Following Trump cut to LGBTQ youth suicide hotline, California steps up to fill the gap; Governor Gavin Newsom, July 16, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom; Following Trump cut to LGBTQ youth suicide hotline, California steps up to fill the gap

"Just weeks after the Trump administration announced that they would eliminate specialized suicide prevention support for LGBTQ youth callers through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, California is taking action to improve behavioral health services and provide even more affirming and inclusive care. Through a new partnership with The Trevor Project, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will provide the state’s 988 crisis counselors enhanced competency training from experts, ensuring better attunement to the needs of LGBTQ youth, on top of the specific training they already receive.

This partnership builds on existing collaborations, like those under California’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, and reflects a shared commitment to evidence-based, LGBTQ+ affirming crisis care. Callers to 988 will continue to be met with the highest level of understanding, respect, and affirmation when they reach out for help.

“To every young person who identifies as LGBTQ+: You matter. You are not alone. California will continue to show up for you with care, with compassion, and with action,” said Kim Johnson, Secretary of CalHHS. “Through this partnership, California will continue to lead, providing enhanced support for these young people.”

“There could not be a more stark reminder of the moral bankruptcy of this Administration than cutting off suicide prevention resources for LGQBT youth. These are young people reaching out in their time of deepest crisis—andI’m proud of California’s work to partner with the Trevor Project to creatively address this need. No matter what this Administration throws at us, I know this state will always meet cruelty with kindness and stand up for what’s right,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

California’s crisis call centers

Across California, twelve 988 call centers remain staffed around the clock by trained crisis counselors, ready to support anyone in behavioral health crises, including LGBTQ youth.

f you, a friend, or a loved one are in crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call, chat, or text 988 and be immediately connected to skilled counselors at all times. Specialized services for LGBTQ youth are also available via The Trevor Project hotline at 1‑866‑488‑7386, which continues as a state-endorsed access point...

Why this matters

LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and without affirming services, their risk increases dramatically. Since its launch in 2022, the 988 LGBTQ+ “Press 3” line connected more than 1.5 million in crisis.

How to get help 

Call, text or chat 988 at any time to be connected with trained crisis counselors.

Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or chat at TheTrevorProject.org/GetHelp to reach Trevor Project specialists.

Visit CalHOPE for non-crisis peer and family support."

Trump administration ends 988 Lifeline's special service for LGBTQ+ young people; NPR, July 19, 2025

Rhitu Chatterjee , NPR; Trump administration ends 988 Lifeline's special service for LGBTQ+ young people

[Kip Currier: Like the suspension of PEPFAR medicines for HIV prevention throughout the Global South and the dismantling of USAID, terminating Lifeline's specialized services for at risk LGBTQ+ youth is another deeply cruel and indifferent policy decision by the Trump 2.0 administration that will result in losses of life. One has to wonder about the moral character of the individuals who are making these decisions.

California has introduced measures to provide these life-saving services for LGBTQ+ young persons, as reported in a July 16, 2025 press release:

Just weeks after the Trump administration announced that they would eliminate specialized suicide prevention support for LGBTQ youth callers through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, California is taking action to improve behavioral health services and provide even more affirming and inclusive care. Through a new partnership with The Trevor Project, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will provide the state’s 988 crisis counselors enhanced competency training from experts, ensuring better attunement to the needs of LGBTQ youth, on top of the specific training they already receive.]

Where are the voices of, for example, Big Tech gay billionaires like Apple CEO Tim Cook, Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel, and OpenAI co-founder/CEO Sam Altman -- who are privileged and blessed to be in positions of leadership and influence -- to speak out against policy decisions like this? Or step up to the plate and donate a fraction of their wealth to support services like Lifeline?]

[Excerpt]

"The nation's Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, shuttered the specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth this week. The move came a day after the Lifeline marked three years since its launch. During this period, it has fielded more than 16 million calls, texts and chats. Nearly 10% of those contacts have been from gay and transgender young people, according to government data.

"This is a tragic moment," says Mark Henson, vice president of government affairs and advocacy at The Trevor Project, one of several organizations that had contracts with the federal government to provide counseling services for this vulnerable population. The Trevor Project fields about half the LGBTQ+ contacts.

