Esparanza: A Daily Outsider Public Service Initiative

 

 We present the following courtesy Route 50 on key challenges faced by Local Government:             Robert Way via Getty Images How local governments are keeping AI under control By Kaitlyn Levinson | In the absence of national legislation, such governments are increasingly adopting AI governance policies and practices on their own, one expert says.     Trump is shifting cybersecurity to the states, but many aren’t prepared By Madyson Fitzgerald  |   Only 22 of 48 states in a Nationwide Cybersecurity Review met recommended security levels. Election officials wary of shift to Texas’ centralized voter-registration system By Natalia Contreras  |   Some lawmakers say a bill requiring counties to switch to TEAM would make it easier to monitor voter rolls. But the system has had its problems. Ohio judge permanently blocks social media age verification law By Nick Evans |   Gov. Mike DeWine is eager to appeal the decision, and state lawma...

 

Courtesy: https://open.substack.com/pub/nouvelledroite/p/a-brief-history-of-progress?r=1y3fw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false Alain de Benoist traces the historical development and evolution of the idea of progress, which emerged around 1680 and became a central tenet of Western civilization. Benoist explains how progress, defined as a cumulative process where each new stage is considered superior to previous ones, originated from Christian concepts but was secularized during the Scientific Revolution. The theory of progress rests on three key ideas: a linear conception of time oriented toward the future, the fundamental unity of humanity evolving together, and humanity's ability to master and transform nature. The essay shows how this ideology was strengthened by scientific advancement, bourgeois economics, and industrialization, reaching its peak in the 19th century when it was used to justify colonialism and Western superiority. However, by t...

 

As the first quarter of 2025 is drawing to a close,  our team presents a recent snapshot of  the Wildfires in Southern California courtesy the  Team at  CalMatters as we look forward to the  continued privilege  to serve.      Wildfire Updates  The aftermath of the Palisades Fire, as clean-ups and infrastructure repairs begin, in Pacific Palisades, on Jan. 14, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters   You're getting this  Weekly Wildfire Updates  newsletter because you're signed up for another CalMatters newsletter, but if you'd rather not receive it,...