhood or allowing that AI systems could have anything like a soul.

Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar and one of the pope’s key AI advisers, argued in December that human intelligence and dignity are unlike any sort of intelligence that could arise from digital minds.

“For the Christian believer, human intelligence is distinct and sacred, characterized by a capacity for wisdom, moral reasoning, and an orientation toward truth and beauty,” he wrote. “These are qualities of the soul — the ‘divine spark’ — not the output of probabilistic computation."

Disney’s Copyright Suit Against Chinese AI Developer Advances; Bloomberg Law, May 23, 2026

 Laura D. Francis, Bloomberg Law; Disney’s Copyright Suit Against Chinese AI Developer Advances

"The Walt Disney Co. and other major movie studios will move forward with their copyright claims against the makers of the Hailuo AI program after a federal judge in California refused to toss the case.

Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros.—as well as their subsidiaries—convinced the US District Court for the Central District of California Friday that they made plausible claims that Hailuo AI’s ability to generate near-perfect likenesses of their well-known characters constituted both direct and secondary infringement."

Florida biologist fired over Charlie Kirk post wins $485,000 settlement; The Guardian, May 22, 2026

Associated via The Guardian; Florida biologist fired over Charlie Kirk post wins $485,000 settlement

Biologist was fired by a state agency for criticizing Charlie Kirk on social media after his shooting death

"Florida officials have agreed to pay nearly half a million dollars to a biologist who was fired by a state agency for criticizing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on social media after his shooting death.

The state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) fired biologist Brittney Brown in September after she reposted a meme on her personal Instagram account that claimed Kirk wouldn’t care about children being shot in their classrooms. She filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement, saying she struggled to find other work because the state agency is the regulatory body for her research specialization in bird conservation.

Brown on Thursday signed a $485,000 settlement agreement with agency directors that covers backpay, damages and attorney costs. She agreed as part of the deal to not seek future employment at the agency...

Kirk’s supporters combed social media after the killing for posts they viewed as celebrating his death. Influencers like Laura Loomer pledged to ruin the careers of people who made light of the killing, and the conservative social media account Libs of TikTok shared the identities and workplaces of many who posted with its audience of millions...

In a rare instance in Tennessee, a retired police officer was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post joking about Kirk’s assassination. Tennessee officials agreed on Wednesday to pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the man, Larry Bushart. While behind bars, Bushart lost his postretirement job and missed the birth of his granddaughter before authorities eventually dropped a felony charge against him, he said in the lawsuit."

Ousted library director wins $475,000 settlement in discrimination lawsuit against Montgomery County; Houston Public Media, May 22, 2026

Kyle McClenagan

, Houston Public Media ; Ousted library director wins $475,000 settlement in discrimination lawsuit against Montgomery County

"Rhea Young, who served as the director of the Montgomery County library system from 2022 until her termination in January 2025, sued the county last year, alleging she was fired in retaliation for refusing to segregate and limit access to books containing LGBTQ+ themes or ideas. On Wednesday, commissioners for the Houston-area county approved the settlement following a closed-door discussion.

Young will receive $475,000 as part of the settlement, of which $206,797 will be used for attorney's fees, according to a copy of the settlement shared with Houston Public Media." 

You can’t control everything’: the rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face’; The Guardian, May 23, 2026

Isaaq Tomkins , The Guardian; You can’t control everything’: the rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face’

"Plastic surgeons are increasingly concerned about the rise of “AI face”, as more and more clients arrive in their offices with unrealistic AI-generated visions of what they want to look like.

Dr Nora Nugent, a cosmetic surgeon from Tunbridge Wells, has seen this first hand. Clients have started coming to her office with photos of themselves beautified by AI and a false expectation that those results are achievable with surgery. She is also the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and says many colleagues are having similar experiences.

“I can only predict an increase, given the rate AI has been incorporated into every aspect of life,” she said."

Artist Sues Copyright Office Over its Refusal to Register His AI-Enhanced Photo; PetaPixel, May 23, 2026

Matt Growcoot, PetaPixel; Artist Sues Copyright Office Over its Refusal to Register His AI-Enhanced Photo

"After having his registration request rejected by the U.S. Copyright Office, the author of an image that combined a photograph with Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night is suing.

PetaPixel reported back in December 2023 that the Copyright Office had rejected Ankit Sahni’s bid to have his artwork officially registered. Now, a report by Copyright Lately reveals that Sahni, via his company Suryast U.S. Enterprises LLC, has filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California challenging the Office’s decision."