Data from the Youth Behavior Risk Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness compared to their peers, and more likely to attempt suicide.

When these young people contact 988, they have had the option to press 3 to be connected to a counselor specifically trained to support their unique mental health needs, which are associated with discrimination and violence they often face. This service is similar to what 988 offers to veterans, who are also at a higher risk of suicide, and can access support tailored for them by pressing 1 when they contact 988. That service will be retained as 988 enters its fourth year.

"Many LGBTQ+ youth who use these services didn't know they existed until they called 988 and found out there is someone on the other end of the line that knows what they've gone through and cares deeply for them," says Henson.

Government data show that demand for this service grew steadily since it launched, from about 2,000 contacts per month in September 2022 to nearly 70,000 in recent months."

Clergy grapple with the ethics of using AI to write sermons; 90.5 WESA, July 17, 2025

Deena Prichep, 90.5 WESA; Clergy grapple with the ethics of using AI to write sermons

"AILSA CHANG, HOST:

On any given Sunday, churchgoers settle into pews and listen to a sermon. A member of the clergy uses text from the Bible and figures out what it has to say about our lives today, right? But how would you feel if you found out that sermon was written by artificial intelligence? Deena Prichep reports.

DEENA PRICHEP, BYLINE: Writing and delivering sermons, homiletics if you're in the biz, is not an easy job.

NAOMI SEASE CARRIKER: It's like a mini research paper. You have to prepare every week, and some weeks, life is just a lot.

PRICHEP: Naomi Sease Carriker is pastor of Messiah of the Mountains Lutheran Church in North Carolina and recently had one of those weeks, so she popped open ChatGPT.

CARRIKER: And boom, literally within not even 30 seconds, I had a 900-word sermon. And I read through it, and I was like, oh, my God, this is really good.

PRICHEP: But she also thought...

CARRIKER: This feels wrong.

PRICHEP: It's an ethical question clergy across the country are wrestling with. When it comes to something like homework, the goal is students learning. So using AI can get in the way of that. But the goal of a sermon is basically to tell a story that can break open the hearts of people to a holy message. So does it matter where that comes from? Some denominations have issued general guidelines urging thought and caution, but they don't really mention specifics, given that the technology is changing so quickly. So clergy are left to figure it out themselves. Naomi Sease Carriker decided not to preach that AI sermon, but she does use the tech to get her draft started or wrap up what she's written with a nice conclusion, and that feels OK."

Ice chief says he will continue to allow agents to wear masks during arrest raids; The Guardian, July 20, 2025

Michael Sainato , The Guardian; Ice chief says he will continue to allow agents to wear masks during arrest raids

"The head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) said on Sunday that he will continue allowing the controversial practice of his officers wearing masks over their faces during their arrest raids.

As Donald Trump has ramped up his unprecedented effort to deport immigrants around the country, Ice officers have become notorious for wearing masks to approach and detain people, often with force. Legal advocates and attorneys general have argued that it poses accountability issues and contributes to a climate of fear.

On Sunday, Todd Lyons, the agency’s acting director, was asked on CBS Face the Nation about imposters exploiting the practice by posing as immigration officers. “That’s one of our biggest concerns. And I’ve said it publicly before, I’m not a proponent of the masks,” Lyons said.

“However, if that’s a tool that the men and women of Ice to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it.”

Lyons has previously defended the practice of mask-wearing, telling Fox News last week that “while I’m not a fan of the masks, I think we could do better, but we need to protect our agents and officers”, claiming concerns about doxxing (the public revealing of personal information such as home addresses), and declaring that assaults of immigration officers have increased by 830%."

The USDA wants states to hand over food stamp data by the end of July; NPR, July 19, 2025

Jude Joffe-Block, NPR ; The USDA wants states to hand over food stamp data by the end of July

"When Julliana Samson signed up for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to help afford food as she studied at the University of California, Berkeley, she had to turn in extensive, detailed personal information to the state to qualify.

