In Case You Missed It (Law‪)‬ ICYMI Law dot com

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Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 7th, 2023.


Good day, everyone. This is Max with your round-up of the day's news stories. Chris Licht, Chairman of CNN, is facing an uncertain future in his role at the network. We'll take a look at how he's trying to win back support from staff and executives. Plus, a new paper calls for greater precision when discussing artificial intelligence and large language models. And in Texas, an EV tax is causing controversy. We'll discuss why it fails to address the core issue and how it's really a win for the Governor.


First, from www.latimes.com: CNN's Chris Licht apologizes to staff as future is cloudy Chris Licht, Chairman of CNN, has apologized to staff for a recent Atlantic profile detailing his first year at the network. The article has cast doubt on his future in the job, with executives and employees throughout CNN and Warners Bros. Discovery questioning his leadership. In an effort to win back support, Licht expressed regret and promised to fight to restore trust in the network. David Leavy has also been appointed Chief Operating Officer in an attempt to help Licht, however many believe he is being groomed to eventually take over if Licht cannot turn things around.


Next, from arxiv.org: Talking About Large Language ModelsRecent advances in artificial intelligence have opened the door to a new era of technology and philosophy intersecting in interesting ways. Large language models (LLM) are at the heart of this intersection, with their ability to mimic human language causing us to ascribe human qualities to them. This paper calls for more precise scientific language to be used when discussing LLMs and AI systems, to ensure that people do not overstate their capabilities.


Finally, from news.bloomberglaw.com: Texas’ New EV Tax Should Fix the Bridges, Not ‘Own the Libs’Texas recently passed a $400 initial fee and $200 annual renewal fee for electric vehicles in the state. This fee is meant to offset the portion of the gas tax allocated to infrastructure and road maintenance. Although this bill is purported to target electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles are excluded and gas-powered vehicles are taxed at a lower rate. If the goal is to maintain infrastructure, the tax should be tailored to use of public chargers and be more responsive to income. This tax is ultimately a protection for the oil and gas industry and a win for Gov. Greg Abbott.


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As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.


Thanks for listening. See you next time. Music from www.fesliyanstudios.com.


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Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 6th, 2023.


Welcome to today's top news headlines! Law Dork celebrates 20 years of Chris Geidner's inspiring blog, which has covered the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," marriage equality and more. Meanwhile, the New York Times dives into the issue of employment exploitation, even among those with good jobs. And, Bloomberg Tax examines the IRS funding cut, and what it means for tax morale. It's all coming up next.


First, from www.lawdork.com: Twenty years of Law Dork Today marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Law Dork, a blog created by Chris Geidner. Geidner was just finishing his first year of law school when he was inspired to start the blog after reading briefs about the case Lawrence v. Texas questioning the constitutionality of Texas' “Homosexual Conduct” law. Since then, Law Dork has covered the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” employment protections for LGBTQ people, marriage equality and the end of the Defense of Marriage Act, Supreme Court nominations, and more. Geidner has interviewed a president and worked with some of the best journalists in the country, and now has more than 14,000 subscribers. As a result of his work, the focus on sexual orientation discrimination as a type of sex discrimination has been formalized in other contexts. As June begins with big Supreme Court decisions on the horizon, Law Dork remains relevant and Geidner hopes to continue to inspire readers for many more years.


Next, from www.nytimes.com: Opinion | Even People With Good Jobs Get Exploited The New York Times Company has launched a new section on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion), and Instagram. It offers readers access to opinion articles from writers and editors across the globe. Additionally, readers can also find site index, site information, contact us, accessibility, work with us, and advertise information on their website. Subscriptions are available to help readers access even more content.


