President Donald Trump, in his second term, issued over 1,840 acts of clemency, sparking controversy over the individuals receiving pardons, according to Al Jazeera. Simultaneously, the Department of Homeland Security reportedly increased its use of subpoenas to unmask social media users critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported by TechCrunch. These developments come amidst shifting trends in higher education and the rise of AI-powered tools, including an app inspired by the movie "Clueless" and a new platform analyzing Jeffrey Epstein's emails.
Trump's clemency decisions have drawn scrutiny, with the pardons going to a diverse group including cryptocurrency billionaires, disgraced politicians, and reality TV stars, Al Jazeera reported. This practice has raised questions about the criteria and motivations behind these acts of presidential power.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security's actions have raised concerns about free speech and government surveillance. TechCrunch reported that the department has been sending hundreds of administrative subpoenas to tech companies like Google and Reddit, seeking to identify the owners of accounts that criticize ICE. The New York Times noted that this practice, once used sparingly, has become increasingly common in recent months.
In other news, the landscape of computer science education is undergoing a shift. For the first time since the dot-com crash, computer science enrollment dropped at University of California campuses, according to TechCrunch, with a system-wide decline of 6% this year following a 3% drop in 2024. The exception was UC San Diego, which added a dedicated AI major. This trend may indicate a changing job market for CS graduates, and China's enthusiastic embrace of AI.
The intersection of technology and fashion is also evolving. Alta, an app inspired by the movie "Clueless," is integrating styling tools into websites, TechCrunch reported. The company, which raised $11 million last year, allows users to create digital closets and virtually try on clothes.
Finally, a new platform called Jikipedia is using AI to create detailed dossiers on Jeffrey Epstein's associates, drawing from the trove of data in his emails, according to The Verge. The dossiers include information on visits to Epstein's properties, potential knowledge of his crimes, and possible legal violations.
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