Ken Bazinet

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Longtime DC scribe, covering three presidencies (DC is fine, but I prefer the United States). Reflections on democracy, First Amendment, Boston sports, and jam bands. Simple approach: trusted source intel + research & data + analysis = smart solutions.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

“If there is a safe way to have a data center in a town that is shaped like a bowl over your drinking water,” said City Councilor Kristen Mello, “then let’s talk about that ... But this application, this special permit, was not safe for the water or the air.” A one-year ban was set, The Globe said.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Since it began applying the credit to the costs of its AI data centers and their expensive computer chips, Meta became the largest claimant of the research tax credit in the U.S., using it to knock off nearly $4 billion from its tax bill last year, and $2 billion the year before, The Times reported.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Ukraine held off on attacks for three days after Trump’s unilateral “energy ceasefire,” but accused Russia of repeatedly attacking its power grid, NBC News noted. Hours after Zelensky told the FT, "we're done" waiting, Russia said Ukraine “attempted a massive attack on the Ryazan oil refinery.”

@jentaub.bsky.socialReposted by @kenbazinet.bsky.social

Still trying to understand how Napster got shut down, but Anthropic is going public and still hasn’t paid us authors yet after stealing our work.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

"It’s not just gas," writes Alicia Wallace.

"It’s the car repair, the doctor’s visit, the plane ticket, the computer upgrade, the new clothes."

Inflation rose faster and more broadly than expected last month, with price pressures extending well beyond the pump, BLS reported.

#IranWar
#Tariffs

@sciam.bsky.socialReposted by @kenbazinet.bsky.social

Anthropic got an AI model to run across 15 cheap TV boxes. Its goal: to explore how AI could someday spread between devices like a computer worm. But one cybersecurity expert worries the research could lead to more “fearmongering” than understanding.

sciam.com/article/anth...

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Musk posted, "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," CNBC reported.

(Musk fingers Trump as the culprit, but trusting the word of either of these guys is too big of an ask.)

#Treachery

@marcelias.bsky.socialReposted by @kenbazinet.bsky.social

🚨BREAKING: With the threat of federal election interference looming large over the midterms, Senate Democrats plan to send more than 100 congressional staff to observe voting sites in nine states — the first program of its kind for the upper chamber. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

democracydocket.comSenate Dems will send over 100 election observers to nine states for midtermsObservers will be on the ground to document voter interference efforts, along with threats against election workers, disinformation tactics and any other attempts to meddle with voting.
@realtexaspaul.comReposted by @kenbazinet.bsky.social

Ukraine says Starlink shut down interfering with drone operation as White House accuses Ukraine of election interference for blowing up Russian data centers.

@paleofuture.bsky.socialReposted by @kenbazinet.bsky.social

Carl Quintanilla: Real average hourly earnings down 0.7% on the month, that's the sixth straight month... Jim Cramer: Look, rich people are making a lot of money. God, I sound like Marx. I really don't want to sound like Marx. It's just, look at the data.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

“The way work gets done is changing across every industry; we must adapt and take advantage of technology. We need to adopt capabilities, reduce duplicative work and look closely at where work is best fit to be done,” Kroger CEO Greg Foran wrote in a memo to employees Monday.

#AI
#JobCuts
#Layoffs

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

There is buyer's remorse and then there is what happens when you anger the likes of Eric Deters, a MAGA donor and Northern Kentucky chairman for the Trump campaign.

Guilfoyle sideshow aside, one has to wonder how many other backers like Deters have had enough of Trump world shakedowns.

#Corruption

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

“The facts are diesel prices have gone up. There’s no question about it. Why has it gone up? Because the Democrats have environmental regulations—” said Republican Andy Harris, triggering audience groans, laughs, and shouts at the Maryland congressman and House Freedom caucus chair, TNR reported.

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

Rising inflation is largely due to the Iran war, pushing up prices for oil and fuels refined from crude oil, like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, CNBC noted. Tariffs, AI data center construction, and strong consumer demand in categories like travel have also put pressure on prices, economists said.

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