Washington Post: “As the world enters 2022, public libraries are emerging as one of the bright spots — literally. An abundance of new and newly renovated libraries have opened their doors in the past two years. In addition to being breathtakingly beautiful, many are exemplars of what great community spaces can and should be. Indoors, they are filled with natural light. Books once packed together in dark corners are now on display on bright, welcoming shelves that could rival those in an Apple store. Some libraries have added outdoor patios and roof decks. Though printed volumes remain their focal point, the best new libraries offer so much more: computer labs, conference rooms of different sizes, studios for recording podcasts and editing videos; event spaces, hands-on experiences for kids, a cafe, and kitchens where people can learn to cook foods from different cultures. Call it a new golden era for public libraries worldwide…” [h/t Barclay Walsh]
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Daily Archives: January 5, 2022
The 1/6 question: Not what, but when
Politico, Kyle Cheney: “DELIVERED — It’s the timestamps, stupid. Investigators, prosecutors and journalists have spent a year reconstructing the horror of Jan. 6 in granular, painstaking detail — unearthing eye-popping vignettes about a president obsessed with subverting his own defeat, and a mob willing to do his bidding at nearly any cost. The evidence has… Continue Reading
Pelosi – Activities to Mark One Year Since January Sixth
“Dear Democratic Colleague, As we enjoy the Holiday Season with loved ones, we are preparing to mark one year since the January 6th assault on the Capitol. I write to make you aware of the activities that will be held that day. The House will not be in session, but a full program of events… Continue Reading
After the insurrection: How domestic extremists adapted and evolved after the January 6 US Capitol attack
This report by the Atlantic Council Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) provides an overview and analysis of the shifts observed in domestic extremist movements since the 2021 Capitol attack. “Domestic extremist movements have evolved and adapted their strategies, infrastructure, and messaging in the year since the insurrection at the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. Such movements were initially jubilant at the sight… Continue Reading
NewsGuard Misinformation Monitor January 2022
NewsGuard: “…Of the 113 U.S. websites that NewsGuard found were spreading election misinformation in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 presidential vote and that are still active, 81 percent have continued to spread false claims about the election, including about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a NewsGuard analysis has found. The problem… Continue Reading
We Know Exactly Who the Capitol Rioters Were
Slate – Aymann Ismail – A year later, a fuller picture of who really drove the riot is clear. The lessons for 2022 and beyond are sobering.”…Robert Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, sought data in that chaos. When the earliest arrests came after the riot, Pape began collecting information… Continue Reading
Should I Just Get Omicron Over With?
The Atlantic: “If you’re vaccinated, an infection might not make you super sick, but don’t count on it making you super immune, either…Viruses that linger too long in the body could exact a punishing cost—transmission, disease, death. But if they’re cleared out too fast, they might not have enough time to teach the body something… Continue Reading
Insurrection Index has 1404 records of those in the public trust who played a role in the insurrection
“Insurrection Index is a searchable database of records on individuals and organizations in positions of public trust who were involved in the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. As of January 2022, the Insurrection Index has over 1,000 records of those in public trust who played a role in the insurrection…Below is… Continue Reading
The best books of the year 2021
BBC – “From award-winning fiction to moving memoir, here are BBC Culture’s top reading picks of 2021. Following two acclaimed, heavyweight (and Pulitzer Prize-winning) novels, 2016’s The Underground Railroad, made into a TV series this year, and 2019’s The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead’s latest is a crime caper, set partly against the backdrop of race… Continue Reading
Parler and the Road to the Capitol Attack Investigating Alt-Tech Ties to January 6
New America: “The January 6, 2021 mob assault on the U.S. Capitol exposed deep fissures between Americans and shook the very foundations of the country. The violence that day and the tech industry’s response to the tsunami of polarizing content triggered a major public debate over how social media and tech companies manage their platforms… Continue Reading
A Year After Capitol Riot, Facebook Remains an Extremist Breeding Ground
Technology Transparency Project: “A year ago, Facebook tried to wash its hands of responsibility for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite the fact that, as the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) documented, its platform was a prime tool for organizing the rally and spreading the conspiracy theories and militant extremism that drove the rioters. Now, as… Continue Reading
Omicron cases are exploding. Scientists still don’t know how bad the wave will be
Science.org: “As this year begins, the Omicron variant is smashing COVID-19 infection records across Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia. With massive numbers of people infected or in quarantine, tens of thousands of flights and trains have been canceled, and work and schools disrupted. Earlier in the pandemic, the frightful, near-vertical rise in cases would… Continue Reading
