Mike Pearl, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Top 5 Takeaways for CISOs from RSAC 2025: AI Security in Focus

1 month ago | medium.com | Mike Pearl

The RSA Conference 2025 brought together over 44,000 cybersecurity professionals in San Francisco, establishing itself as the definitive forum for discussions on the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. With AI dominating virtually every booth, session, and keynote, this year’s conference sent a clear message: AI is reshaping the security landscape at unprecedented speed, and CISOs must adapt or risk falling behind.
Saudi Arabia’s Dreams of a Sustainable Economy Are Now Drowning in Oil

2 months ago | newrepublic.com | Mike Pearl

If you blinked, you may have missed the way Saudi Arabia’s utopian economic diversification program known as Saudi Vision 2030 has been unofficially rebranded “Vision 2034,” named for the year Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup. Greenwashing—a term for companies or organizations portraying themselves as more sustainable than they really are—is on its way out, and “sportswashing” is in.
Saudi Arabia’s Dreams of a Sustainable Economy Are Now Drowning in Oil

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Mike Pearl

If you blinked, you may have missed the way Saudi Arabia’s utopian economic diversification program known as Saudi Vision 2030 has been unofficially rebranded “Vision 2034,” named for the year Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup. Greenwashing—a term for companies or organizations portraying themselves as more sustainable than they really are—is on its way out, and “sportswashing” is in.
The original slop: How capitalism degraded art 400 years before AI

2 months ago | bloodinthemachine.com | Mike Pearl

Greetings all — I’ve got something a little different today: The first original BITM guest post, from the great writer and editor Mike Pearl. Mike is a former VICE columnist, the author of The Day It Finally Happens, a frequent contributor to the New Republic, and a good friend. After the Studio Ghibli AI slopfest hit critical mass a couple weeks ago—it is, unfortunately, still ongoing—Mike sent me the following essay.
Two Great American Pastimes That Aren’t So Different

Mar 2, 2025 | theatlantic.com | Mike Pearl

My father-in-law, Bill, and I watch sports differently. Picture Clint Eastwood sitting in front of the TV with Jesse Eisenberg. When a college football game is on, Bill becomes serious, and my surface-level commentary—things like “Not looking good,” when Arizona State is trailing—is usually met with silence. I wasn’t raised a college-football fan; casually saying terms like “Big Ten” or “Ole Miss” still seems unnatural to me.
Two Great American Pastimes That Aren’t So Different

Mar 2, 2025 | flipboard.com | Mike Pearl

1 hour ago‘Anora’ is a genre-toggling romp with a hidden political messageHow the film puts one of the most uncomfortable realities of class structure on full display. On the surface, Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which has been …2 hours ago90 Incredible Forgotten Photos From Oscar Nights PastAs awards seasons go, it’s been a strange one.
The L.A. Fires Were the First Tragedy. The Second Is Just Beginning.

Feb 12, 2025 | newrepublic.com | Mike Pearl

Last month, much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles was declared a federal disaster area, opening up eligibility for dearly needed assistance after what may have been the most catastrophic fires in the city’s history. But one could practically hear the late Mike Davis, California’s doom prophet laureate, letting out an unearthly sigh of frustration from beyond the grave.
The L.A. Fires Were the First Tragedy. The Second Is Just Beginning.

Feb 12, 2025 | yahoo.com | Mike Pearl

Last month, much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles was declared a federal disaster area, opening up eligibility for dearly needed assistance after what may have been the most catastrophic fires in the city’s history. But one could practically hear the late Mike Davis, California’s doom prophet laureate, letting out an unearthly sigh of frustration from beyond the grave.
Trump’s Water Plans Won’t Help L.A. Fight Fires. They’ll Help Big Ag.

Jan 30, 2025 | newrepublic.com | Mike Pearl

California’s water wars are almost twocenturies old, and the constant give-take-and-give of claims on scarce wateramong urban, agricultural, and environmental interests in California neverends. “If you’re the water Board, you’re trying to maximize all beneficialuses,” Marcus told me. “And every few years when the administration changes, itfeels like there’s a big swing.
Trump’s Water Plans Won’t Help L.A. Fight Fires. They’ll Help Big Ag.

Jan 30, 2025 | yahoo.com | Mike Pearl

As the smoke from the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires started to clear on the rainy night of January 27, President Trump put the finishing flourish on his fire response by posting to Truth Social that “The United States Military just entered the Great State of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.”Here in California, it wasn’t clear what the president was jabbering about this time.