Budget cuts mean some Missouri kids won’t get free books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library; St. Louis Public Library, May 21, 2026

Rebecca Thiele , St. Louis Public Library; Budget cuts mean some Missouri kids won’t get free books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

"The state will no longer be able to send all Missouri children free books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program set up by the famous country artist mails age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5.

Missouri lawmakers cut the Imagination Library’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year by more than half, from about $6 million to $2 million.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said it won’t have the money to enroll new children in the program after next month. The department said kids who are enrolled now will continue to receive books as funding allows.

Education department officials said they could potentially partner with local programs or private donors to revive the Imagination Library."

Trump posts AI video depicting him throwing Colbert in a dumpster and dancing; The Hill, May 22, 2026

RYAN MANCINI , The Hill; Trump posts AI video depicting him throwing Colbert in a dumpster and dancing

"President Trump late Friday shared an AI-generated video depicting him throwing former late night host Stephen Colbert into a dumpster and subsequently dancing — the latest instance of the president using artificial intelligence to mock his enemies.

The video, posted to Truth Social, shows Colbert onstage for the taping of the last episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” before Trump walks up behind him, grabs him by his shoulders and tosses him into a dumpster. Trump closes the lid to the dumpster and starts dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA.”"

I went to Anthropic's ethics gathering. I left believing wisdom traditions have key role.; Religion News Service, May 22, 2026

Jenna Nicholas , Religion News Service; I went to Anthropic's ethics gathering. I left believing wisdom traditions have key role.

"One of the most consequential dimensions of the conversation about how artificial intelligence will reshape the world will turn on a question that sounds almost too simple to take seriously: What does it actually mean for a human being to flourish? 

This past April, I spent two days at AI startup Anthropic, where technologists, ethicists, theologians and investors had convened around that question. I went in expecting some interesting conversations with some interesting people. I left unable to think about little else for weeks. The people building some of the most powerful AI systems in the world were sitting across from rabbis, Buddhist teachers and leaders from many other spiritual traditions, discussing what it means to build technology that truly serves humanity, rather than the other way around. 

Being in that room clarified something I, as a venture capitalist with an interest in spirituality and part of the Baha’i community, have believed for a long time but rarely seen articulated so explicitly inside a tech company: The frontier of AI is also an ancient frontier. The questions being asked inside leading AI labs right now are, in many cases, the same questions that wisdom traditions have grappled with for centuries. And for those of us investing in this transition into AI, it’s a signal about where the real opportunity (and challenge) lies...

One of the more hopeful arguments I heard in those two days is that AI could enable discernment by absorbing the cognitive busywork that currently fragments our attention.  

The meaning of a life is not reducible to its productivity. This is where one moment from the gathering has stayed with me more than any other. A participant shared a conversation she had recently had with Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude. They were working through something together, and at one point she paused and simply wrote, “Take all the time that you need.” Claude’s response surprised her. It expressed something close to gratitude, appreciation for the invitation to simply be, rather than to be producing all the time."

It’s a Copyright Lawsuit, Charlie Brown; The New York Times, May 21, 2026

 Aimee Ortiz, The New York Times; It’s a Copyright Lawsuit, Charlie Brown

"The owner of music used in “Peanuts” animated specials, including the memorable holiday classic “O Tannenbaum” and the unmistakable “Linus and Lucy” tunes, sued three companies and the U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday. It accused them of using its captivating bops in social media posts and a video game without permission.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions filed the copyright infringement suits in federal courts in New York and Washington, D.C. The songs are part of the programs that brought Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang from Charles Schulz’s comic strips off the page and into families’ living rooms...

According to the lawsuit, the Interior Department used “O Tannenbaum” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in a digital holiday card posted in December to social media without permission."

Court Rules Against Anna’s Archive in Copyright Lawsuit; Publishers Weekly, May 21, 2026

   Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly; Court Rules Against Anna’s Archive in Copyright Lawsuit

"Publishers scored a quick victory in their attempt to stop the pirate website Anna’s Archive from illegally copying and selling their copyrighted material.

In a decision handed down May 19, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff issued a default judgment ordering the pirate website to immediately cease copying and distributing millions of files that it had illegally downloaded."

A year after Trump fired a top ethics watchdog, there’s still no leader; The Washington Post, May 19, 2026

Dan Diamond, The Washington Post ; A year after Trump fired a top ethics watchdog, there’s still no leader

"Senate Democrats are pressing the White House to explain its plan for the Office of Government Ethics, more than a year after President Donald Trump fired the office’s Senate-confirmed leader and five months after its most recent acting director stepped down.

