Tootfinder

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions #acrel https://networks.h-net.org/group/annou

OpenAI will match ads to conversation topics using some personalization data, but claims it will not sell user data or expose user conversations to advertisers (Maxwell Zeff/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-testing-ads-us/

Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here’s How They’ll Work
OpenAI says ads will not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and that it won’t sell user data to advertisers.

Dak can't allow dreadful defense to dictate how Cowboys QB approaches rest of 2025 https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2025/10/16/dak-prescott-cannot-allow-terrible-…

OpenAI will match ads to conversation topics using some personalization data, but claims it will not sell user data or expose user conversations to advertisers (Maxwell Zeff/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-testing-ads-us/

Ads Are Coming to ChatGPT. Here’s How They’ll Work
OpenAI says ads will not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and that it won’t sell user data to advertisers.

If your business is dependent upon people driving under the influence of alcohol, you don’t deserve to be in business…
https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/enormous-cost-burdens-put-west-norfolk-pubs-at-risk-of-goi-9449456/

‘Enormous cost burdens’ put West Norfolk pubs at risk of going under
West Norfolk pubs are being hit with “disproportionately enormous cost burdens” and could be forced to close, worried owners say.

Mapped: Big Food’s Routes to Influence at COP30 - DeSmog https://www.desmog.com/2025/11/10/mapped-big-foods-routes-to-influence-at-cop30/

Mapped: Big Food’s Routes to Influence at COP30
In the city of Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil has kicked off the COP30 climate conference, a summit framed as a pivotal moment to reduce emissions and keep the Paris Agreement alive. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend, from heads of state to civil society groups. But as attention […]

As Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more,
renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is
“an empire in decline,”
following a predictable pattern
of militarism abroad and political instability at home
as it loses power and influence on the world stage.
“American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational,”
says McCoy.
“I think the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, …
…

“Empire in Decline”: Historian Alfred McCoy on U.S. Aggression in Venezuela, Iran & Beyond
As President Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more, renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is “an empire in decline,” following a predictable pattern of militarism abroad and political instability at home as it loses power and influence on the world stage. “American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational,” says McCoy. “I think the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, … and it will continue for another decade…

Why NATO can’t survive a return to spheres of influence: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/14/why-nato-cant-survive-a.html

How David Sacks and AI adviser Sriram Krishnan overcame the opposition to Trump's AI EO, reaching out to lawmakers and finally modifying the text of the order (Washington Post)

How Trump’s tech advisers overcame a MAGA rebellion over AI
President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting states’ power to regulate AI split his supporters and highlighted Silicon Valley’s growing influence over his agenda.

This survey question is rich. This is from one of the BigMoneySF groups trying to make it harder for the rest of us to put stuff on the ballot.
But they will never ban paid signature gathering, the one thing that would most effectively keep crap off the ballot. They just want to raise the signature threshold for the rest of us. It would still be easy for billionaires to abuse the system and qualify any ballot measure they like, just hard for anyone else.

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/fJFYHPy
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://

Firm fighting Trump receives bipartisan praise (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2025/12/12/firm-fighting-trump-receives-bipartisan-praise-00689924
http://www.memeorandum.com/251213/p1#a251213p1

Aerosol pollution found to thicken fog over Northern India—especially at night #India…

Aerosol pollution found to thicken fog over Northern India—especially at night
Frequent, thick winter fog events are a common nuisance in Northern India, exacerbated by heavy air pollution and dense aerosol concentrations. Because these fog events often cause major disruptions to transportation and the economy, a better understanding of how aerosols influence the vertical structure and thickness of the fog is necessary for mitigation.

