This might be a bit longer than normal since I didn’t publish a links post last week. You’ll see some common themes running through the items – namely, medical science keeps advancing and the key rule of economics is always in force – “incentives matter”. So, with that, we’ll begin with the normal Reason links.
Seattle decided gig drivers should be paid more. Rates went up, but drivers ended up getting less.
An analysis of a recent example of taking part of what someone said and blowing it out of proportion. In this case, Justice Brown-Jackson’s question if the First Amendment could hamstring the government. That’s what the internet is blaring, but not the rest of the question on if the hamstringing was against protecting the citizens. Which is a legit question to hammer out.
An article saying it was wrong to imprison the parents because they failed to stop a school shooter. This is one of those edge cases where the defendants were clearly negligent in getting their son help. Kind of like parents who refuse to take their kids to doctors when they’re clearly suffering from an ailment. With the benefit of hindsight, the government is saying that it was a clear outcome of their negligence. The more I look into mental health, I’m not sure we can say that.
Last Reason link is on the economics and politics of Star Trek.
Now on to the Ground News aggregations.
Research on reprogramming immune cells to go after certain cancers is promising.
Surgeons implanted a genetically modified pig kidney. Given the issues surrounding supply of organs, finding other sources is a good step.
The FTC is nosing around Reddit’s plan to license their content for LLM training. Because reasons. Or because it gives them an icky feeling – which seems to be a guiding principle among the leadership of the FTC these days.
DOJ is suing Apple because of their “monopoly on smartphones.” Which is more a case of people prefer iPhones. But again, it makes the feds feel icky.
Joanne’s is restructuring through bankruptcy. Considering this is one of The Wife’s and MIL’s favorite stores, I’m glad it’s not going away.
Let’s go on to other news stories.
An NYT article on automakers sharing data with insurance companies without informing owners.
BBC reporting on the quadriplegic patient who is using Neuralink for playing chess. And for playing Civ 6.
For The Wife, WaPo has an article on how cats aren’t jerks.
The Drive’s article on Toronto police telling its citizens to make it easy on car thieves to prevent more violence.
CNN Business article on the demise of the 6% commission rule.
Now for a couple of light items.
Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office decided to have some fun when a prankster put a “For Sale” sign on one of its cruisers. Personally, I thought they handled it well – by acknowledging the humor and asking politely for people not to replicate.
For The Brother, an article on Clutch becoming the Phish of hard rock.