david_franklin - stock.adobe.com News Post Office scandal inquiry to publish first findings this summer Inquiry announces that findings on compensation and human impact will be presented in the next few months By Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA Published: 15 May 2025 10:20 The Post Office scandal public inquiry will publish the first part of its final report this summer, with its findings on compensation and the scandal’s human impact to be made public “as soon as possible”. The inquiry, which lasted about three years, examined a scandal that went on for two decades and saw subpostmasters wrongly blamed and punished for accounting shortfalls. It is described as the widest miscarriage of justice in UK history, and over 700 people have had wrongful convictions overturned as a result of it being fully exposed. Computer Weekly first revealed the Horizon problems in 2009, and has been investigating ever since, including detailed reporting of the inquiry since it began hearing evidence in May 2022. Inquiry chair Wyn Williams, who today made the announcement, said: “Throughout my investigations, I have heard how people have faced unimaginable hardship due to the impacts of the Horizon scandal, from wrongful convictions and financial ruin to broken relationships and severe emotional distress. I have also held several compensation hearings, which have stressed the urgency for people to receive redress that is full, fair and prompt.” He added that the people affected by the scandal should be at the heart of the inquiry’s work. “It seems fitting that my conclusions on the suffering endured by so many, as well as the issue of redress, should be at the forefront of my report and published as soon as feasibly possible,” said Williams. After a High Court victory in 2019, when subpostmasters proved the Horizon computer system they used was to blame for unexplained losses, the first thing campaigner Alan Bates, now Sir Alan, said to Computer Weekly was that he wanted a statutory public inquiry into the scandal. He got it in May 2021, when a government inquiry into the scandal was made statutory. Read a round-up of the full inquiry Post Office Horizon IT scandal inquiry: Three years of shocking revelations. When originally set up as a government department inquiry without the power to call witnesses, there was outrage and accusations of whitewashing. But following pressure from subpostmasters and their supporters, the inquiry was put on a statutory footing, with a judge in charge and the power to call witnesses to give evidence. The inquiry was split into seven phases.  The human impact hearings were shocking, revealing the extreme suffering of people at the hands of the Post Office. Other phases have revealed that the Post Office had knowledge that the Horizon software had bugs when rolled out, prosecution witnesses changed their statements when prompted by the Post Office, and lawyers hid evidence during trials of subpostmasters because it would have made their prosecutions unsafe. It has also featured directors, politicians and civil servants who, whether deliberately or not, contributed to the cover-up. Following Williams’ announcement, Sir Alan Bates said bringing forward the findings involving financial redress was vital. “It is good that things will start to appear, albeit in sections,” he said. “The chair is right in his comments because it is the priority in all this,” said Bates. “I just hope it helps bring swift resolution to all the outstanding problems. We have to find, one way or another, a way of getting [financial redress] done.” The Post Office scandal was first exposed by Computer Weekly in 2009, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffered due to Horizon accounting software, which led to the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. Read detailed coverage of the entire public inquiry by Computer Weekly Read more about phase one of the public inquiry: The British people are waking up to the scandal that happened under their noses. Read a round-up of phase two: Post Office scandal – ‘cock-up or cook-up’? Read a round-up of phase three: Post Office scandal – cover-up a ‘dark chapter’ in government, corporate and legal history. Read a round-up of phase four: Post Office scandal: Phase four’s rogues’ gallery. Read a round-up of the combined phases five and six: Post Office scandal: Phases 5 and 6 had islands of conscientiousness in great depths of neglect. Read a round up of phase seven: Post Office scandal: Inquiry’s final phase exposes dysfunction past and present. In The Current Issue: UK MoJ crime prediction algorithms raise serious concerns Interview: Markus Schümmelfeder, CIO, Boehringer Ingelheim Download Current Issue Mind the insight-to-impact gap, Qlik captures analytics ‘in the moment’ – CW Developer Network Safer Sharknado: Sysdig donates Stratoshark to Wireshark Foundation – Open Source Insider View All Blogs