Now she's worried about how that information could be used.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has made an unprecedented demand to states to share the personal information of tens of millions of federal food assistance recipients by July 30, as a federal lawsuit seeks to postpone the data collection...

She and three other SNAP recipients, along with a privacy organization and an anti-hunger group, are challenging USDA's data demand in a federal lawsuit, arguing the agency has not followed protocols required by federal privacy laws. Late Thursday, they asked a federal judge to intervene to postpone the July 30 deadline and a hearing has been scheduled for July 23.

"I am worried my personal information will be used for things I never intended or consented to," Samson wrote recently as part of an ongoing public comment period for the USDA's plan. "I am also worried that the data will be used to remove benefits access from student activists who have views the administration does not agree with."

AI guzzled millions of books without permission. Authors are fighting back.; The Washington Post, July 19, 2025

Will Oremus , The Washington Post; AI guzzled millions of books without permission. Authors are fighting back.

[Kip Currier: I've written this before on this blog and I'll say it again: technology companies would never allow anyone to freely vacuum up their content and use it without permission or compensation. Period. Full Stop.]

[Excerpt]

"Baldacci is among a group of authors suing OpenAI and Microsoft over the companies’ use of their work to train the AI software behind tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot without permission or payment — one of more than 40 lawsuits against AI companies advancing through the nation’s courts. He and other authors this week appealed to Congress for help standing up to what they see as an assault by Big Tech on their profession and the soul of literature.

They found sympathetic ears at a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday, where lawmakers expressed outrage at the technology industry’s practices. Their cause gained further momentum Thursday when a federal judge granted class-action status to another group of authors who allege that the AI firm Anthropic pirated their books.

“I see it as one of the moral issues of our time with respect to technology,” Ralph Eubanks, an author and University of Mississippi professor who is president of the Authors Guild, said in a phone interview. “Sometimes it keeps me up at night.”

Lawsuits have revealed that some AI companies had used legally dubious “torrent” sites to download millions of digitized books without having to pay for them."

Judge Rules Class Action Suit Against Anthropic Can Proceed; Publishers Weekly, July 18, 2025

 Jim Milliot , Publishers Weekly; Judge Rules Class Action Suit Against Anthropic Can Proceed

"In a major victory for authors, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled July 17 that three writers suing Anthropic for copyright infringement can represent all other authors whose books the AI company allegedly pirated to train its AI model as part of a class action lawsuit.

In late June, Alsup of the Northern District of California, ruled in Bartz v. Anthropic that the AI company's training of its Claude LLMs on authors' works was "exceedingly transformative," and therefore protected by fair use. However, Alsup also determined that the company's practice of downloading pirated books from sites including Books3, Library Genesis, and Pirate Library Mirror (PiLiMi) to build a permanent digital library was not covered by fair use.

Alsup’s most recent ruling follows an amended complaint from the authors looking to certify classes of copyright owners in a “Pirated Books Class” and in a “Scanned Books Class.” In his decision, Alsup certified only a LibGen and PiLiMi Pirated Books Class, writing that “this class is limited to actual or beneficial owners of timely registered copyrights in ISBN/ASIN-bearing books downloaded by Anthropic from these two pirate libraries.”

Alsup stressed that “the class is not limited to authors or author-like entities,” explaining that “a key point is to cover everyone who owns the specific copyright interest in play, the right to make copies, either as the actual or as the beneficial owner.” Later in his decision, Alsup makes it clear who is covered by the ruling: “A beneficial owner...is someone like an author who receives royalties from any publisher’s revenues or recoveries from the right to make copies. Yes, the legal owner might be the publisher but the author has a definite stake in the royalties, so the author has standing to sue. And, each stands to benefit from the copyright enforcement at the core of our case however they then divide the benefit.”"

US authors suing Anthropic can band together in copyright class action, judge rules; Reuters, July 17, 2025

 Blake Brittain , Reuters; US authors suing Anthropic can band together in copyright class action, judge rules

"A California federal judge ruled on Thursday that three authors suing artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for copyright infringement can represent writers nationwide whose books Anthropic allegedly pirated to train its AI system.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the authors can bring a class action on behalf of all U.S. writers whose works Anthropic allegedly downloaded from "pirate libraries" LibGen and PiLiMi to create a repository of millions of books in 2021 and 2022."

