SCOTUS Rules Constitutional Privacy Protections Apply To Phone Location History

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Supreme Court Rules Constitutional Privacy Protections Apply To Phone Location History (Maria)

The author writes, “The Supreme Court held Monday that constitutional privacy protections extend to cellphone location information, ruling in the case of a bank robber whose identity was discovered through a geofence warrant. Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the 6-3 court that people don’t forfeit expectations of privacy even when they opt into Google’s location history.”

‘Rush Project at Request of POTUS’ (Dana)

From The Atlantic: “The pathway that connects the White House residence to the Oval Office has long been paved in Tennessee flagstone. Every president since Harry Truman made the 45-second commute, and made it without complaint, until Donald Trump. The dun rock would not do. Instead, Trump wanted polished African granite, carved in Italy, with a flamed-finish stripe—slightly raised, to prevent slips—running down the middle. As workers tore up the flagstone in March, a reporter asked Trump who was paying for the enhancements. ‘Paid for by me,’ he replied. But that wasn’t true. Budget documents from the National Park Service that I obtained show that the walkway replacement cost taxpayers $689,232, and is part of a $1.3 million project that included repairing adjacent stone and masonry and providing new hardware for nearby doors.” 

The Only Logical Outcome of a Completely Irrational War (Siobhán)

From +972 Magazine: “Israel and the U.S. vowed to crush the Islamic Republic and its proxies. Yet despite its losses, the regime is stronger and has more leverage than before.”

Millions Drop Obamacare Health Coverage After Subsidies Expire and Costs Rise (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “About 3 million fewer people in the United States had Affordable Care Act health insurance plans in February compared with the same time last year, according to new federal data. In the report released Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggested the 13% drop in enrollment from 22.1 million people in 2025 to 19.2 million this year could be attributed to a federal crackdown on fraudulent or ‘phantom’ enrollment. But health analysts said it was more likely related to the Jan. 1 expiration of federal subsidies, which caused a surge in plan costs that resulted in many people being unable to pay their premiums.”

Journalist Karen Hao Discusses Her Book Empire of AI (Sean)

From NPR: “The word open was right there in the name. OpenAI had the backing of tech giants, including Elon Musk, who worried about AI’s future effects on the world. So Karen Hao arranged to spend time in the company’s offices as a young reporter for the MIT Technology Review. Her experience led her to ask questions which eventually led to a book called Empire of AI. It explores the company’s research, its development of ChatGPT, its firing and restoration of CEO Sam Altman and more.” 

Why the Nation’s Founding Document Is Marred by Stains, a Mysterious Handprint (Russ)

The author writes, “The physical journey of the Declaration of Independence tells its own story. Its imperfections and endurance reflect those of the America it helped create.”