A Strange Pattern in the Middle

In a 250-word takedown sent to me over text, the brain trust of my father and Anthropic LLM Claude described my first column as “name-droppy and insecure, ” “passive-aggressive about academia, ” and “somewhat pretentious despite the anti-pretension pose. ” “For someone claiming to be unpretentious, ” Claude/my father declared , “she casually drops terms like ‘metafictional dimension, ’ ‘political imaginary, ’ and ‘autofiction’ without explanation. The folksy tone masks what’s still pretty insider-y literary discourse. ” Got my ass, Claude-father. Mask off. Thank you for doing your part in advancing humanity.

The Federal Government Is Rushing Toward AI. Our Reporting Offers Three Cautionary Tales.

We’ve been reporting on cybersecurity for years. As President Donald Trump and his Cabinet say artificial intelligence will transform the nation, the messaging isn’t new. It follows a familiar pattern.

Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems?

An earlier spring affects when migratory birds arrive, leaves emerge, and fruit ripens — among plants and animals that determine ecosystem health.

An American Company Drilled for Oil in Kenya — and Left Behind Soaring Cancer Rates

Amoco, now part of BP, never cleaned up after its failed oil prospecting mission. Rural Kenyans are suing for a right to a clean environment.

The Iran war is changing how millions of people cook — and what they eat

Across Asia and Africa, the cooking gas shortage is emptying menus, driving people to coal and wood, and fueling a booming black market.