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AI can’t be stopped

There's a growing impulse in American politics to blame the free market — and the technologies it produces — for every bout of economic indigestion, as if a shadowy cabal of innovators is deliberately dismantling the middle-class way of life. That impulse is no longer abstract. It has become physical. People are now attacking data centers. On the "All-In Podcast," investor David Friedberg offered what may be the clearest explanation yet for why these massive, anonymous buildings have suddenly become targets. The data center, he argued, is the modern "temple of the ...

Shadow docket regular feature of court’s regimen

In a famous Supreme Court one-liner, reminding the legal community of the finality of the court's rulings, the late Justice William J. Brennan Jr. is reputed to have said that the Constitution means whatever any five of us say it means. This reflects the basic math that five is a majority of nine. It also reflects the theory of realism in constitutional jurisprudence. Realism, in this context, is the view that the Constitution is stagnant and unenforceable of its own existence. Realism teaches that the Constitution is only enforceable when the government voluntarily complies ...

Supreme Court enters spring reckoning

The United States Supreme Court has entered its most consequential season. From April through June, the justices release rulings that do more than interpret the law – they shape the direction of the country. Cases argued in the quiet months of winter now emerge into public view, often carrying the full weight of the nation's deepest divisions. Alexander Hamilton once described the court as the "least dangerous" branch, lacking power over "the sword or the purse." History has not been kind to that prediction. Through judicial review and lifetime appointments, the court has become one ...

Paying for tariffs twice

In the midst of the America-Israel war with Iran, it's easy to forget about pesky things like the economy. Even if you do manage to tune out the scaremongering lunatics who spend their time propagandizing for radical Islam or predicting World War III, economic concerns are now viewed almost entirely through the lens of this war. Usually, it's in the form of "what else could we have spent this money on," as if a lack of budget is anywhere near a real concern for anyone in Washington, D.C., or that the only reason we haven't solved hunger, poverty or cancer is a lack of investment. But ...

PNC steps up for Pittsburgh’s NFL draft

Despite having moved away for nearly 20 years, when you've called Pittsburgh home for any length of time, two things often happen: You want to come back to raise your children, and you want to be part of something, big or small, that makes it better. Bill Demchak wanted to do both, and as CEO of PNC Financial Services, he had the ability to make a big impact. Since returning in 2002 to the city where he grew up, he has been doing exactly that, quietly and consistently. It was the fall of 2022, and the city was struggling to recover from COVID-19, poor governance, a growing homeless ...

Keep artificial intelligence out of American classrooms

Norway is, by almost any metric, a profoundly successful nation. It's rich, democratic and relatively corruption-free. It's not a socialist country, but fans of a robust welfare state and high taxes see much to admire in the very progressive Norwegian model. It also benefits from having the biggest and arguably best-run sovereign wealth fund in the world. And yet, Norway nearly ruined its children. In 2016, flush with cash and progressive values, Norway gave every child in the country, starting at the age of 5, their own iPad or similar digital device. A decade later, young Norwegians ...