Trump administration to destroy nearly $10m of contraceptives for women overseas; The Guardian, July 18, 2025

Carter Sherman , The Guardian; Trump administration to destroy nearly $10m of contraceptives for women overseas

"The Trump administration has decided to destroy $9.7m worth of contraceptives rather than send them abroad to women in need.

A state department spokesperson confirmed that the decision had been made – a move that will cost US taxpayers $167,000. The contraceptives are primarily long-acting, such as IUDs and birth control implants, and were almost certainly intended for women in Africa, according to two senior congressional aides, one of whom visited a warehouse in Belgium that housed the contraceptives. It is not clear to the aides whether the destruction has already been carried out, but said they had been told that it was set to occur by the end of July."

The Future of Weather Prediction Is Here. Maybe.; The New York Times, July 13, 2025

Tim Fernholz

Photographs by Jason Henry

, The New York Times ; The Future of Weather Prediction Is Here. Maybe.

Thanks to A.I., companies like WindBorne hope to usher in a golden age of forecasting. But they rely in part on government data — and the agency that provides it is in turmoil.

"The good news is that we may be poised to enter a new golden age of A.I.-enabled weather prediction. That heat wave that scorched the East Coast last month? WindBorne says its software first flagged that 15 days out, two to four days before competing forecasts.

There’s a catch, though. These new deep learning forecasts are built on data provided for free by public science agencies. In the United States, that relationship is threatened by the Trump administration’s heavy cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which houses the National Weather Service."

Libraries Pay More for E-Books. Some States Want to Change That.; The New York Times, July 16, 2025

 Erik Ofgang, The New York Times; Libraries Pay More for E-Books. Some States Want to Change That.

Proposed legislation would pressure publishers to adjust borrowing limits and find other ways to widen access. 

"Librarians complain that publishers charge so much to license e-books that it’s busting library budgets and frustrating efforts to provide equitable access to reading materials. Big publishers and many authors say that e-book library access undermines their already struggling business models. Smaller presses are split."

Hot Days, Hotter Topics | ALA Annual 2025; Library Journal, July 9, 2025

Matt Enis, Lisa Peet, Hallie Rich, & Kara Yorio , Library Journal; Hot Days, Hotter Topics | ALA Annual 2025

"This year’s American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held from June 26–30 in Philadelphia, drew 14,250 participants: librarians and library staff, authors, publishers, educators, and exhibitors, including 165 international members. While still not up to pre-pandemic attendance levels, the conference was—by all accounts—buzzing and busy, with well-attended sessions and a bustling exhibit floor.

Even with temperatures topping 90˚, Philly wasn’t the only hot aspect of the conference. A cluster of topics seemed to be at the center of nearly every discussion: how libraries would cope in the face of current or anticipated budget cuts, the impacts of ongoing attacks on the freedom to read and DEI, the ramping up of ICE and police surveillance, the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and firing of Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, and the uses and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI)."

The Art (and Legality) of Imitation: Navigating the Murky Waters of Fair Use in AI Training The National Law Review, July 16, 2025

 Sarah C. Reasoner, Ashley N. Higginson, Anita C. Marinelli, Kimberly A. Berger of Miller Canfield   - Miller Canfield Resources, The National Law Review; The Art (and Legality) of Imitation: Navigating the Murky Waters of Fair Use in AI Training 

"The legal landscape for artificial intelligence is still developing, and no outcome can yet be predicted with any sort of accuracy. While some courts appear poised to accept AI model training as transformative, other courts do not. As AI technology continues to advance, the legal system must adapt to address the unique challenges it presents. Meanwhile, businesses and creators navigating this uncertain terrain should stay informed about legal developments and consider proactive measures to mitigate risks. As we await further rulings and potential legislative action, one thing is clear: the conversation around AI and existing intellectual property protection is just beginning."

