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Daily Archives: August 20, 2020

Google Has a Plan to Disrupt the College Degree

Inc. – Google’s new certificate program takes only six months to complete, and will be a fraction of the cost of college. Google recently made a huge announcement that could change the future of work and higher education: It’s launching a selection of professional courses that teach candidates how to perform in-demand jobs. These courses, which the company is calling Google Career Certificates, teach foundational skills that can help job-seekers immediately find employment. However, instead of taking years to finish like a traditional university degree, these courses are designed to be completed in about six months. “College degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security,” writes Kent Walker, senior vice president of global affairs at Google. “We need new, accessible job-training solutions–from enhanced vocational programs to online education–to help America recover and rebuild.”

Walker then revealed the following on Twitter: “In our own hiring, we will now treat these new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles.”..

Can people who are asymptomatic spread coronavirus? What we know right now

CNET – People can have COVID-19 without knowing it — and that’s a huge threat to public health. “…If you’re an asymptomatic carrier of a disease, it means you have the disease but don’t show any symptoms. In the case of COVID-19, this can be a serious threat because of the way this virus spreads:… Continue Reading

How bad is your state’s Covid-19 outbreak?

Vox – Your state’s Covid-19 epidemic, explained in 5 maps – These maps show how your state is doing. “…A Vox analysis indicates the vast majority of states report alarming trends across all four benchmarks for coronavirus outbreaks. Most states still report a high — sometimes very high — number of daily new Covid-19 cases.… Continue Reading

Government shutdowns of “nonessential” retailers were a huge gift for Amazon, Walmart, and Target

Vox/Recode – “When stay-at-home orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic forced many US brick-and-mortar retailers to close up shop late winter and into this spring, some industry observers feared the government measures would widen the existing gap between the retail industry’s haves and have-nots. A few months later, that fear has become reality. Amazon, Walmart,… Continue Reading

Google has retooled its search and maps with vital wildfire information

Fast Company: “As wildfires rage in California, and Colorado reports the second largest wildfire in that state’s history, Google has announced it will be providing near-real-time information about such conflagrations on its search engine and mapping platform. In addition to breaking news from media sources, information from local government offices, and safety tips from the… Continue Reading

How to Vote by Mail in Every State

WSJ.com – Many states are set to allow voters to take part in the 2020 presidential election by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic: More Americans than ever are expected to vote by mail in this year’s presidential election as states attempt to make voting safer amid the global pandemic. Five states—Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and… Continue Reading

The Trump Campaign Accepted Russian Help to Win in 2016. Case Closed.

“Cooperation” or “collusion” or whatever. It was a plot against American democracy By The Editorial Board of The New York Times: “…There’s no way to sugarcoat it. In less than three months, the American people could re-elect a man who received a foreign government’s help to win one election and has shown neither remorse nor… Continue Reading

Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors

United States Attorney’s Office – Southern District of New York: “Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging BRIAN KOLFAGE, STEPHEN BANNON, ANDREW… Continue Reading

Most Americans Think Social Media Sites Censor Political Viewpoints

“Americans have complicated feelings about their relationship with big technology companies. While they have appreciated the impact of technology over recent decades and rely on these companies’ products to communicate, shop and get news, many have also grown critical of the industry and have expressed concerns about the executives who run them. This has become… Continue Reading