Podcasts about technology committee

While the Americans with Disabilities Act has long required digital content to be accessible, specific technical requirements were recently defined in updates to Title II of the ADA. In this episode, Mark Greenfield joins us to discuss the new regulations and what that means for public colleges and universities as the April 2026 deadline approaches. Mark retired as the University at Buffalo's Web Accessibility Officer after 35 years of service at the institution. He continues to consult on digital accessibility and serves as a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (or ACM) U.S. Technology Committee, which educates and informs Congress, the Administration and courts about digital technology developments and how they may impact public policy in the US. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.

דירקטוריונים הופכים להיות מעורבים יותר ויותר בתחומים הטכנולוגים של החברה בכלל ובסייבר בפרט, יש דירקטוריונים שלקחו את הנושא צעד קדימה ומינו ועדה טכנולוגית מקצועית שתעזור ותפקח באופן שוטף ולא תתבסס רק על דיווחים תקופתיים הדס תמם בן אברהם סגנית הדיקן במכללה האקדמית אונו ונחשון פינקו מומחה ואוונגליסט סייבר, מארחים את יעל שחם, יו"ר הועדה הטכנולוגית של דירקטוריון שרותי בריאות כללית ויועצת טכנולוגיות להנהלות. בשיחה על החשיבות של מעורבות הדירקטוריון בטכנולוגיה והסייבר, הצורך בחברי דירקטוריון מתחומי הטכנולוגיה ואיך הקמת ועדת הטכנולוגיה עזרה לשפר משמעותית את מוכנות הסייבר בארגון והגבהת החומות Boards of directors are becoming increasingly involved in the technological areas of the company in general and cyber in particular. Some boards have taken the issue a step further and appointed a professional technology committee that will help and monitor on an ongoing basis, and will not be based only on periodic reports. Hadas Tamam Ben Avraham, Deputy Dean at Ono Academic College, and Nachshon Pincu, a cyber expert and evangelist, host Yael Shaham, Chair of the Technology Committee of the Board of Directors at Clalit Health Services and a technology consultant to executives. Discuss the importance of the board of directors' involvement in technology and cyber, the need for board members from the fields of technology, and how establishing the technology committee helped significantly improve the organization's cyber readiness and raise the walls.

In this episode of ACM ByteCast, our special guest host Scott Hanselman (of The Hanselminutes Podcast) welcomes ACM Fellow Peter Lee, President of Microsoft Research. As leader of Microsoft Research, Peter incubates new research-powered products and lines of business in areas such as AI, computing foundations, health, and life sciences. Before Microsoft, he established a new technology office that created operational capabilities in ML, data science, and computational social science at DARPA, and before that he was head of the CS department at CMU. Peter served on President Obama's Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity and has testified before both the US House Science and Technology Committee and the US Senate Commerce Committee. He coauthored the bestselling book The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond. In 2024, he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in health and life sciences. In the interview, Peter reflects on his 40+ years in computer science, from working on PDP-11s and Commodore Amigas to modern AI advancements. He highlights how modern technologies, built on decades of research, have become indispensable. He also talks about his healthcare journey, including work that earned him election to the National Academy of Medicine, and the potential (and limitations) of AI in medicine. Peter and Scott touch on the impact of LLMs, the lack of ethics education in traditional CS curricula, the challenges posed by growing AI complexity. Peter also highlights some important Microsoft Research work in AI for Science and Quantum Computing.

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) is a 26-year Army veteran who flew missions in Iraq, so she knows how to handle an ugly fight. But she tells DVJournal's Linda Stein that some of the ugliest things she's seen involve the new ways AI is being used to generate child porn. Now she's using her position as chair of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee to fight back against this high-tech form of child abuse.Pennycuick also talks about the spike in political violence, most recently in evidence at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion when an arsonist set the building ablaze as Gov. Shapiro and his family slept inside.The problem of political violence is also addressed by former Delaware Valley congressman Jim Gerlach, who is part of the bipartisan Democracy Defense Project. Their goal is to build trust in America's political institutions and push back on those who turn to extreme rhetoric to attack our democracy.Hosted by Michael Graham with InsideSources.com.

It's been over a week since the April 1st deadline and state budget negotiations have stalled because of discovery reform! Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie introduced a bill that would allow lawmakers to get paid when the budget is late due to policy. We're joined by Patrick Orecki, director of state studies with the Citizens Budget Commission, to unpack the calls from good government groups for more transparency in the state budget process for New Yorkers. State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez (D - Chair of Internet and Technology Committee) joins us to discuss artificial intelligence regulatory priorities at the Capitol this year.   EXPLORE MORE: nynow.org

Earlier this month, Eversource Energy warned Connecticut officials that it needs to raise over three-billion-dollars in new revenue from ratepayers in the coming years.  Eversource indicated that customers will begin feeling the pain in 2027 and will likely involve a big increase in delivery charges on power bills. We asked Senator Ryan Fazio, ranking senator on the Energy and Technology Committee, about solutions to lower energy costs, including eliminating the public benefits section of bills. Image Credit: Getty Images

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone are joined by journalist and author Michael Deibert for an update on Haiti, where armed gangs are rapidly closing in on the capital, Port-au-Prince. With nearly 30 years of experience covering the region, Michael explains how the country has descended into chaos, what role America can play, and why only a Haitian-led solution offers real hope. Later in the show, Congressman Darrell Issa discusses his No Rogue Rulings Act, aimed at reining in activist federal judges and stopping nationwide injunctions from single district courts, along with his Sanctuary City Accountability Act, which empowers victims to sue cities that shield criminal illegal immigrants. Plus, Kiley's Corner returns with a chilling story of a doctor who tried to push his wife off a cliff in Hawaii—and a cold case solved after 42 years. It's an episode you won't want to miss!www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegroundsTruth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@breakingbattlegroundsShow sponsors:Invest Yrefy - investyrefy.com4Freedom MobileExperience true freedom with 4Freedom Mobile, the exclusive provider offering nationwide coverage on all three major US networks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) with just one SIM card. Our service not only connects you but also shields you from data collection by network operators, social media platforms, government agencies, and more.Use code ‘Battleground' to get your first month for $9 and save $10 a month every month after.Learn more at: 4FreedomMobile.comDot VoteWith a .VOTE website, you ensure your political campaign stands out among the competition while simplifying how you reach voters.Learn more at: dotvote.voteAbout our guest:Michael Deibert is an author and journalist who has covered Haiti for 30 years and is the author of several books, among them "Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti" and "Haiti Will Not Perish: A Recent History."-Congressman Darrell Issa represents the people of California's 48th Congressional District. Congressman Issa sits on the House Judiciary Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Science, Space and Technology Committee. You can follow him on X @DarrellIssa. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Recently, we spoke with State Representative Matt Blumenthal about Senate Bill 1531, banning Eversource and UI from owning both gas and electric utilities. We wanted to know what Senator Ryan Fazio, ranking Republican member of the Energy and Technology Committee, thinks about the proposal and get an update on a move to get rid of the public benefits section of some people's utility bills.  IMAGE CREDIT: iStock / Getty Images Plus

 - ICYMI: Yesterday's post-presser commentary from Ashe & Gordon, while we wait for government to start  - DOGE: Ways and Means Committee reviews resolutions on government access to finances, Social Security  - President Trump welcomes Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin  - CONTINUED: Ways and Means Committee reviews resolutions on government access to finances, Social Security  - President Trump's Bilateral Meeting with the Taoiseach of Ireland, Irish PM Michael Martin  - CONTINUED: Ways and Means Committee reviews resolutions on government access to finances, Social Security  - President Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin speak at the White House Luncheon  - President Trump speaks at the Business Round Table (from 3.11.25)  - Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee on Subpoenas - Commentary from Ashe in America  - House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Hearing "Regularity Harm or Harmonization? Examining the Opportunity to Improve the Cyber Regulatory Regime" - House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee: Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria

Send us a textIn this episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast, Andy and Jenny interview Iowa's Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer. Chris Gearhart Cournoyer is the 48th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. Before being appointed by Governor Kim Reynolds in December of 2024, she represented Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties in the Iowa State Senate. First elected in 2018, she chaired the inaugural Technology Committee, from which she wrote and managed the legislation making Iowa the sixth state in the nation to protect consumer data legally. She was also Chair of the Education Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the State Government Committee. She sat on the Education, Natural Resources and Environment, Transportation, and Ways and Means committees. We will discuss her transition from the Senate to the position of lieutenant governor. She also serves on Empower Rural Iowa, the Iowa STEM Council, and the AI Task Force and represents the Governor on the State Fair Board. When asked for advice to share with our listeners, Lt. Governor Cournoyers stated, "Always stay curious as a lifelong learner and always look for opportunities to innovate and adapt. Bring everyone to the table, listen to alternative views, and try to find common ground to build consensus."If you want more info on promoting your member business or organization on the podcast, contact the Grow Clinton office at 563.242.5702 or visit us online at www.GrowClinton.com. Grow Clinton's mission is to promote business growth, build community, and advocate for the sustainable economic success of the Greater Clinton Region.

