We Need Our News

It was probably the most significant move toward restoring democracy in towns and cities across America this week: Philanthropies pledge $500 million to address 'crisis in local news' (NPR).

“Led by the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation, the new initiative, called Press Forward, seeks to nurture and sustain new models for funding journalism as the industry has come under severe financial pressures. In its announcement Thursday, the group of more than 20 charitable organizations noted that about a fifth of the nation live in so-called "news deserts" with little or no reliable coverage of major local developments.”

I would only note that about a fifth of the nation supports an open autocrat, Donald Trump. for President.

“Penny Abernathy, a visiting journalism professor at Northwestern University who studies the local news industry, has found that 2,500 newspapers — more than a quarter in the U.S. — have gone out of business since 2005. Such a loss is accompanied by a rise in corporate and government corruption and a drop in voter participation, research indicates. Misinformation can arise from outlets that appear to offer the news yet have hidden agendas.”

HEADLINES:

• 'A new avenue of investigation': Jack Smith's grand jury that indicted Trump reconvenes (MSNBC)

• Judge rejects Mark Meadows’ bid to move Georgia election interference case to federal court (CNN)

• Fani Willis Tears Into Fake Trump Electors' Defense In Blistering New Filing (HP)

• Trump tells judge he may try to move Georgia election interference case to federal court (CNN)

• Biden impeachment talk draws groans from GOP senators (Axios)

• Trump White House official Peter Navarro was convicted of contempt of Congress charges filed after he was accused of refusing to cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. He's the second Trump aide to face such charges after Steve Bannon. [AP]

• Nancy Pelosi: Democrat and ex-Speaker, 83, to seek re-election (BBC)

• Over 1,000 dead after quake strikes near Marrakech, Morocco (CNN)

• Intensely powerful Hurricane Lee will slow down over the ocean, forecasters say (NPR)

• Florida supreme court to hear abortion case that could drastically limit access (Guardian)

• DeSantis’s Immigration Law May Affect Hurricane Cleanup in Florida (NYT)

• Musk cut internet to Ukraine’s military as it was attacking Russian fleet (WP)

• American house prices should be falling amid rocketing rates—why are they not? (Economist)

• Is Texas’ Busing Responsible for the Migrant Crisis Across Cities? (NYT)

• European gas prices soar as Australian workers begin strike (FT)

• The End of Burning Man Is Also Its Future (Wired)

• Now SF's right-wing recall crowd are attacking judges (48 Hills)

• The unconventional solutions scientists are trying to save corals (WP)

• Hong Kong swamped after heaviest rain in 140 years (Al Jazeera)

• Asteroid hit by NASA spacecraft is behaving unexpectedly (New Scientist)

• I.R.S. Deploys Artificial Intelligence to Target Rich Partnerships (NYT)

• Human-machine teams driven by AI are about to reshape warfare (Reuters)

• Artists have changed their minds, generative AI is good (DataConomy)

• Meet generative AI's 'super users': 70% of Gen Z use GenAI (ZDNet)

• Silicon Valley’s vision for AI? It’s religion, repackaged. (Vox)

• Do Not Fear the Robot Uprising. Join It (Wired)

• Economy Collapses After 10-Year-Old Boy Spends Entire U.S. GDP On Fortnite Skins (The Onion)