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here The Nintendo Switch 2 is already expected to outsell the original console’s first year within its three-month launch period, but analysts are also predicting the console to sell over 100m units in just five years. DFC Intelligence, a market research group, has not only claimed that the new console will see rapid sales across the next half-decade, but is also “arguably the most important product launch in video game history” which seems a bit much. Switch 2 sales predictions go haywire According to the research firm’s latest report, via GamesRadar, the new console/handheld hybrid will be “the key driver of industry growth for 2025”, especially following the delay of Rockstar Games’ GTA 6 into next year. The firm explains that the console should sell around 16 million units over the course of 2025, but could hit a yearly milestone of 20 million. If supply and demand are kept in check—which the firm expects they will be—Nintendo will manage to sell 100 million consoles in just five years. This would match the life cycle of the original Nintendo Switch which managed to sell 100 million units by 2022. However, that console’s sales were massively boosted by the higher-than-usual sales of consoles and games as a whole during the COVID-19 pandemic, a fact that has likely affected the later-than-expected release of the Switch 2. As for the console’s importance, the analyst firm claims that the device could be the most important launch of any product in video game history. “The Switch 2, along with the growth of mobile PC game devices, is redefining the landscape of the video game industry.” the firm wrote in its report. “DFC forecasts that by the end of 2029, the Switch 2 will have sold over 100 million units, making it the leading console system by a wide margin.” The firm also claims that the Switch 2’s success over “the next few years could see Nintendo for the first time becoming the primary partner for third-party game publishers.” With the industry already catering to lower-power hardware like the Xbox Series S, this could have actually led the way for Nintendo’s new console to keep pace with third-party releases on next-gen only hardware. Demand for the new console is certainly extremely high, so much so that Nintendo underestimated how many gamers were willing to buy the new machine. With the company recognising the high cost of the handheld in comparison to its predecessor, Nintendo has admitted that it needs to ramp up production on the console. For more Nintendo Switch 2, read about how the console’s popularity caused MicroSD Express cards to sell out. Additionally, read about why VRR might not be possible on the console via its Docked Mode output. Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

Nintendo likely to become "primary partner for third-party game publishers" over next gen, analyst firm forecasts Switch 2 set to sell 100m in five years. Image credit: Nintendo News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on May 15, 2025 Nintendo will likely be the "primary partner for third-party game publishers" on console in five years, an analyst firm has forecast, by which time Switch 2 will have hit 100m units sold. A fresh report on the coming year in video games - and beyond - from veteran firm DFC Intelligence states that Nintendo is likely to beat its own forecast for Switch 2 sales this year, albeit slightly. Nintendo has said it expects to shift 15m Switch 2 consoles before 31st March 2026, though DFC forecasts Nintendo will in reality likely sell 16m - enough to say it has beat expectations. With supply chain improvements, sales could be even higher still - as many as 20m, DFC believes. "Reflecting its historically conservative approach to new product forecasting, Nintendo is estimating sales of 15m Switch 2 units through the end of its fiscal year in March 2026," DFC wrote in its report, shared with Eurogamer. "When the original Switch launched in March 2017, Nintendo initially projected 10m units for the fiscal year but ultimately sold 15m units in that period. Based on that track record, the fact that Nintendo is forecasting a 15m unit number gives us confidence that they will be able to ramp up supply and navigate tariff challenges." With the delay of GTA 6 to 2026, the launch of Switch 2 will be this year's biggest driver of video game spending - particularly so in Japan, DFC expects, where Nintendo has a competitively-priced local model for that market. Looking to the future, DFC says Switch 2 will hit 100m sales by 2029 and be the leading console system at that time. Both Sony and Microsoft have expressed interest in launching their own handheld devices, and both companies are also widely expected to be prepping their own next home consoles to arrive from 2027 onwards. But Nintendo launching Switch 2 now means it will have several years of headstart on PS6 and the next Xbox. "DFC forecasts that by the end of 2029 the Switch 2 will have sold over 100m units making it the leading console system by a wide margin," the firm wrote. "The next few years could see Nintendo for the first time becoming the primary partner for third-party game publishers." For context, Switch is currently on 152m sales after eight years. PlayStation 5 is on 74.9m after four and a half years. Xbox Series X/S is believed to be at around 30m units after the same time period, though Microsoft does not release official hardware figures. Only seven console platforms have passed 100m over the years, with more than half from Nintendo: Game Boy/Color, Nintendo DS, Wii, Switch, PS1, PS2 and PS4. PS2 remains the best-selling console of all time at around 160m units sold - though Switch 1 is giving it a run for its money, and now sits less than 8m consoles away.

