Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform; The Guardian, November 17, 2024

Siân Boyle , The Guardian; Is this (finally) the end for X? Delicate Musk-Trump relationship and growing rivals spell trouble for platform

"As recently as 2022, Musk tweeted that “for Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.” He tweeted that “Trump would be 82 at end of his term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America.”

Months later, when Musk bought Twitter for $44bn, he fired content moderators and charged for account verification, which meant people could buy influence. Twitter was rebranded to X, shed millions of users and reinstated Trumps’s account, suspended after the White House insurrection in January 2021.

The proliferation on X of alt-right diatribe, hate speech and bots, as well as Musk’s own clash with the UK government during the riots in August, have led to mounting disquiet among X users. The Guardian and Observer announced last week that their presence on the site was now untenable and they would no longer post. Stephen King, the author, left, saying it had become “too toxic”. Oscar-winners Barbra Streisand and Jamie Lee Curtis have departed the platform.

“X has become effectively Truth Social premium,” said Mark Carrigan, author of Social Media for Academics, referring to Trump’s hard-right social media platform. And the talk in technology circles is that Trump’s Truth Social could be folded into X.

If that happens, whose interests take priority? Would Musk suppress criticism of the authoritarian governments he does business with, or promote it? In the Donald and Elon media show, who is the puppet or paymaster?

“If that happens, it will be the ultimate amplification machine for Trump’s ideas – a political super-app masquerading as social media,” said James Kirkham of Iconic, which advises brands including Uber and EA Sports on digital strategies. “Forget Facebook or Fox News; the true heart of the GOP’s digital strategy could be X.”"

Tracking The Slow Movement Of AI Copyright Cases; Law360, November 7, 2024

Mark Davies and Anna Naydonov , Law360; Tracking The Slow Movement Of AI Copyright Cases

"There is a considerable gap between assumptions in the technology community and assumptions in the legal community concerning how long the legal questions around artificial intelligence and copyright law will take to reach resolution.

The principal litigated question asks whether copyright law permits or forbids the process by which AI systems are using copyright works to generate additional works.[1] AI technologists expect that the U.S. Supreme Court will resolve these questions in a few years.[2] Lawyers expect it to take much longer.[3] History teaches the answer...

Mark S. Davies and Anna B. Naydonov are partners at White & Case LLP.

Mark Davies represented Stephen Thaler in Thaler v. Vidal, Oracle in Google v. Oracle, and filed an amicus brief on behalf of a design professional in Apple v. Samsung."

Anheuser-Busch sued for copyright infringement of Montana artist’s fishing illustration; KMOV.com, November 15, 2024

 Pat Pratt, KMOV.com; Anheuser-Busch sued for copyright infringement of Montana artist’s fishing illustration

"A Montana wildlife artist is suing Anheuser-Busch for copyright infringement of one of his fishing illustrations. 

Artist Jon Q. Wright filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, where the company is headquartered. He has requested damages including profits made from the artwork, that illicit copies be impounded and further use be prohibited.

First Alert 4 has reached out to Anheuser-Busch requesting comment and is awaiting a response.

Wright states in the lawsuit he penned the image in 1999 and copyrighted it the following year. The image depicts a fishing scene with a fish in the foreground and a man in a boat in the background.

According to the lawsuit, Wright gave Anheuser-Busch a limited-term, non-exclusive license for specific works of art about 20 years ago, including the image at the center of the litigation filed Thursday. The license also included that several of the company’s affiliates could use the work.

The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that the license has expired and Anheuser-Busch has altered the photo and continues to use it."

It's Over - Gino vs Harvard Fake Data Scandal; YouTube, October 2024

Pete Judo, YouTube ; It's Over - Gino vs Harvard Fake Data Scandal

Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church; Religion News, October 14, 2024

  Yonat Shimron, Religion News; Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church

"The Episcopal Church’s membership dropped just below 1.6 million in 2022, down 21% from 2013. Over the past two years the decline appears to be accelerating rather than slowing, occasioning headlines such as “Episcopal Withering on the Vine,” and “The Death of the Episcopal Church is Near.”

When casting for a new leader to replace Michael Curry, the denomination’s first Black presiding bishop, Episcopalians nominated Rowe on the first ballot. Rowe had been serving as bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and under a novel partnership, he also served as provisional bishop of the Western New York diocese, a collaborative model now being tried in other places.

