Why AI Could Trigger Mass UK Job Cuts
Source: Cobden Centre
“Interview with City AM on The Artificial Intelligence Revolution.” (07/29/26)
The Echoing Failure of Acoustic Gunshot Detectors
Source: Independent Institute
by Jonathan Hofer
“Acoustic gunshot detection (AGD) systems are designed to detect and report gunfire to law enforcement. Promoted as a high-tech solution to urban gun violence, AGD has been widely adopted by police departments across the United States, with California a leader in the number of cities that use the technology. To be considered a successful public safety innovation, a technology would be able to demonstrate effectiveness in assisting law enforcement in reducing violence and solving crimes and do so in a cost-efficient manner. However, AGD does not meet these criteria and constitutes a costly failure that undermines effective policing.” (07/29/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/07/29/the-echoing-failure-of-acoustic-gunshot-detectors/
I want to farm my land responsibly. That shouldn’t make me an outlaw.
Source: Washington Post
by Cody Peterson
“In the 1960s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came to landowners across the Midwest, including the farmer who previously owned my land, with a deal. The government wanted an easement on part of the property to protect wetlands that provide habitats for ducks and other waterfowl. The agency did not offer much money. It paid about $630 for rights across roughly 328 acres of land I now own. The easement document explicitly states that farmers could continue ‘normal farming practices.’ Farmers across the northern Great Plains signed these deals. … When my family bought farmland in LaMoure County‚ the property had one of these easements on it. If the government had stuck to the agreement, the easement would not have been a big obstacle to our land management practices. But in 2024, the Fish and Wildlife Service reinterpreted the scope of the wetland easements and updated the restrictions applied to prairie potholes.” (07/29/26)
Kenya: Mysterious deaths of elephants prompt urgent inquiry
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“An urgent investigation has been launched into the mysterious deaths of 15 elephants in southern Kenya near the Amboseli National Park. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) told the BBC that experts were examining the carcasses and said that tissue samples had been sent to laboratories to determine whether the deaths were caused by disease, poisoning or another factor. The park and its surrounds are known as the Amboseli ecosystem, a vast area that straddles the border with Tanzania, which is famous for its wildlife. Officials say this is the first time in decades that elephant mortalities on this scale have been recorded in the region where they have successfully cracked down on poaching.” (07/29/26)
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 07/29/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Rage at Iran Takes Truly Scary Turn, and Even MAGA Is Unnerved.” (07/29/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/213658/trump-rage-iran-takes-truly-scary-turn-even-maga-unnerved
Is It Just About AIPAC’s Money, or Does the US-Israel Rot Run Far Deeper?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ramzy Baroud
“[E]ven as fierce criticism of Israel reaches the very apex of American politics, a profound, schizophrenic rupture divides Washington. While the American public, influential media personalities, and top-tier politicians are openly turning against Israel’s unbridled violence, the traditional power structures continue to toe the line. This is explicitly evident in Congress, where establishment politicians remain busy acting as defense contractors for Tel Aviv. … To believe this subservience is a recent phenomenon is to misunderstand history.” (07/29/26)
Apple passes $5 trillion valuation mark
Source: United Press International
“On Tuesday, Apple became the second company to pass the $5 trillion valuation mark, one day after it passed Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. While Apple held the $5 trillion mark for a brief time, that still leaves it in rare territory. Nvidia was the first company to hit the $5 trillion valuation mark, which it did in October. Companies calculate this valuation by multiplying a company’s share price by its outstanding shares. Apple shares have climbed 25% this year, outpacing many other tech companies, CNBC reported. The stock hit a high of $342.89 Tuesday before falling slightly.” (07/28/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/28/apple-hits-5tn-valuation/9991785272330/
The Coverup: Prosecuting Fauci’s Crimes with Senator Rand Paul & Matt Kibbe
Source: Free the People
“At FreedomFest 2026, Senator Rand Paul joined Matt Kibbe to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on the lab leak theory, government coverups, gain-of-function research, and the role of Anthony Fauci and other officials.” (07/28/26)
Finding common ground on high-capacity transmission: Collaboration, competition, and a path forward
Source: Niskanen Center
by Robin Allen & Zachary Norris
“Dramatically expanding the high-voltage grid is a top priority to address surging demand from data centers, industrial growth, and electrification. In the U.S., most high-voltage projects are decided through transmission planning processes. Particularly in the wake of FERC’s Order 1000, the transmission planning policy discussions have often centered on longstanding disagreements over competition versus incumbent utility control. The debate has intensified with two recent FERC filings — one urging FERC to suspend or scale back market competition; the other to expand it.” [editor’s note: “The grid” should be abandoned (in favor of local/decentralized generation and delivery), not expanded – TLK] (07/28/26)
The Secretary Trying to Close the Department of Education Did Something It Never Did
Source: Townhall
by Ryan Walters
“For 45 years, the Department of Education has claimed to speak for the nation’s teachers. This month in Dallas, the secretary running it sat in a ballroom full of them and let them speak for themselves. Linda McMahon came to the Teacher Freedom Summit to argue that the best decisions in education are made closest to the child, and that the department she leads should hand its authority back to the states. She made the case, then spent the afternoon in roundtables asking classroom teachers what that shift would mean for their students. The willingness to ask is itself the news. An institution built in teachers’ name spent four decades deciding what teachers needed without much bothering to consult them.” (07/28/26)