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Brenda J. Linert

Child deaths prove social media is no game

I recall being dared by my friends, as a child, to put my hand on the electric fence surrounding a cow field just down the rural country lane from the southwestern Pennsylvania home where I grew up. I accepted the dare, and we all laughed out loud as the electric volt zapped through my body. ...

Is AI good or bad? Depends on whom you ask

On three separate occasions recently I was involved in conversations about whether advances in artificial intelligence, or AI, is concerning to me as a journalist. No doubt the question stems from growing interest in new forms of AI known as “Generative AI.” That’s a form of AI now ...

Going to vote? Don’t forget your photo ID

I’m writing this week’s column piecemeal — between scheduled interviews with local political candidates seeking their party’s nominations in the quickly approaching May 2 primary election. Yes, it’s that time again. Overall, this year’s local primary election is pretty limited ...

Success comes from much more than just luck

It’s the immense number of people that I recall most about my 2014 visit to India. The vast sea of people in cities like Mumbai truly is unimaginable to Americans who never experienced first hand such population density. As we drove throughout the city, I remember asking our driver why so ...

TikTok’s future of mindless drivel questionable

Hoopla is growing over security concerns about the hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, leaving many of us to wonder whether risks we keep hearing really are legitimate and whether we should delete TikTok from our cellphones. Many — myself included — routinely entertain ourselves by ...

Blogger law slippery slope for press freedoms

It is ironic that I’m writing this week’s column about proposed new restrictions for political bloggers on, this, National Sunshine Week. The week comes around each March to raise awareness of the importance of open government and to promote dialogue on the impact of excessive official ...