'Wealthy cities may be surprise losers from AI automation'
John Thornhill at the Financial Times
It could "well be that some of the beneficiaries of earlier waves of industrial automation, who have tended to be clustered in the richer east and west coast cities of the U.S., will be most exposed to the next big digital dislocation," says John Thornhill. This could have "social, economic and political ramifications, with more rich, urban centers hit than poorer, rural regions." The "biggest winners from the AI transformation" often "live in the most exposed metropolitan areas."
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'What Marine Le Pen's conviction means for French democracy'
Isaac Chotiner and Cécile Alduy at The New Yorker
Marine Le Pen's conviction was "just the court applying the law," say Isaac Chotiner and Cécile Alduy. French "politicians have been banned from running for office with some regularity." There are "politicians or even citizens who might think, indeed, it reshuffles the political spectrum in such a huge way, because she was the primary contender for the next presidential election." There is also an "underlying accusation that judges have too much power to remove or damage the reputation of politicians."
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'Trump needs an America First Middle East strategy'
Doug Bandow at The American Conservative
Donald Trump "promised a new beginning in foreign policy," but in the "Middle East he continues down his predecessors' misbegotten path — apparently ready to wage new, even more destructive wars," says Doug Bandow. America's "record in the Middle East is one of counterproductive, lawless violence, often on behalf of other states." Trump "should apply the principle of America First to the Middle East." That "region no longer matters much beyond its boundaries, especially to this nation."
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'Sports betting in Texas is a losing industry'
RaShan Frost, Cindy Asmussen and John Litzler at The Dallas Morning News
Texas "could generate almost $360 million annually in state tax revenue if it were to legalize sports gambling," but "no amount of revenue generated from sports betting is worth the monumental damage it would cause," say RaShan Frost, Cindy Asmussen and John Litzler. As "sports betting has increased, so have the associated risks of gambling addiction." Do Texans "want the mental health and financial crises that affect every level of society while the industry counts its profits?"
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