Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center; The New York Times, January 9, 2026

Adam Nagourney, The New York Times; Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center

"The Washington National Opera decided on Friday to move its performances out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, abandoning the hall where it has played since 1971 in perhaps the largest artistic rebuke yet to President Trump’s campaign to remake the Kennedy Center in his image.

The opera company is seeking to sever its ties with the Kennedy Center after a tumultuous year in which both groups have faced cancellations by artists, empty seats and the retrenchment of donors protesting Mr. Trump’s intervention. Within weeks of beginning his second term, the president named himself chairmanof the center and installed a political ally, Richard Grenell, as its executive director, while filling its board with supporters.

A resolution to leave was approved by the Washington National Opera’s board of trustees on Friday, according to a statement the opera provided to The New York Times...

Officials with the Washington National Opera noted that operas often advance strong political and moral points of views — whether they were written two centuries or two years ago — and that they were worried they would be blocked from performing operas that did not follow Mr. Grenell’s edicts. Among its programming this season is Robert Ward’s “The Crucible,” based on the Arthur Miller play that explored the waves of paranoia overtaking a small town during the Salem witch trials of the 17th century."

With Pittsburgh set to lose legacy paper, experts talk impact of Post-Gazette closure announcement; WESA, January 7, 2026

Julia Maruca , 90.5 WESA; With Pittsburgh set to lose legacy paper, experts talk impact of Post-Gazette closure announcement

"Wednesday’s announced closure of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has left media experts reeling and wondering about what the future holds for the city’s news environment...

The Blocks’ announced intention to shut down the Post-Gazette — following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the company’s application for a stay in reinstating health care for the workers — means Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas will lose their oldest newspaper.

The legacy publication, first started in 1786 by John Scull and Joseph Hall as the Pittsburgh Gazette, has long touted itself as the “the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains.” And after the paper publishes its last issue this May, the Pittsburgh metropolitan area of 1.2 million people will be without a daily newspaper specifically dedicated to covering the city...

“ One would imagine any number of other parties may be interested in talking with the Blocks about possibly purchasing some or all of the assets of the paper. There are still a lot of open questions,” Davidson said. “I don't think we've seen the end of this story yet.”"

Why some people are wired to help strangers, and what their brains reveal; The Washington Post, January 8, 2026

Cristina Quinn, The Washington Post; Why some people are wired to help strangers, and what their brains reveal

"Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University, studies extraordinary altruism — people who jump in to rescue strangers in emergencies or donate a kidney to someone they don’t know. Marsh spoke with Cristina Quinn, host of The Washington Post’s podcast “Try This,” about what her work has uncovered, and what brain science reveals about people who habitually engage in selfless acts. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity...

The group you’ve studied most closely is people who donate a kidney to a stranger. What makes them different?

Genuinely altruistic people are very humble and less selfish than other people. And it turns out that humility and being unselfish go hand-in-hand because if you think that you’re the most special person around, why would you want to help less-special people? And so truly altruistic people do not think of themselves as special.

And when we bring them to our lab, we find differences in their MRI scans. One of the most striking is that altruistic kidney donors tend to have a larger amygdala, a part of the brain critical to processing emotions, particularly fear in others. They are especially sensitive to others’ distress and responding empathically.

In your earlier research, you found the opposite pattern in people with psychopathy?

Yes, we found that the amygdala tends to be smaller in individuals with psychopathic traits. They have difficulty recognizing fear and distress in other people. Most people with psychopathic traits report not feeling fear as often as other people do. And what’s interesting about that is that if you don’t really feel an emotion, it’s very difficult to empathize with it in other people.

So we asked, is altruism the inverse of psychopathy? And it turns out that yes, altruistic kidney donors are more reactive than typical people to the sight of others in distress. And they are relatively better at recognizing other people’s fear, as well."

ChatGPT creator must turn over 20M chat logs in copyright litigation, federal judge says; ABA Journal, January 8, 2026

 AMANDA ROBERT, ABA Journal; ChatGPT creator must turn over 20M chat logs in copyright litigation, federal judge says

"OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, must turn over 20 million chat logs in its copyright litigation with the New York Times and other news media, a federal judge ruled Monday."

Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’; The New York Times, January 8, 2026

David E. SangerTyler PagerKatie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs , The New York Times; Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’

[Kip Currier: Trump's statement below is contrary to the very founding ideals and precepts of the United States of America. Indeed, this nation is the manifestation of revolutionary action against unaccountable one-person rule.