Sonnet 078 - LXXVIII
So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse,
And found such fair assistance in my verse
As every alien pen hath got my use
And under thee their poesy disperse.
Thine eyes, that taught the dumb on high to sing
And heavy ignorance aloft to fly,
Have added feathers to the learned's wing
And given grace a double majesty.
Yet be most proud of that which I compile,
Whose influence is thine, and born of thee:
In o…

Tom Brady’s influence looms over the Raiders’ next coaching hire https://raiderramble.com/2026/01/07/tom-bradys-influence-looms-over-the-raiders-next-coaching-hire/

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/b0lIBT1
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://

A few thoughts about the new US national security strategy, especially the part about the growing influence of ‘patriotic’ parties, whose growing influence the current administration endorses:
https://bsky.app/profile/rikefranke.bsky.social/post/3m7ab2nreps2e

Management calls it ‘disruptive.’ We call it Tuesday lunch with collective bargaining.
#Anarchism #Syndicalism #ANarchoSyndicalism

How NFL draft development plays role in Cowboys defensive coordinator search https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi/news/how-nfl-draft-development-plays-role-dallas-cowboys-defensive-coordinator-search

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),
India’s largest Hindu far-right organization,
initiated a well-funded lobbying effort in the U.S. earlier this year
Squire Patton Boggs,
one of the top lobbying firms in the U.S.,
registered as a lobbyist on Jan. 16 for the RSS, according to lobbying disclosures

Exclusive: India’s largest far-right Hindu organization hires U.S. lobbyists for congressional influence campaign
Squire Patton Boggs lobbied U.S. lawmakers on behalf of the RSS, a Hindu nationalist group linked to discrimination and violence against Muslims

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A contribution to the ecosocialism vs horizontalism debate.
by Anna Gregoletto and Mark H Burton
In the series Prospects for Degrowth
https://degrowthuk.org/2025/10/29/minority-influence-how-can-degrow…

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A contribution to the ecosocialism vs horizontalism debate. by Anna Gregoletto and Mark H Burton* A debate is in progress between alternative strategy prescriptions for degrowth. On the one side, w…

⏰ Taiwan reports surge in Chinese cyber activity and disinformation efforts
https://therecord.media/taiwan-nsb-report-china-surge-cyberattacks-influence-operations

Taiwan reports surge in Chinese cyber activity and disinformation efforts
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau says network intrusions and influence operations by China have increased this year, with critical infrastructure drawing the most attention.

Erich von Däniken died today at the age of 90. I know, I know what most of you are going to say, but in my teenage years, his books had a profound influence on me (amusingly, I encountered it first in their Serbo-Croatian translation, maybe my first "real" book I read in Croatian). More than the ancient alien hypothesis, his books took me to many fascinating corners of the world, be it in the Americas, in India, Sub-Saharan Africa, or the English countryside. 1/3

The Influence of Space Weathering on the Far-Ultraviolet Reflectance of Apollo-Era Soils: #Moon

Ever notice how the most influential people aren't always the bosses?
They're the ones everyone trusts. The ones whose ideas somehow become the plan. The ones people actually want to follow.
That influence doesn't come from a title. It comes from showing up consistently. Making things clearer. Being the same person in every room.
Read more about building influence without needing permission:

Influence Without Authority: How to Get People to Listen Without Being the Boss
Learn how to build real influence without authority. Discover proven strategies for gaining trust, establishing expertise, and leading without a title.

Radoslaw Sikorski, vice-premier ministre de Pologne : « Le défi de l’UE consiste Š traduire son poids économique en influence et en leadership mondiaux »
https://www.

Radoslaw Sikorski, vice-premier ministre de Pologne : « Le défi de l’UE consiste à traduire son poids économique en influence et en leadership mondiaux »
Le ministre des affaires étrangères polonais appelle, dans une tribune au « Monde », au renfort de la coopération européenne en matière de sécurité, de migration, de technologie et de politique étrangère et à une alliance occidentale accrue avec les Etats-Unis.

Billionaire tech advisers overcame a MAGA rebellion over AI in the Trump Whitehouse
A power struggle over the future of technology is playing out inside the administration,
as officials confront high-stakes decisions that touch everything
from national security and jobs
to online safety for children.

How Trump’s tech advisers overcame a MAGA rebellion over AI
President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting states’ power to regulate AI split his supporters and highlighted Silicon Valley’s growing influence over his agenda.

