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Microsoft Says Copilot Isn’t Just ‘for Entertainment Purposes’ – Business Insider

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Generative AI remains a relatively new technology, but lawsuits are already swirling over the extent to which AI companies can be held liable for …

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts is gone – POLITICO

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts is gone

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on April 13, 2016.
The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on April 13, 2016. | Carolyn Kaster / AP
By Associated Press, 04/05/2026 10:20 AM EDT

If you attended school any time after the Nixon administration, then you likely beheld at some point the CIA World Factbook, a map and reference manual of Planet Earth and its inhabitants upon which nearly everyone could agree.

Maybe you read parts of it from a floppy disk or a CD-ROM for that social studies project due tomorrow. Or scanned its list of countries for Latvia, because that is the country you are representing next week in Model U.N. Even better, you wandered the earth in your imagination as you held the physical Factbook in your own hands, unfolding its maps and understanding, perhaps for the first time, that the thumbs-up gesture your friends flash each other is considered an obscene insult in parts of the Middle East, Europe and Argentina.

Who knew? The Factbook and its readers did, for more than six decades.

image cover cia world factook
Image cover of CIA World Factbook (last issue)

Its authors — some of the world’s best intelligence-gatherers, who contributed thousands of their own photos — kept the curated database updated and online for public use at no charge. The reasons stated were geopolitical and philosophical. But since we are talking about facts, it also is true that the Factbook went public in 1975 with lofty statements of purpose at a time when Congress was revealing abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA.

“We share these facts with the people of all nations in the belief that knowledge of the truth underpins the functioning of free societies,” the CIA itself explained in its pages.

On Feb. 4, the Trump administration abruptly shuttered this widely accepted account of humanity and its flags, nations, customs, militaries and borders. The CIA framed the move as one of progress for an agency whose core mission has changed.

A great wave of grief rose from Factbook fans. Many said they mourned an America that valued knowledge for its own sake. Some saw darker forces at work under a president whose administration has promoted — in times of war and peace — “alternative facts.”

“Stay curious,” the CIA advised in its “fond farewell” to the Factbook.

And, it might have added: Good luck figuring out what’s true from the wild and frequently inaccurate world of the internet and artificial intelligence.

Decades before Google became an everyday verb, there was the Factbook.

Continue/Read Original Article: Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts is gone – POLITICO

Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Stupidity – FPIF

Image by Shutterstock…Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Stupidity

Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Stupidity

Many countries still go to war believing that God is on their side. Just as dangerous are those that believe that they will win because technology is on their side.

By John Feffer, April 1, 2026

The latest technology can prove decisive in war. Think of the atomic bomb in World War II. Or the stirrup in the Mongol conquest of Europe and the Middle East.

More recently, after the two sides had been deadlocked for decades, Azerbaijan defeated Armenia in 2020 in a matter of days and took over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia prided itself on its powerful army and fearsome soldiers. They were no match for the drones that Azerbaijan bought with the proceeds from its oil exports.

“Azerbaijan used its drone fleet — purchased from Israel and Turkey — to stalk and destroy Armenia’s weapons systems in Nagorno-Karabakh, shattering its defenses and enabling a swift advance,” reported the Washington Post‘s Robyn Dixon. “Armenia found that air defense systems in Nagorno-Karabakh, many of them older Soviet systems, were impossible to defend against drone attacks, and losses quickly piled up.”

Ukraine has similarly used drone technology to level the battlefield in its war against Russia. The Kremlin has more money, more soldiers, more heavy artillery, even more drones than Ukraine.

But the Ukrainians have proven more adept at producing new varieties of drones that can substitute for scarce Patriot missiles in defending against Russia’s daily aerial assault. Ukraine has also used a variety of drones to strike at targets deep in Russian territory. Drones are the slingshot by which little David hopes to bring down the Russian Goliath.

And now the war in Iran.

Perhaps Donald Trump was persuaded—by his generals, by his buddies in Silicon Valley, by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—that American military superiority would make quick work of the Iranian military. In addition to the aircraft carriers, the Stealth bombers, the Tomahawk missiles, and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Trump could also call upon the assistance of Claude and his buddies.