The Office of Government Ethics, an independent agency, works to prevent financial conflicts of interest and other ethical violations across more than 100 government agencies. It has historically served as a watchdog on government ethical standards, offering guidance to federal officials — and even rebuking the White House, as the office’s past leader repeatedly did in the first Trump administration."

STEPHEN COLBERT USES COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ MUSIC DURING FINALE: ‘I HOPE THIS DOESN’T COST CBS ANY MONEY!’; Rolling Stone, May 22, 2026

 ELISABETH GARBER-PAUL , Rolling Stone; STEPHEN COLBERT USES COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ MUSIC DURING FINALE: ‘I HOPE THIS DOESN’T COST CBS ANY MONEY!’

"During the final episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert purposely used copyrighted music during a segment, a move that could potentially cost his former bosses at CBS a lot of dough if the music was unauthorized, and the usage were to end in a lawsuit.

“Peanuts is a powerful brand and corporation in and of itself. Anyone illegally using that music is going to have to pay through the nose,” he said, before addressing his band leader, Louis Cato. “Louis, Louis! Is the band right now playing the same Peanuts music I just said people were being sued for, for using without permission? Is that what you’re doing?” The band was indeed launching into the familiar Vince Guaraldi song. “Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!” Colbert said."

Soundtrack to 8,000 Job Cuts: A Meta Worker’s Layoff-Themed A.I. Songs; The New York Times, May 20, 2026

 Mike Isaac, The New York Times ; Soundtrack to 8,000 Job Cuts: A Meta Worker’s Layoff-Themed A.I. Songs

"If you wondered what it might be like to be laid off from a giant tech company like Meta, now you can hear it in song. And the chorus goes like this:

Meta layoff, Meta layoff

Say it like a joke

Meta layoff, Meta layoff

House of cards went broke

Listen to “Meta Layoff”

Note: This song was generated by A.I.

Those were the lyrics to an artificial-intelligence-generated song that one Meta employee created shortly before the company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, laid off 8,000 workers on Wednesday — 10 percent of its work force — as it transforms itself into an A.I.-first firm."

Pa. can move ahead with broadband expansion after feds back down on wage dispute; Spotlight PA, May 21, 2026

Charlotte Keith, Spotlight PA; Pa. can move ahead with broadband expansion after feds back down on wage dispute

"Pennsylvania can move ahead with spending more than $700 million on expanding high-speed internet in rural areas, after federal officials backed down from a threat to withhold the money because of a dispute over state labor law.

The reversal removes what could have been a major roadblock to connecting roughly 130,000 Pennsylvania homes and businesses that still can’t get broadband.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Community and Economic Development said the delay was “unfortunate” but added that the Shapiro administration insisted on “standing up for workers.”

Pennsylvania now has six months to sign contracts with the companies that will receive funding, who then must provide internet service within four years.

Most locations will be connected via fiber-optic cables, which are widely considered the fastest and most reliable internet technology.

As a result of changes made by the Trump administration, however, almost one-quarter of eligible locations will receive satellite internet, which is cheaper to install but often more expensive to subscribe to. In addition, satellite internet may not be able to keep up with future demands for faster speeds as technology evolves."

Deepfakes are testing the limits of IP law; Politico, May 21, 2026

 AARON MAK , Politico; Deepfakes are testing the limits of IP law

"Nonconsensual deepfakes have become one of the most reviled applications of AI, and Congress is now looking to use the might of intellectual property law to keep them in check.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced the NO FAKES Act, which would essentially give all Americans an IP right to their voice and likeness. The act’s sponsors promote it not only as a way to protect artists and entertainers from having their creative output co-opted by AI, but as a safeguard for everyone else against pornographic deepfakes, fraudulent impersonation and a host of other ills.

NO FAKES would considerably expand the ambit of IP, which was originally aimed at incentivizing innovation and creativity. Using IP to also address issues like misinformation and sexual exploitation arguably brings this body of law into uncharted territory. Legal scholars told DFD that marshaling IP as an all-purpose shield against malicious deepfakes may have unintended consequences.

“The challenge posed by deepfakes is real, urgent and human, but not every human harm is an intellectual property harm,” said Georgetown IP law professor Madhavi Sunder. “Intellectual property can’t be everything everywhere all at once.”"

White House must comply with Presidential Records Act, judge rules; Politico, May 20, 2026

 JOSH GERSTEIN, Politico; White House must comply with Presidential Records Act, judge rules

"A federal judge has ordered aides to President Donald Trump to continue to observe the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, despite a Justice Department opinion that found the law unconstitutionally intrudes on presidential power.

