Mastodawn

Over half of Australia’s bookshops closed within a decade. Should the government help?
“Objects of culture” under “financial pressures”

“Bookshops are the safety vaults for the seeds of our country’s cultural and intellectual life.” Charlotte Wood

"In the past year alone, at least 13 independent bookshops have closed in Australia. Some have operated for decades."

"Fixed book pricing is common in Europe, where books are formally exempted from European Union competition rules, as “objects of culture”. This allows publishers and their distributors to determine the retail price of books."
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https://theconversation.com/over-half-of-australias-bookshops-closed-within-a-decade-should-the-government-help-283605
#books #BookShops #culture #reading #writers #regulation #megastores

Go and support your local independent bookshop/s!

Image: Seen on Bellingen's main drag at the #bellingenwritersfestival

Blaze Trends 8h ago

Acting OCC Comptroller Jonathan Gould stated that political pushback against federal crypto trust charters originates exclusively from Democratic lawmakers, as traditional banking groups prepare a potential legal challenge in Washington. #OCC #CryptoBanking #Fintech #Finance #Regulation
https://blazetrends.com/occ-comptroller-says-only-democrats-push-back-on-crypto-banking-charters/?fsp_sid=25865

OCC Comptroller Says Only Democrats Push Back on Crypto Banking Charters

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is facing intense partisan division over its effort to integrate digital asset firms into the federal financial system. Acting Comptroller Jonathan Gould stated that political pressure regarding the agency's approval of national trust charters for cryptocurrency companies is coming exclusively from Democratic lawmakers. The pushback intensifies a

Blaze Trends

Thom Aster 10h ago

By October 2026, the DTCC will launch full commercial operation of its tokenized securities platform, covering 1.4 million US securities including Russell 1000 stocks, major ETFs, and US Treasury bills and bonds. The pilot begins in July 2026.

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-blockchain-backbone-how-wall

#DTCC #BLOCKCHAIN #FINANCE #CANTON #CRYPTO #REGULATION #STELLAR #DATA #ABUDHABI #G42 #ISRAEL

BellingenNSW 10h ago

Taller hoods are a major contributor to crashes that kill pedestrians.

"More evidence is piling up that extra-tall vehicle hoods, increasingly common on American trucks and SUVs, are more dangerous to pedestrians."

"...Data from the 1990s found that a pedestrian hit by a light truck was two to three times more likely to be killed, with another study finding that light trucks were twice as likely to injure a pedestrian than a car, especially at low speed.” >>
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2024/01/127196-study-zeroes-dangers-taller-vehicles
#pedestrians #cars #SUVS #PickupTrucks #PedestrianFatalities #PedestrianDeaths #regulation
Image: Tall vehicle hood mingling with toddler and pram, Bellingen

crypto news 🧠 eicker.crypto 10h ago

The Crypto Clarity Act needs 60 Senate votes to pass before the summer recess, with advocates arguing law enforcement tools against illicit crypto finance are at stake. Senator Lummis warns if it fails this year, the next chance could be 2030. Democrats remain hesitant despite support from 160 former law enforcement officials. https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/04/crypto-clarity-act-in-spotlight-for-bad-actor-provisions-as-senate-process-grinds-forward #Web3 #Blockchain #Regulation

Crypto Clarity Act in spotlight for bad-actor provisions as Senate process grinds forward

The industry has been trying to make a case this week the Clarity Act provides law enforcement strong tools to combat illicit finance involving cryptocurrency.

CoinDesk

AIagent.at 🤖 AI News 11h ago

A new bipartisan bill dubbed the Great American AI Act would require large AI developers to inform the government about frontier model development, make plans to mitigate severe harms, and allow auditors to verify compliance. It would preempt some state-level AI laws already passed and proposes creating a new office in the Commerce Department, allocating 300 million USD. https://gizmodo.com/new-bipartisan-legislation-takes-a-big-step-forward-in-restricting-state-regulation-of-ai-2000767560 #AI #GenAI #Regulation

New Bipartisan Legislation Takes a Big Step Forward in Restricting State Regulation of AI

Legislators said the draft bill is, "intended to solicit feedback from stakeholders, experts, and the public before the bill is formally introduced."

Gizmodo

PPC Land 13h ago

ICYMI: Google reacts to UK order with a Search Console AI opt-out toggle: Pushed by UK regulators, Google today launched a Search Console toggle to exit AI search features, new visibility metrics, and updated content guidance for publishers. https://ppc.land/google-reacts-to-uk-order-with-a-search-console-ai-opt-out-toggle/ #Google #SearchConsole #AI #Regulation #DigitalMarketing

Google reacts to UK order with a Search Console AI opt-out toggle

Pushed by UK regulators, Google today launched a Search Console toggle to exit AI search features, new visibility metrics, and updated content guidance for publishers.

PPC Land