Social media bosses from Meta, X, TikTok and Google were grilled by the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee yesterday. We speak to Labour Chair of the committee, Chi Onwurah, for her reaction. Also on the programme, a career interview with the British-American broadcaster Mehdi Hasan. He discusses his new media business Zeteo, his departure from MSNBC and the importance of opinion journalism. As the BBC faces criticism about its Gaza documentary – it's emerged that the boy who narrates the film is the son of a Hamas official – we discuss the controversy with former Head of News & Current Affairs at Channel 4, Dorothy Byrne, and TV executive Leo Pearlman. Plus, Max Chafkin, Bloomberg reporter and author of The Contrarian, profiles Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel.Guests: Chi Onwurah, MP, Labour; Mehdi Hasan, broadcaster and CEO, Zeteo; Dorothy Byrne, former Head of News and Current Affairs, Channel Four; Leo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment; Max Chafkin, tech reporter and author, BloombergPresenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

How does the U.S. stay competitive in manufacturing, EVs, and AI while protecting innovation and growing the workforce?Manufacturing has always been the backbone of Michigan's economy, and few people understand this better than Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Representing Michigan's 11th District, she has spent her career championing industrial policy, workforce development, and technological innovation. From her time on the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force to her leadership on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Stevens brings a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing American industry.In this episode, we explore how Michigan—and the U.S. as a whole—can maintain its competitive edge in manufacturing, navigate the future of the EV market, and ensure the workforce is prepared for the next generation of industrial technology. If you care about the future of manufacturing, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.Listen to learn:Why Michigan's EV industry is facing a critical turning point and what policies will determine its long-term successHow the CHIPS and Science Act is reshaping U.S. manufacturing—and the next frontier in supply chain securityWhy industrial AI and automation adoption are accelerating—and what's missing from America's strategyThe hidden workforce gap in manufacturing education that could stall industry growthWhat a little-known manufacturing success story in Michigan reveals about the future of U.S. innovation3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:America's EV strategy is at a crossroads. Policy decisions made now will determine whether the U.S. leads in electric vehicle manufacturing or falls behind. Workforce training and battery production will be key to staying competitive.CHIPS and Science was just the start. While the act boosted domestic semiconductor production, gaps remain in minerals, advanced materials, and supply chain resilience. A national strategy is needed to secure the future of U.S. manufacturing.Industrial AI is evolving faster than policy. Manufacturers are adopting AI-driven automation, but without a clear national framework, workforce development and industry competitiveness risk falling behind global leadersResources in this Episode:Visit Congresswoman Haley Steven's Page: stevens.house.govConnect with the Congresswoman Online:X / TwitterWe want to hear from you! Send us a text message.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

Disasters like the wildfires in Southern California have destroyed homes, displaced people, and are costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars to recover. It raises the question: how can we proactively invest to protect our communities from the impacts of extreme weather and natural hazards? Washington State has looked to answer this question through its Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Passed in 2021, it has generated and reinvested $500 million across the state to reduce emissions and leverage technology to mitigate harmful and large-scale wildfires and other disasters. We speak to Joe Nguyen, one of the legislative proponents of the CCA, to discuss the program's impact across Washington State and how other states could adopt similar initiatives to keep their communities safe and resilient.Joe Nguyen is the director of Washington State's Department of Commerce. He was elected to the Washington State Senate in 2019 and was chair of the Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. He also served as vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee.  More Links and Information Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Learn more about the Climate Commitment Act 

Are you sick of paying astronomical utility bills? Connecticut's Republican party says there is a way to get some relief now. Senator Ryan Fazio, Ranking Senator on the Energy and Technology Committee, explained the importance of removing the Public Benefits section from electric bills and more. Image Credit: Getty Images

As the 2025 Connecticut Legislative Session begins, Republican State Senator Ryan Fazio of Greenwich goes into detail about the challenges of energy supply and demand in Connecticut and how the state's Energy and Technology Committee is starting to address resident's concerns.

Connecticut decided not to select an offshore wind project as part of a multi-state effort to find green solutions for energy. But does it mean that's off the table for good? We spoke with Senator Ryan Fazio, Ranking Senator on the CT Energy and Technology Committee, about what he calls a major victory and what to look out for during the 2025 state legislative session. Image Credit: Getty Images

This episode of the NAA Apartmentcast is the third in a series discussing women in technology, supported by and featuring NAA's Technology Committee. We're joined for an engaging discussion NAA Tech Committee Member Marysa Raymond, who at the time of the conversation was Vice President Institutional Sales, Strategic Accounts & Affordable Sales for Entrata and now is Director of Asset Management for Middle Street Partners, as well as Kristen Reitmeier, Director of Systems and Technology for Apartment Management Professionals (AMP). Learn more at https://www.naahq.org

Whatever happens on the streets of Britain, there's always an Elon Musk tweet. Often misinformed. Now parliament wants to take Musk on - or "invite him to explain" what's going on. The protests in the summer following the Southport stabbings were a critical example of how fast and how dangerously lies can spread online. Today, in her first broadcast interview, we hear from the chair of the Science and Technology Committee, Chi Onwurah, on her proposals to stop the spread of disinformation on the various media platforms. And we ask if it's still true that 'no one is above the law'? Later, we ask what's happening in Ukraine, where British storm shadow missiles have been fired into Russia for the first time. Can this change the ground game for Volodymyr Zelensky? And is Putin serious about changing his rules of nuclear engagement? We hear from former defence minister James Heappey.Editor: Tom HughesExecutive Producer: Louis DegenhardtProducer: Natalie Indge Digital Editor: Michaela WaltersSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalDigital Journalists: Michael Baggs & Jacob PaulYou can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in Florida here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFEDon't forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below: https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usaYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

After a host of MPs were among the millions of people to quit X, formerly known as Twitter, in recent days over the role of its owner, the billionaire Elon Musk, and the amplification of misinformation and abuse, Josh Simons, Labour MP for Makerfield and member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, joined Ben Guerin, co-founder of creative agency Topham Guerin, which has worked on several high-profile political communications campaigns, and Alain Tolhurst and Zoe Crowther to look at the role of algorithms in mass communication, the manipulation of social media, and whether politicos should finally wean themselves off Twitter despite Westminster being glued to the bird site for more than a decade. To sign up for our newsletters click here Presented by Alain Tolhurst, produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot

On this Salcedo Storm Podcast:Congressman Brian Babin serves the people of Texas' 36th Congressional District. He serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Space Power: President-Elect Trump Expected To Supercharge U.S. Space Ambitions This week President Donald Trump, with the help of billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk, became the 47th President-Elect of the United States, for a second non-consecutive term. Space power advocates believe Trump, with the added influence of Musk by his side, will speed-up mission timelines that include the moon and Mars, and put monetary and political capital to work to establish and secure an American-led space economy. Laura winter speaks with the former Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Pennsylvania Rep. (ret.) Robert Walker, now Founder and CEO of moonWalker Associates; U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. (ret.) Steve Kwast; now Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of SpaceBilt; and Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, and much respected NASA and Defense Department budget diviner.

Washington and Oregon voters have already begun casting their ballots in the November general election. In Washington, the statewide contests include races to elect a new governor and attorney general and four ballot measures, including Initiative 2117.  If approved, it would repeal Washington’s landmark law targeting greenhouse gas emissions, the Climate Commitment Act. The law establishes a cap-and-invest program which requires refineries and other large polluters to purchase allowances equal to the carbon emissions they generate, while phasing out emissions by 95% by 2050. More than $2 billion has been raised since the CCA took effect last January to fund programs ranging from making transit free for youth to expanding EV charging infrastructure.   Let’s Go Washington, the group behind I-2117 and the other state measures on the ballot this year, claims the law creates a “hidden gas tax” for consumers and is to blame for the state’s high gas prices. Let’s Go Washington is largely financed by Brian Heywood, a hedge fund manager who has questioned the wisdom of cutting carbon emissions.  Joining us to debate I-2117 are Washington state Senator Joe Nguyen who represents the 34th District and is chair of the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, and Todd Myers, Vice president of research at the Washington Policy Center. 

Dawn welcomes Pennsylvania State Senator Tracy Pennycuick onto the Dawn Stensland Show to hear about some great initiatives she's working on in the statehouse in Harrisburg. First, Dawn mentioned Pennycuick's role as Chair of Communications and Technology Committee, asking about a bill that would create a law limiting explicit AI representations of minors and non-consenting adults. Then, Dawn delves into Pennycuick's life as a Veteran, highlighting a new bill she's co-authored that would bring bonuses to members of our military who served in the Middle East.

Today, Dawn led off the Dawn Stensland Show by offering up some shocking examples of media bias, taking listeners to a New York Appellate court room late last month, where we may have gotten an unreported preview of a late October surprise. Dawn plays back audio of appellate judges laying into Leticia James' assistants, noting the ridiculous nature of the civil suit that's forced Trump to pay close to half a billion dollars. Dawn ties this to the announcement of Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden, asking whether the huge rally may be a victory lap for a pending ruling in the case, expected the same day as the scheduled event. Then, Dawn welcomes Pennsylvania State Senator Tracy Pennycuick onto the Dawn Stensland Show to hear about some great initiatives she's working on in the statehouse in Harrisburg. First, Dawn mentioned Pennycuick's role as Chair of Communications and Technology Committee, asking about a bill that would create a law limiting explicit AI representations of minors and non-consenting adults. Then, Dawn delves into Pennycuick's life as a Veteran, highlighting a new bill she's co-authored that would bring bonuses to members of our military who served in the Middle East.

In this episode of the Engineering Influence Podcast, hosted by Diana O'Lare, Director of Market Intelligence for ACEC, we dive deep into the future of data centers and telecommunications with Nabeel Mahmood, CEO of Mahmood and co-creator of the Nomad Futurist Podcast. Mahmood shares his insights on the explosive growth of the data center market, driven by advancements in AI, big data, and connectivity, and discusses the mega trends shaping this rapidly evolving industry. Explore the challenges and innovations in data center development, including the impact of AI, regulatory hurdles, and the importance of efficiency and sustainability. Mahmoud highlights the significance of modular designs and renewable energy sources in reducing the carbon footprint of data centers. Join us as we also touch on the geographical hotspots for data center expansion, both in the U.S. and internationally, and discuss the critical role of digital transformation and change management in adapting to new technologies. Don't miss the live market briefing on November 13th, focusing on the growing data center and telecommunications market. On November 13th 2024, ACEC will present a panel of experts in collaboration with the ACEC's new Technology Committee on the data center and telecommunications markets. The data center market continues to grow, and incentives are provided to those who can locate land to build new centers and hyperscale data centers on. Also hear how the latest trend “AI” is impacting the market. Register Now: https://www.acec.org/event/market-briefings-intel-for-engineers-four-part-series/   The Nomad Futurist Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to demystify the world of digital infrastructure, empower younger generations through exposure to the underlying technologies that power our digital world, and cultivate the next generation of industry leaders. Through the contributions of our supporters, we launch global programs in partnership with a range of education providers, NGOs and other nonprofit organizations committed to educating children in underserved communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and creating opportunities for growth and new career paths. To learn more about the Nomad Futurist Foundation, please visit: http://nomadfuturist.org. 

United Illuminating is asking state regulators for a distribution rate increase on its electricity customers. The proposed increase would add around 30-dollars to the average customer's power bill. UI indicates the revenue is needed for 350 different infrastructure projects throughout its service area, but lawmakers are calling it a tone-deaf cash grab. Senator Ryan Fazio, the Ranking Senator on the legislature's Energy & Technology Committee, shares his thoughts on the proposal. Image Credit: Getty Images

In September 2024, the Technology Committee met to discuss the upcoming East Valley Technology Expo, updates in the industry, and updates from members. The 2024 East Valley Technology Expo is on Thursday, November 7, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Tech Committee invites you join us for a one of a kind opportunity to engage with technology businesses of all kinds. RSVP today by visiting the Expo site: http://eastvalleytechexpo.com, and click the red "Register" button. Registration is free and everyone is welcome. Learn more about the Mesa Chamber Technology Committee at https://www.mesachamber.org/technology-committee/. For over 130 years, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of Business in Mesa, AZ. The Chamber's mission is to improve, promote and advocate for the business community. Learn more at http://mesachamber.org.

