California passes law allowing Dutch-style cannabis cafes
By AFP
October 2, 2024
Starting next year, diners in the western US state of California can smoke cannabis at certain restaurants, thanks to a new law allowing for “cannabis cafes” akin to those popularized in the Netherlands.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Monday authorizing businesses that are already licensed to sell cannabis to serve hot food and non-alcoholic beverages.
It will go into effect on January 1, 2025.
California legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, but dispensaries that sell the substance legally remain less popular than the black market.
“Right now, our small cannabis businesses are struggling to compete against illegal drug sellers that don’t follow the law or pay taxes,” said state assemblyman Matt Haney, who authored the bill.
“In order to ensure the legal cannabis market can survive and thrive in California, we have to allow them to adapt, innovate and offer products and experiences that customers want,” Haney continued.
Some cities like West Hollywood, near Los Angeles, have been calling for such legislation for years.
The liberal enclave hopes to compete with Amsterdam and already hosts “cannabis lounges,” where dispensaries are attached to separate bars or restaurants.
Now, the law will allow any business in the state to follow the same model without falling into a legal gray area.
Not everyone is in favor of the move, however.
Public health advocates have expressed concern about the effect smoking cannabis in restaurants can have on lung health.
“Secondhand marijuana smoke has many of the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals as secondhand tobacco smoke,” read a statement from the American Cancer Society’s advocacy branch.
The new law “undermines the state’s smoke-free restaurants law and compromises its enforcement, thus threatening to roll back decades of hard-won protections of everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.”
California notably banned smoking in bars and restaurants nearly 30 years ago, the first US state to do so.
Newsom had vetoed a different version of the bill last year, citing the health concerns.
However, the new version of the law signed Monday will include parameters to ensure employees in cannabis cafes can wear masks to protect themselves and be informed of the risks of inhaling secondhand cannabis smoke.
Wednesday, October 02, 2024
Dali prints found in London garage sold at auction
Agence France-Presse
September 30, 2024
The lithographs signed by Salvador Dali were discovered in a London garage
Agence France-Presse
September 30, 2024
The lithographs signed by Salvador Dali were discovered in a London garage
© BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP
Eleven lithographs signed by the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali sparked an auction battle on Monday after being stored and forgotten in a London garage for about 50 years.
The prints, which were found as the seller cleaned up his lock-up in the upmarket Mayfair area, had been bought in the 1970s at an art gallery closing down sale for £500.
Chris Kirkham, associate director of auction house Hansons Richmond, said each lot exceeded its guide price of between £500 to £700 ($670 to $935).
The most sought-after -- an abstract color lithograph of nude figures, a limited edition print signed by the artist himself -- was sold for £4,900.
Dali's 1929 portrait of French poet Paul Eluard sold for a staggering £13.5 million at Sotheby's in London in 2011.
But Kirkham told AFP that demand for the lithographs, even at a lower price, had been "exceptional", with worldwide interest.
"They sort of tick a lot of boxes. You've got a heavyweight artist that has an enduring appeal. They're vibrant and colorful which makes them commercial and I think they're probably fit in anyone's home," he said.
"And they're nice and big, and they're decorative, so they've got a good mixture of things."
The sale was an example of how online bidding had allowed more private buyers a chance to buy art at competitive prices, he added.
"We have one lady that bought three today," he said.
"She saw them from the advertisements and she just wants them for her home on the wall which is great which is nice because previously 10 years ago auctions would only really sell largely 80 to 90 percent to trade, then they would resell them."
Eleven lithographs signed by the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali sparked an auction battle on Monday after being stored and forgotten in a London garage for about 50 years.
The prints, which were found as the seller cleaned up his lock-up in the upmarket Mayfair area, had been bought in the 1970s at an art gallery closing down sale for £500.
Chris Kirkham, associate director of auction house Hansons Richmond, said each lot exceeded its guide price of between £500 to £700 ($670 to $935).
The most sought-after -- an abstract color lithograph of nude figures, a limited edition print signed by the artist himself -- was sold for £4,900.
Dali's 1929 portrait of French poet Paul Eluard sold for a staggering £13.5 million at Sotheby's in London in 2011.
But Kirkham told AFP that demand for the lithographs, even at a lower price, had been "exceptional", with worldwide interest.
"They sort of tick a lot of boxes. You've got a heavyweight artist that has an enduring appeal. They're vibrant and colorful which makes them commercial and I think they're probably fit in anyone's home," he said.
"And they're nice and big, and they're decorative, so they've got a good mixture of things."
The sale was an example of how online bidding had allowed more private buyers a chance to buy art at competitive prices, he added.
"We have one lady that bought three today," he said.
"She saw them from the advertisements and she just wants them for her home on the wall which is great which is nice because previously 10 years ago auctions would only really sell largely 80 to 90 percent to trade, then they would resell them."
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
Coldplay are set to play in Mumbai in January (KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
British rock band Coldplay's upcoming tour of India has triggered a police investigation and dismayed fans after scalpers bought up cheap tickets to resell online for more than $1,000 apiece.
Thousands of music fans tried and failed to buy tickets for three concerts scheduled in financial hub Mumbai next January, sold by popular Indian online ticket portal BookMyShow.
All three shows sold out in minutes, and those who missed out were infuriated when they saw $70 (6,000-rupee) tickets appear on resale websites at vastly inflated prices.
"The tickets are being sold at 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the price that is being sold on the website itself," student Anna Abraham, 19, told AFP.
"I wouldn't feel good about it myself if I knew that I paid for something 30 times more than what I could have paid for."
Local media reports said BookMyShow's chief operating officer was questioned by police Monday after a complaint brought by Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who claimed the vendor was working with "black marketeers" to make an extra windfall on ticket sales.
"I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket," Vyas said, according to the Indian Express newspaper.
"This made me suspicious. I then decided to approach the police as I knew that something was amiss."
BookMyShow issued a statement after the public backlash began last week, saying it had "no association" with unauthorised ticket selling.
"Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice," the company said.
Controversies surrounding tickets for major international musical or sporting events are not new.
US megastar Taylor Swift lashed out at Ticketmaster in 2022 following fan anger over sales to concerts staged for her globe-spanning 'The Eras Tour'.
The debacle sparked debate over the Ticketmaster’s privileged position in the industry amid fan complaints of hidden fees, rampant ticket scalping and limited tickets due to presales.
Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
Coldplay are set to play in Mumbai in January (KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
British rock band Coldplay's upcoming tour of India has triggered a police investigation and dismayed fans after scalpers bought up cheap tickets to resell online for more than $1,000 apiece.
Thousands of music fans tried and failed to buy tickets for three concerts scheduled in financial hub Mumbai next January, sold by popular Indian online ticket portal BookMyShow.
All three shows sold out in minutes, and those who missed out were infuriated when they saw $70 (6,000-rupee) tickets appear on resale websites at vastly inflated prices.
"The tickets are being sold at 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the price that is being sold on the website itself," student Anna Abraham, 19, told AFP.
"I wouldn't feel good about it myself if I knew that I paid for something 30 times more than what I could have paid for."
Local media reports said BookMyShow's chief operating officer was questioned by police Monday after a complaint brought by Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who claimed the vendor was working with "black marketeers" to make an extra windfall on ticket sales.
"I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket," Vyas said, according to the Indian Express newspaper.
"This made me suspicious. I then decided to approach the police as I knew that something was amiss."
BookMyShow issued a statement after the public backlash began last week, saying it had "no association" with unauthorised ticket selling.
"Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice," the company said.
Controversies surrounding tickets for major international musical or sporting events are not new.
US megastar Taylor Swift lashed out at Ticketmaster in 2022 following fan anger over sales to concerts staged for her globe-spanning 'The Eras Tour'.
The debacle sparked debate over the Ticketmaster’s privileged position in the industry amid fan complaints of hidden fees, rampant ticket scalping and limited tickets due to presales.
Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
Waves break off Sizihwan Bay beauty spot in Kaohsiung as coast guard officers patrol ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Krathon (WALID BERRAZEG/AFP)
Taiwan closed schools and evacuated thousands of people in the south of the island Tuesday ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Krathon, with the president warning it was likely to cause "catastrophic damage".
Krathon -- packing sustained winds of 198 kilometers per hour (123 miles per hour), equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane, and gusts of up to 245 kph -- was expected to make landfall Wednesday near the major port city of Kaohsiung.
Offices and schools were closed across southern and eastern Taiwan and the interior ministry said more than 7,800 people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas as a precaution.
President Lai Ching-te warned Krathon would "inevitably cause catastrophic damage".
"The path of Krathon is relatively rare, entering from the south and exiting from the east. Therefore we must be particularly vigilant," he said at a government briefing.
Dozens of international and domestic flights have been cancelled.
Nearly 40,000 troops were on standby for relief missions, the defense ministry said.
In southern Renwu district, part of Kaohsiung, soldiers were seen filling sandbags for distribution to the public, with a few dozen residents waiting at the district office to receive theirs.
Wu Mao-shu, a supervisor at the office, said "people are eager to collect sandbags to protect their homes. Up until yesterday we gave away around 7,400 and another 1,100 today so far."
Wu said authorities had also cleared the storm drains in the area to avoid a repeat of the widespread flooding seen during typhoon Gaemi in July.
Gaemi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in eight years, leaving at least 10 people dead and hundreds wounded.
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October but experts say climate change has increased their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods and strong gusts.
- 'Can't underestimate' Krathon -
In Kaohsiung, residents taped up windows, filled sandbags and erected barriers around their homes to keep out floodwaters.
Coast guard officers patrolling the nearby scenic tourist spot of Sizihwan Bay told people to stay away as powerful waves pounded the coast.
Retiree Ou Rui-yao, who was birdwatching in the area, said he had prepared his home for the storm.
"We need to be very careful as this typhoon must be very strong," said Ou, 82. "Since the tide is high, we have put up water barriers."
"For the whole of Taiwan, we can't underestimate this typhoon."
Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker, said it had "activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures" at all fabrication plants and construction sites on the island.
"We do not expect significant impact to our operations," it said in a statement.
- Philippine islands hit -
The typhoon was around 220 kilometers south-southwest of Kaohsiung at 1:00 pm (0500 GMT), the Central Weather Administration said.
The storm was approaching Taiwan after pounding a remote group of Philippine islands, where it cut power and communications and damaged "many" houses, according to the local mayor.
The Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday that nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, around half in the Batanes islands near southern Taiwan.
Taiwan's coast guard said a Barbadian ship, the Blue Lagoon, was taking on water and tilting off the southeast city of Taitung due to the storm, with national rescue authorities later saying its 19 crew members had been airlifted to safety.
Across Taiwan, 23 typhoon-related minor injuries had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon, authorities said without providing details.
In Taitung, where the typhoon has brought heavy rains and waves of up to seven meters (23 feet), a man was sent to hospital after his truck was hit by a huge falling rock as he was driving along a mountainous route, local media said.
Typhoons are common around the region at this time of year.
However, a recent study showed that they are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
Waves break off Sizihwan Bay beauty spot in Kaohsiung as coast guard officers patrol ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Krathon (WALID BERRAZEG/AFP)
Taiwan closed schools and evacuated thousands of people in the south of the island Tuesday ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Krathon, with the president warning it was likely to cause "catastrophic damage".
Krathon -- packing sustained winds of 198 kilometers per hour (123 miles per hour), equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane, and gusts of up to 245 kph -- was expected to make landfall Wednesday near the major port city of Kaohsiung.
Offices and schools were closed across southern and eastern Taiwan and the interior ministry said more than 7,800 people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas as a precaution.
President Lai Ching-te warned Krathon would "inevitably cause catastrophic damage".
"The path of Krathon is relatively rare, entering from the south and exiting from the east. Therefore we must be particularly vigilant," he said at a government briefing.