Prosecutors describe influence-peddling network in Ukraine's biggest graft case: https://benborges.xyz/2025/11/12/prosecutors-describe-influencepeddling-network-in.html

"The other study from Science looked at why those chatbots were so persuasive to begin with. It concluded that the more persuasive a chatbot was, the least factually accurate it was."
Nothing to worry about. Ignore the Cambridge Analytica history. Don't worry about GROK. #NothingToWorryAbout
New studies show that AI can influence voters more than campaign ads…

"The other study from Science looked at why those chatbots were so persuasive to begin with. It concluded that the more persuasive a chatbot was, the least factually accurate it was."
Nothing to worry about. Ignore the Cambridge Analytica history. Don't worry about GROK. #NothingToWorryAbout
New studies show that AI can influence voters more than campaign ads…

The latest issue of the journal I edit - the Canadian Historical Review - dropped last week. It includes articles on the influence of Indigenous practices on European medicine (it'll help you understand the origins of the term "blowing smoke up your ass" too), First Nations' dispossession and the funding of settlement, early campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty, Trudeau's return to power in 1980, and the UN's World Refugee Year.
Check it out.

A University of Cambridge analysis reveals how cheap SMS text message verification to create online accounts fuels global influence and manipulation campaigns (Clive Cookson/Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/12105e19-208b-44ad-986d-398e68fc2270

Baudrillard (the author of Simulation and Simulacra in 1981, the inspiration for The Matrix movies) predicted Internet bubbles and the influence of algorithms and AI 30 years ago.
https://theconversation.com/how-the-fr

How the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard predicted today’s AI 30 years before ChatGPT
Baudrillard’s genius lay in foreseeing what these rudimentary devices like fax machines suggested about likely future uses of technology.

Thanks to @… for republishing our piece on resilience org:
Minority influence: how can degrowth step up? - resilience
https://www.

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A debate is in progress between alternative strategy prescriptions for degrowth: ecosocialism vs. horizontalism.

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/q8bmM9Z
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://

🪸 Tree rings of the sea: How environmental conditions influence microalgae and coral communities
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-tree-sea-environmental-conditions-microalgae.html

Tree rings of the sea: How environmental conditions influence microalgae and coral communities
An international research team led by marine biologist Prof. Dr. Maren Ziegler from Justus Liebig University Giessen (JU) has developed an innovative method for reconstructing the past of corals and their symbiosis with algae by drilling into coral skeletons. The results, published in Global Change Biology, offer new insights into changes in symbiotic single-celled algae species that are crucial to the survival of coral reefs.

Experts: "Spheres of influence here … spheres of influence there …" *head desk*
Holy fuck. Trump isn't a normal politician. This isn't 'world politics'. It's crime lords we didn't manage to keep away from power, being crime lords.

From ⁨⁨⁨⁨⁨#AnnafromUkraine⁩⁩⁩⁩⁩ @AnnafromUkraine@youtube.com
🧵 👇
#KREMLIN IN SHOCK: #US OPERATION, LOST SHIPS AND INFLUENCE Vlog 1282: War in

🦠📈 Ein Vierteljahrhundert Daten zeigt, dass die Übertragung von #Wildtier-#Malaria in Nord-Europa ist stark angestiegen.
Der Treiber ist der #Klimawandel. Bei

Much lower energy fast chips:
"Scientists from the University of Warwick and the National Research Council of Canada have reported the highest "hole mobility" ever measured in a material that works within today's silicon-based semiconductor manufacturing...
This achievement also represents a significant accomplishment for Warwick's Semiconductors Research Group and highlights the UK's growing influence in advanced semiconductor materials research."…

A 1950s material just set a modern record for lightning-fast chips
Researchers engineered a strained germanium layer on silicon that allows charge to move faster than in any silicon-compatible material to date. This record mobility could lead to chips that run cooler, faster, and with dramatically lower energy consumption. The discovery also enhances the prospects for silicon-based quantum devices.