Outrage is growing across Connecticut as residents face massive spikes in their electricity bills, with some seeing increases of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There is a petition calling on Governor Ned Lamont to revoke "public benefits" charges and for PURA to reverse a recent rate hike. It comes after State Republicans called for a special session earlier this month to find better solutions and take the pressure off ratepayers. We got perspective from Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, co-chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, about the issue at hand and whether a special session will happen. Image Credit: Getty Images

Energy bills in Connecticut are causing anger and frustration for all. Chaz and AJ spoke with Scott Pearson, the organizer of the online petition with over 18,000 signatures. Vince Candelora also talked about a planned response from Republicans today around noon, and Jonathan Steinberg, the House Chair of the Legislature's Energy & Technology Committee explained how this came to be.  Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Amid concerns about U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee advanced several AI-focused bipartisan bills on Wednesday. However, fault lines emerged, signaling potential growing tension between the parties. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who chairs the committee, highlighted the global stakes for AI development, noting that the technology could increase U.S. GDP growth by $1.2 trillion to $3.8 trillion per decade, while China and other countries invest heavily to gain economic and national security advantages. Cantwell emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships to drive innovation. The committee advanced nine AI bills, including the Future of AI Innovation Act, the CREATE AI Act, the NSF AI Education Act, the VET AI Act, and the TEST AI Act. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the bills, arguing they would over-regulate the U.S. AI industry and stifle innovation, enabling other countries, namely China, to take the lead. Cruz's amendment to eliminate President Joe Biden's executive order on AI was voted down, but he stressed that repealing it is a part of the Republican platform. In other news, the Pentagon's Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO) has introduced a new role focused on management and business operations. Julie Cruz, a longtime strategic planner and military workforce expert, has been selected as the CDAO's new director of business operations, making her the first to hold this title. A CDAO spokesperson explained that this position is a maturation of the previous “resource management” role and is part of a broader effort to institutionalize good governance processes. Promoted to the Senior Executive Service in June, Cruz's responsibilities include overseeing HR, internal contracting, resourcing, and key mission support functions such as space planning, IT, and records management. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Episode 133I spoke with Peter Lee about:* His early work on compiler generation, metacircularity, and type theory* Paradoxical problems* GPT-4s impact, Microsoft's “Sparks of AGI” paper, and responses and criticismEnjoy—and let me know what you think!Peter is President of Microsoft Research. He leads Microsoft Research and incubates new research-powered products and lines of business in areas such as artificial intelligence, computing foundations, health, and life sciences. Before joining Microsoft in 2010, he was at DARPA, where he established a new technology office that created operational capabilities in machine learning, data science, and computational social science. Prior to that, he was a professor and the head of the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon University. Peter is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the boards of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, and the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. He served on President Obama's Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He has testified before both the US House Science and Technology Committee and the US Senate Commerce Committee. With Carey Goldberg and Dr. Isaac Kohane, he is the coauthor of the best-selling book, “The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond.” In 2024, Peter Lee was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in health and life sciences.Find me on Twitter for updates on new episodes, and reach me at editor@thegradient.pub for feedback, ideas, guest suggestions. I spend a lot of time on this podcast—if you like my work, you can support me on Patreon :) You can also support upkeep for the full Gradient team/project through a paid subscription on Substack!Subscribe to The Gradient Podcast:  Apple Podcasts  | Spotify | Pocket Casts | RSSFollow The Gradient on TwitterOutline:* (00:00) Intro* (00:50) Basic vs. applied research* (05:20) Theory and practice in computing* (10:28) Traditional denotational semantics and semantics engineering in modern-day systems* (16:47) Beauty and practicality* (20:40) Metacircularity in the polymorphic lambda calculus: research directions* (24:31) Understanding the nature of difficulties with metacircularity* (26:30) Difficulties with reflection, classic paradoxes* (31:02) Sparks of AGI* (31:41) Reproducibility* (38:04) Confirming and disconfirming theories, foundational work* (42:00) Back and forth between commitments and experimentation* (51:01) Dealing with responsibility* (56:30) Peter's picture of AGI* (1:01:38) OutroLinks:* Peter's Twitter, LinkedIn, and Microsoft Research pages* Papers and references* The automatic generation of realistic compilers from high-level semantic descriptions* Metacircularity in the polymorphic lambda calculus* A Fresh Look at Combinator Graph Reduction* Sparks of AGI* Re-envisioning DARPA* Fundamental Research in Engineering Get full access to The Gradient at thegradientpub.substack.com/subscribe

Senator Bob Duff is a state senator from Connecticut and has been the Majority Leader since 2015.  Bob's Norwalk family ties go back five generations. His passion for public service began at the age of eight. That's when Bob voiced his concerns for the future of Duffy Field to then-mayor William Collins. Today, we still have Duffy Field — now renamed Veterans Park. Since joining the legislature, Bob has been a tireless advocate for job creation in Connecticut. Bob has also earned a reputation as a consumer watchdog. As Chair of the legislature's Housing Committee, he created the state's first Housing Trust Fund to build more affordable housing in Connecticut. As Chair of the Banking Committee, Bob worked to safeguard Connecticut homeowners from the ravages of predatory lending by creating a package of first-in-the-nation reforms to reduce the number of home foreclosures in the state. Included was the foreclosure mediation program, Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program (the first iteration to the federally recognized and nationally acclaimed Platform to Employment program) to help those unemployed or underemployed avoid foreclosure and a law that provides tools to municipalities ensuring lenders maintain their vacant properties.  Bob's consumer advocacy continued as he went on to Chair the Energy and Technology Committee. As Chair, Bob championed two major pieces of energy legislation which taken together implement a new comprehensive energy strategy for Connecticut: restructuring support for renewable sources of electricity to provide for cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy for consumers and businesses. Bob also supported the nation's first cybersecurity report by a state government relating to safeguarding our electric grid and water utilities.  In addition, the Senate Democratic caucus with Bob has achieved numerous legislative victories. Most recently, the caucus passed legislation standing up for DREAMers, the National Popular Vote, net neutrality, data privacy, health care access, Time's Up, gun safety, LGBTQ rights, equal pay for equal work, raising the minimum wage and Paid Family Medical Leave. Bob has also been involved with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) serving on both the Foundation Board and Nominating Committee and active in their leadership programs. Throughout his legislative career, Bob has been honored by The Workplace Inc., AARP of Connecticut, the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum, the Save Cranbury Association, Side-by-Side Charter School, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women's Business Development Council, the Maritime Aquarium, the Norwalk NAACP, the Norwalk Marching Bears, Inc., Action for Bridgeport Community Development and the Norwalk Public Schools Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee. After graduating Norwalk Public Schools, Bob earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Lynchburg College in Virginia. There, Bob honed his political skills as a student senator, campus leader and intern for then-U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT). Bob, his wife, Tracey, and their two children live on Toilsome Avenue in Norwalk with their rescue dog, Molly.

Welcome to the ACEC's Engineering Influence Podcast. As we approach the holiday season, we want to take a moment to introduce our upcoming education series presented by the Technology Committee, focusing on digital transformation for AEC professionals. This initial three-part online series is tailored to guide professionals through the transition from traditional business practices to advanced technological approaches. We will cover essential change management principles, harnessing big data for informed decision-making, and delivering projects digitally with precision. Our first session, "Technology Management 101," will take place on July 17th at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Raj Arora, CEO of Jensen Hughes, and Claire Rutkowski, CIO at POWER Engineers, will provide a foundational overview of change management principles for technology adoption in engineering firms. The second session, "Unlocking Big Value with Big Data," is scheduled for September 18th. Ryan Beckman, VP and Innovation Lead at Olson, and Marcus Widener, Chief Innovation Officer at Pennoni, will discuss leveraging big data to drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainability across firm operations. Our final session, "Digital Delivery," will be held on December 4th. Dave Mulholland, Chief Technology Officer at VHB, will explore technology solutions used in ambitious projects across the United States and the basics of digital project delivery. Register for all three classes at once and receive a 10% discount, or choose the individual session that best meets your needs. All sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing. 

On today's episode I sat down with Mike Steib, the CEO of Artsy. Mike is the CEO of Artsy, the world's leading online marketplace for buying and selling art by the world's leading artists. Previously, Mike was the CEO of XO Group Inc (NYSE:XOXO), parent company of The Knot. After developing America's number one wedding planning app and two-sided local vendor marketplace, XO Group was sold in December of 2018 for $933M, a 350% increase in the company's equity value over Mike's five-year tenure. Mike serves on the board of Ally Financial (NYSE:ALLY), a Fortune 500 digital financial services company that helps millions of Americans save, invest, and borrow with confidence. He chairs Ally's Technology Committee and sits on Ally's Risk Committee. Ally is America's #1 Digital Bank (Money Magazine) and one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. Previously, Mike served in roles at Google, NBC Universal, Vente-Privee USA, Walker Digital, and McKinsey & Company.Mike is the host of Office Hours with Mike Steib—a production of iHeartMedia, the #1 podcast publisher in the world—where he joins with the founders and chief executives shaping our world to answer listeners' questions with honest, actionable advice. He is also the author of The Career Manifesto (Penguin Random House, 2018), a guide for young professionals seeking more purpose and joy in their work. Learn more about Mike Steib: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesteib/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:30 Artsy: The World's Largest Marketplace for Fine Art 02:18 CEO's Daily Routine 05:17 Becoming the CEO of XO Group 08:55 Transforming The Knot: Culture and Team Building 14:18 Transitioning from The Knot to Artsy 21:36 Early Career Goals and Writing The Career Manifesto 28:34 Writing a Book and Publishing Recommendations 34:15 The Importance of Health and Fitness for CEOs 39:30 Excitement for Artsy and the Future 40:15 Supporting Artists and Investing in Art 43:03 The Joy of Being a Patron of the Arts 44:41 Career Advice: Creating Your Own Path 48:28 Making an Impact and Putting Others First 49:16 Promoting the New Podcast and Staying Connected 49:41 Advice for Podcasters: Find Your Unique Approach

As dentists we are not only healthcare providers, many of us are business owners. So we know that in order to succeed we need to be efficient. And there are certainly many ways we can improve our efficiency in our practice, and we'll be talking about some of those ways in this episode. Our guest is Dr. Mitchell Rubinstein, an esthetic and restorative dentist in New York City. He is the Education Director for the New York County Dental Society, and chairs the Technology Committee for the New York State Dental Association.