For Trump to unabashedly declare that "the only thing that can stop me" is "my own morality" and "my own mind" is Shakespearean in its arrogance and grandiosity.

It is hubris immortalized in Greek tragedy.]

[Excerpt]

"Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”"

Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good; National Catholic Reporter, January 8, 2026

JOHN GROSSO, National Catholic Reporter ; Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

"Yesterday (Jan. 7), 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed in a residential  Minneapolis neighborhood by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Good was a mother of three and an U.S. citizen.

Today, JD Vance has taken to social media to justify the shooting and blame Good for her own death...

There is no evidence that Good was in any way involved in domestic terrorism. Video evidence seems to entirely contradict Trump's explanation of the situation. The ICE officer does not appear to have been injured and is seen casually walking away after the shooting.

There does appear to be emerging video evidence that Good was confused by the orders she was receiving from multiple officers and was attempting to remove herself from the situation. There does not appear to be any concrete evidence of agitation and the videos do not show Good attempting to run down anyone with her car.

The investigation is ongoing, but the entire situation is a powder keg: Social media is on fire as users viciously debate the justification of the killing and it seems protests are beginning in Minneapolis and beyond.

But in spite of the increasing uproar, Vice President JD Vance said he sees the situation as "simple."...

At the time of publication of this piece, at no point has Vance tweeted any remorse, prayers or condolences regarding Good and her loved ones. Instead, Vance continued his storm of social media posts the morning after the shooting — this time leaning into divisive, tribalistic language to demonize Democrats...

As a Catholic, Vance knows better than to peddle this brand of gaslighting and agitation. Vance knows that, by virtue of her humanity, Good was endowed with inherent dignity, made in the image and likeness of God. Vance knows that only God can take life. Vance knows that protesting, fleeing or even interfering in an ICE investigation (which there is no evidence that Good did) does not carry a death sentence. Vance knows that lying and killing are sins.

Vance knows. He doesn't care. Vance’s twisted and wrongheaded view of Christianity has been repudiated by two popes. His Catholicism seems to be little more than a political prop, a tool only for his career ambitions and desire for power.

The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel. Our only recourse is to pray for his conversion of heart."

ICE Agent Not ‘Run Over’ in Minneapolis: NewsGuard’s False Claim of the Week; NewsGuard's Reality Check, January 9, 2026

NewsGuard's Reality Check ; ICE Agent Not ‘Run Over’ in Minneapolis: NewsGuard’s False Claim of the Week

[Kip Currier: The fact-checking and news and information quality assessment organization NewsGuard serves as a crucial countervailing force to disinformation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.

This week, NewsGuard debunked falsehoods about an ICE agent alleged to have been run over in Minneapolis by Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by the agent on January 7, 2026.

In my recently published Ethics, Information, and Technology book, I profile NewsGuard's debunking of the utterly untrue claims of pet-eating by immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, which was amplified by Donald Trump and JD Vance during the 2024 Presidential election.]

[Excerpt]

"NewsGuard’s “False Claim of the Week” highlights a false claim from NewsGuard’s False Claim Fingerprints proprietary database of provably false claims and their debunks. The claim that the ICE agent who reportedly fatally shot a woman driving an SUV in Minneapolis was run over or nearly run over by her vehicle is NewsGuard’s “False Claim of the Week” due to its widespread appearance across social media platforms and websites, its high engagement levels, and the high-profile nature of the sources promoting it. Those three factors, as well as both its significant subject matter and potential for harm, makes it our False Claim of the Week."

U.S. Copyright Office Announces Webinar on Copyright Essentials for Filmmakers; U.S. Copyright Office, January 8, 2026

 U.S. Copyright Office ; U.S. Copyright Office Announces Webinar on Copyright Essentials for Filmmakers

"The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend the upcoming online webinar, Lights, Camera, Action: Copyright Essentials for Filmmakers, on February 4 at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. This event continues our educational series designed to teach copyright basics and key concepts to creators within various disciplines.

In this session, join us as the Copyright Office discusses what filmmakers, including producers, directors, and screenwriters, should know about copyright. We will answer commonly asked questions, review educational resources and registration options, and share how the Copyright Office’s Public Information Office can assist along the way. 