Finally, from news.bloombergtax.com: Week in Insights: Why IRS Funding Matters for Tax MoraleThe latest debt limit deal has had a major impact on the US's taxation system, with Republicans hailing the $21 billion cut to the $80 billion IRS capital infusion as a win. However, this cut could undermine the voluntary submission of income data, as taxpayers may wonder why such a large chunk of their money is going towards the IRS. Meanwhile, experts explain how the money will be used for auditing and enforcement efforts, and other news from the tax world includes changes to cannabis businesses in Minnesota and Illinois, the US's third attempt to force companies to reveal more about their income taxes, and a challenge to the constitutionality of Maryland's digital advertising tax.


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As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.


Thanks for listening. See you next time. Music from www.fesliyanstudios.com.


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Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 5th, 2023.


Welcome to today's news roundup! We have a lot of interesting stories to report on. First, we have a conflict between two lawyers on former President Donald Trump's legal team. Then, there's a $150 million dollar lawsuit against financial adviser Dave Ramsey, and finally, we'll look at how scholars are migrating from Twitter to Mastodon for a more publically-owned platform. Stay tuned to find out more! And after the news, stick around for our paper of the day!


First, from terikanefield.com: Mob Lawyers and Trump’s Lawyers A recent conflict between two lawyers on former President Donald Trump's legal team has come to light. Timothy Parlatore, who had been working on Trump's defense in the stolen documents case, recently left the team after citing irreconcilable differences with Boris Epshteyn, another lawyer who had been hiring lawyers and coordinating their efforts. Parlatore, in an interview with CNN, said Epshteyn tried to block the legal team from getting proper information from Trump, making it difficult to represent him. This could be a result of Trump's legal and public relations needs being in conflict.


Next, from www.washingtonpost.com: Dave Ramsey sued after listeners say they were defrauded by a timeshare-exit company Dave Ramsey, a well-known Christian financial adviser, is currently facing a $150 million dollar lawsuit from 17 of his listeners. These listeners are accusing Ramsey of promoting a timeshare-exit company that cost them millions of dollars, while Ramsey personally profited from this endorsement. The lawsuit claims that Ramsey was paid up to $30 million from 2015 to 2021 to endorse the company, and that the company collected $200 million in fees from Ramsey’s customers. The lawsuit also names the Lampo Group and marketing company Happy Hour Media Group as defendants. Ramsey has previously defended endorsing the company, although his attorney has downplayed his direct role in the endorsement.


Finally, from zenodo.org: Mastodon over Mammon - Towards publicly owned scholarly knowledgeScholars are once again leaving the popular social media platform Twitter due to its corporate ownership and are in the process of migrating to Mastodon, a decentralized alternative. Scholarly organizations, especially learned societies, are being encouraged to host Mastodon instances to create a public square for scholarly discourse and to safeguard publicly owned scholarly knowledge. This is a golden opportunity for the scholarly community to take control of their discourse.


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Today's paper of the day is Codes of Conduct in the Digital Services Act: Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges written by Rachel Griffin and Carl Vander Maelen. The paper discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of implementing codes of conduct in the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). It argues that codes could strengthen accountability and mandate risk mitigation measures, but may also lead to corporate capture and political interference.


For a link to the paper and much more, check out our show page. As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.


Thanks for listening. See you next time. Music from www.fesliyanstudios.com.


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Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 4th, 2023.


Greetings from the world of headlines! Today we have a variety of interesting stories, starting with a federal judge ruling against Tennessee's Adult Entertainment Act. We'll also have the scoop on a Utah school district banning the Bible from elementary and middle schools, and rounding up our news, a look at the Republican's 'Great Inferiority Complex'. So stay tuned for these stories and more…Coming up next! And after the news, stick around for our paper of the day!


First, from www.lawdork.com: Federal judge rules Tennessee drag restrictions unconstitutional after trialOn Friday night, a federal judge appointed by Donald Trump ruled that Tennessee's Adult Entertainment Act, which would restrict drag performances in the state and threaten performers who violate the law with felony criminal penalties, is unconstitutional. The judge found that the law was too vague, overbroad, and targeted speakers for a reason unrelated to protecting children. The anti-drag law lost on all fronts, with the judge ruling that laws infringing on the Freedom of Speech must be narrow and well-defined, which the AEA was neither.