Dozens of international and domestic flights have been cancelled.
Nearly 40,000 troops were on standby for relief missions, the defense ministry said.
In southern Renwu district, part of Kaohsiung, soldiers were seen filling sandbags for distribution to the public, with a few dozen residents waiting at the district office to receive theirs.
Wu Mao-shu, a supervisor at the office, said "people are eager to collect sandbags to protect their homes. Up until yesterday we gave away around 7,400 and another 1,100 today so far."
Wu said authorities had also cleared the storm drains in the area to avoid a repeat of the widespread flooding seen during typhoon Gaemi in July.
Gaemi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in eight years, leaving at least 10 people dead and hundreds wounded.
Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October but experts say climate change has increased their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods and strong gusts.
- 'Can't underestimate' Krathon -
In Kaohsiung, residents taped up windows, filled sandbags and erected barriers around their homes to keep out floodwaters.
Coast guard officers patrolling the nearby scenic tourist spot of Sizihwan Bay told people to stay away as powerful waves pounded the coast.
Retiree Ou Rui-yao, who was birdwatching in the area, said he had prepared his home for the storm.
"We need to be very careful as this typhoon must be very strong," said Ou, 82. "Since the tide is high, we have put up water barriers."
"For the whole of Taiwan, we can't underestimate this typhoon."
Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker, said it had "activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures" at all fabrication plants and construction sites on the island.
"We do not expect significant impact to our operations," it said in a statement.
- Philippine islands hit -
The typhoon was around 220 kilometers south-southwest of Kaohsiung at 1:00 pm (0500 GMT), the Central Weather Administration said.
The storm was approaching Taiwan after pounding a remote group of Philippine islands, where it cut power and communications and damaged "many" houses, according to the local mayor.
The Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday that nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, around half in the Batanes islands near southern Taiwan.
Taiwan's coast guard said a Barbadian ship, the Blue Lagoon, was taking on water and tilting off the southeast city of Taitung due to the storm, with national rescue authorities later saying its 19 crew members had been airlifted to safety.
Across Taiwan, 23 typhoon-related minor injuries had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon, authorities said without providing details.
In Taitung, where the typhoon has brought heavy rains and waves of up to seven meters (23 feet), a man was sent to hospital after his truck was hit by a huge falling rock as he was driving along a mountainous route, local media said.
Typhoons are common around the region at this time of year.
However, a recent study showed that they are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
A new immersive cinema is helping firefighters to better prepare for megafires
The Conversation
September 30, 2024
Man with fire Photo: Shutterstock
As summer approaches, the threat of bushfires looms. Earlier this month, an out-of-control blaze in Sydney’s northern beaches burnt more than 100 hectares of bushland, threatening nearby homes.
Climate change is making bushfires larger, hotter and faster. Previously unthinkable catastrophes, such as the “Black Summer” megafires in Australia in 2019/2020 and the ones that ravaged Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023, are becoming more common.
Firefighters put their lives on the line to battle these fires. Yet many are not meaningfully and comprehensively prepared to respond to erratic and extreme conflagrations. This increases their chances of being injured, or worse. It may also hinder their ability to make the best decisions.
To help address this, the University of New South Wales’ iCinema Research Centre has created iFire. This cutting-edge training system allows firefighters and emergency responders to virtually teleport into a burning landscape and train for the real thing. It could revolutionize the way we prepare for other natural disasters as well.
Megafires are becoming more common
The rate of extreme fire events has doubled over the past decade. These fires can combine with the atmosphere to produce their own weather systems, generating multiple fire fronts. As the planet continues to warm, this situation will only get worse.
Much current research is focused on understanding these worsening fire threats. This is vital. But data and charts don’t meaningfully prepare firefighters for how to respond to such extreme, unanticipated fires.
“Experiential preparedness” is the missing element.
It helps firefighters prepare by virtually experiencing and rehearsing how to respond to real and future extreme fires through immersive scenarios. This can be done in a large-scale, three-dimensional cinema or on a smart tablet or phone.
Simulating the fireground
The iFire collaboration builds on iCinema’s award-winning iCasts immersive training system for mine workers.
Since it was developed in 2008, iCasts has exposed and trained thousands of miners and planners in simulations of known threats before they go underground. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in serious injuries at Australian mine sites and many lives saved.
iFire takes a similar approach. It uses a combination of mathematical modeling of actual fires provided by CSIRO’s Data61 research institute, advanced visualization and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to recreate immersive simulations of three real case studies: a pine plantation fire, a grass fire and the 2020 Bridger-Foothills fire in the United States.
The system puts fire crews in the centre of these simulated firegrounds using immersive cinematic scenarios. The crews feel as though they are physically present. They can experience the fire from any point of view – aerial or on the ground – at any point in time, and interactively engage with it.
Importantly, the scenarios are not static reproductions of past events. Fire crews and incident commanders can adjust variables to experience the influence of changes in conditions. For example, they can change the air temperature or wind direction and see how this affects the dynamic behavior of the fire in real time.
This allows them to better perceive risks and practice making key decisions in preparation for when they are on the actual firegrounds and under enormous pressure to act fast.
A more advanced system
iFire is already in the hands of those who need it. It has recently been installed at the Fire and Rescue NSW Emergency Services Academy in Sydney using a 130‑degree, three-dimensional, cinematic theatre.
The UNSW iCinema Centre and Fire and Rescue NSW will use iFire to develop training modules for frontline response. These modules will provide simulations where fire crews practice how to be situationally aware in the face of an unpredictable fire situation. They learn how to make the best decisions in managing the unfolding fire.
But the iFire team is working towards building a more advanced AI system that learns the underlying and unforeseen patterns of fire behavior to create more precise and detailed simulations of these unpredictable fires.
This will enable incident commanders and firefighters to engage with unanticipated fireground threats and better prepare to protect people and property under threat from flames.
