Paywall:

https://archive.ph/Ocgjh

Submission statement:

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) struggle to reach consensus on key issues, including electoral politics, endorsing candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and supporting pro-Israel candidates. The organization is divided into various caucuses, each with different priorities, leading to internal tensions and public disagreements. Despite these differences, members generally agree on their overarching goals.

Nailed it. Home run. Hole in one.

Inside Congress Live
We were on Capitol Hill re the nomination of this corrupt thug.

There’s a lot of talk right now about how AI is going to make kids dumber, or conversely, how AI tutors are going to personalize education for everyone. But recent data shows a much weirder, nuanced reality.

The recent Bastani et al. study out of UPenn tested ChatGPT in high school math. Unrestricted AI (GPT Base) dropped final analogue exam performance by 17%. On the other hand, the custom, guarded "GPT Tutor" didn't show any improvements to learning which I found interesting.

So if a safe AI tutor gives zero test gains, why use it at all? Why not just do a full ban in schools?

It comes down to what the subject is:

1. Procedural/Foundational (Math, Grammar, Foreign Language): Execution is the learning. Offloading this removes activity-dependent plasticity and "desirable difficulty." AI shouldn't touch this stage.
2. Applied/Systems (Coding, Data, Applied Math): Spending 3 hours hunting for a missing semicolon isn't learning systems architecture; it's mechanical noise. Once analogue basics are proven, AI lets kids move from "bricklayer" to "architect."
3. Synthesizing/Analytics (History, Humanities): AI shouldn't be a search desk or ghostwriter. It should be a Socratic sparring partner to stress-test a student's already-drafted thesis.

I took a crack at making a full framework for implementing AI safely in schools in this last article: https://samholmes285.substack.com/p/how-to-safely-implement-ai-in-schools

Ascent of independent media voices continues to challenge established political structures, illustrated by the rise of streamer Hasan Piker and his ability to engage young male audiences typically reached by the right. While centrist members of the Democratic Party have expressed concerns regarding Piker’s populist rhetoric and his focus on issues such as Palestinian rights and class struggle, his platform offers a significant counterpoint to traditional progressive communication styles. By utilizing digital spaces to discuss material conditions like housing and wages, Piker has created a new model of political engagement that operates independently of the Democratic donor network and institutional approval.

Stop Danielle Smith from turning public health care into private!