Humanity has crossed a historic threshold that no previous generation has faced. For the first time, global fertility has likely fallen below the rate needed to sustain long-term population stability, according to a new analysis by economists Jesús Fernández-Villaverde of the University of Pennsylvania and Patrick Norrick of Northwestern University. Their paper, “Terra Incognita: The […]

Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) build a searchable map of everywhere a driver goes, fed into databases that police, ICE, and private vendors can query after the fact. Networked across a city, ALPRs are purpose-built to track everyone regardless of suspicion. ALPRs are not a surveillance tool that can be made safe with the right policy or feature update—they are irredeemably harmful. EFF's position is that ALPR mass surveillance—the indiscriminate, continuous collection and retention of location data on every driver, regardless of suspicion—should not exist. Because it nonetheless does, EFF also urges courts and state legislatures to impose strict, enforceable restrictions, such as warrant requirements and deletion deadlines. EFF's position is that ALPR mass surveillance—the indiscriminate, continuous collection and retention of location data on every driver, regardless of suspicion—should not exist. Because it nonetheless does, EFF also urges courts and state legislatures to impose strict, enforceable restrictions, such as warrant requirements and deletion deadlines. EFF applies every tool available to eliminate ALPR surveillance and the harm it enacts. The Case Against ALPRs A note about scope: This post addresses ALPR mass surveillance. It does not address the wider universe of automated traffic enforcement (ATE) such as conventional red light and speed cameras that solely ticket a specific violation, without retaining or networking data on uninvolved drivers. But lawmakers and purchasers should guard against efforts by vendors to piggyback on ATE contracts to market ALPR mass surveillance systems. ALPRs are frequently marketed as a narrow tool for specific purposes, such as recovering stolen vehicles. But in practice, these sensors sweep up data on every driver who passes a camera, and store it in searchable databases. That indiscriminate collection and retention is precisely why ALPR-fed surveillance systems can be easily weaponized against immigrants, political dissidents, and other targeted communities as ICE and other federal agencies escalate their assault on civil liberties. There is no configuration of an ALPR network that eliminates this risk, because the risk is the mass surveillance itself, not a misuse of it. Of course, ALPRs cause other predictable harms. Innocent drivers are recurringly arrested and menaced by police because of ALPR errors. Officers regularly abuse ALPR systems to stalk past and potential romantic partners. Creating any database of personal information—including ALPR surveillance databases—inherently creates risk of data theft and subsequent harm to data subjects. And ALPR surveillance of protests and targeting of activists chill participation in First Amendment-protected dissent. But even if these downstream harms could all be prevented (and they likely can’t), ALPRs would remain an intolerable form of mass surveillance. Fighting on Every Front to Eliminate ALPR Surveillance At the city level, EFF works with community members and decision makers to outright refuse ALPR purchasing. ALPRs are not inevitable. The same decision mechanisms used to facilitate runaway surveillance purchasing in U.S. localities can be turned against these systems to dismantle them. EFF also pushes state legislatures to establish strict state-level limits on ALPR surveillance, such as data-deletion rules and use restrictions. Building such constraints into statute can mitigate the harms of existing ALPR systems. In courts across the country, EFF files amicus briefs arguing that warrantless police searches of ALPR databases violate the Fourth Amendment. In California state court, EFF and the ACLU of Northern California are suing on behalf of two community groups, SIREN and CAIR-CA, arguing that the San Jose Police Department's practice of letting officers search stored plate data—to the tune of over 100,000 times a year—without a warrant violates the California Constitution. We’ve also sued to block California law enforcement from sharing ALPR data with federal and out-of-state agencies, in violation of a California statute. A big part of EFF’s work is exposing the harms of ALPR surveillance. Our investigative team tirelessly collects information about how law enforcement uses ALPRs with public records requests, sues to enforce such requests, and publishes reports about them. We’ve also successfully lobbied for a State Auditor investigation of law enforcement’s use of ALPRs. Coordinated Action Against Mass Surveillance EFF practices integrated advocacy because all of these tools work best together. City refusals, statehouse restrictions, impact litigation, and investigative activism are different levers EFF pulls toward the same end: eliminating ALPR surveillance, and building the durable public power needed to keep it off our streets. A council vote against a Flock contract and a warrant argument in Santa Clara County Superior Court are both, at their core, the same fight: rejecting mass surveillance infrastructure outright, and using every venue available to eliminate its harmful presence and consequences.

"Every campus forms students whether it says so out loud or not. The only question is by whom, and toward what."