The longer-term goal is that the iFire system will ultimately enable firefighters on a tablet or any other smart screen device in any location to experience the look and feel of a possible future fire scenario in real time. This won’t be as immersive, but it will be effective for use in the field when managing a fire and will improve tactical and strategic responses.
Although iFire has been specially designed for firefighters, the technology behind it can be tweaked for many purposes. For example, it can be used to help better train and prepare emergency service workers for other natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
Dennis Del Favero, ARC Laureate Fellow and executive director, iCinema Research Centre, UNSW Sydney; Michael J. Ostwald, Professor of Architectural Analytics, UNSW Sydney, and Yang Song, Scientia Associate Professor, School of Computer Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Conversation
September 30, 2024
Man with fire Photo: Shutterstock
As summer approaches, the threat of bushfires looms. Earlier this month, an out-of-control blaze in Sydney’s northern beaches burnt more than 100 hectares of bushland, threatening nearby homes.
Climate change is making bushfires larger, hotter and faster. Previously unthinkable catastrophes, such as the “Black Summer” megafires in Australia in 2019/2020 and the ones that ravaged Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023, are becoming more common.
Firefighters put their lives on the line to battle these fires. Yet many are not meaningfully and comprehensively prepared to respond to erratic and extreme conflagrations. This increases their chances of being injured, or worse. It may also hinder their ability to make the best decisions.
To help address this, the University of New South Wales’ iCinema Research Centre has created iFire. This cutting-edge training system allows firefighters and emergency responders to virtually teleport into a burning landscape and train for the real thing. It could revolutionize the way we prepare for other natural disasters as well.
Megafires are becoming more common
The rate of extreme fire events has doubled over the past decade. These fires can combine with the atmosphere to produce their own weather systems, generating multiple fire fronts. As the planet continues to warm, this situation will only get worse.
Much current research is focused on understanding these worsening fire threats. This is vital. But data and charts don’t meaningfully prepare firefighters for how to respond to such extreme, unanticipated fires.
“Experiential preparedness” is the missing element.
It helps firefighters prepare by virtually experiencing and rehearsing how to respond to real and future extreme fires through immersive scenarios. This can be done in a large-scale, three-dimensional cinema or on a smart tablet or phone.
Simulating the fireground
The iFire collaboration builds on iCinema’s award-winning iCasts immersive training system for mine workers.
Since it was developed in 2008, iCasts has exposed and trained thousands of miners and planners in simulations of known threats before they go underground. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in serious injuries at Australian mine sites and many lives saved.
iFire takes a similar approach. It uses a combination of mathematical modeling of actual fires provided by CSIRO’s Data61 research institute, advanced visualization and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to recreate immersive simulations of three real case studies: a pine plantation fire, a grass fire and the 2020 Bridger-Foothills fire in the United States.
The system puts fire crews in the centre of these simulated firegrounds using immersive cinematic scenarios. The crews feel as though they are physically present. They can experience the fire from any point of view – aerial or on the ground – at any point in time, and interactively engage with it.
Importantly, the scenarios are not static reproductions of past events. Fire crews and incident commanders can adjust variables to experience the influence of changes in conditions. For example, they can change the air temperature or wind direction and see how this affects the dynamic behavior of the fire in real time.
This allows them to better perceive risks and practice making key decisions in preparation for when they are on the actual firegrounds and under enormous pressure to act fast.
A more advanced system
iFire is already in the hands of those who need it. It has recently been installed at the Fire and Rescue NSW Emergency Services Academy in Sydney using a 130‑degree, three-dimensional, cinematic theatre.
The UNSW iCinema Centre and Fire and Rescue NSW will use iFire to develop training modules for frontline response. These modules will provide simulations where fire crews practice how to be situationally aware in the face of an unpredictable fire situation. They learn how to make the best decisions in managing the unfolding fire.
But the iFire team is working towards building a more advanced AI system that learns the underlying and unforeseen patterns of fire behavior to create more precise and detailed simulations of these unpredictable fires.
This will enable incident commanders and firefighters to engage with unanticipated fireground threats and better prepare to protect people and property under threat from flames.
The longer-term goal is that the iFire system will ultimately enable firefighters on a tablet or any other smart screen device in any location to experience the look and feel of a possible future fire scenario in real time. This won’t be as immersive, but it will be effective for use in the field when managing a fire and will improve tactical and strategic responses.
Although iFire has been specially designed for firefighters, the technology behind it can be tweaked for many purposes. For example, it can be used to help better train and prepare emergency service workers for other natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
Dennis Del Favero, ARC Laureate Fellow and executive director, iCinema Research Centre, UNSW Sydney; Michael J. Ostwald, Professor of Architectural Analytics, UNSW Sydney, and Yang Song, Scientia Associate Professor, School of Computer Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up
The Conversation
September 30, 2024
Person using MacBook (Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash)
Imagine scrolling through social media or playing an online game, only to be interrupted by insulting and harassing comments. What if an artificial intelligence (AI) tool stepped in to remove the abuse before you even saw it?
This isn’t science fiction. Commercial AI tools like ToxMod and Bodyguard.ai are already used to monitor interactions in real time across social media and gaming platforms. They can detect and respond to toxic behaviour.
The idea of an all-seeing AI monitoring our every move might sound Orwellian, but these tools could be key to making the internet a safer place.
However, for AI moderation to succeed, it needs to prioritise values like privacy, transparency, explainability and fairness. So can we ensure AI can be trusted to make our online spaces better? Our two recent research projects into AI-driven moderation show this can be done – with more work ahead of us.
Negativity thrives online
Online toxicity is a growing problem. Nearly half of young Australians have experienced some form of negative online interaction, with almost one in five experiencing cyberbullying.
Whether it’s a single offensive comment or a sustained slew of harassment, such harmful interactions are part of daily life for many internet users.
The severity of online toxicity is one reason the Australian government has proposed banning social media for children under 14.
But this approach fails to fully address a core underlying problem: the design of online platforms and moderation tools. We need to rethink how online platforms are designed to minimize harmful interactions for all users, not just children.