Though even the best AI models struggle to solve the majority of coding problems, that didn't stop one man's penny-pinching employers from replacing him with the tech anyway.Shawn Kay was a software engineer of 20 years who went from earning $150,000 in upstate New York to living out of a trailer, after he says his former boss outsourced his job to AI.As Fortune reports, he now does odd jobs to make ends meet, like gig work on meal delivery apps, and flipping his stuff on eBay.To make matters worse, Kay's been spat out into a noxious job market for highly trained tech workers. Out of 800 job applications he's placed since losing his income, he's only received ten interviews. As if to add insult to injury, a handful of those, he says, have been with AI."I feel super invisible. I feel unseen. I feel like I'm filtered out before a human is even in the chain," Kay told Fortune.At 42 years old, the engineer has been around long enough to prove his mettle. He's survived hiring downturns before, like the 2008 global financial crisis, and the brief recession brought about by the pandemic. This time, something's different.Though AI makes a great boogeyman — a narrative which, coincidentally, helps AI tycoons convince lawmakers to let the industry regulate itself — there are other factors at play in the tech job market.During the pandemic, tech companies became more profitable than they had been in years. Fueled by a society that quickly became dependent on tech and software companies to keep things afloat, the sector grew substantially throughout the public health crisis, triggering an industry-wide hiring spree.But as COVID-19 abated, many of those same companies found they had over-hired. Soon, waves of layoffs began rocking tech workers, coinciding with a flood of fresh STEM graduates entering the scene. That brought about a chaotic job market, where work is hard to find, and job quality is only getting worse.AI certainly didn't help things. Many tech moguls bought into promises that the buzzy new tech is going to "revolutionize work" — despite plenty of evidence that it's far from ready. It also irreparably damaged the job search; those seeking work like Kay now have to stand out amidst a sea of AI spam to have their resumes even read by a human.So, where are all the high-value tech jobs going? The answer, it seems, is to the bottom.While error-prone AI isn't ready to go it alone, it is ready to increase the productivity of untrained workers. A growing body of scholarship on AI and labor suggests that AI isn't simply taking over — it's enabling tech corporations to outsource high-paying jobs in the West to low-wage workers in the global south.This shift in tech job quality could be a part of the reason why we see AI having an effect on the tech labor market, despite the fact that 59 percent of developers experience consistent deployment errors when using AI to code. Why pay one worker in the US $150,000 a year, plus benefits, to sort through junk AI code when you could outsource a dozen workers in the Philippines for the same cost?The dystopian tale that AI is making us obsolete is bad enough, but it's nothing compared to the reality: AI isn't taking over the tech industry; it's turning it into a sweatshop.Share This Article

Hugging Face has released a free/open-source course on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open approach developed by Anthropic to facilitate the integration of large language models (LLMs) with external data sources and tools. This course aims to provide developers and AI practitioners with the knowledge and skills to leverage MCP for building more context-aware and capable AI applications. Understanding the Model Context Protocol (MCP) The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is designed to address the complexities involved in connecting AI models to diverse external systems. Traditionally, integrating AI models with various data sources required custom solutions for each connection, leading to inefficiencies and scalability issues. MCP introduces a standardized protocol that enables AI models to interact with external resources through a unified interface, simplifying the integration process and enhancing interoperability. By adopting MCP, developers can build AI applications that are more adaptable and capable of accessing real-time information from multiple sources, thereby improving the relevance and accuracy of AI-driven insights and actions. Overview of the Hugging Face MCP Course The Hugging Face MCP Course is structured to guide learners from foundational concepts to practical applications of MCP. The curriculum is divided into several units, each focusing on different aspects of MCP: Unit 0: Onboarding This introductory unit provides an overview of the course objectives and outlines the prerequisites for participants. It sets the stage for the subsequent units by establishing the necessary