At the same General Conference in which Rowe was elected, he was tasked with developing a plan to save $3.5 million on staff over three years.

Rowe, who has a Ph.D. in organizational learning and leadership, has already talked about cutting back the church’s hierarchy and moving resources down the ladder to church ministries.

His first two weeks in office have been busy. First, Donald Trump was elected president. Rowe issued a letter saying the mission of the church — striving for justice and peace, and protecting the dignity of every human being — would continue.

Then, Archbishop Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned over his handling of a child sex abuse scandal. The Episcopal Church is one of 42 autonomous churches that make up the worldwide Anglican Communion, with about 80 million members in 160 countries.

“Abuse in any form is horrific and abhorrent, and it grieves me that the church does not always live up to its ideal as a place where all of God’s children are safe,” Rowe said in a statement Tuesday. He also pledged to address any failures in safeguarding children in the Episcopal Church.

Rowe lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Carly, the executive director of the Cathedral of St. Paul. The couple have a 12-year-old daughter, Lauren. RNS spoke to Rowe, the youngest presiding bishop ever, about the challenges ahead. The interview was edited for length and clarity."

Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump; Government Executive, November 14, 2024

 Eric Katz, Government Executive; Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump

"The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Biden’s nominee to serve as head of the Office of Government Ethics in a 50-46 vote, giving him a term that will last through President-elect Trump’s tenure. 

David Huitema, currently a State Department ethics official, will now serve in the governmentwide ethics czar role in a five-year term. Senate Democrats sought to prioritize his confirmation in the waning days of the Biden administration and their control of the chamber before Trump’s inauguration, as the former and future president once again brings with him to the Oval Office a bevy of potential conflicts of interest. 

Bringing Huitema’s role more into the foreground is Trump’s decision to so far refuse to sign agreements with the Biden administration, and the ethics agreements that go with them, that enable a formal presidential transition to take place. Absent those agreements, Trump’s teams have been unable to deploy into agencies and receive briefings from career staff. 

OGE has been without a confirmed director for more than a year, when Trump-appointee Emory Rounds’ term expired. Shelley Finlayson, chief of staff and program counsel at the ethics agency, has filled in on an acting basis. During his first term, Trump bypassed Finlayson in a period without a confirmed director to instead install another career official as acting director."

Icelandic Fishing Giant Wins Copyright Case Against Artist; artnet, November 14, 2024

Jo Lawson-Tancred , artnet; Icelandic Fishing Giant Wins Copyright Case Against Artist

"The work by the artist known as Odee had publicly impersonated Iceland’s biggest fishing company Samherji, issuing a fake apology for its role in the so-called “fishrot” corruption scandal of 2019. In his ruling, the judge described the artwork as “an instrument of fraud, copyright infringement, and malicious falsehood.”

The case never went to trial but the artist said he plans to appeal the judgement. His defenders have argued that any punitive action taken against him could result in a “chilling effect” that discourages artist’s from daring to critique big corporations for fear of legal action.

Samherji sued Odee, the moniker for 41-year-old Icelandic artist Oddur Fridriksson, over We’re Sorry (2023), for which Odee created the website samherji.co.uk, imitating the company’s brand identity. On this platform, he issued the statement: “Samherji Apologizes, Pledges Restitution and Cooperation with Authorities.”

In Samherji’s complaint filed in London’s high court, it accused Odee of trademark infringement and malicious falsehood. The company’s lawyers applied for a summary judgement to avoid a trial."

The exodus from X to Bluesky has happened – the era of mass social media platforms is over; The Guardian, November 15, 2024

Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian; The exodus from X to Bluesky has happened – the era of mass social media platforms is over

"Platforms come and go, but this feels different: the final death of the idea that social media could ever be the internet’s town square, a global meeting place for ideas that would broaden all our horizons. Now, the future of social media looks increasingly segregated for users’ safety, like rival fans at football."

Perlmutter Says Copyright Office Is Still Working to Meet ‘Ambitious Deadline’ for AI Report; IPWatchdog, November 14, 2024

 EILEEN MCDERMOTT , IPWatchdog; Perlmutter Says Copyright Office Is Still Working to Meet ‘Ambitious Deadline’ for AI Report

"Asked by Subcommittee Chair Chris Coons (D-DE) what keeps her up at night when it comes to the AI issue, Perlmutter said “the speed at which this is all developing.” In September during IPWatchdog LIVE 2024, Perlmutter told LIVE attendees that while she’s confident the issues around copyright and AI will eventually be solved, she’s “less comfortable about what it means for humankind.”