Yikes… Tributes have been pouring in for the iconic Dolly Parton since her shocking death yesterday, August 25, at the age of 80. Aside from being a legendary country artist, releasing 50 studio albums and charting 25 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, Dolly was maybe even more well known for her philanthropy and charitable work, in her East Tennessee hometown and around the world. One of Dolly’s most visible contributions to her hometown is, of course, her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dolly bought the amusement park, that was previously known as Silver Dollar City, in 1986 as a way of helping her community: “I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area. Sure enough, I was lucky, and God was good to me and things happened good.” The park has created more than 23,000 jobs in the region, and has an estimated economic impact of $1.8 billion. In addition, Dollywood employees receive 100% free college tuition as soon as they’re hired, and the park also pays a portion of childcare costs for all employees. In the wake of Dolly’s death, a viral post also praised the charitable icon for keeping admission prices to Dollywood reasonable, charging only $100 even as prices skyrocket everywhere else around the country: And she kept the prices reasonable in this economy. Lemme support the estate pic.twitter.com/zANNxILoD6 — Lonzo (@lonzoswrld) August 25, 2026 While there was debate in the replies as to whether $100 was really “reasonable,” one reply in particular drew quite a bit of attention. Hersheypark, the amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, replied to the original post by promoting their own ticket prices of only $49.99. HERSHEY PARK NOOOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/D91AscD5pv — chaos & CONtrol (@TheConnorWeb) August 26, 2026 Obviously the reply rubbed people the wrong way, as people took to social media to criticize the park for appearing to try to dunk on Dollywood on the day of Dolly’s death: #HersheyPark is truly disgusting https://t.co/FWdKivdqe1 pic.twitter.com/gSxHkdI9gc — sagesurge (@sagesurge) August 26, 2026 Oh come on @Hersheypark … it’s not the time for aggressive customer service at the expense of an American legend. https://t.co/IJNjSUmhVc — Corey Clayton (@CoreyClayton) August 26, 2026 Oh, fuck you @Hersheypark. If this is really you, get your damn bots reprogrammed to NOT respond to posts about Dollywood. https://t.co/d6XsJ9V2DP — brihana davidson (@brihana25) August 26, 2026 HersheyPark didn't read the room…… bunch of clowns https://t.co/V4xvT2adk7 — Philly319 (@Philly319_) August 26, 2026 Whoever the idiot was at @Hersheypark that posted this comment, I hope they got fired. Cheap ass comment. Who do they think they are… @Wendys ? https://t.co/EZ70vjIUz5 — LJ (@mamanuggle) August 26, 2026 The park quickly tried to do damage control, claiming that they mistakenly replied to the post while attempting to reply to another post in the chain, without realizing the context: “We sincerely apologize for this error. A reply clarifying our ticket price in another conversation was posted without seeing the context of this chain so we removed quickly to avoid any confusion or insensitivity over intent.” We sincerely apologize for this error. A reply clarifying our ticket price in another conversation was posted without seeing the context of this chain so we removed quickly to avoid any confusion or insensitivity over intent. pic.twitter.com/XZY9Bh0OJs — Hersheypark (@Hersheypark) August 26, 2026 Yeah, not a great look, regardless of whether it was their intention or not. Dollywood, obviously, hasn’t commented on the controversy, but the park reopened today for the first time since Dolly’s death after being closed yesterday as part of their regular operating calendar. The park released a statement yesterday confirming that per Dolly’s wishes, they would reopen as normal today: “With heavy hearts, the Dollywood family mourns the passing of our beloved Dreamer-in-Chief, Dolly Parton. Everyone at Dollywood shares the sorrow of countless people around the world touched by Dolly’s warmth, wisdom and generous spirit. Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness—a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams. ‘The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,’ said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. ‘Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.’ Dolly’s enduring legacy extends beyond her music and generosity to her remarkable work ethic—an inspiration to people everywhere. In her spirit, Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — ‘the show must go on.’ Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance, and hope. Those wishing to give in honor of Dolly may consider making a gift to the organization she was so deeply passionate about, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.” The park opened this morning with a moment of silence in honor of the late legend: Dollywood holds a moment of silence for their "Dreamer in Chief". pic.twitter.com/VvbWds5FZD — wdwpro (@wdwpro1) August 26, 2026 A fitting tribute.The post Hersheypark Ignites Backlash After “Truly Disgusting” Reply To Post About Late Dolly Parton’s Dollywood first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Make it happen. Though it still doesn’t feel real almost 24 hours later, the queen of country music herself, Dolly Parton, passed away yesterday at 80 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. Announcing her tragic passing, her team shared the following statement about her death: “A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.” Throughout the evening, more details surrounding her death began to surface, with TMZ reporting she was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on Friday morning with “kidney and autoimmune issues” and a rep confirming to People that her death sadly followed a “brief battle with cancer,” though the specific kind was not revealed. Unsurprisingly, the country music world — and the world at large — has been mourning her death. Online, legends such as George Strait, Reba and Blake Shelton, as well as Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Ella Langley (among