While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important. I also try to include some resources & opportunities. Please let me know what you think.
Important Items
Trump Fires Board Members of Group That Oversees U.S. Science Funding
When Virality Is The Message: The New Age of AI Propaganda
When the meme becomes the primary text & the news itself remains in the background, the spectacle doesn’t have to change minds-It just has to win the war for the attention of your target audience.
https://time.com/article/2026/04/02/when-virality-is-the-message-the-new-age-of-ai-propaganda/
Innovation
MIT Mined Bacteria for the Next CRISPR—and Found Hundreds of Potential New Tools
Technology
More than 100k authors seek share of ‘historic’ Anthropic copyright settlement
Authors Guild Addresses Publishers’ AI Use
“Like nailing jell-o to a wall”: Why unions are struggling to protect journalists’ rights in the age of AI
Insights from union leaders in the US, Greece and the Philippines on how they are grappling with the dilemmas posed by an ever-evolving technology
A Newspaper Is Allegedly Slapping People’s Names on AI Stories Without Their Permission
“If they don’t have the ability in their contract to remove their byline, we’re going to use their name,” a company leader reportedly said.
Talking buildings and Pixar-like avatars: Cleveland Plain Dealer AI videos draw criticism
“We’re using AI because we don’t have resources to do it any other way,” Editor Chris Quinn wrote. “AI is what makes it possible.”
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/cleveland-plain-dealer-ai-use-fact-checkers-italy/
YouTube Opens Up AI Deepfake Detection Tool to All of Hollywood
The tool, which requires a celebrity to upload their likeness, will flag potentially infringing content — like, say, a star playing a role in fan-generated movie — for a possible takedown.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/youtube-ai-deepfake-detection-tool-1236569593/
“All Your Customers Become Our Customers”: The AI Version of an Old Publisher Trap
HT @BoSacks AI licensing deals follow a familiar pattern: Platforms take content and end up owning the customer relationship.
AI and Libraries: Why Librarians May Become Arbiters of Reality
Via @JaneFriedman Per BISG study, librarians have a notably higher rate of resistance to AI. Librarian objections to AI included catalogs increasingly filled with low-quality AI-generated work, staff time consumed by identifying and removing “slop,” and the burden of countering false or misleading information—that is, dealing with work that runs directly counter to librarians’ core mission. The resistance isn’t coming from people who haven’t engaged with the technology. It’s coming disproportionately from people who have. They’ve concluded that a library’s adoption of AI would send the wrong signal about what a library fundamentally is.
https://janefriedman.com/ai-and-libraries-why-theyre-like-canaries-in-the-coal-mine/
Techniques for critical thinking in AI augmented strategy
https://onlydeadfish.co.uk/2026/04/24/techniques-for-critical-thinking-in-ai-augmented-strategy/
Behind the Curtain: America’s next class war will be over AI fluency
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/ai-use-inequality-class
Silicon Valley has forgotten what normal people want
https://www.theverge.com/tldr/915176/nft-metaverse-ai-weirdos
Meta Staffers to Train Their AI Replacements
What Will It Take to Get A.I. Out of Schools?
One in five student interactions with generative A.I. “involved cheating, self-harm, bullying, and other problematic behaviors,” according to a report published by Education Week. Why is the technology being adopted by schools?
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/progress-report/what-will-it-take-to-get-ai-out-of-schools
I Tested ChatGPT’s New Images 2.0. Here’s How It Impacts Your Job Now
AI is iterating and rapidly reshaping the way creative work is done, removing the dependence on task-driven roles. Beyond this, it’s also removing the barrier to entry for ambitious entrepreneurs and thought leaders who may not have a dedicated marketing team budget or an agency they can work with, or the design know-how themselves.
OpenAI drastically updates Codex desktop app to use all other apps on your computer, generate images, preview webpages
Codex can access apps on your computer, surface relevant info, take actions, and on Mac you can continue using your computer.
Canva’s AI 2.0 update goes all in on prompt-powered design tools
You can now make and edit almost anything on the platform using text-based descriptions.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/913068/canva-ai-2-update-prompt-based-editing-availability
Anthropic just launched Claude Design, an AI tool that turns prompts into prototypes and challenges Figma
The system can create structured designs, iterate on user input, & translate ideas directly into visual outputs.
Google Makes Image Generation a Little Creepier With Personal Intelligence
Google expanding the reach of Personal Intelligence to its image generation model Nano Banana, allowing it to pull details from your life to create more personalized visual outputs
Google turns Chrome into an AI co-worker for the workplace
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/22/google-turns-chrome-into-an-ai-coworker-for-the-workplace/
Google launches a Gemini AI app on Mac
https://www.theverge.com/tech/912638/google-gemini-mac-app
Anthropic Hiked the Price for Power Users Amid Complaints Its Model Is Getting Worse
The world of voice AI, with Mati Staniszewski of ElevenLabs
An interesting deep dive into their voice technology.
https://cheekypint.substack.com/p/the-world-of-voice-ai-with-mati-staniszewski
Webloc is a global geolocation surveillance system that monitors hundreds of millions of people based on data purchased from consumer apps and digital advertising
Hungarian domestic intelligence, the national police in El Salvador, and ICE use it.