context and tools required for the course. Unit 1: MCP Fundamentals In this unit, learners delve into the core principles of MCP, exploring its architecture, key components, and the problems it aims to solve. The unit emphasizes understanding how MCP facilitates seamless integration between AI models and external systems. Unit 2: Building an MCP Application This hands-on unit guides participants through the process of developing a simple MCP application. By applying the concepts learned, learners gain practical experience in implementing MCP in real-world scenarios. Unit 3: Advanced MCP Development Focusing on more complex aspects, this unit covers the deployment of MCP applications using the Hugging Face ecosystem and partner services. It also explores advanced topics and best practices for MCP implementation. Bonus Units Additional content is provided to enhance learning, including collaborations with Hugging Face partners and exploration of the latest MCP tools and implementations. Upon completion of the course, participants have the opportunity to earn a certification, validating their proficiency in MCP. Getting Started with MCP To successfully engage with the MCP course, participants should have a foundational understanding of AI and LLM concepts, familiarity with software development principles, and experience with at least one programming language, such as Python or TypeScript. The course provides resources to assist learners in meeting these prerequisites if needed. All course materials are accessible online, requiring only a computer with an internet connection and a Hugging Face account. This accessibility ensures that a wide range of learners can participate and benefit from the course. The Significance of Learning MCP As AI continues to evolve, the ability to integrate models with various data sources and tools becomes increasingly critical. MCP offers a standardized approach to this integration, promoting efficiency and scalability. By mastering MCP, developers can create AI applications that are more responsive, context-aware, and capable of delivering enhanced value across different domains. The Hugging Face MCP Course provides a structured pathway to acquiring this expertise, empowering learners to contribute effectively to the development of advanced AI systems. Check out the Course here. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also, feel free to follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit. Shobha KakkarShobha is a data analyst with a proven track record of developing innovative machine-learning solutions that drive business value.Shobha Kakkarhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/shobha-kakkar/13 Free AI Courses on AI Agents in 2025Shobha Kakkarhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/shobha-kakkar/OpenAI Just Announced API Access to o1 (Advanced Reasoning Model)Shobha Kakkarhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/shobha-kakkar/OpenAI Just Released Sora: The Most Awaited AI Video-Generation ToolShobha Kakkarhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/shobha-kakkar/Hugging Face Releases a Free and Open Course on Fine Tuning Local LLMs

Nintendo could become "primary partner for third-party game publishers" over next five years, new analysis claims Analyst DFC also suggests Switich 2 could sell sold over 100m units by the end of 2029 Image credit: Nintendo News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on May 15, 2025 Nintendo could become the "primary partner" for third-party publishers in the next five years. That's according to new research from DFC Intelligence, via Eurogamer, which projects Nintendo will exceed its own 15m units sold forecast later this year by at least a million, and possibly reach 20 million. "Reflecting its historically conservative approach to new product forecasting, Nintendo is estimating sales of 15m Switch 2 units through the end of its fiscal year in March 2026," DFC wrote. "When the original Switch launched in March 2017, Nintendo initially projected 10m units for the fiscal year but ultimately sold 15m units in that period. Based on that track record, the fact that Nintendo is forecasting a 15m unit number gives us confidence that they will be able to ramp up supply and navigate tariff challenges." By the end of 2029, however, DFC forecasts the Switch 2 will have sold over 100m units, making it "the leading console system by a wide margin." "The next few years could see Nintendo for the first time becoming the primary partner for third-party game publishers," the analysis added. Earlier this week, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa made it clear that the US tariffs has not been factored into the Switch 2's higher price point. In an earnings call Q&A, Furukawa said the ¥49,980/$499.99/£395.99 price was determined by manufacturing costs, consumer impressions, market conditions, and exchange rates.