Next, from www.sltrib.com: Utah school district removes Bible from elementary and middle schoolsThe Davis School District in Utah has recently decided to ban the Bible from elementary and middle schools, citing ‘vulgarity or violence’. This decision was made after a parent challenged the Bible’s presence in the district’s libraries. The challenge listed topics such as incest, rape, and infanticide as being inappropriate for minors. The district will keep the Bible in the high schools, but it has already been appealed by another parent who wants the Bible to remain in all schools. The final decision will be made by the Board of Education in an upcoming public meeting.


Finally, from www.dogshirtdaily.com: The Great Republican Inferiority ComplexIn a tweet, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace expressed her frustration with the recent debt ceiling deal negotiated by President Joe Biden. She said that Republicans were outsmarted by a President who "can't find his pants," reflecting a modern Republican sentiment of being perpetually outmatched by those they deem as lesser than them. Mace's statement reflects a contemptuous attitude toward Biden, and implies that he is mentally incompetent despite his recent successes in politics. Her words also contain an underlying sense of inferiority, with the belief that despite their corruption and incompetence, liberal elites remain smarter and more successful.


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Today's paper of the day is Corporate Consolidation of Rental Housing & the Case for National Rent Stabilization written by Brandon M. Weiss. This paper examines the increasing corporate ownership of rental housing in the U.S. and the need for rent stabilization laws. It argues that there is a role for federal involvement in the implementation of rent stabilization nationwide, and it critiques the recently released White House Blueprint for a Tenant Bill of Rights. It also looks at historical precedent for congressional authorization of rent regulation and considers how the President could leverage federal financial assistance and fair housing law to provide incentives for states and localities to pass rent stabilization laws.


For a link to the paper and much more, check out our show page. As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.


Thanks for listening. See you next time. Music from www.fesliyanstudios.com.


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TRANSCRIPT WITH LINKS:


Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 3rd, 2023.


Welcome to the news roundup! Today, we'll be looking at Italy's transition from a monarchy to a republic, the US Supreme Court's decision to allow a concrete company to sue a union, AirBnb's lawsuit against New York City, Gambia hiring a US law firm to investigate the deaths of children, a USAF official clarifying remarks about AI drone killing a human operator in a simulated test, and the Supreme Court's increasing political role. Let's dive in! And after the news, stick around for our paper of the day!


First, from www.minimumcomp.com: Fri 6/2 - Starbucks Labor Disaster, SCOTUS Blow to Labor Strikes, AirBnb sues NYC, Gambia Retains US Firm and Scienter is a Fun WordToday marks a historic moment in Italy, as it transitioned from a monarchy to a republic following a public referendum. Starbucks has been found to be violating federal labor law in numerous administrative law decisions, while the US Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 decision that a ready-mix concrete company can sue a union in state court for alleged intentional destruction of property. Airbnb has filed a lawsuit against New York City over a new law restricting short-term rentals, and Gambia has hired a US law firm to explore potential legal action following an investigation that found contaminated medicines from India were likely responsible for the deaths of children in the country.


Next, from www.vice.com: USAF Official Says He ‘Misspoke’ About AI Drone Killing Human Operator in Simulated TestA USAF official's initial statement that the Air Force conducted a simulated test where an AI drone killed its human operator has been debunked. The official has since clarified that the Air Force never conducted such a test and that his remarks were taken out of context. The "thought experiment" to which he was referring was a hypothetical scenario where an AI-controlled drone gets "points" for killing simulated targets. The Department of the Air Force has stated that it remains committed to ethical and responsible use of AI technology. These instances of AI going rogue reveal the dangers of using AI for high-stakes purposes.