Perlmutter recently came under fire from Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI), who sent a letter On Tuesday, October 29, to the Office asking for an update on the AI report, which Steil charged is no longer on track to be published by its stated target dates. Steil’s letter asked the Office to explain the delay in issuance of parts two and three, which Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter indicated in an oversight hearing by the Committee on House Administration would be published before the end of the summer and in the fall, respectively. “The importance of these reports cannot be overstated,” Steil wrote, explaining that copyright owners are relying on the Office to provide clear guidance. “The absence of these reports creates uncertainty for industries that are already grappling with AI-related challenges and hinders lawmakers’ ability to craft effective policy,” the letter added.

Perlmutter commented in the hearing that “we’ve been trying to set and follow our own ambitious deadlines” and the goal remains to get the rest of the report out by the end of the year, but that her key concern is to be “accurate and thoughtful.”

The forthcoming reports will include recommendations on how to deal with copyrightability of materials created using GAI and the legal implications of training on copyrighted works. The latter is most controversial and may in fact require additional legislation focusing on transparency requirements."

Climber Sees Wings Trapped Under A Boulder And Saves Majestic Animals; The Dodo, November 13, 2024

Maeve Dunigan , The Dodo; Climber Sees Wings Trapped Under A Boulder And Saves Majestic Animals

"Working together, rescuers removed the heavy boulders and carefully secured both eagles in crates. They swiftly brought the birds to Raven Ridge for further assessment.

Rehabilitators treated the birds’ wounds and tested them for lead poisoning. With continued therapy and care, the eagles recovered. They became increasingly spicy and aggressive, signaling that they were preparing to return to their home outdoors.

The eagles were ready for release by Veterans Day, making the moment especially emotional for all involved...

“By caring for both eagles, we were able to reunite them for their release,” Raven Ridge wrote in a Facebook post. “We believe they are a mated pair, and releasing them together not only honors their bond but embodies the spirit of resilience and hope that Veterans Day represents.”

Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing; AP, November 14, 2024

Dave Collins | AP; Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing

"The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax.

“The dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for,” Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, said in a statement Thursday provided by his lawyers.

The Onion acquired the conspiracy theory platform’s website; social media accounts; studio in Austin, Texas; trademarks; and video archive for an undisclosed sales price. The purchase gives a satirical outlet — which carries the banner of “America’s Finest News Source” on its masthead — control over a brand that has long peddled misinformation and conspiracy."

‘We’re getting a kakistocracy’: Social media users are reeling over Trump’s defense secretary pick; Fast Company, November 13, 2024

EVE UPTON-CLARK , Fast Company; ‘We’re getting a kakistocracy’: Social media users are reeling over Trump’s defense secretary pick

"For those unfamiliar with the term, Kakistocracy means “government by the worst people,” according to Merriam-Webster. The term was first used in the 17th century, deriving from the Greek words kakistos (worst) and kratos (rule) and, after falling into disuse over the past century, may be overdue for a comeback in modern vocabulary."

Elon Musk worries free speech advocates with his calls to prosecute researchers and critics; NBC News, November 12, 2024

 David Ingram and Lora Kolodny, CNBC , NBC News; Elon Musk worries free speech advocates with his calls to prosecute researchers and critics

"Musk, the world’s richest person, has in the past two years called for several of his opponents to be prosecuted, and it’s something that free speech advocates say they could overlook if he were only an ordinary private citizen. 

But now that Musk is gaining political power as a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, his demands for criminal charges against critics are much more worrisome, according to scholars and groups devoted to the First Amendment...

According to NBC News' review of Musk’s public statements, there’s an established pattern of him attacking nonprofit groups, journalists and others who produce information that he disagrees with or that may not be helpful to his goals or image — a pattern that runs counter to frequent vows by him that he’s a defender of the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech."

First came the bots, then came the bosses - we’re entering Musk and Zuck’s new era of disinformation; The Guardian, November 11, 2024

 Joan Donovan, The Guardian; First came the bots, then came the bosses - we’re entering Musk and Zuck’s new era of disinformation

"In 2024, lies travel further and faster across social media, which is now a battleground for narrative dominance. And now, the owners of the platforms circulating the most incendiary lies have direct access to the Oval Office."

