Archive for May 2025

When I first arrived in the United States from Brazil to pursue my Ph.D., I felt nothing could stand in my way. But a few months into my studies, a persistent dizziness crept in. Walking to campus, reading papers, and even grocery shopping left me unsteady.

Frank Bisignano, who ranked as one of Wall Street’s highest-paid CEOs as the head of banking technology company Fiserv, was confirmed as the Social Security Administration chief this month. He will now take the reins at the chronically underfunded agency, which his former company could benefit from privatizing. To comply with federal ethics law, Bisignano has agreed to sell his shares in Fiserv, which are currently worth roughly $484 million. Because of a special loophole in the tax code for government officials, Bisignano will be able to indefinitely defer any capital gains tax on the divestment — meaning he may never have to pay taxes on the enormous windfall.

Under the award, every Citizens Advice Bureau across every corner of the country will receive £50,000 this year and £50k in the next financial year, with the same amount going to the national organisation, Citizens Advice Scotland…. The award is part of Foundation Scotland’s £12m fast-tracked Response Fund, It comes in response to increased pressure on charities like us, who are seeing a surge in demand for services while they themselves are facing reduced capacity and soaring overheads, such as utilities, staffing and National Insurance costs.

Agents, chatbots and other tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly used in everyday life by many. So-called large language model (LLM)-based agents, such as ChatGPT and Llama, have become impressively fluent in the responses they form, but quite often provide convincing yet incorrect information. Researchers draw parallels between this issue and a human language disorder known as aphasia, where sufferers may speak fluently but make meaningless or hard-to-understand statements. This similarity could point toward better forms of diagnosis for aphasia, and even provide insight to AI engineers seeking to improve LLM-based agents.

UPTE noted that the rally—organized by UCSF social workers and their union, the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA 9119)—was driven by mounting frustration over UCSF’s handling of discharges for unhoused patients. Protesters argued that the university has failed to provide sufficient resources or safe discharge planning, leading to further instability and harm.

February 2025 brought the “Valentine’s Day massacre”, when the misnamed “department of government efficiency” fired 1,000 National Park Service employees and 3,400 from the US Forest Service. In March, courts ruled the firings lawless. More buyouts followed. In May, the administration signaled it would slash the agency’s budget by 40% – the biggest cut in its 109-year history.

I left each consultation feeling more anxious and alone … I became suicidal for the first time in my life