January 21, 2025
A Flammable Landscape
Los Angeles continues to burn. As of this writing, the Palisades Fire is spread over 23,713 acres and is 22 percent contained. This means that 22 percent of the fire’s perimeter has been controlled by firefighters through containment lines. The Eaton Fire currently stands at 14,117 acres burned at 55 percent containment. Will Rogers State Park is…
January 17, 2025
Demystifying Social Media Addiction Litigation
The old sales pitch hollered by baseball game vendors was “you can’t tell the players without a scorecard.” Something similar rings true today about not only knowing the litigants but also their theories in more than 1,000 lawsuits wending their way through numerous courts and blaming social media platforms for addicting and harming minors. The…
January 17, 2025
Demystifying Social Media Addiction Litigation
The old sales pitch hollered by baseball game vendors was “you can’t tell the players without a scorecard.” Something similar rings true today about not only knowing the litigants but also their theories in more than 1,000 lawsuits wending their way through numerous courts and blaming social media platforms for addicting and harming minors. The…
January 16, 2025
After Net Neutrality: The Return of the States
Last week I discussed the Sixth Circuit decision classifying broadband as a Title I information service and effectively eliminating the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) general power to regulate broadband. But like nature, regulators abhor a vacuum. While closing the door to federal regulators, the decision also creates opportunities for states to act. This post examines the present…
January 16, 2025
AI-Generated Regulation: Not Ready for Prime Time (Yet)
Key Points Read the PDF. Executive Summary Generative AI has attracted great attention in the policymaking sphere, including for agency rulemaking. This report compares a final rule drafted by a generative AI model with the Department of Transportation’s actual rule. The AI model’s policy recommendations appear overly sensitive to the number of commenters supporting a…
January 16, 2025
Taking on DMV Bureaucracy (with Shane Bigelow)
Digital solutions for vehicle titling and registration are transforming how DMVs operate, replacing slow bureaucratic processes with efficient blockchain-based systems. Through successful partnerships with state governments, companies offering these digital services have demonstrated significant time and cost savings in vehicle-related transactions. This proven track record in modernizing DMV operations creates opportunities to expand similar technological…
January 15, 2025
The Wearable Revolution: Transforming Health Care with AI-Driven Insights
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 has come and gone, leaving a wave of exciting new technologies. For health-conscious consumers, the show was packed with the latest advancements in wearable technology. From innovative smartwatches to AI-powered rings, CES 2025 revealed a new generation of devices intended to empower individuals in their pursuit of health and well-being. The…
January 14, 2025
Connecting the Dots Between Biden’s Jawboning and Meta’s Policy Changes
Much ink is being spilled over Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s January 7 announcementand a related statement by executive Joel Kaplan about the company replacing its platforms’ prior content-moderation efforts with a more laissez-faire, free-speech-friendly approach. The changes likely were influenced by not only a desire to please incoming President Donald Trump but also the outgoing Biden administration’s efforts…
January 13, 2025
The Hardware and Software of AI
Friends, it is great to talk with you again. I hope you had a restful break. In the two weeks since we last chatted, I spent some time organizing my work and thinking about what I want to accomplish in the next year to eighteen months. One big thing I am going to do is…
January 13, 2025
EPA Should Reject California’s Locomotive Electrification Regulation
The California Air Resources Board last November requested from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a waiver under section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act for implementation of its “In-Use Locomotive Regulation,” an effort to electrify the cargo trains operating in California and therefore across the entire country. As of early January, EPA still has not acted, a…