Lichtman blames bad election prediction on disinformation, Elon Musk; The Hill, November 12, 2024

 DOMINICK MASTRANGELO  , The Hill; Lichtman blames bad election prediction on disinformation, Elon Musk

"Historian and political scientist Allan Lichtman is blaming disinformation and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk for his incorrect prediction that Vice President Harris would win the presidency. 

“Number one, disinformation. We’ve always had disinformation, but disinformation has exploded to an unprecedented degree. You talked about a grievance election, but a lot of that grievance was driven by disinformation,” Lichtman said during an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation show.

Lichtman pointed to conservative media platforms and Musk, who poured millions into President-elect Trump’s campaign and has become one of his loudest media cheerleaders, as a factor in his inaccurate prediction.

Musk had helped fuel the spread of false or misleading information online about issues like immigration, hurricane relief and the war in Ukraine, Lichtman said, effectively “putting his thumb on the scales.”

“And you know, as scholars have shown, once you dissolve truth, democracy dissolves along with it, the way authoritarian takes hold, and it’s taking hold all over the world, not just here, is not through force, but through the manipulation of information, as George Orwell warned in 1984 you know, in that dictatorship, war is peace, famine is plenty,” Lichtman said."

BLUESKY SURGES WITH 700,000 NEW MEMBERS AS USERS FLEE X AFTER US ELECTION; CEO Today, November 12, 2024

CEO Today; BLUESKY SURGES WITH 700,000 NEW MEMBERS AS USERS FLEE X AFTER US ELECTION

"Bluesky Surges with 700,000 New Members as Users Flee X After US Election: A Social Media Revolution in the Making

In the wake of the US election, a quiet revolution has been unfolding in the world of social media. The platform Bluesky has seen a dramatic increase in user growth, with over 700,000 new members joining in just one week following the election results. This surge has propelled Bluesky’s user base to 14.5 million globally, up from 9 million in September. The platform’s meteoric rise is largely attributed to disillusioned social media users seeking a safer, more regulated alternative to X (formerly Twitter), especially after the platform underwent a radical transformation under Elon Musk's ownership and his association with US president-elect Donald Trump.

Bluesky, which originated as a project within Twitter before becoming an independent platform in 2022, has quickly become a refuge for those seeking a break from the rising tide of far-right activism, misinformation, and offensive content that has overtaken X in recent months. As X grapples with growing controversy and user dissatisfaction, Bluesky is capitalizing on the opportunity to position itself as a civil and balanced alternative...

The Growing Backlash Against X and Musk’s Vision

The rise of Bluesky is part of a broader trend of backlash against X since Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform. Under Musk’s leadership, X has shifted its focus, alienating a significant portion of its user base. In the aftermath of the US election, many have expressed concerns about the platform's increasing alignment with far-right political groups and its potential transformation into a propaganda tool for Trump and his supporters.

For example, a prominent critic of X, historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who had 250,000 followers on X, noted that she picked up 21,000 followers within her first day on Bluesky after moving to the platform. She shared her concerns about X's potential evolution into a far-right radicalization machine under Musk’s stewardship. Ben-Ghiat said, "After January, when X could be owned by a de facto member of the Trump administration, its functions as a Trump propaganda outlet and far-right radicalization machine could be accelerated."

This sentiment reflects the growing sense of unease among users about the political direction of X. As Musk’s political ties become clearer and his rhetoric becomes more controversial, users who once considered X a neutral platform for conversation now see it as a space increasingly hostile to their values. For many, Bluesky is emerging as the antidote to this growing disillusionment."

ALA Vows to Defend Core Values; American Libraries, November 6, 2024

American Libraries; ALA Vows to Defend Core Values

"On November 6, the American Library Association (ALA) issued a statement following the results of the 2024 US election. The full statement reads as follows:

In response to the results of the 2024 US election, ALA vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats.

“We know that many of our members are concerned that the election results portend attacks on libraries, library workers, and readers,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “Whatever happens, ALA will stand up for all Americans’ freedom to read—and we will need everyone who loves libraries to stand with us.”"

Declaration of Helsinki revised to modernize research ethics standards; American Medical Association (AMA), November 6, 2024

American Medical Association (AMA); Declaration of Helsinki revised to modernize research ethics standards

"The World Medical Association (WMA) has updated its cornerstone ethical principles for medical research to modernize protections and reinforce respect for the rights and interests of human participants, while including new language on global justice, public health, vulnerability and consent for personal data collection and reuse.

