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Daily Archives: October 5, 2022

Political spam is out of control. Now Gmail is about to make it worse.

Washington Post: “Brace for a potential midterm meltdown in your inbox. Emails from certain federal candidates, parties and political action committees will soon be allowed to bypass the spam filters on Gmail and go straight into your inbox. To banish them, you’ll need to click a new unsubscribe button on each and every sender. (I’ll show you how in this video.) Google says it’s a pilot program — so far, not being used by any other email providers — to surface campaign emails that some people might want to see. But this plan is outrageously hostile to the majority of us, who could be forced to dig through a lot more political spam. Who even asked for this? Why, politicians, of course. Democracy depends on a free flow of information. But in our inboxes and on our phones, democracy is becoming annoying — and dangerous. We the users don’t want to be overwhelmed by unwanted political emails, text messages and robocalls — nor do we want to be targeted with misinformation and misleading fundraising appeals. Google’s plan to help politicians spam you gives us an opportunity to rethink what’s gone awry about campaigning online. “The spam finds its way into my inbox, too,” said Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub (D) of the Federal Election Commission, who helps police America’s campaigns. “The politicians who write the rules have exempted themselves from a lot of the rules that could apply,” she told me. How do we fight back? Rather than give politicians special end runs to our attention, we need to find ways to make politicians more accountable for how they treat our inboxes and our data — and what they say in direct communications with us…”

5 of the Best Solutions for Monitoring Website Changes

maketecheasier: “One of the quickest ways to check a website for new updates is to add the site to your favorite RSS reader and let the tool notify you of any new content. However, an RSS reader can only check for updates within the confines of RSS-formatted code. This limitation means RSS readers won’t work… Continue Reading

Exploring gaps in city climate planning and the need for regional action

Brookings: “The growing threats from climate change leave the global population no choice: We must decarbonize human activity as soon as possible. That includes changing how we build, travel, generate power, and more to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Achieving such transformative change will require a mix of policy reforms, new technologies, and significant capital… Continue Reading

Lack of Preparedness Among Top Reactions Americans Have to Public Health Officials’ COVID-19 Response

“Amid the rollout of updated COVID-19 booster shots around the United States, a new Pew Research Center survey finds mixed views of public health officials at the forefront of the nation’s response to the outbreak. About half of Americans (51%) say public health officials, such as those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… Continue Reading

Should I Eat That? Food Safety with Wolfram Language

Wolfram Blog: “Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, is something many of us have experienced. According to the World Health Organization, almost 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill each year after eating contaminated food. Luckily, by following recommended food safety practices, we can do our best to avoid getting sick. September is Food… Continue Reading

100 Days Post-Roe: At Least 66 Clinics Across 15 US States Have Stopped Offering Abortion Care

Guttmacher Institute: “October 2, 2022 marked 100 days since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that has resulted in states across the nation severely restricting access to abortion. New Guttmacher research found that 100 days after the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, 66 clinics across 15 states… Continue Reading

Falling Behind: A Report Card on EPA’s Progress on 10 Important Power Sector Rules

“Analysis by Evergreen Action shows that EPA is falling behind on eight key climate change and air quality regulations for the power sector, with only two rules on track. After several delays and missed deadlines, EPA must go further, faster to finalize these rules during President Biden’s first term and keep our climate and environmental… Continue Reading

Art Loss Register

“The Art Loss Register is the leading due diligence provider for the art market, and maintains the world’s largest private database of stolen art, antiques and collectables. Experts around the world use our services to check the provenance of items before they buy or handle them. Police, insurers, the trade and the public may record… Continue Reading