Speakers:

• Miriam Lord, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education
• Laura Kaiser, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Information and Education"

Judges are identifying suspected AI hallucinations in Pa. court cases — including one at the highest levels; Spotlight PA, January 7, 2026

 

Sarah Boden, Spotlight PA; Judges are identifying suspected AI hallucinations in Pa. court cases — including one at the highest levels

"Veteran attorneys with a track record of arguing high-profile cases submitted an error-filled brief to one of Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, raising questions from a judge about their use of artificial intelligence...

“Your credibility is such an important part of what a lawyer is to bring to the case,” said Vanaskie. “If the lawyer is not verifying what's being submitted, their credibility is shot.”"

OpenAI Must Turn Over 20 Million ChatGPT Logs, Judge Affirms; Bloomberg Law, January 5, 2026

 

Kyle Jahner

, Bloomberg Law; OpenAI Must Turn Over 20 Million ChatGPT Logs, Judge Affirms

"OpenAI Inc. will have to turn over 20 million anonymized ChatGPT logs in a consolidated AI copyright case after it failed to convince a federal judge to throw out a magistrate judge’s order the company said insufficiently weighed privacy concerns.

Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang sufficiently considered privacy concerns against the material’s relevance to the ongoing litigation in her discovery ruling in favor of news organization plaintiffs in five lawsuits, District Judge Sidney H. Stein said in an order Monday. She rejected OpenAI’s arguments it should be allowed to run a search of the 20 million-log sample and produce conversations implicating the plaintiffs’ works, saying no case law requires the court to order the least burdensome discovery possible."

Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’; The Guardian, January 8, 2026

Charlotte Higgins , The Guardian; Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’

[Kip Currier: Informative reporting by The Guardian on Trump 2.0 efforts to whitewash and erase centuries of history and culture by imprinting one man's and one movement's views on the Smithsonian museums.

Share this with as many people as possible to raise awareness and promote advocacy for the historical integrity and unfiltered authenticity of museums within the Smithsonian Institution system.]

[Excerpt]

"Lonnie Bunch, in the meantime, is holding a delicate line. On 18 December, a new letter from the White House arrived for him. The Smithsonian had fallen short in providing the information requested on 12 August, it said. “We wish to be assured,” it continued, “that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world. The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history.” Then came the threat. “As you may know, funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253, ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,’ and the fulfilment of the requests set forth in our August 12, 2025 letter.”

Bunch wrote a note to all his staff the following day, quietly affirming, once more, the organisation’s autonomy. “For nearly 180 years, the Smithsonian has served our country as an independent and nonpartisan institution committed to its mission – the increase and diffusion of knowledge – for all Americans. As we all know, all content, programming, and curatorial decisions are made by the Smithsonian.”

With JD Vance on the board of regents, along with Republican members of Congress, the question hovers: how long will 73-year-old Bunch survive in his position? “Lonnie knows his time is short,” one DC museum director told me. “It’s a question of how he decides to go, and of which hill he chooses to die on.”"

How Machado Lost Her Chance to Lead Venezuela; The New York Times, January 8, 2026

Francisco Rodríguez, The New York Times; How Machado Lost Her Chance to Lead Venezuela

[Kip Currier: The excerpt below, from this trenchant New York Times piece on Trump's intentions for Venezuela, uncovers the Mafia-esque corruption and transactional foreign policy that epitomizes Trump 2.0.]

[Excerpt]

"When the Trump administration made the decision to carry out a surgical operation to extract Mr. Maduro instead of occupying the country, it also chose, at least in the short term, to work with a state structure designed and run by supporters of Mr. Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez. Ms. Machado, who describes that structure as a mafia, is simply not a figure who can coexist with those institutions."

Trumpy Owners Close Major City’s Pulitzer-Winning Newspaper: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the region’s largest newspaper.; The Daily Beast, January 7, 2026

Laura Esposito , The Daily Beast; Trumpy Owners Close Major City’s Pulitzer-Winning Newspaper: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the region’s largest newspaper.

"Billionaire twins John and Allan Block suddenly told dozens of workers for the 125-year-old Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it will cease publication on May 3. The paper had won a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for its coverage of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre. But at 1:15 p.m., with just 45 minutes notice, they played a pre-taped Zoom announcement that the newspaper would close completely...

The twins are third generation owners of the paper through the family company Block Communications which also owns the Toledo Blade...

The twins, 71, have heavily backed President Donald Trump and have donated thousands of dollars to Republican causes...