Unfortunately, many tech giants with power over our online activities have been slow to take on more responsibility, leaving significant gaps in moderation and safety measures.
This is where proactive AI moderation offers the chance to create safer, more respectful online spaces. But can AI truly deliver on this promise? Here’s what we found.
‘Havoc’ in online multiplayer games
In our Games and Artificial Intelligence Moderation (GAIM) Project, we set out to understand the ethical opportunities and pitfalls of AI-driven moderation in online multiplayer games. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with players and industry professionals to find out how they use and think about AI in these spaces.
Interviewees saw AI as a necessary tool to make games safer and combat the “havoc” caused by toxicity. With millions of players, human moderators can’t catch everything. But an untiring and proactive AI can pick up what humans miss, helping reduce the stress and burnout associated with moderating toxic messages.
But many players also expressed confusion about the use of AI moderation. They didn’t understand why they received account suspensions, bans and other punishments, and were often left frustrated that their own reports of toxic behavior seemed to be lost to the void, unanswered.
Participants were especially worried about privacy in situations where AI is used to moderate voice chat in games. One player exclaimed: “my god, is that even legal?” It is – and it’s already happening in popular online games such as Call of Duty.
Our study revealed there’s tremendous positive potential for AI moderation. However, games and social media companies will need to do a lot more work to make these systems transparent, empowering and trustworthy.
Right now, AI moderation is seen to operate much like a police officer in an opaque justice system. What if AI instead took the form of a teacher, guardian, or upstander – educating, empowering or supporting users?
Enter AI Ally
This is where our second project AI Ally comes in, an initiative funded by the eSafety Commissioner. In response to high rates of tech-based gendered violence in Australia, we are co-designing an AI tool to support girls, women and gender-diverse individuals in navigating safer online spaces.
We surveyed 230 people from these groups, and found that 44% of our respondents “often” or “always” experienced gendered harassment on at least one social media platform. It happened most frequently in response to everyday online activities like posting photos of themselves, particularly in the form of sexist comments.
Interestingly, our respondents reported that documenting instances of online abuse was especially useful when they wanted to support other targets of harassment, such as by gathering screenshots of abusive comments. But only a few of those surveyed did this in practice. Understandably, many also feared for their own safety should they intervene by defending someone or even speaking up in a public comment thread.
These are worrying findings. In response, we are designing our AI tool as an optional dashboard that detects and documents toxic comments. To help guide us in the design process, we have created a set of “personas” that capture some of our target users, inspired by our survey respondents.
Some of the user ‘personas’ guiding the development of the AI Ally tool. Ren Galwey/Research Rendered
We allow users to make their own decisions about whether to filter, flag, block or report harassment in efficient ways that align with their own preferences and personal safety.
In this way, we hope to use AI to offer young people easy-to-access support in managing online safety while offering autonomy and a sense of empowerment.
We can all play a role
AI Ally shows we can use AI to help make online spaces safer without having to sacrifice values like transparency and user control. But there is much more to be done.
Other, similar initiatives include Harassment Manager, which was designed to identify and document abuse on Twitter (now X), and HeartMob, a community where targets of online harassment can seek support.
Until ethical AI practices are more widely adopted, users must stay informed. Before joining a platform, check if they are transparent about their policies and offer user control over moderation settings.
The internet connects us to resources, work, play and community. Everyone has the right to access these benefits without harassment and abuse. It’s up to all of us to be proactive and advocate for smarter, more ethical technology that protects our values and our digital spaces.
The AI Ally team consists of Dr Mahli-Ann Butt, Dr Lucy Sparrow, Dr Eduardo Oliveira, Ren Galwey, Dahlia Jovic, Sable Wang-Wills, Yige Song and Maddy Weeks.
Lucy Sparrow, Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction, The University of Melbourne; Eduardo Oliveira, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne, and Mahli-Ann Butt, Lecturer, Cultural Studies, The University of Melbourne
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Conversation
September 30, 2024
Person using MacBook (Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash)
Imagine scrolling through social media or playing an online game, only to be interrupted by insulting and harassing comments. What if an artificial intelligence (AI) tool stepped in to remove the abuse before you even saw it?
This isn’t science fiction. Commercial AI tools like ToxMod and Bodyguard.ai are already used to monitor interactions in real time across social media and gaming platforms. They can detect and respond to toxic behaviour.
The idea of an all-seeing AI monitoring our every move might sound Orwellian, but these tools could be key to making the internet a safer place.
However, for AI moderation to succeed, it needs to prioritise values like privacy, transparency, explainability and fairness. So can we ensure AI can be trusted to make our online spaces better? Our two recent research projects into AI-driven moderation show this can be done – with more work ahead of us.
Negativity thrives online
Online toxicity is a growing problem. Nearly half of young Australians have experienced some form of negative online interaction, with almost one in five experiencing cyberbullying.
Whether it’s a single offensive comment or a sustained slew of harassment, such harmful interactions are part of daily life for many internet users.
The severity of online toxicity is one reason the Australian government has proposed banning social media for children under 14.
But this approach fails to fully address a core underlying problem: the design of online platforms and moderation tools. We need to rethink how online platforms are designed to minimize harmful interactions for all users, not just children.
Unfortunately, many tech giants with power over our online activities have been slow to take on more responsibility, leaving significant gaps in moderation and safety measures.
This is where proactive AI moderation offers the chance to create safer, more respectful online spaces. But can AI truly deliver on this promise? Here’s what we found.
‘Havoc’ in online multiplayer games
In our Games and Artificial Intelligence Moderation (GAIM) Project, we set out to understand the ethical opportunities and pitfalls of AI-driven moderation in online multiplayer games. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with players and industry professionals to find out how they use and think about AI in these spaces.
Interviewees saw AI as a necessary tool to make games safer and combat the “havoc” caused by toxicity. With millions of players, human moderators can’t catch everything. But an untiring and proactive AI can pick up what humans miss, helping reduce the stress and burnout associated with moderating toxic messages.
