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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

Fired NPS, USFS, BLM Employees Share Their Stories

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The Guardian: “Approximately 5,000 people have been terminated from the agencies that manage the 35m acres (14m hectares) of federal public lands in the US. These are our lands. They encompass national parks and forests, wilderness and marine protected areas, scenic rivers. They are home to campgrounds, river accesses, hiking trails and myriad other sites… Continue Reading

Never pay a medical bill without asking these questions first

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Vox: “..About half of American adults report difficulties affording health care costs, according to KFF polling conducted in 2022, and about 41 percent carry some form of medical debt. A 2021 Census Bureau analysis found that about 14 million people owed more than $1,000 in medical debt, while 3 million Americans owed more than $10,000.… Continue Reading

No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits

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Wired:  “Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project had uncovered massive government fraud when it alleged that 150-year-olds were claiming Social Security benefits. But Musk has provided no evidence to back up his claims, and experts quickly pointed out that this is very likely just a quirk of… Continue Reading

Database and dashboard – activities, groups and businesses supporting democracy through action

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The Team at Horizons Project is keeping up a database about movement activity focusing on the range of activity against various pillars. The Pillars — principled collective action & loving defiance. Subject matter tools, links and resources authored by: government workers; business; faith based initiatives; professional associations; unions. Includes Tactics Used, Links and Further Details.… Continue Reading

OPINION: A librarian’s summary of, and response to, the Clarivate announcement

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Siobhan Haimé, Birkbeck, University of London (with thanks to Tristan Smith for copyediting assistance) (See also the news item here) In a rather seismic announcement, Clarivate has announced the phase-out of perpetual access purchases for print, eBooks and digital collections by the end of 2025. Described as a supposedly transformative “subscription-based strategy”, this approach is… Continue Reading

How an obscure advisory board lets utilities steal $50b/year from ratepayers

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Pluralistic:  “Two figures to ponder. First: if your local power company is privately owned, you’ve seen energy rate hikes at 49% above inflation over the last three years. Second: if your local power company is publicly owned, you’ve seen energy rates go up at 44% below inflation over the same period. Power is that much-theorized… Continue Reading

LinkedIn is a weird, workaholic wasteland and a total gold mine for Microsoft

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Sherwood: “LinkedIn may not be the first platform you think of when you think about our modern obsession with social media. But the site’s strange mix of job postings, constant spam, professional advice you didn’t ask for, humble and not-so-humble bragging, as well as the occasional actually useful bit of professional connection or networking has… Continue Reading

The 8 Best Apps to Identify Anything Using Your Phone’s Camera

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MakeUseOf: Your phone’s camera isn’t just for selfies—it can also double as a visual search engine. From mystery plants to random gadgets, these top Android and iPhone apps can help you identify almost anything you see. Google Lens: For Identifying Everything Pinterest: Art, Design, and Decor Identifier Amazon Shopping: Price Comparison and Amazon Availability Image… Continue Reading