Claude, of course, is the artificial intelligence system developed by the company Anthropic, which had objected to the misuse of its model in the U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Trump retaliated against Anthropic’s caution by ordering the Pentagon to sever its relationship with Claude—only to discover that the AI was already too integrated into U.S. military operations. Not the first conscript ordered to fight against its will, Claude helped the Pentagon identify Iranian targets, prioritize them, and furnish precise coordinates. Going forward, however, the Pentagon will rely instead on Open AI’s ChatGPT.

All of this technological sophistication has not brought Donald Trump the quick victory he so desired. What Trump and company didn’t anticipate—but which any reasonably competent foreign policy professional could have pointed out if DOGE hadn’t cashiered so many of them—was that Iran could rely on much simpler tactics to stymie the combined U.S.-Israeli forces.

History provides plenty of examples of adversaries who successfully defeated U.S. forces despite facing much more technologically advanced weaponry. The Vietnamese endured massive bombing campaigns, Iraqi insurgents relied on IEDs to destroy U.S. infantry forces, and the Taliban outwaited the occupying army. These experiences presumably inspired Donald Trump to promise, as a presidential candidate, not to get involved in any quagmires or expose U.S. troops to such risks again.

All that went out the window when he attacked Iran.

Continue/Read Original Article: Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Stupidity – FPIF

UNC student newspaper satire sparks outrage on campus – Raleigh News & Observer

On the morning of April 1, incoming UNC-Chapel Hill student body president Devin Duncan received a text asking him if Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, was coming to campus.

Why?

The student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, had published an article with the following headline: “Trump orders Alcohol Law Enforcement in Chapel Hill to be replaced with ICE agents.”

“Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he would be sending the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement to its next high-crime destination: Chapel Hill, North Carolina,” the article begins.

It was a satire article published as part of the Daily Tar Heel’s annual April Fools’ edition. The problem, according to some students and campus groups, is that it wasn’t funny. In fact, it was terrifying.

That story was part of a slew of satirical news items from the Daily Tar Heel, with headlines like “UNC brings back DEI — for whites,” “The new plan for the Dean Dome — a two-stadium solution” and “Hubert Davis rushes to find summer internship.” Davis is the recently fired men’s basketball coach at UNC. In the initial email blast of the “DTH At a Glance” newsletter, the articles were not clearly labeled as satire.

“I had almost thought the Daily Tar Heel had been hacked,” Duncan said. “To read some of those articles, they were very unsettling, disrespectful, and insensitive.”

The editor-in-chief, Alli Pardue, published an official apology later that same day, and the stories about ICE and the Dean Dome have been taken down. Still, Duncan says it took the student journalists too long to react to the outrage.

“While we stand by our belief in the importance of satire writing, we undeniably missed the mark here — big time,” Pardue wrote in a statement to The News & Observer. “We did not package this content with enough consideration and care, and it caused real harm to the very communities we work to uplift and platform.”

Campus organizations like Students United for Immigrant Equality and the Black Student Movement posted statements condemning the articles. Students took to TikTok and Instagram to express their outrage.

Current student body president Adolfo Alvarez issued a statement as well.

Editor’s Note: Years ago, in the 1970s, while at UNC Charlotte, I was editor of the campus newspaper, The Carolina Journal. It was the same, Spring Break, people heading to the beach, we published a satire issue, and oh yes –same reaction and politics. Even the local tv station then, WSOC, put online an editorial condemning me and the school for our gross errors. Satire is in the mind of the beholder, and those with vision, miss the boat. History repeats itself. –DrWeb

Read more: UNC student newspaper satire sparks outrage on campus – Raleigh News & Observer

Continue/Read Original Article: UNC student newspaper satire sparks outrage on campus | Raleigh News & Observer

CFP (Chapters): Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Student Engagement #ACRLPublication

