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Others are calling for larger foundations to help grantees if they are sued or are offering legal assistance themselves. The Council on Foundations, which supports philanthropic foundations and provides legal resources to its members to help them consider potential legal risks, submitted an amicus brief in the case supporting the Fearless Fund's First Amendment argument. “If you’re committed to DEI or race-conscious or race-based giving, you should not back down on your priorities. We’re funding homelessness or employment or the wealth gap,” she said as examples of changes in wording funders have made. The Black Freedom Fund, which was founded in 2021 to fund Black community organizations in California, has started a legal defense fund for its grantees for precisely that reason.

Persons: aren't, Fearless, Edward Blum, Blum, —, Searle, Sarah Scaife, Kathleen Enright, you’re, ”, John Palfrey, John D, Catherine T, Claudine Gay, Christopher Rufo, Bill Ackman, Gay, MacArthur, “, Mae Hong, Carmen Rojas, Marguerite Casey, Rojas, can’t, ” Rojas, Marc Philpart, ” Philpart, Hong, they’re, ” Hong Organizations: —, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Fair, Searle Freedom Trust, Sarah Scaife Foundation, Fidelity Investments, Donors Trust, National Philanthropic Trust, Foundations, MacArthur Foundation, Harvard University, Manhattan Institute, Harvard, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Blacks, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Freedom Fund, “, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Black, California

Pitchfork announced it was no longer a freestanding music site, after digital publications BuzzFeed News and Jezebel disappeared last year. Even The Washington Post, whose subscriptions boomed during the Trump administration, has seen a falloff, leading its management to acknowledge that it was too optimistic in expansion plans and needed to cut costs. THE PATH FORWARD IS JUST AS BUMPYSome of the troubled outlets also have unique issues that contributed to their problems. “We need journalists in society, and we will find a way to fill that need,” he said. But in the short run, it's going to be ugly.”___David Bauder covers media for The Associated Press.

Persons: —, tacos, Jezebel, Conde, walkouts, ”, Didier Saugy, Gray, Jeff Jarvis, ” Jarvis, “, Trump, Jeff Bezos, Patrick Soon, Jarvis, Aileen Gallagher, that's, Elon Musk's, ” Gallagher, Jim VandeHei, haven't, Tara Dublin, Steve Reilly, you've, ___ David Bauder Organizations: National Press, Los Angeles Times, Business, Time, Washington Post, Pitchfork, Washington Post , New York Daily News, Conde Nast, Press Club, Northwestern University, New York Times, Hollywood, Philanthropy, Associated Press, MacArthur Foundation, Knight Foundation, ” Tech, Syracuse University, Google, Publishers, Facebook, Twitter, Sports, Axios, Politico Locations: Washington, Washington Post , New, United States

NEW YORK (AP) — Ava DuVernay kept hearing she had to read “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.” She had Isabel Wilkerson’s book in galleys before it was published in 2020. “At one point, a high-profile director said to me, ‘I heard you got the book,’” DuVernay says. “That’s what I thought.”Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“Origin,” DuVernay’s new film, isn’t a direct adaptation of Wilkerson’s book. It feels like a miracle.”DuVernay calls “Origin” the film she’s proudest of, partly because of how she made it outside the studio system. To not feel like ‘Oh, I didn’t go to film school and I’m just skating by,'" DuVernay says.

Persons: — Ava DuVernay, Isabel Wilkerson’s, Oprah Winfrey, ‘, ” DuVernay, ’, ”, George Floyd, Wilkerson, ” “ Selma ”, “, DuVernay, Aunjaneu Ellis, Taylor, “ She’s Indiana Jones, She’s, Ellis, Taylor hadn’t, Paul Garnes, Garnes, —, Robert Wood Johnson, Melinda Gates, Chris Paul, Trayvon Martin, Jim Crow, Jon Bernthal, Emily Yancy, ” Ellis, Oscar, “ King Arthur, she’s, Selma ’, I’ve, I’m, Martin, doesn’t, it’s, Jake Coyle Organizations: “, Venice Film, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, NBA, Suns, LBJ, Venice, Walt Disney Co Locations: “, United States, Venice, Nazi Germany, Mississippi, India, American