For 60 years, these principles—dubbed the Declaration of Helsinki for the city in Finland where WMA members assembled to formally adopt them—have guided ethical conduct for medical research involving human participants on a global scale. 

The WMA General Assembly, whose constituent members represent more than 10 million physicians, recently met to adopt additional revisions crafted by an AMA-led work group from 19 countries. Through eight regional and topical meetings on many continents and two global public-comment periods, the work group gathered feedback from other experts and stakeholders including researchers, patients, bioethicists, regulators, medical leaders and others.

The AMA delegation to the World Medical Association plays a major role in proposing and authoring global policy issues including medical ethics, access to high-quality medical care, the physician workforce, public health, medical education, and advocacy for physicians’ and patients’ rights. As the predominant U.S. medical association, the AMA is the only national medical association eligible for membership in the World Medical Association, which was founded in 1947 in the wake [sic, of] involvement by physicians in medical atrocities during World War II.

The landmark amendments to the Declaration of Helsinki highlight the commitment “to reinforcing the ethical principles that guide medical research involving human participants, to safeguard patient rights and to ensure the integrity of scientific studies,” said WMA President Ashok Philip, MD, in a statement."

Ted Danson Says ‘The Good Place’ Writers Had Ethics Professors “On Speed Dial” For Accuracy; Deadline, November 9, 2024

Glenn Garner , Deadline; Ted Danson Says ‘The Good Place’ Writers Had Ethics Professors “On Speed Dial” For Accuracy

"Following his time on The Good Place, Ted Danson is giving it up for the show’s architects.

The 3x Golden Globe winner recently explained the lengths the NBC comedy’s writers’ room went to in order to more accurately depict its characters’ ethical dilemmas as they navigated the afterlife.

“On speed dial, we had three or four ethics professors who would talk to the writers daily to make sure what we were talking about was right,” said Danson on his Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, as co-host Woody Harrelson added, “Sometimes it’s good to get a second, third opinion.”

The Michael Schur-created comedy, which ran for four seasons from 2016 to 2020, starred Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, an ethically questionable soul who mistakenly ends up in the titular ‘Good Place’ after her unexpected death."

Are Trump voters morally responsible for the harms that will follow from his policies?; Australian Broadcasting Corporation, November 10, 2024

Jessica Wolfendale , Australian Broadcasting Corporation; Are Trump voters morally responsible for the harms that will follow from his policies?

"The nearly 73 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump cannot claim ignorance of Trump’s racism, misogyny and his endorsement of white supremacy and white supremacist terrorism. In the lead up to the 2024 US election, Trump falsely claimed that large numbers of unlawful immigrants were being allowed to entered the country to vote, repeating the ideas of the “white replacement” theory, which claims that “legacy [white] Americans” are being replaced “more obedient people from faraway countries," in the words of right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson. 

Trump has also made no secret of his views about women and about LGBTQ+ people. Indeed, the Trump campaign made anti-trans ads the biggest focal point of its spending. As laid out in Project 2025 — the policy blueprint created by former Trump officials — there is little doubt that Trump’s presidency will seriously erode the basic rights of LGBTQ+ people, women and immigrants, in addition to seriously threatening progress on climate change.

So, are Trump voters racist and misogynist because they voted for a candidate who espouses racist and misogynist views? And do they bear some responsibility for the outcomes of a Trump presidency?

Individual moral responsibility for collective actions

Voting is a collective act. This means that, in most elections, a single person’s vote makes little difference to the outcome. For example, the likelihood that one person’s vote will be “decisive in a presidential election” is about one is 60 million. So, each Trump voter could say, correctly, that their vote made no difference the outcome of the election, and hence they are not responsible for the policies that Trump enacts and the serious harm that those policies are likely to cause thousands, perhaps millions, of people.

The problem with this view is that a person’s moral responsibility is not just based on the causal relationship between their actions and a bad outcome. In my work on war crimes and responsibility, I argue that sometimes a person can be blamed for participating in a harmful collective act even if their participation didn’t make a difference to the outcome. Other scholars agree: the idea of complicity is one way of capturing this intuition. Sometimes a person is blameworthy for simply being part of a wrongful plan, even if it doesn’t go ahead, because they were willing for it to go ahead.

