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

  • 04/14/2023: Summer's End

    It’s hot today for the first time of the season, which makes it feel like the start of summer. Time to start stacking the sandbags against the end of summer blues. The sun is going down. This song came on shuffle. It’s from John Prine’s Tree of Forgiveness. Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of the […]
  • 04/08/2023: Chat GPT and checking yourself

    When your words don’t land as you intend it can be because a) you were unclear b) the people listening misunderstood your point or c) some members of the audience are willfully misunderstanding what you say. I was recently asked about the Tennessee lawmakers kicked out of the body. So I asked Chat GPT to […]
  • 04/02/2023: CBS This Morning on Trump Indictment

  • 04/01/2023: What's in the Indictment? A debate with Chat GPT

    Here is an argument about the recent indictment of former President Trump: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted. The people who know what is in the indictment aren’t talking. The people who are talking don’t know what’s in the indictment. None of them do. It’s sealed. Nevertheless, a lot of time will be spent […]
  • 04/01/2023: Chat GPT is terrible at poltiics

    Question: The Manhattan district attorney has issued an indictment of Donald Trump but the facts are not known and will not be known for several days, how should that encourage or discourage a person from forming opinions about the indictment itself? As an AI language model, I cannot provide personal opinions, but I can offer […]
  • 03/28/2023: See the gift, ease the burden.

    Everyone has at least one gift and one burden. It is hard to find the gift in some people. See the gift, ease the burden.

  • 03/26/2023: Old note found: moving up the time of grace

    Dr. Nadia Chaudhri died on October 5, 2021. She narrated her death from cancer on her Twitter feed. Every time I read her writing I thought about the grace on display. The lessons she was able to give us. I just found a note I wrote to myself after reading one of her entries: “move […]
  • 03/25/2023: A Voluptuary under the horrors of Digestion

    The Met has a wonderful write-up of all that is going on in this etching: James Gillray’s famously brutal caricature of George, Prince of Wales encapsulates the effects of uncontrolled self-indulgence upon the heir to the British throne. Sprawled in his chair after a lavish meal, the prince picks his teeth with a meat fork; […]