Wow, you're absolutely right! That's a great insight. Regular use of chatbots can definitely have an influence on your choice of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax— let's delve into this further! https://gizmodo.com/chatbot-dialect-2000696509

"NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists"
'"This is like a stick in the spokes of merit review,” says one staffer who requested anonymity because of fear of retaliation. “It devalues discussion of the merits of each proposal.”'
https://www.science.org/content/article/nsf-pares-down-grant-review-process-reducing-influence-outside-scientists
h/t @…

Self-interest over ideology
as disparate inner circle shapes Trump foreign policy
Administration officials,
his family and even
Mar-a-Lago guests
wield outsized influence
on a mercurial president
“Trump is more accessible to a broader range of voices than any president in recent history,”
said Ian Bremmer,
president of the Eurasia Group.
“He’s on his phone constantly and people
– friends, business associates, media
– co…

This article by @… squarely hits in the feels, names and articulates what's happening in the tech industry, and points towards pragmatic things we can do.
Notably — and I cannot sufficiently underscore how crucial this is — Anil spells out that power by its very definition is fundamentally requisite to enact any influence on the direction of tech. We cannot cha…

Influencer feuds trigger total MAGA meltdown (Tal Axelrod/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/11/influencer-feuds-trigger-total-maga-meltdown
http://www.memeorandum.com/251211/p10#a251211p10

A look at WhatsApp's enormous global reach and influence, and how the messaging app became the dominant platform for everyday conversation worldwide (Sam Knight/New Yorker)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/how-what…

How WhatsApp Took Over the Global Conversation
The platform has become a core technology around the world, relied on by governments and extended families alike, Sam Knight writes. What are we all doing there?

Is a “part-time” Tom Brady enough to fix the Las Vegas Raiders? https://raiderramble.com/2025/12/13/is-a-part-time-tom-brady-enough-to-fix-the-las-vegas-raiders/

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20134839/webinar-more-just-choice-how-religion-race-and-identity-influence-food

Driver pleads guilty in death of Vikings rookie https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46894146/driver-caused-death-khyree-jackson-pleads-guilty

PODOLYAK on dismantling Russian influence! ⚡️US secret levers, pressure on China, and Macron's trap!: https://benborges.xyz/2025/12/28/podolyak-on-dismantling-russian-influence.html

This seems to be a fair piece about Cheney senior and Cheney daughter.
I have long held the Cheneys in contempt. And I still feel that way about the freshly dead dad.
But the daughter, Liz, seems to be a better blend. I still disagree with her on almost everything except on the critical point that we are (supposed to be) a democratic nation of people with equal rights governed by a system of laws under a relatively stable Constitution.

Check out my latest article - "How to Build Influence Without Authority"
https://www.brichapman.com/p/how-to-build-influence-without-authority?utm_source=bri-mastodon&utm_medium=social

Influence Without Authority: How to Get People to Listen Without Being the Boss
Learn how to build real influence without authority. Discover proven strategies for gaining trust, establishing expertise, and leading without a title.

British government sanctions Russian and Chinese groups over information warfare https://therecord.media/uk-sanctions-russia-china-entities-information-warfare

I can 100% relate to the final point of the quoted article.
As a middle manager I have enough influence to shape our institution but not as many responsibilities to estrange me from the actual work being done. That's a sweet spot for me!
https://indieauthors.social/@indieauth

"There is no such thing as ‘changing the world without taking power’, but the taking of power is a more complex process than storming the gates of government and implanting a new regime; ..."
https://degrowthuk.org/2025/10/29/minority-influence-how-ca…

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A contribution to the ecosocialism vs horizontalism debate. by Anna Gregoletto and Mark H Burton* A debate is in progress between alternative strategy prescriptions for degrowth. On the one side, w…

Hundreds of false #DUI arrests in #Tennessee in 2024 alone. Hundreds!
“According to data released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 419 people across Tennessee were arrested for [DUI] in 2024 despite later blood tests showing no alcohol detected in their system: not trace amounts, not borderli…

More than 400 ‘sober DUI’ arrests in TN, data shows
According to data released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 419 people across Tennessee were arrested for driving under the influence in 2024 despite later blood tests showing no alcohol d…

Why ultra-processed foods make teens eat more when they aren’t hungry #nutrition

Why ultra-processed foods make teens eat more when they aren’t hungry
A Virginia Tech study shows that ultra-processed foods may influence adolescents differently from slightly older young adults. Participants aged 18 to 21 ate more at a buffet and snacked even when not hungry after two weeks on an ultra-processed diet. Because eating without hunger predicts future weight gain, these findings hint at a heightened vulnerability during late adolescence.

