John Dickerson

John Dickerson is co-anchor of "CBS Evening News" and anchor of "CBS Evening News Plus." He is also a Contributing Writer to The Atlantic and is co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

  • 03/24/2023: Chat GPT on the difference between how to think about important issues.

    There is a gap in American public conversation between what gets covered and what is objectively important. Presidential campaigns exacerbate this gap. I asked Chat GPT to list the important stories and then I asked Chat GPT to list the stories about issues that impact the greatest number of Americans, which is a rough proxy for perhaps what we should talk about. Look at how the lists differ.
    What are the most important stories in American life today?
    As an AI language model, I don’t have personal opinions or emotions. However, here are some important stories that have been widely reported and discussed in American life today:
    1. COVID-19 pandemic: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on American life, with rising cases and hospitalizations, vaccine distribution, and debates around mask mandates and other public health measures.
    2. Climate change and environmental issues: Climate change continues to be a major issue in American life, with extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and other environmental concerns.
    3. Racial justice and police reform: The killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans by police sparked nationwide protests and calls for racial justice and police reform, leading to ongoing discussions and policy changes.
    4. Immigration: The ongoing debate over immigration policies, including border security, refugee resettlement, and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), continues to be a major topic in American life.
    5. Political polarization: Political polarization and division continue to be major issues in American life, with ongoing debates around election integrity, voting rights, and the role of government.

    These are just a few of the important stories in American life today, and there are many others as well.

    What are the most important issues in America ranked by the number of people they directly affect?

    As an AI language model, I do not have access to real-time data on the number of people affected by different issues. However, here are some issues that affect a significant portion of the American population:

    1. Healthcare: The healthcare system affects nearly everyone in the United States, whether through access to medical care, health insurance, or the high cost of prescription drugs.
    2. Economic inequality: Economic inequality affects a large portion of the population, with disparities in income, wealth, and access to education and job opportunities.
    3. Education: Education is important for nearly everyone in the United States, with access to quality education and student debt being major concerns.
    4. Climate change and environmental issues: Climate change and environmental issues affect everyone in the United States, from extreme weather events to air and water pollution.
    5. Gun violence: Gun violence affects a significant portion of the population, with ongoing debates around gun control, mass shootings, and community safety.

    These are just a few examples of issues that affect a significant portion of the American population, and there are many others as well. The impact of different issues can vary depending on factors such as location, socioeconomic status, and other individual factors.

  • More Notions

  • 11/03/2023: Thoughts on covering Donald Trump

  • 11/03/2023: Ray Bradbury punk rock graduation.

    Ray Bradbury was so poor growing up that in order to dress up for his graduation he had to wear his uncle’s suit. His uncle had died recently. The suite was the one he wore when he died. His uncle was shot. The suit still had the bullet hole in it. I learned that from […]
  • 06/07/2023: Presidential Restraint

    Matt Yglesias has a piece in the New York Times under the headline: “It’s Great to Have a President Who Knows When to Shut Up.” My favorite topic: presidential restraint. I spent a lot of time on the topic in my book, and why it’s necessary for the job. (Chapter 23: Restraint). There is no greater […]
  • 05/10/2023: How would Christ campaign for president?

      UPDATE: I tried the opposite:  
  • 05/02/2023: AI really gets to the point

  • 04/30/2023: Selling Candidates Like Soap

     

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  • 04/29/2023: The Magic of Music

    My cocktail chatter from the recent Gabfest: My chatter is on the magical properties of music. To me, musicians are the closest we have to actual Wizards. They can conjure a feeling and then make another human soul have that feeling or launch another feeling. Writing does this too, of course, but it’s rare when […]
  • 04/22/2023: Long Tail Interviews on Prime Time

    We cover the latest on Prime Time every day, but we also conduct a number of interviews that last beyond the move to fish wrap(*). Here are some interviews from the first four days of this week: 1. Why the fighting in Sudan matters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ffhTXOsAQ 2. Evan Gershkovich’s friend explains his condition in a Russian […]