Sameer Rao

Baltimore-area readers: SAVE THE DATE! July 6, 2024, from 6:30-8 pm, at Snug Books in Baltimore, author John Maly will read from his debut novel, JURIS EX MACHINA. Audience discussion about the implications of AI will follow. Register today for free tickets at www.snugbooks.com Here's a teaser: With a click, the bread fell into the toaster. One circuit fired the heating coils. Others monitored bread temperature and color. Yet another circuit was quite unlike all the rest- as exotic as it was sinister; when it activated, 368 people would die. In the 22nd century, the justice system is airtight in the domed city of Arcadia. Human error has been removed. Yet somehow, a well-intentioned young kleptomaniac named Rainville falls through the cracks and is wrongfully convicted of mass murder. He is exiled to Wychwood Prison, a crumbling necropolis beyond the dome where the dead outnumber the living, where the inmates are also the guards. News of the crime follows him, and he becomes a marked man. Rainville's only hope for survival is becoming the first inmate in history to escape Wychwood. Can he do it? The fate of Arcadia depends on it. Can't make the event? You can grab your copy today at https://lnkd.in/ewRP8SP4, which also benefits Snug Books, an independent, woman-owned bookstore. #whattoread #ai #artificialintelligence #scifinovel #cyberpunk

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It's easy to think about AI within the context of a CMS. Of using AI to optimize writing, editing, and SEO workflows. The more exciting choice is putting AI in the hands of reporters early on in the process. Over the weekend we published a deep look at how immigration is being portrayed in political ads this election cycle. It's an absorbing read--with editing and reporting from multiple desks across the newsroom. It's also the debut of one of our AI-powered reporting tools: Haystacker. We carved out a lane in our roadmap for "Ambitious Journalism"--this is what it looks like. https://lnkd.in/eTteMFxY

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I am definitely one of these journalists who has considered leaving the industry over the past year - for a variety of reasons. Financial instability, burnout, and cynicism about the nature and impact of the industry are probably the top three. One of the only things that keeps me going is the reality that many of the people at legacy institutions who can afford to keep working in our industry are simply not very good journalists, and their work - particularly on topics like Palestine - is actually harmful to real people in real life. Journalists who are willing to challenge authority and push back against official narratives to hold power accountable are more needed than ever. Being willing to prioritize career advancement over the quality of your work and your/your outlet's adherence to basic ethical principles is often what enables you to be sustainable in this industry, and that is a central paradox to the quality of the journalistic labor force and the product it puts out.

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THE VERDICT IS IN: We, the editorial workers of Law360, will walk off the job in September on an unfair labor practices strike unless the company finally gets its act together after two years and settles a fair contract with us, including wages that reflect our value. Law360 readers depend on us for accurate, timely and insightful legal news. Here's how management can recognize our vital role: bargain in good faith, agree to a fair contract now and stop breaking labor law. And here's how YOU can help support us: https://lnkd.in/ddy5yRpi

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Support our reporting fund In a world where quick soundbites often replace thorough reporting, the importance of independent media cannot be overstated. At TNM, we are committed to delivering not just news, but nuanced narratives that go beneath the surface. This commitment means our journalists spend considerable time on the ground, digging into stories that matter. However, in-depth reporting requires not just passion and dedication, but also substantial resources. Every story we chase involves expenses—travel, equipment, and ensuring the safety and well-being of our reporters as they bring you the truth from across the five south Indian states. This is where you can make a difference. By supporting our reporting fund, you're not just sustaining a media outlet; you're preserving the integrity and independence of journalism itself. Your contribution helps us stay resilient. Link in comment.

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Be sure to come by our panel: Accountability Interviews! Accountability has often hinged on action in response to information. However, in an era where people are moving further from regular news consumption, how do we still hold the powerful accountable? In this panel we'll discuss what to do when your subject won't talk, when to conduct an unscheduled interview or whether they are still acceptable and what impact looks like when it comes to public response to your investigation.

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Transforming data and strategic goals into impactful video content is an art that is becoming a science. 🎨 🔬 Classes like this one from Section and Amit Rawal are helping us art majors properly nerd-up. https://lnkd.in/eHf4mjjv

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In this truly excellent interview with Flávia Furlan Nunes, the always candid Mark Calabria shares his thoughts on the likelihood of the GSEs exiting conservatorship under a second Trump administration, the future of the CFPB, closed-end seconds, what the Biden administration has gotten wrong on housing, the NAR lawsuit and much, much more. Here's a sneak preview: Nunes: What is your opinion on the current administration’s initiatives in the mortgage space? Calabria: There’s been a weakening of underwriting standards by this administration, not just at FHA, but also at Fannie and Freddie.  If I can be slightly humorous, my description of the Biden administration’s housing policies is that they see two families competing aggressively over one house and they believe the solution is to add a third family. You’ve seen this massive expansion, high debt-to-income lending, that has been irresponsible and doesn’t do anything other than erode affordability. That has added to housing demand. Keep in mind that you’re in an economy where you saw big increases in homeowners insurance. If you’re getting somebody into a loan with a 50 DTI, and then suddenly they’ve got an increase in their homeowners insurance, that’s not a sustainable world. There have been increases in allowable loan to value. Obviously, there’s been a lot of pressure to increase appraisals and weaken appraisal independence, which probably has inflated housing values as well. They’ve done things that even don’t show up as directly. The CFPB has pushed for the elimination of medical debt and other things [from credit scores]. That may be the right policy, but it inflates FICO scores. If you’re not increasing the credit box to offset that, then you are knowingly decreasing the underwriting. Highly recommend you give it a read. Who knows, he could be back at the helm of the FHFA in a couple months... https://lnkd.in/gA6vq-qi

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1) The membership of this work group contains no one from commercial publishing, in other words, the group that creates most of what the other groups consume. 2) Contrary to the contention that the comments are "out of scope", legality is an absolutely critical requirement that is in scope by definition. Does the NISO's enabling legislation even allow it to promulgate a standard that is known to be illegal? Todd Carpenter 3) The signatories are a Murderer's Row of organizations representing every aspect of commercial book publishing including agents, authors, and publishers from most parts of the world. In short, it looks to an outsider like the problem is that this group was convened with the wrong charter and the wrong membership. As Ms. Halperin suggests, it's a pity the process was allowed to waste two years of everyone's time.

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Yesterday, the U.S. Copyright Office published a report titled The Geography of Copyright Registrations, which provides detailed insights into the geographic distribution of various kinds of copyright filings originating across the United States. While copyright filings are understandably more heavily concentrated in population centers, analysis of per capita copyright filings show the impact that even a single active registrant can have on regional copyright filing activities.

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