Three members of Congress and now the President have stated that Trump supporters are “erectionists” and engaged in “erection” against the United States. Although funny, it could be understood in context with the words “incited an erection” since the “in” and “an” trick the brain into shortening the last word. But something else is going too. Sheila Jackson Lee, who was on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, commented during the eclipse that the moon was “made up mostly of gases.” The US military has posted a picture and video in the last month showing the improper assembly, holding, and firing of a firearm. The View's Sunny Houston went further by claiming cicadas, earthquakes and the eclipse were caused by Climate Change. The question is becoming, not so much the rhetorical, ‘how ignorant are these people', but instead if some of this is not on purpose to demoralized and change both history and science. -FREE ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachingsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TST___RadioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachingsWEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early show access): http://thesecretteachings.infoPaypal: rdgable@yahoo.comCashApp: $rdgableBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tstradioSUBSCRIBE TO NETWORK: http://aftermath.mediaEMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.com

This episode of the NAA Apartmentcast is the second in a series discussing women in technology, supported by and featuring two members of NAA's Technology Committee, Tech Committee Chair Kendra Bork, ARM, Owner and CFO of Cambridge Management Group and Cambridge Maintenance and Property Services and President and Owner of the Birchwood Real Estate Group; and zTech Committee Vice Chair Stephanie Oehler, Founder of Savvy Leasing, (soon to be Savvy Leading). Learn more at https://www.naahq.org

Boeing subsidiary Millennium Space Systems has secured a $413 million dollar contract from the Space Development Agency (SDA). NASA Administrator Bill Nelson asks the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee to pass a pending domestic supplemental appropriations bill that includes money to build a deorbit vehicle for the International Space Station. Astroscale Holdings has been approved by the Tokyo Stock Exchange to list the company's shares on the Growth Market of the TSE, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Tuana Yazici, Chair & CEO of Tuana Group, and the non-profit AeroAI Global Solutions. You can connect with Tuana on LinkedIn and learn more about her program on the website. Selected Reading Boeing subsidiary to power space defense FAA Learning Period to Get Another Extension – SpacePolicyOnline.com Nelson Pleads With Congress to Fund ISS Deorbit Vehicle – SpacePolicyOnline.com  Portal Press Release Astroscale Obtains Approval to List on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market Blue Skies Space raises £2M to open up access to satellite data - Tech.eu ATLAS Space Operations to Support Blue Origin's Blue Ring DarkSky-1 Mission Umbra Advances to Phase II of the DARPA DRIFT Program Exolaunch Successfully Deploys NASA's ACS3 Satellite- Business Wire GovExec Announces the Founding Underwriters for The GovExec Space Project Breaking news! The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) Telescope Site Completion Ceremony Holds T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we have an exciting lineup featuring Noah Rothman, senior writer at National Review and author of "The Rise of the New Puritans" and "Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America." Rothman will delve into his recent article, "Iran's Attack on Israel Was a Political Sea Change," exploring the implications of Iran's aggression towards Israel. Additionally, we'll discuss Rothman's insights on the pro-Palestine protests on campuses, USC's decision to cancel graduation ceremonies for the same students who did not get a high school graduation due to COVID, and whether we have reached peak wokism. Later in the show, Congressman Darrell Issa will join us to discuss Republican veterans preparing for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, showcasing their dedication with daring parachute jumps from original World War II transport planes. We'll also examine the recent shift in migrant arrivals along the southern border, with San Diego emerging as the top region for the first time in decades, providing a comprehensive analysis of this evolving situation. Tune in for thought-provoking discussions and insightful analysis on Breaking Battlegrounds every week.Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-About out guestsNoah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. He is the author of The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back against Progressives' War on Fun and Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America. Follow Noah on X at @NoahCRothman. -Congressman Darrell Issa represents the people of California's 48th Congressional District. Congressman Issa sits on the House Judiciary Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Originally from Ohio, Issa enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was a senior in high school. Through his military service, he received an ROTC scholarship and graduated with a degree in business from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Upon graduation, Issa was commissioned as an Army officer, and ultimately obtained the rank of captain. He completed his active-duty military service in 1980 and turned his interests to the private sector.At the height of his career in business, Issa served as CEO of a California-based electronics company that he founded and built in the mid-1990s, which became the nation's largest manufacturer of vehicle anti-theft and auto security devices. In 1994, Issa was named Entrepreneur of the Year. Issa also served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, an organization of 2000 companies within the consumer technology industry.Issa is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  From 2011-2015, he was the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and  previously served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Small Business Committee.As a congressman and leader at California's grassroots level, Issa has championed smart, limited government and advanced legislation to balance the federal budget and promote transparency to hold government accountable to the people.A holder of 37 patents, Issa has been vigilant about protecting intellectual property rights. His successful efforts to fight human trafficking along the U.S. border have resulted in tougher laws, stiffer penalties, and more consistent enforcement. His watchful concern to guarantee that U.S. taxpayers receive the royalties they are owed from mineral interests on federal lands exposed fraud and mismanagement at the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in 2006. In 2008, when Congress was asked to pass the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in the wake of that year's financial crisis, Issa stood by his experience starting and growing successful businesses, opposed giving a blank-check bailout to Wall Street, and voted against all government bailouts. Follow Congressman Issa on X at @repdarrellissa. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

In this bonus pod, Kevin and Laura talk about FOIAs. You get to hear a few excerpts from the panel session Kevin moderated at the Digital Government Institute's eDiscovery, Records and Information Management Conference. Kevin was joined on stage with Michael Sarich of the VA and Michael Heise from EEOC.As the volume of digital information continues to grow, the scope of electronic records management has expanded exponentially and is an increasingly critical issue for government agencies, particularly as it relates to providing electronic access and retrieval of government records. Key government and industry experts gathered at the 21st annual eDiscovery, Records and Information Management Conference to discuss current technology solutions/requirements, policy updates/changes and review examples of successful electronic records, FOIA and e-discovery programs.Michael Sarich is the FOIA Director at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He leads one of the federal government's most extensive FOIA programs, managing a team of 900+ FOIA and Privacy Act Officers dispersed across 151 facilities. Leveraging over a decade of expertise in FOIA and Privacy Policy at the VA, the Social Security Administration and the Bureau of Land Management, he specializes in navigating intricate requests, handling litigation, and ensuring rigorous regulatory compliance in FOIA. He also plays a pivotal role as the co-chair of the Chief FOIA Officer Council's Technology Committee, spearheading initiatives to revolutionize FOIA service delivery on a government-wide scale. Michael Heise is the Attorney Advisor at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He is an experienced FOIA analyst, and licensed attorney with a strong background in electronic discovery at all stages. He has a strong aptitude for explaining complicated legal principles in a straightforward and clear manner. He significant experience with project management and supervision after 9 years with CACI. 

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode takes us into the world of technology with an expert in private markets tech.Griff Norville is a Managing Director and Head of Technology Solutions at Hamilton Lane, the $903B AUM (*Inclusive of $120.2B in discretionary assets under management and $782.9B in non-discretionary assets under management, as of December 31, 2023) global alternative asset manager. Griff leads the firm's tech-enabled analytics, forecasting, and investment diligence platform, Cobalt LPTM and related portfolio reporting services, and co-heads the firm's Technology Committee.Griff focuses on building proprietary tools and strategically partnering or investing into private markets fintech companies as part of the firm's efforts to drive digital transformation within the industry. Griff also leverages his background on the investment side to help inform how he thinks about technology transformation within private markets. He previously co-led Hamilton Lane's research team, where he was responsible for leveraging data to assess market trends and advice clients on investment and portfolio construction strategy.Griff and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of private markets technology and why it's an exciting time for innovation in the space. We discussed:How private markets are moving from the Stone Age and Excel age to the digital age.Why most GPs are still underinvested in technology.How Griff approaches the build, buy, invest question.Why Cobalt was so foundational to Hamilton Lane's work in private markets.How technology innovation has driven product innovation when working with the wealth channel.What comes next for technology in private markets.Thanks Griff for coming on the show to share your thoughts and wisdom on how technology is impacting private markets and for the work you're doing to invest in technology that's transforming the space.

This week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Shirley Lopez. The two talk about her interesting path into process serving, creating efficiencies in your business, building great processes and systems, and the opportunities that can be found in unlikely collaborations. In this episode, we discuss:   What led her into the process serving business, and how she has made it her own What she has seen shift in the industry, as far as marketing and business development How Shirley manages to juggle so many things, while in a constant flow of continuing growth What's the ‘Beer for Life' NFT Why we should be looking for the problem Her inspiring perspective on starting small and working backwards Advice from Shirley on how to start, how to scale, and how to invest your time   Shirley Lopez is currently the CEO of L&L Process. Shirley likes to say, “I'm an entrepreneur that just so happens to be a process server.” Shirley has been in this role since 2014, branding, strategizing and managing nationwide service of process to new levels. Shirley also specializes in “hard to serve” cases where the person is hard to find, high profile cases or a very specific circumstance where there is only a minute opportunity to serve someone at a specific time and place, usually not at a residence. In 2020, Shirley launched virtual notarizations at L&L Process, seeing the opportunity to innovate and offer new solutions to our clients, this side of the business is now called Notary Force. Notary Force offers international notarizations and urgent requests. Shirley loves networking and meeting new people. She currently sits on the board of the Doral Bar Association as the Secretary. She is a Committee Chair on the Law and Technology Committee at the Miami Dade Bar Association. She is also the current President of her BNI Chapter, Synergy and a current Chapter Success Coach in BNI Miami Dade, helping 3 chapters grow and launching the first 100% Virtual Spanish Chapter in BNI Miami. In the last 2 years, she also has been working on a startup, Metadigm with her brother, Daniel Lowe. Shirley's past experience consists of being a financial advisor for 4 years, a marketing account manager for 2 years and working on political campaigns. She has an International MBA from Florida International University in Miami and a Political Science/International Relations Bachelor's Degree from Northeastern University in Boston. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-lopez-metadigm/

The writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare have long been advocates for helping young people learn more about farming and the countryside, so much so, that they set up Farms for City Children nearly 50 years ago. Young people help run the farm and learn about both farming and nature. For one of their latest projects in Devon, they've teamed up with the Woodland Trust to involve primary school children, planting trees inside what they call roundels - a protective barrier, which keeps out livestock until the trees are big enough to become part of an agroforestry grazing system.MPs on The Science and Technology Committee have called on the government to publish its National Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use which has been been delayed by six years. The report on insect decline and pesticide use says insects are vital for food security and describes government targets to reduce pesticide use by at least half by 2030 as ambitious and welcome, but also narrow and incomplete. The Royal Entomological Society, which gave evidence to the committee, says the decline in insects has serious implication for ecosystems - including agricultural ones We hear a lot about waste in food and farming and this week we are going to look at ways of using by products or waste products from agriculture as something useful. The Blenheim estate in Oxfordshire is in the middle of a trial to turn all its organic waste, including livestock manure and sheep wool, into a material that can be used to boost soil quality or as part of an organic fertiliser. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Naomi Freeman, Advisor to the Board and Chair of the Strategy and Technology Committee to the Board at Women Who Code, sits down with Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work Market at Microsoft, for their discussion, “The Most Talked-About Tech Disruptor of 2024: Artificial Intelligence.” They talk about Colette's childhood on the farm, her career journey at Microsoft and as a business owner, and AI.