In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Bates concluded that the 1978 statute is likely constitutional and granted a preliminary injunction that essentially nullifies the opinion issued last month by DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel."

Class Of 2026 Faces A Hard Truth: AI Isn’t The Threat—Ignoring It Is; Forbes, May 20, 2026

 Tim Bajarin,, Forbes; Class Of 2026 Faces A Hard Truth: AI Isn’t The Threat—Ignoring It Is

"We moaned about the Internet when it first started, ridiculed the first smartphones and considered social media a passing fad. Yet all these technologies not only survived but thrived in a relatively short period after launch. The only commonality between them was that those who were quick to embrace the changes and learn to leverage their new capabilities came out on top – sometimes with dramatic results.

AI is no different in this respect. Only this time, the stakes are higher."

Literary Prizewinners Are Facing AI Allegations. It Feels Like the New Normal; Wired, May 19, 2026

Miles Klee, Wired ; Literary Prizewinners Are Facing AI Allegations. It Feels Like the New Normal

Three of five regional winners of the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize are suspected of relying on chatbots. They’re certainly not alone.

"AT FIRST, THE winners of the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2026 enjoyed the envy of their peers. But since their works of fiction earned this distinction, these authors have found themselves facing harsh scrutiny from the literary community, with several accused of enlisting generative artificial intelligence to write for them."

There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This; The New York Times, May 20, 2026

The Editorial Board, The New York Times; There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This

"Has there ever been an episode of presidential corruption so blatant and threatening to constitutional order? Certainly not in modern times. President Trump’s Justice Department is using taxpayer money to create a $1.8 billion political slush fund. Ostensibly set up to compensate those who the department claims have “suffered weaponization and lawfare,” it will in fact reward loyalists willing to defy the law and commit violence on behalf of the president.

The fund manages to combine three of Mr. Trump’s most alarming behaviors. One, it is an obvious form of corruption, coming from a president who has used his office to enrich himself, his family and his allies. Two, the fund continues his pattern of using the Justice Department as an enforcer to punish his perceived opponents and protect his friends and allies. Three, the fund is his latest attempt to rewrite history about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress.

It is worth pausing to put the fund into the larger context of Mr. Trump’s political project: He is destroying pillars of American democracy to empower himself. He claims elections are legitimate only if he wins. He uses federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute his perceived enemies. He purges his party of officials who defy him. He describes members of the other party and civil society as traitors and enemies. He incentivizes his supporters to break the law on his behalf and rewards them when they do. He directs his allies to change election rules to keep his party in power.

Mr. Trump’s project has not yet succeeded, at least not fully. Many Americans — in the judicial system, in Congress, in state governments and elsewhere — continue to stand up for democracy and oppose his autocratic ambitions. By now, though, nobody should have illusions about what he is attempting to do."

Harvard faculty vote to limit A grades for undergraduates; The Washington Post, May 20, 2026

Susan Svrluga, The Washington Post; Harvard faculty vote to limit A grades for undergraduates

In a closely watched vote, the faculty took strong action to combat grade inflation

"Harvard faculty voted to cap the number of A grades given to undergraduates at about 20 percent per class, taking assertive action to reverse years of grade inflation at a time of intense scrutiny of higher education.

The vote, reported Wednesday, is the most prominent symbol of a reckoning at some elite schools concerned by the increasing number of A’s — a widespread issue that some faculty members warn is fundamentally damaging the integrity of education."

Elon Musk and the US government fought an AI anti-discrimination law. The arguments don’t hold up; The Guardian, May 20, 2026

Genevieve Smith, The Guardian; Elon Musk and the US government fought an AI anti-discrimination law. The arguments don’t hold up

 "This April, the US Department of Justice joined Elon Musk’s xAI in suing the state of Colorado to kill its AI anti-discrimination law.

When the federal government sides with a billionaire against a state trying to protect its residents from AI discrimination, that’s not only a Colorado story. That’s everyone’s story.

The justice department’s lawsuit is part of a coordinated federal effort to reframe AI consumer protections as ideological overreach. In July 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order on “preventing woke AI”, equating bias mitigation measures to a leftist “woke” agenda that suppresses free speech and truth. The federal National Policy Framework launched in March included a push to pre-empt state laws on AI, with Colorado’s law targeted. The justice department’s intervention in Colorado marks the first time the federal government has sought to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a state AI law."