Two years later, the Post-Gazette made national headlines for “shifting right” after John Block fired the Post-Gazette’s veteran cartoonist, Rob Rogers, over cartoons critical of Trump.

During the president’s 2020 campaign, John Block ordered the editorial board to endorse Trump—despite previously granting its request not to endorse a candidate—an insider at the publication told the Daily Beast. The board was forced to scrap its planned editorial just an hour before the print deadline and hastily write a new piece backing Trump, much to the staffers’ dismay.

On Wednesday, the brothers delivered the stunning news to staff via a brief, pre-recorded video, Post-Gazette reporters told the Daily Beast—despite owning multiple properties within short driving distance of the newsroom, including John Block’s sprawling Squirrel Hill mansion worth over $1.5 million.

Instead, staffers received an email at 12:34 p.m. informing them of a mandatory online meeting scheduled for 1:15 p.m. The meeting turned out to be a pre-recorded message that reporters described as “dehumanizing.”"...

Tensions between ownership and union journalists reached a boiling point in 2019, when John Block reportedly stormed into the newsroom and threatened to “burn the place down.”

Several staffers believe the Blocks are shutting down the outlet as punishment after a federal appeals court upheld a November ruling finding that the Post-Gazette illegally declared an impasse in union negotiations to impose its own terms."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Announces It Will Cease Operations; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 7, 2026

 Mark Walker, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Announces It Will Cease Operations

[Kip Currier: As someone who loves and depends on the vital access to information that newspapers singularly provide, my heart sunk when I saw this breaking news New York Times story about the Block family's decision to shutter The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as of May 3, 2026. It's a shocking and yet not surprising development, given the appalling manner in which the Block family has managed this storied newspaper for more than a decade:

• Read about the Block family's firing of celebrated cartoonist Rob Rogers in 2018 for his depictions of Donald Trump.
• Read about the Block family's tirades against newspaper staff in 2019.
• Read about an appellate court ruling against the Block family on labor union grounds in a November 2025 decision.

The most unfortunate victims of the Block family's actions are the newspaper staff, the residents of the Greater Pittsburgh area, and all those who are interested in news involving this region.]

[Excerpt]

"The family-owned company that operates The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on Wednesday that the newspaper would cease publication on Sunday, May 3, signaling the end of a newspaper whose origins date to 1786.

The company, Block Communications Inc., said it had lost more than $350 million over the past 20 years while publishing the newspaper. In a statement, it said the financial pressures facing local journalism had made “continued cash losses at this scale no longer sustainable.”

The company cited recent court decisions that would require The Post-Gazette to operate under the terms of a 2014 labor contract, which it described as imposing “outdated and inflexible operational practices.” 

The Post-Gazette’s closure will not affect The Toledo Blade in Ohio, which is also owned by Block Communications. The company is based in Toledo.

The Post-Gazette’s closure will not affect The Toledo Blade in Ohio, which is also owned by Block Communications. The company is based in Toledo.

In a statement, the Block family said it regretted how the loss of the newspaper would affect the communities it has served. The family said it was “proud of the service The Post-Gazette has provided to Pittsburgh for nearly a century.”"

Nancy Drew Cracks the Case of Copyright After 95 years, the earliest adventures in the mystery book series are now free for public use.; Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2026

 Brenda Cronin, Wall Street Journal; Nancy Drew Cracks the Case of Copyright After 95 years, the earliest adventures in the mystery book series are now free for public use. 

"Nancy Drew has survived some scary situations. But the slender, attractive sleuth has just entered the most hair-raising of all: the public domain.

On New Year’s Day, 95 years of copyright protection under U.S. law expired on the first four books in Carolyn Keene’s mystery series about the fictional detective."

DOI cracks down on stickers covering Trump's face on national park passes; SF Gate, January 5, 2026

Sam Hill, SF Gate; DOI cracks down on stickers covering Trump's face on national park passes

[Kip Currier: It's still hard to believe this news story is real -- the Department of the Interior is voiding people's U.S. National Parks passes if Donald Trump's face (yes -- his face is on the entrance passes!) is covered up by anything -- and not from The Onion.]

[Excerpt]

"Covering up Donald Trump’s face on an America the Beautiful pass may come with an extra cost at national park entrance gates this year.