Just in time for Women's History Month, this episode of the NAA Apartmentcast is the first in a series discussing women in technology, supported by and featuring two members of NAA's Technology Committee, Michele Crochetiere, Senior Director of Client Services for One11 Advisors, an Altus Group business; and Gina Carter, Vice President of Operations at Blue Ridge Companies. Learn more at https://www.naahq.org

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Founder and Editor of The Needling, Lex Vaughn! Crystal and Lex dive into the new year's headlines with a debate over Space Needle NYE drone shows vs fireworks, a rundown of new Washington state laws taking effect, and a discussion of why it's important to look past a poll's summary headline. They then chat about the new Seattle City Council taking office, a lawsuit against the City of Burien over its homeless camping law, and a new entrant into the Attorney General's race. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Lex Vaughn at @AlexaVaughn.   Resources RE-AIR: Ending Youth Incarceration with Dr. Ben Danielson of AHSHAY Center from Hacks & Wonks   “The new Washington state laws taking effect in January 2024” by Laurel Demkovich from Washington State Standard   “Poll: Washington voters want to spend more — while cutting taxes” by Donna Gordon Blankinship from Crosscut   Crosscut - Elway Poll | 2024 Legislative Preview    “Tammy Morales, Rob Saka To Chair Key Council Committees During Pivotal Year” by Ryan Packer and Doug Trumm from The Urbanist   “Seattle politics shift as City Council gets new members, president” by Daniel Beekman from The Seattle Times   “New City Council Elects Former Conservative Outcast as President” by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger   Council Vacancy | Office of the City Clerk   “Unhoused people sue Burien over new homeless camping law” by Anna Patrick from The Seattle Times   “Update: Eastern WA attorney who fought gun laws, COVID mandates plans run for state AG” by Eric Rosane from Tri-City Herald   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our Tuesday topical show, we re-aired an important conversation I had with Dr. Ben Danielson, director of AHSHAY Center about ending youth incarceration. Today, we're continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder and editor of The Needling, Lex Vaughn. [00:01:20] Lex Vaughn: Hey, nice to be back. [00:01:21] Crystal Fincher: Hey, great to have you back - excited to have you back. I don't know that I'm excited to talk about everything on our list today, but we've got to get through it. But I do- [00:01:33] Lex Vaughn: There's a lot. [00:01:34] Crystal Fincher: There's a lot. And so - first show of the new year - we just had New Year's Eve, New Year's Day happen and we welcome that in in the greater Seattle area with a big Space Needle fireworks show. This year, it was a drone show pre-show and then a fireworks main show. And this year, there was a bit of a challenge with it - it was a smoky, hazy, kind of unintelligible soupy mess. What did you think about it? [00:02:09] Lex Vaughn: I was like, what is this? It's 2024 - did someone read like the last part of the year backwards, like 420, and go - This is a 420-themed New Year's Eve celebration? I don't know - it was funny. I mean, I was celebrating out-of-state with family, but I immediately was getting messages from people like - Did you see this? Did you see this? I mean, honestly, I think that - I know that a lot of people are flipping out and going like, Something needs to be done - but this is Seattle. Come on - you know that the Space Needle thing doesn't always work as planned and that's part of the fun. And the look of it was definitely fun this last year. [00:03:01] Crystal Fincher: You know, it was interesting - weather is always, always a factor in anything that happens in this region, whether it's 4th of July celebrations or New Year's Eve. I think for me, I have just been, I mean, I'm someone who has traditionally loved fireworks for most of my life and has enjoyed them. Yes, 100%. But I also, especially over the past couple of years, contending with the smoke generated by fireworks - not on New Year's Eve, but you know, July 4th, mostly, but I guess the neighborhoods on New Year's Eve - the fire hazard associated with it, which is definitely worse in the summer than it is in the winter. It just seems like now we have the option for drone shows and those seem like they're a bit more resilient - they don't create smoke. And part of the challenge of this current show was the way that the fireworks and the smoke interacted with the atmosphere, kind of making each other worse, making visibility worse. And it just seems like, okay - I am ready to move on from fireworks and to move on to drone shows. They seem like they can do everything the fireworks shows do and more. And it just seems like given where we are at with our climate, given where we are at with the volatility of just Seattle weather period, that it seems like it makes more sense to me to do that. But you know, I don't know if that's an option moving forward. You know, I don't know what's gonna happen with that. I'm not in any way affiliated with that. So it'll be interesting to see, but I wish we could move beyond fireworks personally. [00:04:38] Lex Vaughn: I'll never be over fireworks. I want that - well, I don't know - it's like, I know there's a lot of debate over it. But I also think any attempt to lessen fireworks only increases fireworks. So honestly, the best plan for reducing fireworks all over a region is always like a big, you know, show that people can watch. And when I, you know, go back to my hometown in California for New Year's or July 4th - that city stopped doing a central fireworks show. And what happened is just a proliferation of fireworks all over the city. There's just like a fireworks show going on everywhere all night. So I always think it's worth it to have one big show or you're gonna get that. [00:05:31] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I do think that a big show that the community can come to is important. In the absence of that, people are definitely going to celebrate on their own. I'm just thinking the big show can be a drone show. We saw a pretty successful pre-show - I thought - [00:05:45] Lex Vaughn: The drone show is a good backup. I mean, especially in Seattle, 'cause it's like, you know, you might be excited about a show and then, something about the weather happens and it's - Oh, you're not gonna see anything. So it's like the drone show is the only thing that can be guaranteed if it can move to a little space where it's free from smoke or clouds or whatever. [00:06:09] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Well, also wanna talk about a few more things this new year is ushering in, and that's a number of new state laws taking effect as of January 1st. One of them includes marijuana testing and changing in how that can be used by employers. Under the new law, employers are blocked from conducting drug tests for cannabis when making hiring decisions. They can still test for other drugs before hiring and they can still test employees for cannabis in certain situations, like after accidents or if they suspect someone's impaired. There are also some exemptions for companies that need to test for federal requirements and other workers potentially - including police, airline crews, corrections officers - may still have to test. But it's a pretty significant change in just kind of pre-employment testing overall - that's done with a lot of lower wage jobs, certainly not so much predominant and higher wage jobs. But it does, there has been a tension for quite some time in going - Okay, well, if it's legal, then why are you testing for it? And so this seems to bring things more in line. Do you think that makes sense? [00:07:21] Lex Vaughn: Yeah, and I hope the message of a law like this is it's not worth it because you could be breaking the law and you can get sued. Like it's a liability for you now to try to judge people this way - If you haven't like sped up with the times here and realize that it's generally not that big of a deal to use cannabis. [00:07:46] Crystal Fincher: Another law that took place is a - that is taking effect - is a 10-day gun waiting period. So as of now, those wishing to buy a firearm in Washington need to complete a background check and then wait 10 business days before they can complete that purchase. We've seen this referred to as kind of a cooling off period before wanting to purchase a gun and actually owning one. We have certainly seen a number of examples from mass shootings to domestic violence situations where people use guns to murder people immediately after purchasing them. And so while no gun reform is going to solve everything - usually no anything solves anything for everything - and it really is gonna take a patchwork of policies and laws to move forward. And this seems like a positive one to me that has some evidence behind it. [00:08:39] Lex Vaughn: Yeah, honestly, this is like, I think the most positive new law of this next year that I'm really looking forward to seeing put in place and I hope becomes more commonplace because like you said - yeah, there's a lot of reform that needs to happen to make this country safer from gun violence. But this cooling off period is a major one. When I was a reporter at The Seattle Times, I definitely covered some very tragic situations where it was very clear that a young man or something was distraught over somebody breaking up with them and made a horrible decision really quickly. And it's like in a lot of these cases, it's - what could have happened if this person had just been held to a few more days of thought before pulling that off. [00:09:31] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Another law taking effect impacts hospital staffing. Hospitals in Washington need to establish staffing committees made up of nursing staff and administrators. This is in response to years of advocacy really by healthcare workers saying that - Hey, these staffing ratios have gotten way out of whack. We're not able to provide adequate care to patients, patient care quality is suffering and we need to get back to staffing ratios - happening during a time where we're losing healthcare workers. There's been a lot of attrition. The pandemic only has made that worse. And so this is trying to still allow hospitals to have their say, but to do it with the input of nurses and hospital staff to say - Let's put patient safety first. Let's really work on these ratios and make sure that we're moving in the right direction and really putting patients at the center of this year. And I think this is a step forward in this direction that will bring a little bit more transparency and accountability to the process. [00:10:43] Lex Vaughn: And it's awesome that hospital staff is getting this extra leverage to make that happen. Because I mean, obviously they've been pressing for stuff like that as unions and all. But it's crazy the way they have to fight to give us quality care. Increasingly, unfortunately, in our health systems here in the US, it's like a lot of hospital administrators are more focused on turning hospitals into these profit machines without as much thought about what's happening to staff and their patients. And those staff - those are the ones rooting for us and protecting quality of care. [00:11:30] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. So there's a new voting rights law. It's intended to address situations where there are signs of polarized voting among different groups in a community, and where there are risks to some groups having their votes diluted so they don't have a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. It makes it easier to try and address this with a couple different mechanisms - it allows organizations to sue on behalf of their members, it allows local governments to voluntarily reform their election systems to be more representative of their populations, and for lawsuits to be filed if the locality refused to take such steps. So it hopefully can bring the cost down. I mean, sometimes there are clear violations, but it has been very costly - prohibitively costly - for someone to pursue it if they feel they have been wrong and want to bring that in court. So this seeks to try and address that and provide a pathway for people to be able to sue without that cost prohibitive element involved and to recover costs they incur when researching those possible legal challenges. What are your thoughts on this one? [00:12:42] Lex Vaughn: I have to admit, I was like, when I, you know, just kind of heard about this one and got a general sense of it, I was like - wait, what? This sounds a little bit confusing to me. The motivation of it is just that like, if someone is feeling outnumbered in a community, that they have strength and power to - I have to admit like this one, I didn't totally get, 'cause I don't know if I've seen a law like that before. [00:13:11] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it is in line with previous voting rights act laws. And we have passed legislation in the same vein - I think five years ago, we passed a voting rights act in the same vein. But it's really an issue of like - we see a challenge when it comes to districting that's happening right now in Yakima, or issues where it looks like - Okay, a community's overwhelmingly voting in the same way if you look at it geographically, but things are sliced up and that's not turning out the way it is in government. I mean, there's a case to be made in a city I'm pretty familiar with - the city of Kent, the largest city in the state that doesn't have any council districts, no form of districted government, which makes the government certainly less representative than it is in other areas. But to try and bring a case or bring a suit and rectify this has been prohibitively expensive. You can see something being wrong, but whether you can pursue any remedy or whether there's any recourse is a whole different subject. And so it's like - okay, we see that there are problems happening, but we don't have the tools and power to make it realistic to expect something to be done about it. And if someone doesn't expect something to be done about a violation, if they see that there's no consequence for bad actions, it makes it more likely that that's going to happen. So this makes it more likely that - hey, if you are violating the law, if there are violations happening here, you can expect more of a consequence for that than you did before. So hopefully one that prevents further violations from happening, but for those that currently are, it makes them easier to remedy and rectify. So I think that's a positive step. Will it solve anything? Will it immediately change anything? I don't think this is like an immediately transformative piece of policy - we're going to see something that flips from night to day in this. But I do think that it's part of, again, patchwork of legislation like most things that makes it easier to hold people and entities that are violating voting rights laws accountable and to give people more tools to fix it. [00:15:25] Lex Vaughn: And maybe like slow the role of people who were planning on exploiting people in new ways or something like that. [00:15:31] Crystal Fincher: Yes. Because there's a lot of that happening right now. Okay. Absolutely. Another law that a lot of cities have been dealing with is one that addresses street racing. So this law imposes tougher penalties for street racing. If you're caught, you can have your car impounded for three days on the first offense and forfeited on the second one. It also increases penalties for those who are found to be aiding and abetting street racers. I don't know if this is going to get there. I mean, that seems like a really tough penalty. I am not personally familiar with how these laws have resulted in any changes, or whether they've resulted in any changes. But it seems like they're trying to do more. That people are seeing that this is a problem - and it is a problem - it's a problem for a variety of reasons. And they're trying to do something to address it - and hopefully it does help. We will see. [00:16:28] Lex Vaughn: Honestly, I think it's - of course this is dangerous. I mean, whenever I hear something like this happened - I can't believe sometimes I hear this happened in Seattle sometimes. I'm like - What street are you on? Oh my God. This is horrible. This is not the place. But I think the thing is - there is a culture for this that will always be there. And no matter what law you put in place, I mean, you're just going to make it sexier. So, I mean, honestly, I wish that there was some way to - I don't know - give people a space to do this more safely or something. That's the real solution, 'cause it is going to keep happening. [00:17:11] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I think you're onto something there. I mean, clearly you're right - there's a culture around that - and I mean, it's so interesting. And it's kind of an offshoot of car culture. There are car enthusiasts and this is a subset of that. And it's kind of tangential, but we, as a community, as a society have been reducing the number of just alternative, recreational opportunities in spaces, particularly for younger people. And then criminalizing a lot of activity there. Some of that, you know, may be warranted. Not all activity is positive. Like we said, there's a lot of danger associated with street racing, but what are we doing to give people options to do safer activities? Whether it's racing activities or others, if we aren't providing positive, affirmative options, particularly for younger people - places for people to congregate and share that don't require an entry fee, that don't require purchase necessarily, that are places where people can congregate and recreate and do things that are meaningful to them together - that we're moving in the wrong direction overall. I think that's a valid concern and one we need to do better with as a community and society. [00:18:28] Lex Vaughn: But it's not going away. So it's - we just need a more proactive approach. [00:18:35] Crystal Fincher: Yep, and so we will keep our eye on how these laws pan out, on new laws as they pass. We have a new legislative session starting on Monday, and we'll be following along with what happens there. But we're seeing these results now and we'll keep paying attention. Also wanna talk this week about a new Crosscut poll that was just released - part of the poll at least. And the headline of this poll is - Washington voters want to spend more - while cutting taxes. Also another headline saying that 57% of people are in favor of repealing the state's new capital gains tax. Now this is interesting. We've talked about this before in the podcast, but polls are very interesting things. And it's very important to pay attention to the questions asked, who they're being asked of, and what the particulars are in this. And this one - I think there are some interesting findings in this poll, I think that you have to dig a lot deeper than these headlines. And I think that this doesn't actually tell us much about what voters' likelihood of voting for or against some of these questions asked in here. And one of the reasons why this is being asked is because there is likely to be an initiative, a statewide initiative, to repeal this tax. But it's very important to actually read the poll, to go beyond the synopsis in the article and to take a look at the actual poll. And when we do that, we see that these questions were asked in a way that they aren't asked when people are invested in, where like people working, right - if you're actually working on this thing, you would not trust this. You're not asking questions in this way. Usually when you're trying to figure out what happens - one, kind of the most important thing, you wanna ask the question in the same way that it's gonna be asked to voters on their ballot. Now we're kind of before that point, right? So a lot of times you'll hear - Well, is it the ballot title? Is it the ballot language? We don't have that yet, but you wanna get close to that. You wanna describe it in a way that you feel that they're gonna encounter it in the real world with voters. You also with this, it's very important understanding, particularly with something like this - there's gonna be a lot of money, there's gonna be a lot of communication in these campaigns. So people are gonna hear messages in favor of it. People are gonna hear messages opposed to it. They're gonna be getting mail in their mailboxes, they're gonna see digital ads, they're gonna be seeing political commercials about this - and they're gonna be getting a lot of messages. You want to expose the people you're asking those questions of of likely messages that they're gonna hear so that - okay, afterwards, is it more likely or less likely that they're going to support it? - or that you're coming closer to the conditions under which they're gonna make their decision. That's really informative and really predictive and a pretty accurate way of figuring out where support really lies. And really in those things, when you have a poll, you're asking those questions - there's a lot learned by asking the initial question before they hear any pro and con arguments. And then asking that final question - the question again - having heard all that, are you still in favor of, more likely to support, less likely to support this initiative or this law? And seeing who that moves and who different arguments influence is all part of how people put together these campaigns. None of that was in here. This was asked in kind of a kludgy way, actually, kind of a muddled way in how they did this. They kind of asked - Hey, they're expected to have a surplus from a capital gains tax and a carbon pricing trade system. What should we do with this money? And so it's just - Okay, we should put it into schools. And actually the majority of people did not say they want to keep spending at the current level or reduce taxes somehow. They were saying - majority 55% said put more money into schools, reducing homelessness, mental health programs, and combating effects of climate change. Then they asked - Okay, the following are some proposals that the legislature is expected to discuss in the coming weeks. As I read each of these, please indicate whether you favor, strongly favor, oppose, or strongly oppose each one. And so all it says is - Repeal the state's new capital gains tax. And that's it. And the other ones are - Eliminate some restrictions on when police can pursue criminal suspects in cars. Put more money into mental - like they're just asking the sentence. Now, if there's one thing, especially people involved in politics, involved in reporting know - it's that people do not have the context for this at all when you just ask that. [00:23:23] Lex Vaughn: In just a general sense, the average person is like - less taxes. Like no context, like what is it? [00:23:32] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, sure, it's a tax - repeal it. What is that? [00:23:32] Lex Vaughn: Are you taking more money from me? And it's like, if this does end up on the ballot, you know, again, like this year, the main message that I know we've kept saying to defend that capital gains tax is - it affects such a small number of people. It's probably definitely not you. [00:23:51] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, exactly. [laughing] It is such a small percentage of people. And when people are like - Oh, okay, you're not talking about something that applies to me and I'm already struggling and trying to figure this out. [00:24:02] Lex Vaughn: Honestly, that thing needs like a rebrand or something - capital gains tax. [00:24:05] Crystal Fincher: Well, and I don't even - you know, I don't know. [00:24:08] Lex Vaughn: The 1% tax - I mean, I think it's even smaller than 1%. It's like - tippity-top. [00:24:13] Crystal Fincher: I would question whether it even needs a rebrand because the other thing about this is that we have seen a lot of high quality polling that turned out to look like it was pretty accurate when it came to this. And basically the numbers look flipped. When people actually are asked a reasonably composed question, when they - after they hear pro and con messages, they're more likely to support the capital gains tax. It has actually been a popular policy in polling that we've seen till now. And, you know, the questions were asked more comprehensively and differently than they were here. It'll be interesting to see as this continues - I mean, certainly this is going to produce a great headline, which in today's media environment