Similarly, it makes intuitive sense to say that all members of the KKK bear some responsibility for the terrorism and violence inflicted by that organisation, even if not every member participated directly in the violence. Put another way, the victims of KKK violence would be justified in blaming all members of the KKK, and not only directly involved in an attack, because all members were willing to allow Black people and their supporters to be harmed and killed. By joining the KKK, these members communicated morally abhorrent attitudes towards the potential victims of KKK actions that make it appropriate for the victims to blame them.

This doesn’t mean that everyone involved in a harmful collective action is equally responsible — those who contribute more bear greater responsibility for that outcome. But that doesn’t mean that a person can simply evade responsibility for the harms caused by a collective act they are part of by claiming that their participation didn’t make any difference to the outcome. Participation is moral communication, and it makes a moral difference to our responsibility. 

What does this mean for the question of voting and moral responsibility?"

Hope in dark times, reinventing the fight for democracy, being there for each other; The Ink, November 10, 2024

The Ink; Hope in dark times, reinventing the fight for democracy, being there for each other

"The morning after the election, awakening to a dark day for democracy, we could think of no better thinker to turn to than Rebecca Solnit, who reminded us of the task ahead, a task none of us can afford to give up on.

They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love."

"Consequences are severe": Trump's lack of ethics pledge delays transition process; Salon, November 9, 2024

Griffin Eckstein , Salon; "Consequences are severe": Trump's lack of ethics pledge delays transition process

"The specific disclosures required of Trump by the October deadline were created in the wake of his first term. A 2019 amendment to the act created the requirement after Trump sparked bipartisan outrage by failing to mitigate conflicts during his presidency. Both President Joe Biden and Harris had filed the required plans by the deadline. Biden is barred from providing Trump with necessary clearances to sit in on certain briefings until Trump has fulfilled these requirements.

Still, Trump is slated to meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, a routine part of the transition process that Trump did not afford Biden four years ago."

What’s Happening with AI and Copyright Law; JD Supra, November 4, 2024

AEON Law, JD Supra; What’s Happening with AI and Copyright Law

"Not surprisingly, a lot is happening at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP) law.

Here’s a roundup of some recent developments in the area of copyright law and AI.

Copyright Office Denies AI Security Research Exemption under DMCA...

Former OpenAI Employee Says It Violates Copyright Law...

Blade Runner Production Company Sues Tesla for AI-Aided Copyright Infringement"

OpenAI Gets a Win as Court Says No Harm Was Demonstrated in Copyright Case; Gizmodo, November 8, 2024

 Todd Feathers, Gizmodo; OpenAI Gets a Win as Court Says No Harm Was Demonstrated in Copyright Case

"OpenAI won an initial victory on Thursday in one of the many lawsuits the company is facing for its unlicensed use of copyrighted material to train generative AI products like ChatGPT.

A federal judge in the southern district of New York dismissed a complaint brought by the media outlets Raw Story and AlterNet, which claimed that OpenAI violated copyright law by purposefully removing what is known as copyright management information, such as article titles and author names, from material that it incorporated into its training datasets.

OpenAI had filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue because they had not demonstrated a concrete harm to their businesses caused by the removal of the copyright management information. Judge Colleen McMahon agreed, dismissing the lawsuit but leaving the door open for the plaintiffs to file an amended complaint."

“This is a bad dream:” Kamala Harris voters baffled by Trump’s win come to terms; The Mercury News, November 6, 2024

JULIA PRODIS SULEK , The Mercury News; “This is a bad dream:” Kamala Harris voters baffled by Trump’s win come to terms

"Harris’s supporters tried to make sense of the news that more than half the country voted for a convicted felon who inspired a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol after he refused to admit he lost the 2020 election, someone who was found liable for sexual abuse, and promised to seek revenge on his enemies — not to mention using vile language to describe the vice president and other antics...

The campaigns exposed deep divides between the candidates and polarized the nation.

“No matter who won this election, it’s clear that we’ve become two separate Americas, and neither America understands the other one or has much of an interest in understanding the other one,” said political analyst and USC professor Dan Schnur.

“That leaves California in the exact same place that conservatives in Texas and Florida were in four years ago. You either dig in and get even angrier and fight back even harder, or you try to understand why there’s people on the other side who don’t agree with you.”"