Wearing the Huawei Watch 5 feels less like strapping on a gadget and more like integrating a precision tool that understands how the body moves, reacts, and responds. The weight is the first thing that stands out. The 46mm titanium model rests lightly on the wrist without disappearing, balanced by the matte texture that resists scuffs after a day outdoors. The smaller 42mm stainless steel version has a tighter, denser profile. It presses more like a dress piece but still fits into the same sensor system and UI logic. Designer: Huawei The sapphire glass doesn’t smudge easily, and the curve catches light in a way that makes the LTPO screen appear flush with the case. Under sunlight, the 3000-nit brightness doesn’t just hold up. It cuts through glare on hiking trails and under car windows. The resolution makes analog watch faces pop, but it’s the edge-to-edge effect that keeps pulling attention back. There’s almost no visible bezel. Sliding through menus feels responsive, but you stop doing that after the first few uses. The real shift comes from Huawei’s new X-TAP technology. Instead of constantly swiping or pressing through layers of menus, I started using the fingertip sensor almost exclusively. It lives on the side of the case and doesn’t require precision pressing. Light contact is enough to trigger actions, and readings don’t feel delayed. Getting a blood oxygen scan in 10 seconds, straight from the fingertip, replaces the need for a separate pulse oximeter. It’s also noticeably more stable than traditional wrist readings during movement. The X-TAP module works in tandem with rear-facing sensors to produce a multidimensional scan that increases biometric accuracy. Pressure sensitivity goes granular with ten levels of force detection. Touch-based navigation and biometric interaction merge into a single system. X-TAP is no longer just an input method. It becomes the primary contact point for the watch’s health interface. The health data runs deep. Holding down the X-TAP sensor for three seconds triggered the full Health Plan scan, giving me eleven metrics in one minute. I didn’t have to dig into apps. Everything from heart rate variability to stress level and vascular stiffness showed up instantly. It’s the most consolidated overview I’ve seen on a wearable, and it became part of my morning routine before the day starts. Battery life aligned with expectations after a full day of real-world use. Between morning setup, health scans, call handling, and a late-day workout session, the Watch 5 still had reserve power at bedtime without needing to go into power saver mode. Charging overnight on the magnetic dock felt quick and uncomplicated. No repositioning was necessary. Huawei FIT 4 Pro: Specs and System Overview I haven’t had the chance yet to properly wear and test the Huawei FIT 4 Pro, so the hands-on experience will follow in the full review. In the meantime, here’s what stands out from the spec sheet and system overview. The FIT 4 Pro weighs just 27 grams and measures 9.5mm thick, making it one of the lightest full-display wearables in Huawei’s lineup. The 1.82-inch AMOLED display pushes an 80 percent screen-to-body ratio and delivers 2000-nit brightness for outdoor readability. The structure uses aerospace aluminum, while a sapphire-glass surface provides scratch resistance and clarity under pressure. Huawei’s new Sunflower Positioning System is integrated for real-time, activity-aware GPS adjustment. It automatically shifts positioning modes based on whether the user is walking, running, or cycling. There’s offline map support, route guidance, and AI-based delay compensation in high-speed activities like road cycling or skiing. For runners, the system offers pace and elevation data with 30 percent improved location accuracy. Trail runners can pre-load route segments with waypoints and checkpoint notifications. On the golf course, FIT 4 Pro identifies the current hole and displays hazard layouts, pin positions, and wind data. It supports over 15,000 course maps worldwide. Water sports support includes live route tracking for paddleboarding, sailing, and open-water swimming. The dive mode is rated for 40 meters and includes a built-in compass, real-time depth display, and vibration alerts for ascent safety. During apnea or free diving sessions, the watch logs total time, descent rate, and surface recovery. On the health side, it uses Huawei’s TruSense system with multi-region optical path analysis. That includes SpO₂, ECG, vascular stiffness, pulse wave analysis, and temperature tracking. HRV and stress metrics are supported, as is advanced menstrual cycle management using predictive learning models. Battery life is estimated at up to ten days on a single charge, with a 60-minute wireless charging time. Like the Watch 5, FIT 4 Pro runs across both Android and iOS via the Huawei Health app and supports contactless payments, Bluetooth audio control, and notification mirroring. Everyday Use Wearing both watches across the same day made one thing clear. The Watch 5 works best when the user wants deeper physiological awareness and structured interaction. The FIT 4 slots in for training sessions, tracking metrics at speed without overwhelming with data layers. Both connect cleanly to the Huawei Health app, regardless of whether you’re using Android or iOS. I synced steps and recovery scores from both models to compare, and the numbers aligned tightly. Notifications are handled well on both. Nothing feels crammed. Calls can be answered or declined with the side buttons, and messages display cleanly, though replying still needs your phone. Music playback controls, navigation, and wallet functions never glitched. Both watches stayed paired with the phone throughout, even with Bluetooth audio also connected. Gesture-based input is part of the new system, but that interaction set will be saved for the full review. Final Impressions This wasn’t just a hardware update. Huawei rebuilt the relationship between interface and intention. With X-TAP technology, the Watch 5 removes the barrier between sensing and doing. The FIT 4 Pro, on paper, takes the sport-first wearable formula and applies deep system engineering across positioning, tracking, and safety. More on that soon. For now, both devices push the idea that wearables can read the body in ways that feel less like monitoring and more like understanding. The post Hands-On with Huawei Watch 5 and FIT 4: A New Language of Contact first appeared on Yanko Design.