is a goal for many people. Most people don't read beyond headlines. So if you can get a great headline, that is a win because then that gives people an impression of something, even though it may not be completely accurate or there's not other contexts surrounding it. But it'll be interesting to see where this comes out. I would just be leery about these results based on the way that these questions are asked, based on the fact that it does contradict other publicly available polling that we've seen. And it'll be interesting to see, but I am taking this with a grain of salt - for these results. I do think that there are - just looking, polls are always interesting things. And even if it's not the number one thing that the poll may have been designed to elicit, it'll be interesting. There's this larger discourse, kind of want to say Stancil-ized discourse - discourse about the economy, and whether people are happy, and what this means for Joe Biden, and like where people are at. And that there are a lot of economic indicators that seem positive, but people are kind of sour on the economy overall - more sour than traditional economic indicators would indicate is logical. But these questions, there's a question asked here - Hey, what's your outlook for the country? - basically - do you expect things will - in general terms, get better over the next year or get worse? Much better, somewhat better, somewhat worse, or much worse. And in these, what we saw is that people said - Okay - and it was asked four ways in four categories. Do you think this for the United States, for Washington State, in your community, and in your household? And across the board, people gave, you know, majority of people said - Hey, things are actually gonna get better for my household. Majorities across the board there. And then slightly less for their community, and then less for Washington State, and then less for the United States. So there's this difference where if you look and you ask people individually - Hey, do you think the next year for you in general terms is gonna be better or worse? Most people say better. But if you ask people - Okay, generally for the United States, do you think the next year is gonna be better or worse? Most people say worse. And the further out it gets from them, the less likely they are to think that it gets positive. There are lots of theories for why this is, there are lots of people's views - but it's an interesting dynamic that is there. And it's not a new dynamic - we've seen this before, but it certainly is more pronounced. It's very pronounced and there's a very wide gulf, wider than we've seen in quite some time. The other interesting thing about that is when you look at the crosstabs broken up there - younger people are actually more optimistic than older people, which is interesting. [00:27:52] Lex Vaughn: Now I don't trust anything in this poll. [00:27:54] Crystal Fincher: [laughs] What I don't have at my fingertips right now is enough data on this asked in different polls in a variety of different ways to immediately be suspicious and wanna look into more. Like with that question about the capital gains tax, it's just at odds with other polls that we have seen - certainly publicly available, certainly at odds with a lot of private polling. [00:28:21] Lex Vaughn: But young people being optimistic - about anything political - hmm. [00:28:24] Crystal Fincher: In some ways, right? And about like, does it, are you more optimistic about your own prospects? Like looking at the personal, 'cause the further away you get, the more politically influenced it is. But looking at the personal, it's really interesting. And I just find that very, very interesting in what that means and the difference there. And to me, when I see those things, the interest is in wanting to dive down and - okay, what explains that difference? Who is experiencing kind of in that zone between you thinking things getting better for yourself and worse overall? You know, who is in that category? Who are the people who move? What's influencing that movement is interesting to look at. So we'll link this poll. And like generally, I would just say for people, when you're consuming polls, there's usually a whole article breakdown, and then there should be in each article - there is in this article - a link to the actual poll. Always read the actual poll. Always read the questions. Because a lot of times, some of these challenges or things that seem non-standard or problematic are often visible to a layperson if they read it. Like, okay, that's a weird way to ask the question. Or, you know, if you ask me that, I might be confused. Or like, what does that even mean? So there's a lot there, but that was an interesting finding. But we're certainly hearing about this today - we're recording this on Thursday - and we'll be hearing a lot more about it. What did you think just generally about it? [00:29:53] Lex Vaughn: First of all, I have to admit - I think a lot of times I don't click on that kind of external PDF like there is here with a breakdown of who was interviewed, breakdown of landlines, cell phone, text. I'll say at least this poll does a very good breakdown of exactly who they interviewed. But in general, I don't take a lot of reporting on polls very seriously. I usually think it reveals the bias of a media organization or a polling organization. And I'm - that's informative. That's what I'm taking from this. [00:30:36] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it's, you know, polling is an interesting thing. Polling is - not all polling is predictive. Not everybody is polling likely voters or trying to mimic an election result. Some polls are just trying to take the pulse of where people are at. This, you know, is asking some things that they're gonna be dealing with in the legislature. And it's not like there's gonna be an immediate vote up and down on proposed legislation, but it could indicate people's general satisfaction of the legislation or not. I think with these things, it is important to read the actual poll. I will say - just for here - it's important to read the poll 'cause I have seen more than one misleading breakdown of a poll, or things that omit some significant or even contradictory findings. And so I think it's important to look for yourself to - okay, not a synopsis, but if we're really talking about how important this is about policy or what people think, let me look at everything people ask and let me look at this whole poll and see what happens - because we can't always trust the breakdowns. But also just understanding what polls do and don't do. A poll that - things can change massively in either direction, right, between now and the election. These are a snapshot in time. Something, especially at this point in time, is not predictive. They're very early. There's usually - if you're asking about a specific candidate or policy, a lot of people who aren't familiar with it yet, or who don't have all of the context - there's still a lot of pro and con arguments and a lot of communication that's gonna happen. So they're not determinative, certainly. They're not absolutely predictive. But they can be useful information points. And usually they're most useful - not in the horse race sense - but in the who does something appeal to and why, if it's done well. And just understanding that - certainly from a campaign perspective is really important - Even if you set aside the - ultimate who's likely to vote for this or not type of questions. So just another interesting one. I'm sure we're gonna see other ones. I think this is part one of two that they've released, so we're going to see some more from this soon. And that was a Crosscut poll. Also this week, Seattle City Council - councils all across the state, really were sworn in - the new Seattle City Council was sworn in. And so we have a new council. We have committees that were assigned. We have Sara Nelson, who is now the council president. Sara Nelson, who is a moderate conservative, who is now seeming to be very aligned with the mayor and leading a council that is much more aligned with the mayor's office - that is much more moderate to conservative. And so we're going to see a new council and seemingly a new direction here in the state. We saw one of Sara Nelson's first actions as council president was to disband the Renters' Rights Committee, which former Seattle City Councilmember, Kshama Sawant, had chaired since 2019 - disbanded that committee, and which is not that surprising. More than half of the residents of Seattle are renters, so it seems like that is applicable to the majority of people - it would be useful and helpful. But Sara has indicated distrust and hostility of several of those efforts before, has hosted landlord support groups before. And so it is not surprising, even though it may be really unfortunate. [00:34:18] Lex Vaughn: Yeah. [00:34:20] Crystal Fincher: But we're gonna see. What do you think about this whole thing? [00:34:24] Lex Vaughn: It's really unfortunate that a whole slate of people was elected that are probably gonna just kinda be in lockstep with the mayor. And I see all of them as like, faux-gressive - they know how to kinda have the facade of progressive to fit into Seattle, but their policies that they're rooting for are just so obviously conservative and Republican to me. Like making your first order of business disbanding a Renters' Rights Committee. [laughs] It's like, it's just amazing. And it just kind of adds to the cognitive dissonance of the whole identity of the city - who these council people are and what they're probably gonna do legally this year, the policies they're gonna enact - just makes me laugh that anyone thinks the city is liberal. 'Cause it's - unfortunately, these people that were just elected are probably going to move forward with basically a lot of conservative policies on a local level. [00:35:33] Crystal Fincher: It's gonna be really interesting to see. And for me, there's a lot that they're going to be dealing with. And just so people know - that for committee chairs, the people who are going to decide the general direction of these areas, what kind of legislation they pursue within their committees. Rob Saka will be chairing the Transportation Committee. Tammy Morales will chair the Land Use Committee. Joy Hollingsworth will chair the Parks, Public Utilities and Technology Committee. Maritza Rivera will chair Libraries, Education and Neighborhoods. Cathy Moore will chair Housing and Human Services. Dan Strauss will chair Finance, which will handle the budget, Native Communities and Tribal Governments. Bob Kettle will chair Public Safety. And the vacant Position 8 position - the person who will be appointed to the council - will chair Sustainability, City Light, Arts and Culture. Sara Nelson will chair Governance, Accountability and Economic Development. Within those, there's a lot that's gonna happen. And I think one thing that some people discount or don't expect is just how much practically they're going to have to deal with. Now it's kind of like - Okay, strip the progressive or conservative, whatever labels. There are serious issues that people have to deal with and a range of options, like a range that could be under the progressive label, a range that could be under the moderate label, right? But they're going to have to chart - well, they don't have to - their job is to chart a path forward for lots of this. Rob Saka, Chair of Transportation, which, you know, there's certainly a lot at stake - when it comes to transportation, there's gonna be a new Move Seattle Levy. He's overseeing the $700 million annual budget. We see a lot of asks and needs from the community. He's talked about getting back to the basics and being "the pothole king." And there, and it'll just be interesting to see. There's a lot of practical daily things that have to be dealt with. How is he going to do that? What approach are they going to take to a lot of things? We've seen Bob Kettle, Chair of Public Safety, talk about a lot of law and order oriented things, building a better relationship, promoting respect. We heard Sara Nelson talk about - one of her other first acts was proposing another pay increase for SPD, which is, you know, without anything changes, would deepen the budget deficit that the city is facing, barring any new revenue on the heels of other additions to that budget and elements of pay. It'll just be really interesting to see, because these things are having practical effects. They're all going to impact the budget that they're all going to have to deal with, with a major budget deficit coming up. They were all, most of these people who are new on the council were very hesitant to discuss what their actual practical plans were for dealing with this budget deficit, most hesitant to put support behind any new taxation, progressive taxation, proposals from the work group that the mayor convened on this that came up with options. But they have talked about cutting in areas. They have talked about the need to trim overall, but were hesitant or unwilling to talk about what specifically that would be. They're going to have to get into specifics now. They're going to have to deal with the things that they were hesitant to talk about during the campaign. It's going to be really interesting to see how this, how this carries out. Also, this is a very new council overall. They're going to have to get their feet underneath them. Sara Nelson announced that they are not going to be having regular committee meetings for most of this month to allow people to get up to speed - there's a lot of that that needs to happen - and that their first council meeting of the month will be on the 23rd to appoint the new councilmember that is going to take over for Teresa Mosqueda, who is, was just elected to the county. So it's going to be really interesting and just FYI - applications for that vacancy, if anyone is interested, are being accepted until January 9th. And that is Tuesday and the appointment will take place on the 23rd. Certainly a lot of talk about who might potentially take those places. We have heard a couple names bandied about, one of them being Tanya Woo, who lost - [00:40:10] Lex Vaughn: Yeah, how about not Tanya Woo? [laughing] [00:40:13] Crystal Fincher: You know, I just have a hard time - you're representing all of Seattle. It is a city that has made a strong stance and has made strong statements - fortunately - when it comes to protecting all members of the LGBTQ community, including trans people. And there's an interview with Hacks & Wonks, it's been covered elsewhere where Tanya Woo did not fully support the ability of trans people to participate in regular everyday life like everyone else, expressed reservations about trans people participating on sports teams - said if they wanted to exclude them, she would be willing to support that in a position on the city council - which just to me, there are policy differences, but then there are issues of just basic humanity and support of people and residents of the city. And that, to me, is one of those that's automatically disqualifying in my personal evaluation of that. And so it looks like that is not necessarily disqualifying for some people who might be considering this on the council, but I certainly think it should be considered with this. Now I do understand that she, I think, made an Instagram post apologizing for that and trying to clarify their position. I would just suggest that, you know, and lots of people evolve over that. So I'm not saying that that is what she thinks or believes for the rest of her life. Maybe she has changed and maybe she has learned more, and I hope that she has and that other people are on that journey. I just think that when it comes to appointing someone responsible for the city, we can appoint someone who is further along in that journey and not learning about the humanity of people at the same time that they're having to learn about all of these policies and operations that they're now having to. So it's gonna be really interesting to see. There are certainly other people who have held various elected office, school board candidates that have had exposure and that may be able to be really positive additions to the council, particularly with a number of councilmembers that have not served in elective office before - having someone who had in whatever capacity could be a very positive, helpful thing for this council. It'll be interesting to see. I think that there are - certainly there have been some names that have been talked about publicly. I think there are more names that are circulating privately. It'll be really interesting to see how this shakes out. But either way, I also don't think that's gonna tip the balance of this council. I do think that it could help with policy formation and general operational items. But I think just, you know, it's not gonna tip the balance of power of the council. [00:42:55] Lex Vaughn: Yeah, I think the direction the council is gonna go is pretty well set. [00:43:00] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. [00:43:01] Lex Vaughn: Yeah. [00:43:02] Crystal Fincher: Yep, so we will see. Also this week, news of a lawsuit against the City of Burien over their new homeless camping law that - we have heard about the saga of Burien for quite some time. There was also an independent report this week that came out really chastising the city manager for not handling some of the major issues that they're doing with due care and seriousness. But this is a lawsuit being brought on behalf of unhoused people by a regional advocacy organization suing the city, claiming that it banishes homeless people, inflicts cruel punishment, and it violates Washington's constitution. The Northwest Justice Project filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in King County Superior Court on behalf of the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness and three individual plaintiffs. What were your thoughts on this? [00:43:56] Lex Vaughn: I mean, it seems like this is the next step in inevitable plan to get this in the Supreme Court. I think there's probably a variety of cities, not just Burien, who have been wanting to challenge this. So this is another showdown that'll go to a higher court. But in general, I think it's just sad that it's happening because it's - we're talking about people's right to exist. It's not just a right to be homeless or something. It's a right to exist. There are people who cannot afford shelter. We as a society are not providing them enough aid in a dark period of their life. And you can't just ask people to go poof. Like, there's no magic wand that makes them just dissipate in air overnight. They have to exist somewhere. And to criminalize that is incredibly inhumane. [00:45:00] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I mean, they have nowhere to go. Homelessness is a housing problem - it's the lack of housing. There has certainly been a lot of talk and skewed coverage presenting the homeless population as basically criminals and violent drug abusers. And one - homeless people are more likely to be victimized by crime than any other group. And if we were looking at facts and data, we would start from that point - they are not more violent than the general population. [00:45:35] Lex Vaughn: A lot of people are escaping violence. I mean, especially homeless youth, you know? [00:45:41] Crystal Fincher: 100%. [00:45:42] Lex Vaughn: Yeah. [00:45:42] Crystal Fincher: But, you know, criminalizing - it doesn't help that. Sending someone to jail because they don't have shelter doesn't help them to get shelter - it moves them further away from it. It destabilizes people. And it's just incredibly expensive. [00:45:58] Lex Vaughn: Yeah. [00:45:59] Crystal Fincher: There is just- [00:46:00] Lex Vaughn: So ineffective. [00:46:01] Crystal Fincher: Yes - so really expensive and ineffective. Seems like - okay, that should be the thing not to do. But that's the thing that they are rushing to do. Interesting about this lawsuit is it doesn't cite Martin v. Boise, which is a previous 2018 decision that came out of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, saying that homeless people can't be punished for sleeping outside on public property if there are no adequate alternatives to offer them. Doesn't cite that, and it is also citing that it's a violation of Washington State's Constitution. So this, you know, which to me is notable because we'll see if Martin v. Boise stands. I don't think there's absolute confidence that that's going to continue to stand, although I certainly believe it should. But this could be something else that could prevent the large-scale just criminalization of homelessness without there being any place for anyone to go. No surprise to listeners of the program - I do believe we have an obligation to provide shelter and housing for people and that we have done a poor job of that, we have not kept up with the demand. And we continue to spend tons of money on these criminalized solutions that could go so much further if we invested them in ways that have shown they're more likely to reduce homelessness. There's been lots of coverage about Housing First models, which have been under attack, and there's actually an article recently about a very coordinated, conservative attack on these models. Just anecdotally, I've seen lots of people - Housing First policies have failed - when the truth is they haven't been tried yet. We've done a lot of criminalization. We have not done that - and man, we would love to, but suggestions that they don't work and that they failed are just false and not rooted. In reality, we haven't tried them. We have tried criminalization, and that's what's gotten us here. [00:47:53] Lex Vaughn: Criminalization, another word for addiction to punishment. Doesn't matter that there's just mounds of research showing that these old techniques of criminalization don't reduce homelessness, they don't make us safer. It's just frustrating to continue to see this happen when it's like there's so much evidence and research showing that criminalization is an expensive and ineffective strategy for solving A) homelessness, and B) making us a safer community in general. [00:48:33] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. The last item on our list today is there is a new entrant into the race for attorney general - a Republican from central Washington, an attorney named Pete Serrano, is the first major Republican to toss his name into the ring for Washington Attorney General. So he joins former US attorney Nick Brown, senior King County Deputy Prosecutor and State Senator Manka Dhingra in the race - who are both Democrats. So if he was elected, he would be the first Republican to hold the office since Rob McKenna vacated the seat in 2012. He's running on pretty standard conservative policies right now, which are kind of out there. He announced his candidacy with the host of the Washington Gun Law blog, if that gives you any hint - he is not in favor of any kind of gun control or gun laws. He, I believe, fought against vaccine mandates, filed legal challenges against the state's COVID-19 emergency order, fought against gun control legislation, and wants to bring more of that to the AG's race. What do you think of this? [00:49:48] Lex Vaughn: I think it's interesting that the first person he was coming out swinging against is Bob Ferguson. And I think as he campaigns, he'll probably keep his aim there because even though Bob Ferguson isn't running for AG again, he's running for governor. I guess this guy is gonna sell himself as like the check on Bob Ferguson if he wins the governor's race. I think - hopefully this guy won't stand a chance - but he will make these campaigns a little bit more colorful. [00:50:21] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, certainly a new dimension in this race. There were - the main people in the race, two well-known Democratic candidates or fairly well-known Democratic candidates. This being the first Republican candidate is a new dimension in the race. We will continue to follow it. We're gonna have a lot of very interesting statewide races, which is not an unusual thing - except in Washington State for the past decade, basically, where we haven't had much change there. So will be interesting to follow, and we'll keep our eyes peeled on what happens there. And with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, January 5th, 2024. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder and editor of The Needling, Lex Vaughn. You can find Lex on Twitter @AlexaVaughn - you can also find her on several other platforms, as well as me. I'm everywhere @finchfrii. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