But many players also expressed confusion about the use of AI moderation. They didn’t understand why they received account suspensions, bans and other punishments, and were often left frustrated that their own reports of toxic behavior seemed to be lost to the void, unanswered.
Participants were especially worried about privacy in situations where AI is used to moderate voice chat in games. One player exclaimed: “my god, is that even legal?” It is – and it’s already happening in popular online games such as Call of Duty.
Our study revealed there’s tremendous positive potential for AI moderation. However, games and social media companies will need to do a lot more work to make these systems transparent, empowering and trustworthy.
Right now, AI moderation is seen to operate much like a police officer in an opaque justice system. What if AI instead took the form of a teacher, guardian, or upstander – educating, empowering or supporting users?
Enter AI Ally
This is where our second project AI Ally comes in, an initiative funded by the eSafety Commissioner. In response to high rates of tech-based gendered violence in Australia, we are co-designing an AI tool to support girls, women and gender-diverse individuals in navigating safer online spaces.
We surveyed 230 people from these groups, and found that 44% of our respondents “often” or “always” experienced gendered harassment on at least one social media platform. It happened most frequently in response to everyday online activities like posting photos of themselves, particularly in the form of sexist comments.
Interestingly, our respondents reported that documenting instances of online abuse was especially useful when they wanted to support other targets of harassment, such as by gathering screenshots of abusive comments. But only a few of those surveyed did this in practice. Understandably, many also feared for their own safety should they intervene by defending someone or even speaking up in a public comment thread.
These are worrying findings. In response, we are designing our AI tool as an optional dashboard that detects and documents toxic comments. To help guide us in the design process, we have created a set of “personas” that capture some of our target users, inspired by our survey respondents.
Some of the user ‘personas’ guiding the development of the AI Ally tool. Ren Galwey/Research Rendered
We allow users to make their own decisions about whether to filter, flag, block or report harassment in efficient ways that align with their own preferences and personal safety.
In this way, we hope to use AI to offer young people easy-to-access support in managing online safety while offering autonomy and a sense of empowerment.
We can all play a role
AI Ally shows we can use AI to help make online spaces safer without having to sacrifice values like transparency and user control. But there is much more to be done.
Other, similar initiatives include Harassment Manager, which was designed to identify and document abuse on Twitter (now X), and HeartMob, a community where targets of online harassment can seek support.
Until ethical AI practices are more widely adopted, users must stay informed. Before joining a platform, check if they are transparent about their policies and offer user control over moderation settings.
The internet connects us to resources, work, play and community. Everyone has the right to access these benefits without harassment and abuse. It’s up to all of us to be proactive and advocate for smarter, more ethical technology that protects our values and our digital spaces.
The AI Ally team consists of Dr Mahli-Ann Butt, Dr Lucy Sparrow, Dr Eduardo Oliveira, Ren Galwey, Dahlia Jovic, Sable Wang-Wills, Yige Song and Maddy Weeks.
Lucy Sparrow, Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction, The University of Melbourne; Eduardo Oliveira, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne, and Mahli-Ann Butt, Lecturer, Cultural Studies, The University of Melbourne
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Droughts drive Spanish boom in pistachio farming
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
With Spain getting hotter, the amount of land devoted to drought-resistant pistachio trees has jumped nearly five-fold since 2017 to 79,000 hectares (195,000 acres) (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU/AFP)
Two decades ago, Miguel Angel Garcia harvested grapes and grains on his farm in central Spain, like his father and grandfather before him.
Now he produces pistachios -- a more lucrative crop that can better withstand the droughts that have become more frequent and intense in Spain.
Garcia harvests 10 to 20 tonnes of the green nut each year at his 26-hectare (64-acres) farm in Manzanares in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha, part of a boom in pistachio production in Spain.
"Wine and cereals weren't viable anymore," said the 58-year-old, who planted his first pistachio trees in 2007. "If I hadn't changed, I wouldn't have been able to make a living from my farm."
In the stony plot behind him, an electric harvester latched onto the trunk of a small pistachio tree and then shook it, causing nuts to fall into a vast canvas set up below, open like an upside-down umbrella.
Pistachio trees, which are native to the Middle East, are "resistant" and "adapted to the climate we have here" with its hot and dry summers and cold spells in winter, Garcia said.
The amount of land devoted to pistachio trees in Spain has jumped nearly five-fold since 2017 to 79,000 hectares (195,000 acres) in 2024, according to agriculture ministry figures.
- 'Strong demand' -
This makes Spain the biggest pistachio grower in Europe in terms of surface area, and the world's fourth-largest after the United States, Iran and Turkey.
Most pistachios are grown in Castilla-La Mancha as well as Extremadura in the west and Andalusia in the south, which are facing water shortages due to climate change.
This crop comes from a "desert region" and is "much better adapted" to the new climate realities, said Mario Gonzalez-Mohino, an agricultural engineer and the director of the specialist website Pistacho Pro.
Spain experienced its hottest August on record this year, with temperatures averaging 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) -- and the national weather agency says 2024 could rival 2022 as the warmest ever registered.
Spain's production -- nearly 9,000 tonnes per year -- is "still limited" but "it will increase rapidly because the vast majority of plots have not gone into production", since it takes at least seven years before a newly planted tree gives its first harvest, he added.
Joaquin Cayuela Verges, secretary general of the Pistamancha agricultural cooperative that groups 51 pistachio farms, said the boom had only started.
"There is strong demand, it's a dynamic sector," he said.
The cooperative, based in the town of Pozuelo de Calatrava, sells 90 percent of its pistachio production in Europe, mainly France and Germany, at 10-11 euros per kilo (around $5 a pound).
- 'Matter of patience' -
To keep up with its rapid expansion, Pistamancha is spending five million euros to build a new plant to sort, peel and dry its pistachios.
It will be able to process one million kilos of pistachios per year when completed, Cayuela Verges said.
Can this boom lead to overproduction that will drive down prices? Those involved in the industry see little risk since the amount of pistachios produced in Spain falls well short of domestic demand.