Republicans in Congress have been making behind-the-scenes efforts to pass major domestic legislation via the federal budget process. They include potential cuts to Medicaid and extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. But even though it’s Congress’ job to pass a budget and set tax policy, most media outlets have been content to frame key elements of the legislation as being driven not by Congress, but by the president. So the news media say that the purpose of the bill is to “deliver Trump’s agenda” or to pass the “Trump tax cuts.” Many have even adopted President Donald Trump’s trademark name for the legislation: his “big, beautiful bill.” Along with Casey Burgat and SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, I am co-author of a textbook titled Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch. In that book, it was important to us to highlight Congress’ clear role as the preeminent lawmaking body in the federal government. But since Trump’s inauguration, Congress has ceded huge swaths of its policymaking responsibility to the president. That makes the media’s focus on Trump unsurprising. And there’s no denying that Trump has had enormous impact during his first 100 days in office. During that time, Congress has been unwilling to assert itself as an equal branch of government. Beyond policymaking, Congress has been content to hand over many of its core constitutional powers to the executive branch. As a Congress expert who loves the institution and profoundly respects its constitutionally mandated role, this renunciation of responsibility has been difficult to watch. And yet, Congress’ path to irrelevance as a body of government did not begin in January 2025. It is the result of decades of erosion that created a political culture in which Congress, the first branch of government listed in the Constitution, is relegated to second-class status. The Constitution puts Congress first The 18th-century framers of the Constitution viewed Congress as the foundation of republican governance, deliberately placing it first in Article 1 to underscore its primacy. Congress was assigned the pivotal tasks of lawmaking and budgeting because controlling government finances was seen as essential to limiting executive power and preventing abuses that the framers associated with monarchy. Alternatively, a weak legislature and an imperial executive were precisely what many of the founders feared. With legislative authority in the hands of Congress, power would at least be decentralized among a wide variety of elected leaders from different parts of the country, each of whom would jealously guard their own local interests. But Trump’s first 100 days turned the founders’ original vision on its head, leaving the “first branch” to play second fiddle. Like most recent presidents, Trump came in with his party in control of the presidency, the House, and the Senate. Yet despite the lawmaking power that this governing trifecta can bring, the Republican majorities in Congress have mostly been irrelevant to Trump’s agenda. Instead, Congress has relied on Trump and the executive branch to make changes to federal policy and in many cases to reshape the federal government completely. Trump has signed more than 140 executive orders, a pace faster than any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Republican Congress has shown little interest in pushing back on any of them. Trump has also aggressively reorganized, defunded, or simply deleted entire agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. These actions have been carried out even though Congress has a clear constitutional authority over the executive branch’s budget. Again, Congress has shown little to no interest in reasserting its power, even during recent budget talks. Many causes, no easy solutions Even so, Congress’ weakening did not begin with Trump. There’s no one culprit but instead a collection of factors that have provided the ineffectual Congress of today. One overriding factor is a process that has unfolded over the past 50 or more years called political nationalization. American politics have become increasingly centered on national issues, parties, and figures rather than more local concerns or individuals. This shift has elevated the importance of the president as the symbolic and practical leader of a national party agenda. Simultaneously, it weakens the role of individual members of Congress, who are now more likely to toe the party line than represent local interests. As a result, voters focus more on presidential elections and less on congressional ones, granting the president greater influence and diminishing Congress’ independent authority. The more Congress polarizes among its members on a party-line basis, the less the public is likely to trust the legitimacy of their opposition to a president. Instead, congressional pushback—sometimes as extreme as impeachment—can thus be written off not as principled or substantive