plenty of others) took to social media to pen tributes, share memories and send condolences to the Parton family. Of course, this doesn’t even mention the likes of other musicians across all genres, such as Eminem, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jack White, Pitbull and more penning tributes and dedicating performances last night to honor her. Additionally, past 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolia co-stars, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Shirley MacLaine, as well as the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Leanne Morgan and more paid their respects on social media. In Nashville, we’ve already seen plenty of tributes pop up on Tuesday evening. Eric Church’s bar, Chief’s, added “We will always love you, Dolly” on its marquee sign, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge was lit up in pink to honor the legend and fans laid flowers and candles outside of her Songteller Hotel as a memorial. View this post on Instagram Simply put, there will never be another Dolly Parton. Stating the obvious, her musical output is unmatched. In addition to timeless hits like “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Here You Come Again,” and “I Will Always Love You,” throughout her illustrious career, Dolly put out 50 studio albums and charted 25 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In addition, she released 13 Collaborative albums with Porter Wagoner, as well as nine live albums and six soundtrack albums. She was, of course, a Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member, as well as a member of the Rock and Roll, Songwriters, Musicians and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. However, all of her accolades in the studio and on the stage pale in comparison to the incredible philanthropic work throughout her career. Parton’s most important contribution to the world (other than her music, of course) was undoubtedly her Imagination Library: the charitable organization that provides free books to kids from their birth until they hit the age of 5. In the 31 years since the country icon launched the organization, it’s gifted over 300,000,000 books to kids in need. The benefits of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are currently available in five different countries (United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom), and the “Queen of Country Music” was working to expand the presence of her charity even further. In case the contribution to children’s literacy wasn’t enough, her work through her theme park, Dollywood, just might be more impressive. Since February 2022, Dollywood Co. has been offering each and every one of its employees 100% coverage of their college tuition, fees and books. Additionally, they also provide partial funding ($5,250 per year) for fields such as hospitality, engineering, human resources and more. Expanding more on her charity, over the past decade, she has donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which aided in the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, another $1 million to Vanderbilt for pediatric infectious disease research in 2022, $1 million to the Salvation Army in 2023, $2 million toward Hurricane Helene relief in the southeast in 2024 and even more towards various relief efforts across Tennessee. All that is to say, Dolly Parton has been one of the most charitable and impactful public figures for the state of Tennessee in history, and it’s time to honor her by renaming Nashville’s International Airport after her. In case you missed it back in January, before her passing, a petition was created by Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion on change.org to rename the airport in honor of the late legend. As previously mentioned, the description of the petition highlights her remarkable charity work and philanthropy throughout her illustrious career. “As proud citizens of Tennessee, we are motivated by our deep-rooted admiration for the national treasure and Tennessee legend, Dolly Parton. She is not only a celebrated artist who encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill through her music, but also a philanthropist, known for her countless contributions to society. It is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman. Dolly has made substantial impacts on thousands of lives, especially through her Imagination Library program, which has gifted over 100 million books to children since it began in 1995. Dolly’s philanthropic efforts, her outstanding influence in the music industry, and the love she has instilled in our hearts through her actions and songs, truly make her a deserving candidate to have the Nashville International Airport named after her. We request that the airport’s name be changed to Dolly Parton International Airport to honor an icon who has given so much to our state and to the world. Sign the petition to make this change a reality. We could all be Departin’ from Parton!!” Given Dolly’s popularity, the petition would gain some traffic in the following months. However, after her death yesterday, it has exploded in popularity. At 7 p.m. CT (the time I personally signed it), it had gained roughly 65,000 signatures. Fast forward to this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT, and it has already ballooned up to nearly 85,000 signatures, gaining over 6,000 in just an hour and a half. Tennessee State rep Todd Warner has already promised to introduce legislation, responding to the petition a few minutes ago. He said: “Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks , TW” There will never be another Dolly Parton, and her impact on this world cannot begin to be overstated. If you’d like to, sign the petition and attempt to make this deserving honor a reality.The post Tennessee State Rep Says He’ll Introduce A Bill To Rename Nashville’s Airport After The Late, Great Dolly Parton first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

After the Supreme Court decision to allow the US Post Office to continue with the new mail-in ballot rules, reversing a nationwide injunction on that issue by District Court Judge Indira Talwani, . . .

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