GOP-led Senate votes to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS; NBC News, July 16, 2025

Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Brennan Leach , NBC News; GOP-led Senate votes to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS

[Kip Currier: Notice how Trump 2.0 and the GOP (except for a couple of legislators) are going after sources of information: cutting funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Voice of America, PBS, NPR, etc. 

Control the information sources and you can more easily influence and control how people get their information and what they think.

Autocracies restrict access to information; democracies don't.]

[Excerpt]

"The Republican-led Senate Republicans voted Thursday morning to pass a package of spending cuts requested by President Donald Trump, sending it to the House. 

The rescissions package cancels previously approved funding totaling $9 billion for foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. Republicans passed it through a rarely used process to evade the 60-vote threshold and modify a bipartisan spending deal on party lines.

The vote of 51-48 followed a 13-hour series of votes on amendments, with two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition to the final bill: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska."

Hungary opposition figures urge Democrats to organize against autocratic takeover by Trump; The Guardian, July 16, 2025

Robert Tait , The Guardian; Hungary opposition figures urge Democrats to organize against autocratic takeover by Trump

[Kip Currier: It's clear Trump 2.0 is using the autocratic takeover playbook of Hungary's Viktor Orbán. As this article points out, autocrats work to cut off access to public broadcasting where people can get fact-based information. Just look to what the Trump and the GOP are doing to public media in the U.S. right now: 

"GOP-led Senate votes to cancel $9 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS".]

[Excerpt]

"Hungary, a European Union and Nato member, is often cited as an example of a formerly liberal democracy devolving into a competitive autocracy. Orbán – who has trumpeted his belief in “illiberal democracy” – has cemented his power over the courts, the media and universities during 15 years in office and four consecutive election victories.

Addressing a webinar organized by the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based thinktank, Cseh warned US voters against believing their country was immune to such developments.

“I do believe that many Americans think this is something that also only happens to others, and I think that mindset has to be fought,” she said.

“Start preparing for the midterms like yesterday. Go to every protest, go to every march, stand right beside everybody who is being attacked, no matter if it is a group you belong to, or something that you do not share personally. You have to stand side by side [with] each other and help and support those who might feel isolated and alone.”

She urged Democrats and activists to form a widely inclusive “movement” and find “candidates for the midterms or any election that is coming your way who can get people excited – not necessarily the same old faces they have been seeing all the time that they don’t really trust that much, but visionary leaders … who are part of a community, who are being persecuted.”

Leaders such as Trump and Orbán could only be effectively opposed, she said, by ditching a “legalistic, technical, technocratic approach” in favor of “something for the electorate to be excited about”.

“Autocrats are not always good in governing. So cost of living, crisis of healthcare, education – if the focus is shifted to these areas, and not only technical descriptions of what’s going on in the courts, this is something that people can relate to more.”

The parallels with Hungary came as opinion polls show Orbán on course to lose next year’s general election to the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, a former member of the prime minister’s party...

Panyi said Trump’s attempts to slash funding for public broadcasters such as PBS and Voice of America were also inspired by Orbán.

“[Orbán] went after public radio, public TV, and in a matter of a couple of months, it was already transformed into propaganda,” he said. “It’s scary to see similar things happening in the United States. Solidarity is especially important, so whenever there are similar things happening, there should be protests. Journalists should support their colleagues and tell readers that if it happens to one outlet, it can happen to others as well.”

Schiff, Democrats demand rationale on Bondi firing of ethics attorney; The Hill, July 16, 2025

 REBECCA BEITSCH, The Hill; Schiff, Democrats demand rationale on Bondi firing of ethics attorney

"Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi for her rationale in firing the Justice Department’s top ethics attorney, asking for details on who will provide ethics guidance to the department.

Bondi fired Joseph Tirrell, director of the Departmental Ethics Office, on Friday after more than 20 years at the Justice Department and the FBI.

The firing of Tirrell marks the removal of one of the last remaining career ethics leaders in the department.

“This latest dismissal of a career ethics official continues the Department’s systematic dismantling of its internal ethics safeguards under your watch, which further undermines public confidence and congressional trust in the Department and its senior leadership,” Schiff wrote in a letter joined by Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Peter Welch (Vt.).