but as partisan or politically motivated to a greater extent than ever before. Congress has also been complicit in giving away its own power. Especially when dealing with a polarized Congress, presidents increasingly steer the ship in budget negotiations, which can lead to more local priorities—the ones Congress is supposed to represent—being ignored. But rather than Congress staking out positions for itself, as it often did through the turn of the 21st century, political science research has shown that presidential positions on domestic policy increasingly dictate—and polarize—Congress’ own positions on policy that haven’t traditionally been divisive, such as funding support for NASA. Congress’ positions on procedural issues, such as raising the debt ceiling or eliminating the filibuster, also increasingly depend not on bedrock principles but on who occupies the White House. In the realm of foreign policy, Congress has all but abandoned its constitutional power to declare war, settling instead for “authorizations” of military force that the president wants to assert. These give the commander-in-chief wide latitude over war powers, and both Democratic and Republican presidents have been happy to retain that power. They have used these congressional approvals to engage in extended conflicts such as the Gulf War in the early 1990s and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade later. What’s lost with a weak Congress Americans lose a lot when Congress hands over such drastic power to the executive branch. When individual members of Congress from across the country take a back seat, their districts’ distinctly local problems are less likely to be addressed with the power and resources that Congress can bring to an issue. Important local perspectives on national issues fail to be represented in Congress. Even members of the same political party represent districts with vastly different economies, demographics, and geography. Members are supposed to keep this in mind when legislating on these issues, but presidential control over the process makes that difficult or even impossible. Maybe more importantly, a weak Congress paired with what historian Arthur Schlesinger called the Imperial Presidency is a recipe for an unaccountable president, running wild without the constitutionally provided oversight and checks on power that the founders provided to the people through their representation by the first branch of government. Charlie Hunt is an assistant professor of political science at Boise State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

TikTok may have run afoul of European regulators over advertising transparency, in the latest bout between EU regulators and big tech companies. The European Commission has formally warned TikTok that its advertising transparency tools don’t go far enough, falling short of EU rules requiring online platforms to maintain a publicly available repository of all paid ads being shown to users. Regulators are taking issue with the data, or lack thereof, being provided in the repository that TikTok has curated. They claim that TikTok has failed to provide information on who paid for ads, what audiences they are targeting and the precise product or service those ads are promoting. This information is all used by regulators and researchers to help weed out harmful content like scams, disinformation or coordinated influence campaigns. These rules fall under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU regulation adopted in 2022 that governs illegal content, transparent advertising and disinformation. Enforcement for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) like TikTok began in the summer of 2023, and the Commission opened formal proceedings to assess whether TikTok had violated the DSA in February of 2024. In a statement, European Commission Tech VP Henna Virkkunen said, “Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest.Whether we are defending the integrity of our democratic elections, protecting public health or protecting consumers from scam ads, citizens have a right to know who is behind the messages they see.” In a statement to the press, a TikTok spokesperson disagreed with the findings, saying "While we support the goals of the regulation and continue to improve our ad transparency tools, we disagree with some of the Commission's interpretations and note that guidance is being delivered via preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines." This isn't the first time that TikTok has found itself in hot water with internet safety regulators in Europe. Under the rules of the DSA, TikTok parent company ByteDance could be fined as much as 6 percent of its total worldwide revenue and be subjected to an enhanced supervision period where regulators ensure that any required changes are being made.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/eu-tech-chiefs-believe-tiktok-is-breaking-ad-transparency-rules-181706441.html?src=rss