In Spain pistachios are still "mostly imported", mainly from the United States, said Gonzalez-Mohino, who predicts a "bright future" for national producers of the crop.
Pistachios are mostly eaten as snacks but are also widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as in the production of cakes, sweets, ice cream and cosmetics.
"A lot of people think they'll get rich but when you plant pistachio trees, you have to realise that you won't get anything for several years" until the trees "start bearing fruit", Garcia said.
"I have been investing" in this crop for 15 years and "it's only now that I can recoup what I have spent and earn a living. Pistachios are a matter of patience," he said.
Agence France-Presse
October 1, 2024
With Spain getting hotter, the amount of land devoted to drought-resistant pistachio trees has jumped nearly five-fold since 2017 to 79,000 hectares (195,000 acres) (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU/AFP)
Two decades ago, Miguel Angel Garcia harvested grapes and grains on his farm in central Spain, like his father and grandfather before him.
Now he produces pistachios -- a more lucrative crop that can better withstand the droughts that have become more frequent and intense in Spain.
Garcia harvests 10 to 20 tonnes of the green nut each year at his 26-hectare (64-acres) farm in Manzanares in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha, part of a boom in pistachio production in Spain.
"Wine and cereals weren't viable anymore," said the 58-year-old, who planted his first pistachio trees in 2007. "If I hadn't changed, I wouldn't have been able to make a living from my farm."
In the stony plot behind him, an electric harvester latched onto the trunk of a small pistachio tree and then shook it, causing nuts to fall into a vast canvas set up below, open like an upside-down umbrella.
Pistachio trees, which are native to the Middle East, are "resistant" and "adapted to the climate we have here" with its hot and dry summers and cold spells in winter, Garcia said.
The amount of land devoted to pistachio trees in Spain has jumped nearly five-fold since 2017 to 79,000 hectares (195,000 acres) in 2024, according to agriculture ministry figures.
- 'Strong demand' -
This makes Spain the biggest pistachio grower in Europe in terms of surface area, and the world's fourth-largest after the United States, Iran and Turkey.
Most pistachios are grown in Castilla-La Mancha as well as Extremadura in the west and Andalusia in the south, which are facing water shortages due to climate change.
This crop comes from a "desert region" and is "much better adapted" to the new climate realities, said Mario Gonzalez-Mohino, an agricultural engineer and the director of the specialist website Pistacho Pro.
Spain experienced its hottest August on record this year, with temperatures averaging 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) -- and the national weather agency says 2024 could rival 2022 as the warmest ever registered.
Spain's production -- nearly 9,000 tonnes per year -- is "still limited" but "it will increase rapidly because the vast majority of plots have not gone into production", since it takes at least seven years before a newly planted tree gives its first harvest, he added.
Joaquin Cayuela Verges, secretary general of the Pistamancha agricultural cooperative that groups 51 pistachio farms, said the boom had only started.
"There is strong demand, it's a dynamic sector," he said.
The cooperative, based in the town of Pozuelo de Calatrava, sells 90 percent of its pistachio production in Europe, mainly France and Germany, at 10-11 euros per kilo (around $5 a pound).
- 'Matter of patience' -
To keep up with its rapid expansion, Pistamancha is spending five million euros to build a new plant to sort, peel and dry its pistachios.
It will be able to process one million kilos of pistachios per year when completed, Cayuela Verges said.
Can this boom lead to overproduction that will drive down prices? Those involved in the industry see little risk since the amount of pistachios produced in Spain falls well short of domestic demand.
In Spain pistachios are still "mostly imported", mainly from the United States, said Gonzalez-Mohino, who predicts a "bright future" for national producers of the crop.
Pistachios are mostly eaten as snacks but are also widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as in the production of cakes, sweets, ice cream and cosmetics.
"A lot of people think they'll get rich but when you plant pistachio trees, you have to realise that you won't get anything for several years" until the trees "start bearing fruit", Garcia said.
"I have been investing" in this crop for 15 years and "it's only now that I can recoup what I have spent and earn a living. Pistachios are a matter of patience," he said.
'You have mostly transgender': Trump lobs bizarre new claim about U.S. education
David Edwards
October 1, 2024
Fox Nation/screen grab
Former President Donald Trump asserted that the current U.S. education system was "mostly transgender" instead of "reading, writing, arithmetic."
During an interview on Fox Nation with host Kellyanne Conway, Trump defended his plan to disband the U.S. Department of Education.
"We're going to move education back to the states where they can run their educational programs, and they'll do great," he promised. "And you take states like Iowa and Idaho and so many, they'll have great education."
"But we have to get out of this Washington thing. Half the buildings in Washington are occupied by education," he continued. "And you'll have to get through it. But we're going to move it back to the states so that all these states, Indiana, you know, the states that are really well run, they're going to have phenomenal education."
"We'll have like one person and a secretary sitting there to make sure they have English."
Trump then complained about the current school curriculum.
"We want reading, writing and arithmetic," he said. "Right now, you have mostly transgender. Everything's transgender."
"Some of these school programs I looked at the other night, they're destroying our country," the former president added. "So education is exciting."
David Edwards
October 1, 2024
Fox Nation/screen grab
Former President Donald Trump asserted that the current U.S. education system was "mostly transgender" instead of "reading, writing, arithmetic."
During an interview on Fox Nation with host Kellyanne Conway, Trump defended his plan to disband the U.S. Department of Education.
"We're going to move education back to the states where they can run their educational programs, and they'll do great," he promised. "And you take states like Iowa and Idaho and so many, they'll have great education."
"But we have to get out of this Washington thing. Half the buildings in Washington are occupied by education," he continued. "And you'll have to get through it. But we're going to move it back to the states so that all these states, Indiana, you know, the states that are really well run, they're going to have phenomenal education."
"We'll have like one person and a secretary sitting there to make sure they have English."
Trump then complained about the current school curriculum.
"We want reading, writing and arithmetic," he said. "Right now, you have mostly transgender. Everything's transgender."
