March 17 Daily Umbrella:; First St. Patrick's parade; NCAA tourney seedings; AI threats

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Monday, March 17, 2025

Good morning to you!

Like many of you, I have a deep concern about artificial intelligence and its use — or misuse — especially when being promoted as real news that can impact our lives in so many negative ways. As such, I was pleased to read that U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Jim Himes (CT-04) introduced bipartisan legislation last week to develop a strategy to prepare for AI threats.

Their focus relates more to AI’s risk to our national security apparatus, our financial markets, and our data than news. Even so, their AI PLAN Act will require the Administration to create a plan to prevent AI from being utilized to endanger America.
 
“Artificial intelligence holds the potential to rapidly create new opportunities and technological advancements to move our society forward. There is also a ton of risk that our adversaries — like the Chinese Communist Party, North Korea, Russia, and Iran — will use it to generate misinformation, commit fraud, and perpetrate crimes,” Rep. Nunn said. “Our adversaries are only continuing to invest in AI technology, so America must develop a plan that supports innovation while protecting American businesses, markets, and families.” 

Those who want to harm America are already using AI to mislead us and trick us to turn over our data, disrupt financial markets, and raise false flags that trigger our defense department. Nunn and Himes say the U.S. must also develop safeguards to prevent the use of AI to manipulate markets, steal data and gain unfair advantages over our local banks and credit unions.  

“The U.S. Government is often slow off the mark in technological development, but with the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence it’s more important than ever that we keep pace with our adversaries,” Rep. Himes said.

This is a good start, but it’s not enough. AI disinformation is spread primarily through social media, and although some of it is funny and entertaining (like this AI version of The Van Halens), the negative impact is undeniable. But until we start holding Big Tech accountable for being the method of distribution, not much will change. Social media sites should be held to the same standards of libel and slander that newspapers, radio stations and TV stations are. When that happens, and the lawsuits pile up, much of the disinformation will be cut off at the legs. The policies are already in place for traditional media. They simply need to be expanded to the social media giants, too. Let’s hope U.S. Representatives Nunn and Himes will make this happen.

Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: 'Iowa's Little Ireland' prepares to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. MELROSE, Iowa — A small town in Iowa is preparing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day — but they don't have to look far to find the luck of the Irish. A little more than 100 people live in Melrose. It's known as "Iowa's Little Ireland." The town was founded in 1855 but gained its Irish heritage several years later. ...READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Fans react to Drake Bulldogs March Madness placement. DES MOINES, Iowa — Hundreds of fans gathered at the Knapp Center Sunday March 16th for a Selection Sunday watch party with the Drake University Men’s Basketball team. Fans were excited to learn about the Bulldogs placement in the NCAA tournament. ...READ MORE

FROM WOI: Selection Sunday: Iowa State earns No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones found out its official seed and bracket opponent Sunday afternoon during the Selection Sunday show....READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Breezy and warm conditions greet us today, and the warmth continues into Tuesday. Wednesday will see storms, rain, wind and accumulating snow in Iowa. With west-central through north-central Iowa seeing the heaviest band. Cooler the rest of the week.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®

Best Local Cupcake Shop

1. Crème

2. Molly’s Cupcakes

3. ChaCha’s Hiland Bakery

See all of the results

McD seeks stress relief
McDonald’s announced it is giving its 43,000 restaurants a technology makeover, starting with internet-connected kitchen equipment, artificial intelligence-enabled drive-throughs and AI-powered tools for managers.

Brian Rice, McD's chief information officer, told Wall Street Journal the goal is to contend with issues ranging from broken machines to wrong orders. “Our restaurants, frankly, can be very stressful. We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at curbside. That’s a lot to deal with for our crew... Technology solutions will alleviate the stress.” Rice added that AI will help McDonald’s tailor its promotions and offers by using customer data such as prior purchasing history and even linking it with weather data.

Monday's deals
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday $10 special is ham and Swiss sliders with fries.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.
• Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half-pound steak burgers with fries or salad and a beer for a Monday-only price of $14.
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St.) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $11.50 with garlic bread and salad.
• Aldi has a sale on corned beef briskets flat cut at $3.99/pound, chicken wings at $2.49/pound and carrots at 99 cents/2-pound bag. Through Tuesday.
• Fareway has a sale on whole beef briskets at $3.99/pound and chicken wings at $3.88/pound through Saturday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

JOE'S NEIGHBORHOOD
The fun of being under the weather

By Joe Weeg

“I think I’m going to die.”

“Well, yes you are, sweetie. The question, of course, is it today or in some mythical future full of butterflies and freshly popped popcorn.”

“It’s today! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

“Here, wipe your nose. Let’s put the humidifier on. Now close your eyes and try to rest.”

“I can’t.”

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” my wife says patiently.

As you might guess, I’ve been a little sick. With what? Got me. The flu, Covid-19, RSV, the norovirus? Or perhaps it’s just what you get when you’re a bad person. Does it matter? I AM CLEARLY DYING HERE!

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Featured in the current
issue of Adel Living magazine

Dirksen finds his passion in car shows
Enjoys his fixed up first car, a 1985 Trans Am

By Deborah Mikelson

Ray Dirksen, a sergeant with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, regularly attended car shows while growing up. His dad took him to shows in his hometown of Danbury, and he had fun going to events like Corn Days. He had a passion for cars. When he was 10, he spotted a white 1985 Trans Am in his church parking lot.

“That’s the kind of car I want,” he told his dad.
Every weekend, he would remind his dad how much he wanted that car. He got his chance when he was a junior in high school. The price tag was $3,600. He had been saving money from various farm jobs and from a part-time job at Bomgaars cleaning floors. However, because the insurance was more than the car payment, he had to get financing.

Iowa State Star Keshon Gilbert Ruled Out for NCAA TournamentFROM ESPN.COM: March Madness 2025 bracket: NCAA tournament women's teams. ... READ MORE

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Iowa State Star Keshon Gilbert Ruled Out for NCAA Tournament. ... READ MORE

FROM Yahoo Sports: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins reportedly both agree to contract extensions with Bengals. ... READ MORE

461: Saint Patrick dies. On March 17, 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland. Today he is honored with the annual holiday of St. Patrick's Day. ...READ MORE

1601: First St. Patrick’s Day parade.The first recorded parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is held in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601 in a Spanish colony under the direction of the colony's Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 1762. ... READ MORE

1992: Apartheid comes to an end in South Africa. On March 17, 1992, white South Africans vote overwhelmingly in a referendum to end minority rule, by a margin of 68.7 percent to 31.2 percent. Thus ends the turbulent period called apartheid, a racial segregation policy that separated the minority white population by designating areas and activities prohibited to Black people. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Billy Corgan, John Boyega, Rob Lowe, Brittany Daniel, Kurt Russell, Gary Sinise, Amelia Heinle, Tamar Braxton, Hozier, Katie Ledecky, Nicky Jam, Mia Hamm, Patrick Duffy, Paul Overstreet, Grimes, Rob Kardashian

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to the last riddle: What did the bleu cheese receive when it won the cheesy Olympics? A MOLD MEDAL! Gail Tomlinson. Or, A BLEU MEDAL! - William Snyder, Irving Stone.

Today's riddle: What did the physicist get when he put coffee into a black hole?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Grimes/Dallas Center, North Polk or Adel Living magazines, contact:

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Senior Account Executive
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dan.juffer@dmcityview.com

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