The Department of the Interior recently updated its “Void if Altered” rules for 2026, explicitly flagging stickers and other coverings as alterations that could invalidate the pass. The move appears to respond to visitors preparing to cover the image of Trump, which was set to begin appearing on passes Jan. 1 despite legal challenges.

An internal email from department business specialists Allison Christofis and Jeff Beauchamp to regional National Park Service staff shared updated guidelines for passes this year, highlighting changes to the department’s altered pass policy. The email was provided to SFGATE by a Park Service employee who requested anonymity to protect their job, which was granted in accordance with Hearst’s ethics policy."

Defendant Tattoo Artist Prevails in Miles Davis Tattoo Suit; Lexology, January 5, 2026

 Michael Best & Friedrich LLP , Lexology; Defendant Tattoo Artist Prevails in Miles Davis Tattoo Suit

"In the case, Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, 9th Cir., No. 24‑3367 (Jan. 2, 2026), the Ninth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict in favor of celebrity tattoo artist Katherine “Kat Von D” Von Drachenberg in a closely watched copyright dispute brought by photographer Jeffrey Sedlik over a tattoo based on Sedlik’s well-known portrait of Miles Davis. A link to the images of the photo and the tattoo can be seen here (Kat Von D defends use of Miles Davis photo for friend's tattoo | Courthouse News Service). The panel left intact the jury’s finding of no infringement on the ground that the tattoo and photograph were not “substantially similar,” and emphasized that it would not substitute its view for the jury’s on this fact-intensive question."

Five Years On, Trump Keeps Pushing Jan. 6 Conspiracies; The New York Times, January 6, 2026

Luke Broadwater and Dylan Freedman , The New York Times; Five Years On, Trump Keeps Pushing Jan. 6 Conspiracies

"Over the past year, President Trump has engaged in a steady campaign to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, when his supporters, believing lies of a rigged election, smashed windows and doors and assaulted law enforcement officers.

His revisionist history is taking on new significance ahead of this year’s midterm elections — and could carry more weight if Republicans lose control of Congress, which the president has said he believes may happen.

On Tuesday, the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, Mr. Trump was again seeding doubt about the integrity of American elections. “Our elections are crooked as hell,” Mr. Trump told congressional Republicans.

Offering a glimpse into his concerns about an election loss in the midterms, Mr. Trump said Republicans needed to retain control of the House because he expected to face a third impeachment trial if Democrats won. He said he would not call for this year’s election to be canceled because critics would accuse him of being a dictator."

Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioters Rally and Demand More from Trump; The New York Times, January 6, 2026

Karoun Demirjian , The New York Times; Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioters Rally and Demand More from Trump

[Kip Currier: Contrast these remorseless January 6 pardoned insurrectionists with Pamela Hemphill, who turned down a pardon offer from Trump and on 1/6/26 apologized to the Capitol Hill police for her part in furthering Trump and MAGA's conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.]

[Excerpt]

"Five years after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, several dozen rioters, including many who were jailed and later pardoned, gathered in Washington to retrace their steps and vow to keep fighting for payback, even against the Trump administration.

The “J6ers,” as they refer to themselves, have been emboldened by President Trump, who pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly 1,600 people who planned or participated in storming the Capitol to protest the results of the 2020 election. During Tuesday's anniversary march, they praised Mr. Trump for setting them free, but were critical of his administration for not doing more for them.

“Retribution is what we seek,” said Enrique Tarrio, a far-right activist and leader of the Proud Boys, one of the organizers of the Jan. 6, 2021, demonstration and Tuesday’s anniversary event. “Without accountability, there is no justice.”

“I am loyal to Donald Trump, but my loyalty doesn’t extend to his administration,” said Barry Ramey, who was convicted of assaulting a police officer during the Capitol riot, an act he says he regrets. He listed Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, among Trump administration officials who “could be doing a better job.”"

January 6th Participant Who Refused Pardon: "I am guilty, and I own that guilt."; C-SPAN, January 6, 2026

C-SPAN ; January 6th Participant Who Refused Pardon: "I am guilty, and I own that guilt."

"January 6th participant Pamela Hemphill, who refused President Trump's pardon: "Once I got away from the MAGA cult and started educating myself about January the 6th, I knew what I did was wrong...I am guilty, and I own that guilt...I had fallen for the president’s lies."

