The Verge: “Google is announcing even more Workspace features today, part of an increased cadence of changes to the company’s office and communications software suite over the past year or so. Today’s announcement is a bit of a milestone, however. Although there is still the smattering of small and coming-soon updates, the bigger change is… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: September 2021
LAPD officers told to collect social media data on every civilian they stop
The Guardian: “The Los Angeles police department (LAPD) has directed its officers to collect the social media information of every civilian they interview, including individuals who are not arrested or accused of a crime, according to records shared with the Guardian. Copies of the “field interview cards” that police complete when they question civilians reveal… Continue Reading
Study – Safety net helped prevent widespread hunger during the pandemic
Washington Post: “Despite a world-altering pandemic, the number of American households struggling with hunger remained nearly constant last year, buoyed by significant federal safety net programs, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Agriculture Department. However, food assistance programs may not have reached populations equally, according to the report, as food insecurity during… Continue Reading
Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11
Pew: “Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 20 years later, they watched in sorrow as the nation’s military mission in Afghanistan – which began less than a month after 9/11 – came to a… Continue Reading
The real chances of a breakthrough infection
The New York Times: “The C.D.C. reported a terrifying fact in July: Vaccinated people with the Delta variant of the Covid virus carried roughly the same viral load in their noses and throats as unvaccinated people. The news seemed to suggest that even the vaccinated were highly vulnerable to getting infected and passing the virus… Continue Reading
Solar Energy Could Power 40% of US Electricity by 2035
Energy.gov: “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released the Solar Futures Study detailing the significant role solar will play in decarbonizing the nation’s power grid. The study shows that by 2035, solar energy has the potential to power 40% of the nation’s electricity, drive deep decarbonization of the grid, and employ as much as… Continue Reading
Smithsonian Marks 9/11 Anniversary
“Here’s how the American History Museum, the National Postal Museum and more are reflecting on the tragedy…reminders of September 11, 2001, are scattered throughout the Smithsonian Institution’s collections. A warped piece of steel taken from Ground Zero. A damaged mail collection box that once stood across the street from World Trade Center Building 5. An… Continue Reading
The Hardest Thing to Accept About COVID Right Now
Slate – Shannon Palus “…It’s month 20 of covering the pandemic, living through the pandemic, living with everyone else who is living through the pandemic too. Even as things are so much better—the vaccines are highly effective in the important ways—they are still very bad. You only have to glance at the hospitalizations, or turn… Continue Reading
Why you should be more concerned about internet shutdowns
MIT Technology Review: “Deliberate internet shutdowns enacted by governments around the world are increasing in frequency and sophistication, according to a recent report. The study, published by Google’s Jigsaw project with the digital rights nonprofit Access Now and the censorship measurement company Censored Planet, says internet shutdowns are growing “exponentially”: out of nearly 850 shutdowns… Continue Reading
Best eReaders for every type of book lover
PopSci: “The latest and greatest ebook readers cram an entire library of content into one device that’s as easy to read as it is to carry. The best eReader is more than a convenient way to carry an entire collection of James Paterson novels onto an airplane. Today’s eReaders are sophisticated tablets capable of displaying text… Continue Reading
Why You Might Not Be Returning to the Office Until Next Year
The New York Times: “In the nearly 18 months since the pandemic first forced companies to send their employees to work from home, the date companies have planned to bring workers back to offices has changed again and again. First it was January, a full year after the coronavirus first surfaced in China. January slipped… Continue Reading
Animals ‘shapeshifting’ in response to climate crisis, research finds
The Guardian: “Animals are increasingly “shapeshifting” because of the climate crisis, researchers have said. Warm-blooded animals are changing their physiology to adapt to a hotter climate, the scientists found. This includes getting larger beaks, legs and ears to better regulate their body temperature. When animals overheat, birds use their beaks and mammals use their ears… Continue Reading