Dick Cheney was right up there with Henry Kissinger. They made the world a worse place than it was before they achieved power and influence.

Papua New Guinea says Google will build three subsea cables for the country, a $120M effort funded by Australia, amid China's rising influence in the region (Kirsty Needham/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific

El CEO de Palantir dice que legalizar los crímenes de guerra sería bueno para [sus] los negocios https://gizmodo.com/palantir-ceo-says-making-war-crimes-constitutional-would-be-good-for-business-2000695162

"AI features have yet to meaningfully influence buying decisions"
YES, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS THAT SHIT— HOW IS THIS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND FOR THE C-SUITE
Anyone knows someone at Apple? I can offer consulting about how much people want AI, I'm willing to do it for $10,000/day if you pick me up with the company jet; it's just a 2 hour flight or so to Cupertino from where I am.
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/22/report-virtually-no-demand-for-iphone-air/

The evolution of influence operations
from crude Russian troll farms to sophisticated AI systems using large language models;
the discovery of GoLaxy documents revealing a "Smart Propaganda System" that collects millions of data points daily, builds psychological profiles, and generates resilient personas;
the fundamental challenges of measuring effectiveness;
GoLaxy's ties to Chinese intelligence agencies;
operations targeting Hong Kong's…

The US House Judiciary Subcommittee scrutinizes the WBD-Netflix deal, and Rep. Jamie Raskin expresses concern over Trump's influence on Paramount and Netflix (Katie Arcieri/Bloomberg Law)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business

Warner Bros.-Netflix Deal Gets Antitrust Scrutiny in House (1)
House lawmakers Wednesday questioned the proposed tie-up between Warner Bros. and Netflix Inc., with some weighing the competitive tradeoffs and others saying the deal poses significant concerns such as higher prices, job loss in creative fields, and a reduction in diverse viewpoints.

Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine warns of a russian false-flag with human casualties:
> We predict with high probability a transition from manipulative influence to the russian special services’ armed provocation, resulting in significant human casualties. The expected time – on the eve of or during the celebration of Christmas according to the Julian calendar. The location of the provocation may be a religious building or other object of high symbolic significance either in …

Incoherent repumping scheme in the $^{88}$Sr$^{ }$ five-level manifold
Valentin Martimort, Sacha Guesne, Derwell Drapier, Vincent Tugaye, Lilay Gros-Desormeaux, Valentin Cambier, Albane Douillet, Luca Guidoni, Jean-Pierre Likforman
https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.08710 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2512.08710 https://arxiv.org/html/2512.08710
arXiv:2512.08710v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Laser-cooled trapped ions are at the heart of modern quantum technologies and their cooling dynamics often deviate from the simplified two-level atom model. Doppler cooling of the $^{88}$Sr$^{ }$ ion involves several electronic levels and repumping channels that strongly influence fluorescence.In this work, we study a repumping scheme for the $^{88}$Sr$^{ }$ ion by combining precision single-ion spectroscopy with comprehensive numerical modeling based on optical Bloch equations including 18 Zeeman sublevels. We show that, although the observed fluorescence spectra retain a Lorentzian lineshape, their width and amplitude cannot be explained by a two-level atom description. Moreover, we find the optimal repumping conditions for maximizing the photon scattering rate.
toXiv_bot_toot

While under the influence, I made a terrible mistake — I've installed, Windows 11

You don't need a title to move work forward.
The people who shape decisions aren't always in charge. They're the ones others trust and turn to.
Influence is built through small actions that add up over time.
New piece on how to build it without authority.
What's helped you influence without power?

Influence Without Authority: How to Get People to Listen Without Being the Boss
Learn how to build real influence without authority. Discover proven strategies for gaining trust, establishing expertise, and leading without a title.

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/JMzopvA
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://

Trump -- openly fearful that a Congress controlled by Democrats could investigate him, impeach him and stymie his agenda
-- is using every tool he can find to try to influence the 2026 midterm elections
-- and, if his party loses, sow doubt in their validity.
Many of these endeavors go far beyond typical political persuasion,
challenging long-established democratic norms.