White House Posts False Jan. 6 Narrative on Riot’s 5th Anniversary; The New York Times, January 6, 2026

Luke Broadwater and Alan Feuer, The New York Times; White House Posts False Jan. 6 Narrative on Riot’s 5th Anniversary

"On the fifth anniversary of the pro-Trump mob attack on the Capitol, the Trump administration created a new page on the official White House website that represented the president’s most brazen bid yet to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 riot with false claims aimed at absolving him of responsibility.

The site blames Capitol Police officers, who defended lawmakers that day, for starting the assault; Democrats, who were the rioters’ main targets, for failing to prevent it; and former Vice President Mike Pence, who rejected falsehoods about the 2020 election, for allowing the results to be certified.

Mr. Trump has long sought to whitewash the violence and vandalism committed on Jan. 6, 2021, and reject responsibility for having instigated it. But the webpage, promoted on government social media accounts, put the official imprimatur of the White House on an astonishingly misleading account of the Capitol attack."

NASA says historic materials will be preserved as Goddard research library shuts down; WTOP, January 5, 2026

Mike Murillo, WTOP ; NASA says historic materials will be preserved as Goddard research library shuts down

[Kip Currier: Multiple concerns with even this statement by NASA head Jared Isaacman, responding to concerns about the preservation and accessibility of historic NASA archival records, data, and documents.

Who will be making the determinations as to what is and isn't preserved? Are there trained staff involved in this process, i.e. persons with expertise in archival practices, collection development, document/data retrieval, etc.?

Keeping these records and data doesn't have to be an either/or choice. Isaacman said "preserving history is important, but NASA’s focus remains on future missions, including sending astronauts farther into space and returning to the moon to stay." We can do both: "preserve history" and advance work on "future missions".

Who knows today what seemingly inconsequential data in a notebook, or sound on an audiocassette recording, or document from the early days of space exploration may be key to solving an engineering design challenge or shedding light on a scientific conundrum at some later time that we can't foresee now. Watch Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)! 😏]

[Excerpt]

"The library at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, home to thousands of books and documents chronicling America’s space history, is closing in the coming months, raising concerns that rare records could be lost.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on X that every item will be reviewed before the closure as part of a facilities consolidation plan approved in 2022 under the Joe Biden administration.

“The physical library space at Goddard is closing as part of a long-planned facilities consolidation,” Isaacman said. He added that the goal is to digitize materials, transfer them to other libraries, or preserve them for historical purposes.

Isaacman pushed back on reports suggesting NASA might discard documents, calling that characterization misleading. Critics have warned that historic and technical records could disappear.

“At no point is NASA ‘tossing out’ important scientific or historical materials, and that framing has led to several other misleading headlines,” Isaacman wrote.

He said preserving history is important, but NASA’s focus remains on future missions, including sending astronauts farther into space and returning to the moon to stay. Researchers will continue to have access to the resources they need, he said."

Donald Trump poses a threat to civilization; The Guardian, January 6, 2025

 Robert Reich, The Guardian; Donald Trump poses a threat to civilization

"Trump’s domestic and foreign policies – ranging from his attempted coup against the United States five years ago, to his incursion into Venezuela last weekend, to his current threats against Cuba, Colombia, and Greenland – undermine domestic and international law. But that’s not all.

They threaten what we mean by civilization.

The moral purpose of civilized society is to prevent the stronger from attacking and exploiting the weaker. Otherwise, we’d be permanently immersed in a brutish war in which only the fittest and most powerful could survive.

This principle lies at the center of America’s founding documents – the Declaration of Independence, the constitution and the Bill of Rights. It’s also the core of the postwar international order championed by the United States, including the UN charter – emphasizing multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law...

A direct line connects Trump’s attempted coup five years ago to his capture of Nicolás Maduro last weekend. Both were lawless. Both were premised on the hubris of omnipotence.

That same line connects to Trump’s current threats against Cuba, Colombia, and Greenland.

You see much the same in Putin’s war on Ukraine. In Xi’s threats against Taiwan. In global depredation and monopolization by big tech and big oil. In Russian, Chinese, and American oligarchs who have fused public power with their personal wealth.

But unfettered might does not make right. It makes for instability, upheaval, and war.

History shows that laws and norms designed to constrain the powerful also protect them. Without such constraints, their insatiable demands for more power and wealth eventually bring them down – along with their corporations, nations, or empires. And threaten world war.

Trump’s blatant lawlessness will haunt America and the world – and civilization – for years to come."