https://citizenlab.ca/research/analysis-of-penlinks-ad-based-geolocation-surveillance-tech/
AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agents-are-coming-for-your-dating-life-next/
Meta Signs Multibillion-Dollar Deal With Amazon to Use Its CPU Chips for AI
Publishing & Media
The jaw-dropping financial reality of being an author
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/04/19/book-deals-authors-income/89604598007/
BookCon is Back
https://publishingperspectives.com/2026/04/in-the-u-s-is-bookcon-really-back/
UPenn Digitized Hundreds of Poet Recordings
HT @dlondonwortel The University of Pennsylvania digitized hundreds of rare recordings by great poets, including Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, Amiri Baraka, Adrienne Rich, Ashbery, and Eliot.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs: The Arguments That Shaped America, Now Freely Available
Thanks to a generous gift of materials from the Wolf Law Library at the William & Mary Law School, and the Internet Archive’s mission to digitize and provide universal access to knowledge, we are pleased to share more than 125,000 U.S. Supreme Court records and briefs. These materials which span nearly two centuries of American law are now freely accessible online.
Can journalists really make a living on Substack?
https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2026/how-much-does-substack-pay-reporters/
Beehiiv adds even more features to go up against competitors and win over creators
Beehiiv is adding webinars, AI analytics for podcasts and metered paywalls, aiming to become the top creator space.
Resources & Opportunities
Women and Money: Navigating the Pay Gap
4/28 12-1pm ET virtual. FREE for WMG members, $15 for non-members
Maintaining financial wellness in today’s turbulent economy can feel like an impossible job. The task is even more arduous for women, as they earn 80 cents to a man’s dollar. Join WMG for a timely discussion about the relationship between gender, race, and pay equity. Sophia Reynoso, Mori Taheripour, and Francesca Donner will explore the real challenges women face—and the strategies that actually work to get the compensation we deserve.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6618671
Women in Book Publishing: Past, Present, and Future
5/6 6-8 pm, NYC, WMG members only
Join us for an exclusive members-only evening of book talk, socializing, and insider insight into the world of publishing—past, present, and future. We’re thrilled to welcome Gayle Feldman in conversation with publishing leader Madeline McIntosh, co-founder of Authors Equity and former U.S. CEO of Penguin Random House. At the heart of the evening is Gayle’s highly praised new biography, Nothing Random—a compelling portrait of one of the co-founders of Random House. The book doubles as a cultural history of twentieth-century book publishing, providing a rich backdrop for a fascinating discussion about the role of women in publishing. Together, Gayle and Madeline will shed light on the often overlooked women who shaped the books Random House became known for—editors, copy editors, publicists, and groundbreaking authors like Gertrude Stein, Ayn Rand, and Toni Morrison. Blending historical knowledge with personal experience, they’ll also explore where publishing is today and what opportunities lie ahead for women in the field.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6638344
Join the Conversation at Our Online Member Social
5/12 6-7 p.m. ET. WMG members only; FREE (Zoom)
Join WMG Co-President Jane Wesman to welcome incoming Co-President Jacqueline Cripps and celebrate the WMG Board at our Online Member Social!
This is a community-building celebration for all Women’s Media Group members. It’s a chance to pause, connect, and invest in your professional community. We’ll begin with a warm welcome from WMG’s leadership, then move into facilitated breakout sessions where you’ll introduce yourself, highlight a current goal or challenge, and meet peers whose skills or interests might align with yours.
Afterwards, we’ll bring everyone back together for a wrap-up where we’ll share resources, upcoming WMG programs, and ways to stay engaged—whether you’re seeking a mentor, offering support, or exploring a new idea. The result? A stronger connection to WMG’s thriving network and fresh momentum for your next act in media.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6653373
How Three Pages Can Change Your Life: The Fastest Way to Land a Big Book Deal
5/14 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET. Penguin Random House, 1745 Broadway, NYC
Come for the member price of only $20 w code WMGPARTNER
Many authors and publishing insiders know this shortcut to a big book deal: publish a standout essay in a major outlet like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, or New York Magazine. It’s far easier to write and publish a brilliant three-page piece than a 300-page book. And that single article, whether fiction or nonfiction, can attract literary agents and editors to you, saving years of searching and rejection and fast-tracking your path to a deal. The challenge is knowing what to write, how to shape the article, where to submit, and how to make the most of the opportunity once it’s published. In this panel, agents, authors, and editors will break down how it really works and how to turn one great piece into real momentum.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6653453
AI in publishing workflow conference
5/11-5/22 virtual conference. I’m moderating a stellar panel on Where are book publishers now with AI. While the conference is free, if you want to watch the recordings for up to 90 days and access the private community channel, use code KSANDLER for a 30% discount.
Marketing Grant for Debut Diverse Romance Authors
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIC269WwCUxUa7OW42YDXlSApOP1oI3BFBXWfnWBHwvyIlIw/viewform
Trauma-informed Reporting: A Mental Health Reporting Project Webinar
6/9 1-2pm ET virtual free
https://www.poynter.org/shop/ethics/trauma-informed-reporting-for-mental-health/
Trans Journalists Association’s Level Up program
It offers stipends of $250–$500 to support professional development opportunities such as industry conferences, leadership programs, training, and certifications. Spring 2026 applications close 5/5 9 AM PT
https://www.transjournalists.org/level-up/
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