"Some of these school programs I looked at the other night, they're destroying our country," the former president added. "So education is exciting."
MSNBC legal analyst stunned by 'radical decision' in Georgia abortion ruling
Tom Boggioni
RAW STORY
October 1, 2024
Lisa Rubin (MSNBC screenshot)
A ruling on Monday by Judge Robert McBurney claiming Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act infringes on a woman’s state constitutional rights was a "radical decision" that should thrill women who are battling conservatives intent on making them second-class citizens.
That is the opinion of MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin during an appearance on "Morning Joe" on Tuesday morning.
The ruling by McBurney dismantled a six-week limit on abortions and is expected to have far-reaching impact in the war over women's health care.
According to Rubin, McBurney's opinion that "When a fetus growing inside a woman reaches viability, when society can assume care and responsibility for that separate life, then – and only then – may society intervene" opens a door to opposing abortion bans.
"I want to be clear with you and tour viewers," she told co-hosts Willie Geist and Jonathan Lemire. "This is almost a radical decision in its recognition of the right of women to control their body."
"More importantly, to prevent against a sort of involuntary servitude or forced labor," she added. "There is a recognition that women are not as he says collectively owned community property. That they cannot be forced to carry a fetus before viability any more than you or I could be forced to give up a kidney."
"That's a fairly radical conception of the right to abortion, and made a lot of women I know think, 'My god, this is the end of judicial gaslighting. There is somebody here who sees us,'" she concluded.
Watch the video below or at this link.
October 1, 2024
Lisa Rubin (MSNBC screenshot)
A ruling on Monday by Judge Robert McBurney claiming Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act infringes on a woman’s state constitutional rights was a "radical decision" that should thrill women who are battling conservatives intent on making them second-class citizens.
That is the opinion of MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin during an appearance on "Morning Joe" on Tuesday morning.
The ruling by McBurney dismantled a six-week limit on abortions and is expected to have far-reaching impact in the war over women's health care.
According to Rubin, McBurney's opinion that "When a fetus growing inside a woman reaches viability, when society can assume care and responsibility for that separate life, then – and only then – may society intervene" opens a door to opposing abortion bans.
"I want to be clear with you and tour viewers," she told co-hosts Willie Geist and Jonathan Lemire. "This is almost a radical decision in its recognition of the right of women to control their body."
"More importantly, to prevent against a sort of involuntary servitude or forced labor," she added. "There is a recognition that women are not as he says collectively owned community property. That they cannot be forced to carry a fetus before viability any more than you or I could be forced to give up a kidney."
"That's a fairly radical conception of the right to abortion, and made a lot of women I know think, 'My god, this is the end of judicial gaslighting. There is somebody here who sees us,'" she concluded.
Watch the video below or at this link.
J.D. Vance's pledge to kill landmark Biden policy would 'devastate his hometown': analyses
Matthew Chapman
October 1, 2024
Sen. J.. Vance of Ohio in Detroit on June 16, 2024 (Gage Skidmore
A key campaign pledge from Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) would have disastrous consequences on the southwest Ohio community where Vance grew up and the state he represents, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Vance and former President Donald Trump have repeatedly set their sights on repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark piece of legislation signed by President Joe Biden that reforms energy production and fixes some holes in health care coverage, investing in climate response while simultaneously bringing down the federal deficit.
But Ohio gets a lot of benefits out of that law, reported Madeleine Ngo and Alan Rappeport.
Since the IRA was signed into law, "companies have announced more than $7 billion in clean energy investments in Ohio, according to an analysis from E2, an environmental nonprofit organization" — a greater investment than all but six other states.
"Among the companies benefiting is the steel manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs, whose facility in Middletown was awarded a grant of up to $500 million from the Energy Department," the report stated.
This project, intended to upgrade the plant to use cleaner fuels, "is expected to create about 170 permanent jobs and up to 1,200 temporary union construction jobs" — directly in the town Vance spent his childhood
The town was also the focus of his famous memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."
Middletown's acting city manager has lauded the investments as "outstanding," and said it would also free up resources for the local government to improve roads and water infrastructure, according to the report.
In other words, concluded Democratic strategist Jesse Lee in a post on X, "Vance wants to devastate his hometown."
Trump and Vance's vows to roll back the IRA have faced other political challenges as well — chiefly the fact that their plan would mean repealing a wildly popular program that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, saving money for both elderly beneficiaries and the government as a whole.
Matthew Chapman
October 1, 2024
Sen. J.. Vance of Ohio in Detroit on June 16, 2024 (Gage Skidmore
A key campaign pledge from Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) would have disastrous consequences on the southwest Ohio community where Vance grew up and the state he represents, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Vance and former President Donald Trump have repeatedly set their sights on repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark piece of legislation signed by President Joe Biden that reforms energy production and fixes some holes in health care coverage, investing in climate response while simultaneously bringing down the federal deficit.
But Ohio gets a lot of benefits out of that law, reported Madeleine Ngo and Alan Rappeport.
Since the IRA was signed into law, "companies have announced more than $7 billion in clean energy investments in Ohio, according to an analysis from E2, an environmental nonprofit organization" — a greater investment than all but six other states.
"Among the companies benefiting is the steel manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs, whose facility in Middletown was awarded a grant of up to $500 million from the Energy Department," the report stated.
This project, intended to upgrade the plant to use cleaner fuels, "is expected to create about 170 permanent jobs and up to 1,200 temporary union construction jobs" — directly in the town Vance spent his childhood
The town was also the focus of his famous memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."
Middletown's acting city manager has lauded the investments as "outstanding," and said it would also free up resources for the local government to improve roads and water infrastructure, according to the report.
In other words, concluded Democratic strategist Jesse Lee in a post on X, "Vance wants to devastate his hometown."
Trump and Vance's vows to roll back the IRA have faced other political challenges as well — chiefly the fact that their plan would mean repealing a wildly popular program that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, saving money for both elderly beneficiaries and the government as a whole.
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