'Expelling Santos was an act of political repair, not destruction'

'Removing the unserious Santos'

Jonah Goldberg in The Dispatch

Some politicians were queasy about removing Rep. George Santos from Congress, says Jonah Goldberg in The Dispatch. They worried booting a representative who hadn't been convicted of a crime for the first time since the Civil War set a bad precedent. Yes, it violated a norm. But Santos (R-N.Y.) is a "shameless fraud" who scoffs at "norms of conduct." Removing him "is a small first step" toward remedying a bigger problem: "Congress' refusal to take itself seriously."

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'The dangers posed by the deployment of AI-enabled weapons'

Michael T. Klare at The Nation

Even some tech leaders want to "slow the pace" of advanced artificial intelligence research, says Michael T. Klare at The Nation. A dispute over the safety of "more capable" ChatGPT versions fueled the "recent boardroom drama" at OpenAI. But the Pentagon appears unhindered by second thoughts. It is hurrying to develop "AI-enabled autonomous" drones, ships, and tanks, despite warnings from other countries, including U.S. allies, about the risk that "killer robots" could "go rogue" and target civilians.

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'Biden is trying to deny low-income students options'

Washington Examiner editorial board

Congress must act fast to prevent President Joe Biden from reducing higher education alternatives for American students, says the Washington Examiner editorial board. Otherwise, a Biden Education Department regulation will "deny for-profit institutions federal financial aid" unless they "prove they are helping enough students find 'gainful employment,'" something most traditional, non-profit universities can't do. This would help the left accomplish its longtime goal to "kill for-profit colleges," even though that would limit low-income students' options.

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'Dour headlines have abounded about the poor state of the podcast industry'

Scott Nover at Slate

Don't worry, podcasts aren't doomed, says Scott Nover at Slate. It might look that way, given the "constant stream of layoffs and show cancellations" at Spotify and "other prominent shops across the industry." But podcasting remains "a growing media sector for listeners and advertisers." The industry is just "moving away from expensive, reporting-intensive shows and prioritizing lower-cost" shows featuring interviews and celebrities, a lot like "Netflix's bucking of prestige dramas for comedy specials" and reality competitions.

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