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Working Title: Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Student EngagementEdited by: Brittany Kester, Education Librarian, University of Florida, and Lisa Campbell, Learning and Engagement Librarian, University of FloridaPlease send questions to ACRLexperientiallearning@ufl.edu We are excited to invite chapter proposals for our forthcoming ACRL book, Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Student Engagement. This edited volume aims to prepare educators to design and deliver meaningful experiential learning opportunities within their unique academic library contexts. Experiential learning emphasizes learning through direct experience and engaging students in hands-on, real-world activities to deepen understanding and foster critical thinking. Our goal is to provide practical, adaptable strategies that empower academic librarians to engage students in transformative learning experiences. We welcome proposals that showcase a range of approaches, including case studies highlighting successful initiatives, best practices for integrating experiential learning, pedagogical frameworks that inform teaching and learning, and innovative program models that inspire new possibilities inside and beyond the library classroom. The book is tentatively divided into the following sections: Project-Based Learning Experiences: Capstone projects, client-based assignments, innovation projects, exhibitions, etc. Community Service-Based Learning Experiences: Community service projects, civic engagement, volunteering, alternative spring break, living-learning communities, etc. Student Research Experiences: Student research projects such as honors theses, independent study, research assistantships or fellowships, etc. Professional Learning Experiences: Internships, co-ops, fieldwork, practicums, job shadowing, student-led workshops, peer coaching programs, etc. Global Learning Experiences: Study abroad programs, virtual exchanges, international fellowships, etc. We strongly encourage chapters to incorporate Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, which includes four stages: Experiencing: the initial experience Reflecting: analyzing and making sense of that experience Thinking: forming theories, planning, and connecting ideas Acting: applying insights and testing new approaches Proposals should explore how academic librarians support students through these stages. Chapters included should also highlight culturally competent, accessible, and learner-centered instruction strategies. We encourage ideas beyond the examples listed above. To submit a proposal, please complete the proposal form by June 1, 2026, at 11:59pm ET.  The form will require:  Author names, job titles, emails, and institutional affiliations  A working chapter title  An abstract up to 500 words  Link to a current CV or list of publications  Timeline: June 2026: Chapter proposals due  August 2026: Authors notified of acceptance of chapter proposals  January 2027: Chapter drafts due  April 2027: Chapter drafts returned to authors for revisions  July 2027: Final chapter drafts due Questions? Email us at ACRLexperientiallearning@ufl.edu Best regards, Brittany Kester, PhD, Education Librarian, University of FloridaLisa Campbell, Learning and Engagement Librarian, University of Florida  Read original article: Read More

Trump’s Lonely War

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As the war in Iran drags on, President Trump keeps signaling that it is about to end. But the fighting shows no signs of letting up. All the while, America’s closest allies in Europe continue to refuse Mr. Trump’s demands for help.
Mark Landler, who covers trans-Atlantic relations for The New York Times, explains why European countries want no part in this war.
Guest: Mark Landler, the Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, who covers France, as well as trans-Atlantic relations and the future of Europe.
Background reading: 

Mr. Trump has lashed out at Europe for its lukewarm support against Iran.
Analysis: As American and Israeli warplanes bomb Iran, European allies have been left on the sidelines.

Photo: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.  Read original article: Read More

Protein is personal. Here’s how to calculate your optimal intake

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Protein is having a moment. Coffee chains are adding it into lattes. Many snack companies are labeling their products as high-protein. But how much protein do you really need? Host Marielle Segarra talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about the different factors to consider when planning your protein intake.

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The Storytime Speech: Setting Expectations for Adults

When it comes to storytime, who is your target audience? Oftentimes we focus so much on the children in front of us that we might forget to engage with the adults bringing them to our programs. Storytime is a performative experience for librarians in which we create a fun and exciting environment that encourages early literacy, but the greater overarching purpose is to teach caregivers by modeling behavior that they can practice at home with the children that they care for. Regardless of whether a caregiver is an immediate family member, a nanny, or some other relation, it’s important that they all leave storytime with thoughts reminiscent of, “Hey, I can do this with my child, too!” There are a few ALSC Blog posts that provide helpful tips for engaging adults in storytime, and there are some I’ve learned over the years as well. Here’s a list of some recommended…
The post The Storytime Speech: Setting Expectations for Adults appeared first on ALSC Blog.  Read original article: Read More