NASA's Administrator Bill Nelson to attend the 28th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates. The European Space Agency says Ariane 6 will launch in late June or early July, 2024. The US House Science, Space and Technology Committee passes the Commercial Space Space Act of 2023 or HR 6131, sending the bill to the House floor for a vote, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest is Richard Mansell, Chief Executive Officer at IVO Limited You can connect with Richard on LinkedIn and learn more about IVO on their website. Selected Reading NASA to Showcase Earth Science Data at COP28 4 Astronauts Will Be Trained For US-India Mission: ISRO Ariane 6 joint update report, 30 November 2023 Science Committee Passes Bills to Secure Quantum & Commercial Space Leadership - Press Releases NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Pauses Science Due to Gyro Issue Lockheed Martin Technology Demonstration to Showcase Faster On-Orbit Sensor Calibration Ursa Major Raises $138 Million To Introduce Solid Rocket Motor Line And Scale Rocket Propulsion For Space And Hypersonic Applications Work With Us - Open Solicitations - Commercial First 360-degree cameras in space capture incredible images of Earth Relativity Space CEO: Building a backlog isn't ‘worthless,' it's the path to product-market fit United States Space Force Prepares X-37B for Launch- United States Space Force  NASA Remembers Trailblazing Astronaut, Scientist Mary Cleave  T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © 2023 N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commercial space regulation law is on the House of Representatives' docket — but what needs to be regulated? The White House and House Science, Space and Technology Committee have both unveiled their proposals for simplifying government oversight of the commercial space sector; with two different takes on how to approach the space. Morgan Brennan sits down with Caryn Schenewerk, former SpaceX & Relativity Space counsel, to discuss the playbook for regulation as it stands.