They include unprecedented demands that Republican state lawmakers redraw congressional di…

Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted
Many of these endeavors go far beyond typical political persuasion, challenging long-established democratic norms.

"Some read in the new US National Security Strategy a retreat from global hegemony and a carve-up of the world into spheres of influence.....
"But that downplays sections of the document on building the US military presence across Asia and its expanding “out of hemisphere” military footprint, stationing nuclear-capable bombers in Suffolk or bombing Nigeria on Christmas Day."
Trump won’t stop here. Britain must break with him | Morning Star

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A contribution to the ecosocialism vs horizontalism debate. by Anna Gregoletto and Mark H Burton* A debate is in progress between alternative strategy prescriptions for degrowth. On the one side, what we might call minima-maxima or degrowth as under-labourer in a democratic socialist transformation.  ‘Minima’ because it realistically notes that degrowth (whether it is a movement or not) "does not have the capacity to…

Minority influence: how can degrowth step up?
A contribution to the ecosocialism vs horizontalism debate. by Anna Gregoletto and Mark H Burton* A debate is in progress between alternative strategy prescriptions for degrowth. On the one side, w…

Ex-Fed chairs condemn Trump’s bid to weaken central bank’s independence
Statement signed by 13 former senior officials condemns ‘unprecedented’ assault on Fed’s independence

Trump’s attempts to influence Fed risk ‘70’s-style inflation and global backlash’

Nils Pratley: US bond markets should be in revolt. Fed independence matters

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20134842/webinar-more-just-choice-how-religion-race-and-identity-influence-food

Understanding How Cowboys Matchups Influence Betting Trends https://insidethestar.com/understanding-how-cowboys-matchups-influence-betting-trends

Titans GM: Must remove Chiefs bias in HC search https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47528974/mike-borgonzi-remove-chiefs-bias-titans-coach-search

How Venezuela crisis will impact Russia’s influence in the world: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/07/how-venezuela-crisis-will-impact.html

The European Broadcasting Union says it is tightening Eurovision's voting rules to limit the influence of governments on the public poll that decides the winner (Lynsey Chutel/New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/arts/music/eurovision-votin…

Eurovision Tightens Voting Rules to Tamp Down on Government Influence
In this year’s contest, a campaign by Israel to encourage voting for its entrant drew criticism.

Who knew what about the 'spies' in Rue de Trèves? (Mari Eccles/Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/politico-eu-influence/who-knew-what-about-the-spies-in-rue-de-treves/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251023/p57#a251023p57

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/wsFvjtO
Mining the Logs: Sources on Blue Humor URL …
via Input 4 RELCFP https://

Source: the BBC plans to expand its editorial standards committee, diluting conservative board member Robbie Gibb's influence, and create a deputy DG position (Michael Savage/The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/UyodMeG
ResearchGate: Publishers Take Formal Steps to Force Copyright Compliance A summary of…
via Input 4 RELCFP

American Sports Are Turning Up the Volume of Afrobeats https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/arts/music/afrobeats-nba-nfl.html

Bari Weiss's Audience of One (Jonathan Chait/The Atlantic)
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2025/12/cbs-news-bari-weiss-trump-media-influence/685381/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251222/p107#a251222p107

DealBook Summit: Palantir CEO Alex Karp says "the more constitutional you want to make" the US' Caribbean boat strikes "the more you're going to need" Palantir (Ece Yildirim/Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/palantir-ceo-says-

Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Alex Karp vows to use his "whole influence" on immigration and defense policy.

I've only just learned of the death of our former colleague Chris Gathercole last April. I knew him as an advocate for learning disabled people, taking their place, with support, in the life of the community. He had a profound influence on provision in the North West, where with Tom Mclean, who died the previous year, and others, he steered into being a radical policy framework that shaped the pattern of de-institutionalisation in the region.