Finally, from www.nytimes.com: The First Name of a Supreme Court Justice Is Not JusticeThe Supreme Court has been taking on a more political role in recent years, according to Josh Chafetz in his guest essay for The Times. He argues that the justices have been increasingly overriding other decision makers and elevating the judicial role above all others. He cites examples such as ruling to strike down campaign finance laws, treating judges as above reproach, and limiting congressional oversight of the executive branch. The court has been largely empowered by its 6-to-3 Republican-appointed supermajority, and its decisions have been heavily criticized.


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Today's paper of the day is How Did the COVID Pandemic Response Harm Society? A Global Evaluation and State of Knowledge Review (2020-21) by Kevin Bardosh. This paper evaluates the global state of knowledge on the social impacts of Covid-19 pandemic response, like lockdowns, and the magnitude of these impacts during 2020 and 2021. The paper finds that the collateral damage of the pandemic response was substantial, wide-ranging and will leave behind a legacy of harm for hundreds of millions of people in the years ahead. The paper calls for a wider range of expertise to account for and mitigate societal harms associated with government intervention.


For a link to the paper and much more, check out our show page. As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.or

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Welcome to In Case You Missed It (Law), an algorithmicly-generated examination of my Mastodon timeline. I'm Max, your host. I follow a bunch of lawyers, law profs, and the like so you don't have too.


It's June 2nd, 2023.


Welcome back to today's news roundup. First up, federal prosecutors have audio of former President Trump suggesting he should have declassified a military document about Iran. Second, a new article is looking at the different modalities of global governance of artificial intelligence, and examining the rationales and tensions present. Finally, John Durham is being criticized for his investigation into the 2016 presidential election, and for fabricating evidence to blame the Clinton campaign. And after the news, stick around for our paper of the day!


First, from www.theguardian.com: Trump regretted not declassifying retained military document in recordingFederal prosecutors have obtained audio of a meeting between former President Trump and his aides in which he suggested he should have declassified a military document about Iran. The recording was made in July 2021 at his Bedminster golf club, and suggests that Trump was aware that he had retained material that was sensitive to national security. The document is believed to have been classified at the “Secret” level, and was returned to the National Archives months later. The audio was used as part of the criminal investigation into Trump's retention of national security papers.


Next, from discovery.ucl.ac.uk: AI and Global Governance: Modalities, Rationales, Tensions A new article from the Annual Reviews of Law and Social Science has recently been published, discussing the global governance of artificial intelligence. The article looks at the different modalities of global governance, and examines the rationales and tensions present in these regimes. Authors Michael Veale, Kira Matus, and Robert Gorwa urge those engaging with or studying the global governance of AI to consider who benefits from these regimes.


Finally, from www.emptywheel.net: John Durham Fabricated His Basis to Criminalize Oppo ResearchJohn Durham, a U.S. attorney, has come under fire for his investigation into the 2016 presidential election. He is accused of fabricating evidence to blame the Clinton campaign for suspicions about the Trump campaign's possible links to Russia. He has focused on an alleged "Clinton Plan" as the basis for potential criminal activity, despite the fact that the FBI had already launched an investigation into Trump's ties to Russia months before Clinton's supposed involvement. Critics have argued that Durham is relying on Russian intelligence, despite the fact that US intelligence has already concluded that Russia hacked Clinton's campaign to help Trump.


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Today's paper of the day is Georgia State Legal Technology Competency Model: A Framework for Examining and Evaluating What It Means to Be a Technologically Competent Lawyer by Patrick Parsons, Michelle Hook Dewey, and Kristina L. Niedringhaus. This paper explores the concept of a technology competent lawyer by examining different criteria such as legal position, practice area, practice size, etc. It provides a framework to evaluate and examine tech competencies across practice areas and educational environments. The framework looks at three skill levels: "Know", "Integrate", and "Create" which are based on the broad spectrum foundations known as "B.A.S.E".


For a link to the paper and much more, check out our show page. As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.


Thanks for listening. See you next time. Music from www.fesliyanstudios.com.


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