In this episode of the Going Coastal podcast, hosts Marissa Torres and Deborah Fernandes shine the spotlight on two exceptional ASBPA Student Award Winners: Cheyenne Twilley and Narayan Kumar. Cheyenne, awarded the Student Coastal Advocate Award, is recognized for her aspirations to deepen her understanding and influence in federal coastal policy and advocacy. This award enables her to intern with the ASBPA and become a key member of the Government Affairs Committee, where her passion for coastal issues can truly make an impact. Narayan, recipient of the Nicholas Kraus Coastal Scholar Award, is celebrated for his dedication to advancing coastal science. His award facilitates an internship with the ASBPA, offering him a pivotal role in the Science and Technology Committee. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore their future plans, and discuss how these awards will shape their contributions to coastal science and advocacy.

Dave Contarino was Bill Richardson's 2002 gubernatorial campaign manager, his first term Chief of Staff, and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign. Very few are better equipped to remember the life and legacy of Governor Richardson than Dave. In this conversation we talk Dave's own path to politics and mine his expertise specifically about New Mexico, then go in depth about the inspiration, impact, and influence of Bill Richardson...from his unconventional lifestory, to his time as a rising star in the House, stint in the Clinton cabinet, two terms as Governor, groundbreaking presidential campaign, and his focus over the past decade helping to free Americans held hostage in foreign countries (including the recent release of Britt ney Griner). This is a wide-ranging conversation about a truly original and transformational figure, the late Governor Bill Richardson. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave's roots near Boston and path to politics via a couple of interesting internships…One of Dave's early jobs as a DCCC staffer under then-operative Rahm Emanuel…How Dave's career took him to New Mexico and his 101 for understanding New Mexico Politics…Dave talks the early life and political origin story of Bill Richardson…The role Richardson's Hispanic heritage played in his political career…Congressman Richardson's ascent in the House and how he started to become known as an international hostage negotiator in the 1990s…Why the ambitious Richardson waited 20 years after he was first elected before he ran statewide…Dave remembers some of the high points of Bill Richardson's tenure as Governor…Dave talks Richardson's decision to run for President in 2008 and memories of what went right & what went wrong…Some of the story behind Richardson's surprise decision to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008…Dave goes in depth on the work Governor Richardson has done over the past 30 years to help free American hostages from foreign countries…Dave closes by speaking to Governor Richardson's political legacy… AND ANWR, Madeline Albright, Andover, Bruce Babbitt, the big seat, Jeff Bingaman, The Boston Globe, Richard Branson, George Brown, the Cape Cod League, Bob Carr, James Carville, the Catholic Church, Henry Cisneros, Cornell University, Warren Christopher, Pete Domenici, Friends of Bill, Geronimo's attorney, grazing fees, Brittney Griner, the Harriman Center, the head of Denver Transit, Saddam Hussein, James Inhofe, Lyndon Johnson, Judas, Sergey Lavrov, David Letterman, Manuel Lujan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Susanna Martinez, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Roberto Mondragon, Steve Murphy, NAFTA, Ollie North, Pasadena, Federico Pena, Mark Penn, Mark Putnam, radio actualities, the Rio Grande Corridor, Ed Romero, Pat Schroeder, the Science and Technology Committee, Hillary Tompkins, Tufts, Tom Udall, The War on the West & more!