Arizona lawmakers are hoping to make it easier for politicians to take legal action as the use of deepfakes increases during election campaigns. House Bill 2394 could pave the way for candidates, and Arizonans at large, to challenge digital impersonations if they can prove the material was produced without consent and with the intent to spread disinformation. Karthik Ramakrishnan is the founder and CEO of Armilla AI. .
Trees in urban areas provide benefits for people, including decreased temperatures and improved air quality, according to new research from Washington state. The Greening Research in Tacoma initiative measured air temperatures across a neighborhood in the city to understand the effects of urban trees. Ailene Ettinger, qualitative ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in Washington and the study s lead author, said temperatures were as much as 18 degrees lower in areas with trees. .
A bill in Olympia aims to protect Washingtonians against restricted health care access and rising costs from hospital mergers. Consolidation in the health care market has become a growing concern for some in Washington state. A 2022 Office of Financial Management report found the number of hospitals that are part of larger systems grew from 10% in 1986 to nearly 50% in 2017. .
Advocates from coal-mining communities are proposing a roadmap to help address and prevent so-called "zombie mines," - abandoned mine lands on hold indefinitely. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Ohio and other Appalachian states are littered with hundreds of zombie mines, allowing companies to avoid paying for environmental cleanup. Erin Savage, senior program manager for Appalachian Voices, explained permit transfers allow companies to shed their responsibilities and the region has seen many go bankrupt in the last decade. .
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