Author: cary

The Disappearing Dial Tone: Why Basic Customer Service is Now a Premium Feature

Posted on by cary

Tornadoes ripped through Central Indiana last night, leaving wide swaths of the region without power. In times like these, communication becomes a lifeline, literally. Yet for too many families, that lifeline has frayed. My parents, both older adults, lost their landline service. When I attempted to report the outage to AT&T, I found myself in Read More “The Disappearing Dial Tone: Why Basic Customer Service is Now a Premium Feature”

Bridging the Gap: How HRSA and Local Initiatives Are Transforming Rural Healthcare

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A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece on a comparative analysis of 3 rural health literacy programs. Today, we revisit the topic. The rolling plains of rural America have long been romanticized as the heartland, a place where small towns thrive on community ties and quiet perseverance. Yet for millions living in these Read More “Bridging the Gap: How HRSA and Local Initiatives Are Transforming Rural Healthcare”

There’s Never Been a Better Time to Learn Something New: Introducing Path2Learn

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We’re living in an educational golden age. Right now, there are more free and affordable ways to learn than ever before. You can go from beginner to expert in hundreds of fields—from graphic design to quantum physics—without setting foot in a traditional classroom. Sites like FreeCodeCamp, Khan Academy, and edX offer incredible content from some Read More “There’s Never Been a Better Time to Learn Something New: Introducing Path2Learn”

At the Crossroads of Fandom & Investing, the currency is made of cardboard

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There was a time when a baseball card was a keepsake of childhood, folded into a bike spoke, tucked into a shoebox, traded across lunch tables. Today, that same card might be encased in Lucite, auctioned at Sotheby’s, or, if you’re Dick’s Sporting Goods, acquired for $1.1 million and put on display like a Rembrandt. Read More “At the Crossroads of Fandom & Investing, the currency is made of cardboard”

Who Gets the Keys? How AI is Deciding Who Can Buy a Home

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Redlining shaped America’s housing and financial systems for decades. Banks and developers systematically excluded Black and immigrant communities from wealth-building opportunities through discriminatory loan practices. That history left a legacy still visible in racial wealth gaps and economic disparities. Machine-learning models now shape access to capital and employment, but instead of eliminating bias, they often Read More “Who Gets the Keys? How AI is Deciding Who Can Buy a Home”

Donald Trump’s Grievances Against Voice of America: A Historical Analysis (working paper)

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Abstract Voice of America (VOA), a U.S. government-funded international broadcaster, has traditionally served as a nonpartisan tool of American soft power. However, former President Donald Trump has exhibited an unprecedented hostility toward VOA, viewing it as an adversary rather than an asset. This paper examines Trump’s long-standing grievances against VOA, beginning with his first term Read More “Donald Trump’s Grievances Against Voice of America: A Historical Analysis (working paper)”

How AI is Restoring Confidence for Students Who Fell Behind During the Pandemic

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Millions of students lost more than just classroom time during the pandemic. Many lost confidence in their ability to learn. A child who once loved math now stares at a worksheet with uncertainty. A teenager who used to raise their hand in class now hesitates, afraid of getting the answer wrong. The disruption to education Read More “How AI is Restoring Confidence for Students Who Fell Behind During the Pandemic”

The Real Estate Merger That Turns Homebuyers into a Product

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Rocket Companies’ $1.75 billion acquisition of Redfin isn’t just about selling more mortgages or real estate listings – it’s about owning the data behind every home search and sale. The deal fuses America’s largest mortgage lender with a major home-listing platform, instantly creating a one-stop shop for house-hunters. But make no mistake: this “seamless” platform Read More “The Real Estate Merger That Turns Homebuyers into a Product”