Ethical matters are of top concern to Democrats given Bondi and other top Justice Department officials’ background serving as part of President Trump’s private legal team."

Musicians brace for impact as Senate vote on public radio looms; The Washington Post, July 15, 2025

Ethan Beck, The Washington Post; Musicians brace for impact as Senate vote on public radio looms

"For the more than 1,000 public radio stations that play independent music, Boilen says the bill is an existential threat...

“All stations would be in trouble of not being able to play music,” NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher said. The CPB spends nearly $20 million on licensing most years, covering an expense Maher said would be impossible for most stations to afford. “Regardless of how big you are, even the largest station in the NPR network and in public radio still operates on a budget of less than $100 million a year.”

Licensing isn’t the only thing threatened by the rescission bill, which also retracts funding from foreign aid programs such as global AIDS prevention and other public media such as PBS."

Supreme Court Keeps Ruling in Trump’s Favor, but Doesn’t Say Why; The New York Times, July 16, 2025

 Adam Liptak, The New York Times; Supreme Court Keeps Ruling in Trump’s Favor, but Doesn’t Say Why

"In clearing the way for President Trump’s efforts to transform American government, the Supreme Court has issued a series of orders that often lacked a fundamental characteristic of most judicial work: an explanation of the court’s rationale."

Trump Attacks ‘Past’ Supporters Upset Over Epstein Case; The New York Times, July 16, 2025

Erica L. Green, The New York Times; Trump Attacks ‘Past’ Supporters Upset Over Epstein Case

 "In a blistering social media post Wednesday morning, President Trump took aim at his supporters who are upset with the administration’s handling of files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose connections to wealthy figures have been a subject of intense interest among vocal portions of his base.

Mr. Trump distanced himself from those who have criticized him, calling them “PAST supporters” who had “bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker.”

Mr. Trump also claimed that outrage over the Justice Department’s decision to not release additional information and close the investigation was just the latest “scam” cooked up by Democrats.

“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work,” he wrote, “don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!”"

Can Gen AI and Copyright Coexist?; Harvard Business Review, July 16, 2025

 Michael D. Smith and Rahul Telang, Harvard Business Review ; Can Gen AI and Copyright Coexist?

"We’re experts in the study of digital transformation and have given this issue a lot of thought. We recently served, for example, on a roundtable of 10 economists convened by the U.S. Copyright Office to study the implications of gen AI on copyright policy. We recognize that the two decisions are far from the last word on this topic; both will no doubt be appealed to the Ninth Circuit and then subsequently to the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, we believe there are already many lessons to be learned from these decisions about the implications of gen AI for business—lessons that will be useful for leaders in both the creative industries and gen AI companies."

I’m Watching the Sacrifice of College’s Soul; The New York Times, July 14, 2025

 Frank Bruni, The New York Times; I’m Watching the Sacrifice of College’s Soul

"At dinner recently with fellow professors, the conversation turned to two topics that have been unavoidable these past few years. The first was grade inflation — and the reality that getting A’s seldom requires any herculean effort and doesn’t distinguish one bright consultant-to-be from the next. Many students, accordingly, redirect their energies away from the classroom and the library. Less deep reading. More shrewd networking.gr

The second topic was A.I. Given its advancing sophistication, should we surrender to it? Accept that students will use it without detection to cull a semester’s worth of material and sculpt their paragraphs? Perhaps we just teach them how to fashion the most effective prompts for bots? Perhaps the future of college instruction lies in whatever slivers of mental endeavor can’t be outsourced to these digital know-it-alls.

And perhaps a certain idea of college — a certain ideal of college — is dying...

I’m not under the illusion that college used to be regarded principally in such high-minded terms. From the G.I. Bill onward, it has been held up rightfully as an engine of social mobility, a ladder of professional opportunity, yielding greater wealth for its graduates and society both.

But there was a concurrent sense that it contributed mightily to the civic good — that it made society culturally and morally richer. That feeling is now fighting for survival. So much over the past quarter century has transformed Americans’ relationship to higher education in ways that degrade its loftier goals. The corpus of college lumbers on, but some of its soul is missing."