It’s Audrey Denney with some big news 🚨
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝟱𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲! 
I grew up on a family farm, worked my way through college in Chico, and built my life here as a teacher and nonprofit leader. I know this place, and I know Washington is failing us. 
That’s why I got into this race even before we were certain what the maps would look like; in the face of uncertainty, I’m cert…

Audrey Denney for Congress
Join Audrey Denney’s movement to fight for rural California. An educator, nonprofit strategist, and lifelong advocate, Audrey is ready to take on corporate influence, defend healthcare, protect our forests, and put people first in Congress 2026.

NetEase says 2M people played martial arts game Where the Winds Meet in the 24 hours after its global release, as Chinese companies' cultural influence expands (Evelyn Cheng/CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/19/china-conn

CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: China’s homegrown games capture overseas players as its cultural influence expands
In a big year for Chinese cultural exports, a new video game is the latest to win a global audience.

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/xS2bwDG
ResearchGate: Publishers Take Formal Steps to Force Copyright Compliance A summary of…
via Input 4 RELCFP

The Trump administration helps Tenet Media's Lauren Chen return to the US; she lost her visa after a 2024 indictment alleging illicit funding from Russia's RT (Will Sommer/The Bulwark)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/lauren-chen-t

Trump Admin Scores Visa for Founder of Russian Propaganda Outlet
Tenet Media’s Lauren Chen is back—even though the illegal-influence and money-laundering investigation remains open.

Webinar: More Than Just Choice: How Religion, Race, and Identity Influence Food Decisions
https://ift.tt/O8EkQp1
ResearchGate: Publishers Take Formal Steps to Force Copyright Compliance A summary of…
via Input 4 RELCFP

Sources detail how JD Vance, David Sacks, and others brokered a fragile truce between President Trump and Elon Musk, who threatened to fund an America Party (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/29/musk-trump-vance-maga-allia…

How Vance brokered a truce between Trump and Musk
As Trump’s first year in office comes to a close, both he and his Trump world allies have learned hard lessons about Musk’s unusual influence.

Stephen Miller has amassed unprecedented power for a deputy White House chief of staff.
He exerts extraordinary influence over an unusually large swath of the government,
from immigration to criminal justice to even the military’s operations on American soil
❌Much of what defines public life in the Trump era
—masked kidnappings on U.S. streets,
standoffs between ICE goons and protesters,
military patrols in U.S. cities
—has been authored by Miller.

Stephen Miller Is The New Republic’s 2025 Scoundrel of the Year
He was counting on a nation of haters. He was wrong.

Sources: a new network of super PACs plans to raise ~$50M to counter the Leading the Future super PAC and back candidates who prioritize AI regulations (Theodore Schleifer/New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/us/politics/ai-super-pac-anthropic.html

Fears About A.I. Prompt Talks of Super PACs to Rein In the Industry
As artificial intelligence companies prepare to pour money into the midterm elections, some in the A.I. world are hatching plans of their own to curb the industry’s influence.

Rest Fire
Santa Barbara County
An Evacuation Warning has been requested for Gaviota State Beach, per Incident Command. The fire is 1/2 to 1 acre in medium brush w/ moderate rate of spread, burning under the influence of a north wind & is burning towards the south, per Incident Command.
https://share.wa…

Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts
Real-time information about wildfire and firefighting efforts nearby

Researchers say Russia-aligned Pravda network is engaging in "LLM grooming", flooding the internet with disinformation to influence chatbots like ChatGPT (Aisha Down/The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov

Kyle Tharp, a progressive writer and researcher writes the "Chaotic Era",
a newsletter about politics, media and online influence.
Tharp launched the Chaotic Era in January, just days before Trump’s second inauguration.
Over the past year, he has tracked the surge in liberal media projects, mapped the rise of
left-leaning creators on platforms like YouTube and
analyzed the narratives that managed to break through the digital noise

“We got interested in this because other researchers, for years, have been describing this type of ecological memory
of soil microbes having some way to remember from their ancestors' past,”
“We thought this was really fascinating. It has a lot of important implications for how we can grow plants, including things like corn and wheat.
Precipitation itself has a big influence on how plants grow,
but also the memory of the microbes living in those soils could also p…

New study explores ‘legacy effects’ of soil microbes on plants across Kansas
Click for more on research in Nature Microbiology