Ethics watchdog outlines allegations against Georgia Republican’s chief of staff; Politico, January 5, 2026

HAILEY FUCHS, Politico; Ethics watchdog outlines allegations against Georgia Republican’s chief of staff

"A nonpartisan Congressional watchdog is alleging that Brandon Phillips, who has served as Rep. Mike Collins’ chief of staff, hired a romantic interest as an office intern and illicitly used his office’s Congressional resources.

The report from the Office of Congressional Conduct, released Monday, also claims the intern “did not perform duties commensurate with her compensation.”

“Based on the foregoing information, the Board finds that there is substantial reason to believe that Mr. Phillips discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges by participating in the retention of an employee with whom Mr. Phillips had a personal relationship,” the report states...

The House Ethics Committee does not comment on ongoing investigations but said it is currently reviewing the allegations against both Collins and Phillips."

AI copyright battles enter pivotal year as US courts weigh fair use; Reuters, January 5, 2026

Blake Brittain , Reuters; AI copyright battles enter pivotal year as US courts weigh fair use

"The sprawling legal fight over tech companies' vast copying of copyrighted material to train their artificial intelligence systems could be entering a decisive phase in 2026.

After a string of fresh lawsuits and a landmark settlement in 2025, the new year promises to bring a wave of rulings that could define how U.S. copyright law applies to generative AI. At stake is whether companies like OpenAI, Google and Meta can rely on the legal doctrine of fair use to shield themselves from liability – or if they must reimburse copyright holders, which could cost billions."

Shaler alum 'Miss Ing' reaches folks far beyond library's walls; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 2, 2026

SHAYLAH BROWN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Shaler alum 'Miss Ing' reaches folks far beyond library's walls

[Kip Currier: This is a story to share with others and be inspired by the "ripple effect" positive impacts that one person can have.

It's also a reminder of why libraries -- and the dedicated librarians and library staffpersons who humanize and empower these fundamental institutions -- are so vital to our communities and societies. AI cannot substitute for the meaningful connections that a public service-centered human being like Ingrid Kaltchthaler can make with individuals.]

[Excerpt]

"She considers days at the library both ministry and service, and balances that full-time job as a pastor at several churches with services throughout the week."

NASA’s Rocky History Of Library Closures; NASA Watch, January 3, 2026

Keith Cowing, NASA Watch; NASA’s Rocky History Of Library Closures

"Keith’s note: NASA has been closing its libraries for a long time. Budgetary and building issues are usually the prime reason. Usually, stuff gets moved around and put in storage for years until the storage costs mount and then a portion ends up in someone’s library – somewhere – and the rest gets shipped to some generic GSA warehouse – or thrown away. Now it is GSFC’s turn to go through this painful process – not only with their collection but also the NASA HQ library that was moved there when the HQ library was converted to a visitor center. They have assured NASA HQ that nothing valuable will be lost. NASA’s record in this regard is somewhat rocky. More below.

To be certain, a lot of the material is already online at places like The  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) or the Internet Archive or university libraries. But a lot of the material is NASA-generated and niche-oriented such that only a few copies – sometimes one copy – exists. A lot of it goes back to NACA days.

I took this picture (above) at NASA Ames while their library was being removed. I am told that NASA HQ has been assured that nothing of value will be thrown out and that important things that have not been electronically stored will be. But the budget pressures are strong.

Some of you may recall the time when Dennis Wingo and I did a diving catch of all the 1960s Lunar Orbiter program image tapes that were in a remote warehouse and JPL wanted to get rid of them. We started the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP). We drove the tapes up to NASA Ames in two large rental trucks and assembled a team of retirees and college kids to bring the data back (link to New York Times) from the past at resolutions simply impossible to achieve back in the day. And of course you recall the whole ‘lost Apollo 11 landing tapes’ thing.

So, as these libraries close, I hope everyone at GSFC please keeps their eyes open to assure that NASA is preserving this history and not throwing it out. And if they are not then let me know. Below are some earlier examples of controversial NASA library closures.

• Memo: The Army Is Closing A Library That NASA MSFC Paid For, (2019)
• GSFC Memo: NASA’s New Strategy: Close Its Reference Libraries (2011) related post
• NASA ARC Solicitation: Packing Dismantling, and Reconstruction of Main Technical Library, (2005) related post
• NASA ARC Internal Memo: Library Reshaping, (2005) related post
• NASA Ames Library “Downsizing” (2005) related post"