A peaceful but determined resistance to Trump must start now; The Guardian, November 6, 2024

Robert Reich , The Guardian; A peaceful but determined resistance to Trump must start now

"Countless people are now endangered on a scale and intensity almost unheard of in modern America.

Our first responsibility is to protect all those who are in harm’s way.

We will do that by resisting Trump’s attempts to suppress women’s freedoms. We will fight for the rights of women and girls to determine when and whether they have children. No one will force a woman to give birth.

We will block Trump’s cruel efforts at mass deportation. We will fight to give sanctuary to productive, law-abiding members of our communities, including young people who arrived here as babies or children.We will not allow mass arrests and mass detention of anyone in America. We will not permit families to be separated. We will not allow the military to be used to intimidate and subjugate anyone in this country.

We will protect trans people and everyone else who is scapegoated because of how they look or what they believe. No one should have to be ashamed of who they are.

We will stop Trump’s efforts to retaliate against his perceived enemies. A free nation protects political dissent. A democracy needs people willing to stand up to tyranny.

How will we conduct this resistance?

By organizing our communities. By fighting through the courts. By arguing our cause through the media.

We will ask other Americans to join us – left and right, progressive and conservative, white people and people of color. It will be the largest and most powerful resistance since the American revolution.

But it will be peaceful. We will not succumb to violence, which would only give Trump and his regime an excuse to use organized violence against us.

We will keep alive the flames of freedom and the common good, and we will preserve our democracy. We will fight for the same things Americans have fought for since the founding of our nation – rights enshrined in the constitution and Bill of Rights."

STAR WARS: Andor Clip - "Fight The Empire!" Maarva's Epic Monologue (2022); Star Wars via YouTube

Star Wars via YouTube; STAR WARS: Andor Clip - "Fight The Empire!" Maarva's Epic Monologue (2022)

"The adventures of rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The series explores tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire."

Trump Holds Up Transition Process Over Ethics Code; The New York Times, November 9, 2024

 Ken Bensinger, The New York Times; Trump Holds Up Transition Process Over Ethics Code

[Kip Currier: Incipit (It begins)...]

"President-elect Donald J. Trump has not yet submitted a legally required ethics pledge stating that he will avoid conflicts of interest and other ethical concerns while in office, raising concerns that his refusal to do so will hamper the smooth transition to power.

Mr. Trump’s transition team was required to submit the ethics plan by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act.

While the transition team’s leadership has privately drafted an ethics code and a conflict-of-interest statement governing its staff, those documents do not include language, required under the law, that explains how Mr. Trump himself will address conflicts of interest during his presidency.

Since Mr. Trump created his transition team in August, it has refused to participate in the normal handoff process, which typically begins months before the election.

It has missed multiple deadlines for signing required agreements governing the process. That has prevented Mr. Trump’s transition team from participating in national security briefings or gaining access to federal agencies to begin the complicated work of preparing to take control of the government on Jan. 20, 2025."

A Message from Dean Hollerith: The Work We Have To Do; Washington National Cathedral, November 6, 2024

The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Washington National Cathedral ; A Message from Dean Hollerith: The Work We Have To Do

"Today, America woke up to a new President, a new Congress and a new understanding of who we are as a nation. For some, this was a long-sought victory after years of work and organizing; for others, this seismic shift feels disorienting and disheartening.  

Whether your preferred candidates won or lost, our work as Americans is just beginning. There is healing we must do, as individuals and as a people. Now is when we must listen to Abraham Lincoln and “bind up the nation’s wounds,” and we must follow his example to do it with “malice toward none and charity for all.”

This will not be easy work. We must start by showing grace to ourselves and to others. There are many among us who are hurt, fearful or angry, and they may have no desire to extend a hand, or give their neighbor the benefit of the doubt. Others among us may be tempted to write this next chapter with a sense of winner-take-all vengeance.      

We are weary of division and bitter politics; we have no need for more of that. Instead, let us aim for a better way to move forward together, as one people, one family of God. We may not agree, we may not understand each other, we may not even like each other. But we are tied together in our shared humanity, and as hard as it may be to hear, in the end there is no us and them; there is only us. 

If we can learn anew how we see each other, then maybe we can learn anew how to treat each other. In this moment, and in all the days to come, let us strive to embody the challenges and promises of our faith. As Jesus said: 

Love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who abuse you.
Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Give, and it will be given to you.
For the measure you give will be the measure you receive. 

And the blessing of God Almighty — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — be with you this day and always. Amen."