☆ 10 industry leaders transforming business in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-11 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

In 2023, Business Insider's annual list of People Transforming Business highlights key players across the advertising, ESG, finance, AI, and labor sectors. Increasingly, they're turning to more opaque private credit markets to borrow money. The world of private credit sits outside the traditional banking system. Analysts expect the private credit market to balloon in size — likely keeping lawyers like Breen very busy. Muthukrishnan is trying to make sense of how risky these private credit loans are by overseeing what is so far the most comprehensive look at vulnerabilities in the industry.

Persons: Mira Murati, who's, Vince Toye, Eileen Fisher, Eileen Fisher Fisher, Guerin Blask, Eileen Fisher Eileen Fisher, she's, Fisher, Janelle Jones, Jones, Lexey, —, She's, Justin Breen, Proskauer Breen, Proskauer Justin Breen, he's, Breen, Ares Capital, He's, McLaren, Julie Su, Labor Julie Su, Department of Labor Julie Su, Su, Marty Walsh, Murati, Jim Wilson, Neal Mohan, YouTube Mohan, Katie Thompson, YouTube It's, YouTube isn't, Mohan, Muthukrishnan, Satya Nadella, Microsoft Satya Nadella, Ben Kriemann, Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Mathias Döpfner, Axel Springer, Tim Cook, Apple Cook, Justin Sullivan, Cook, Steve Jobs, Jobs, JPMorgan Chase Toye, JPMorgan Chase, Toye, they'll, Vince Toye's, Bella Sayegh, Rebecca Ungarino, Lara O'Reilly, Juliana Kaplan, Alex Nicoll, Tim Paradis, Stephanie Hallett, Michelle Abrego, Josée Rose, Ryan Joe, Emily Canal, Kaja Whitehouse, Alyssa Powell, Davis, Jonann Brady Organizations: JPMorgan, Service Employees International, SEIU, New York, Ford, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers Union, Spelman College, US Department of Labor, Economic Policy Institute, Center for Economic, Research, Department of Labor, The New York Times, Ares, Churchill Asset Management, European, Atlético Madrid, Labor, Labor Department, MacArthur Foundation, New York Times, Dartmouth, OpenAI, Associated Press, YouTube, NFL, DirecTV, Federal, Microsoft, Manipal Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin -, University of Chicago, Apple, Apple Watch, Google, Time, JPMorgan Chase, National Housing Trust, Trenton Almgren Locations: McDonald's, Lorain , Ohio, Atlanta, California, Los Angeles, Albania, Canada, Muthukrishnan, Hyderabad, India, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, OpenAI, Virginia, Wells Fargo, Trenton

☆ How old fishing nets could be part of the climate crisis solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Paul Glader | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

De Bouter’s company, Brikole, is a startup “circular business” that recycles discarded nets from the industrial tuna fishing industry. Kyle de Bouter holds board shorts made of recycled Nylon fishing nets similar to the kind he is recycling. Since the area is prime for fishing, especially tuna fishing, many in Seychelles believe those industries are a good place to start. He championed activity by “inventive young entrepreneurs” to improve society, mentioning recycled fishing nets as one example. “This is solving the problem of exhausted fishing nets,” said Julio Morón, a managing director of the Spanish tuna fishing organization called OPAGAC.

Persons: Seychelles CNN — Kyle de Bouter, ”, De, Kyle de Bouter, Paul Glader, CNN “, de Bouter, Joshua Tiatouse, CNN De Bouter, Ellen MacArthur, Eduardo Soteras, James Alix Michel’s, Michel, De Bouter, Julio Morón, Brikole, Bouter, de, Manuel Sigren, Bureo, Joshua Tiatousse, Tiatousse, “ Organizations: Seychelles CNN, United Nations, CNN, Bank, “ Department of Blue, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Washington Post, Economy Research, University of Seychelles, snags, Electricity, Bureo, DuPont, BASF, DOMO Chemicals, Grandview Research Locations: Victoria, Seychelles, Patagonia, Spain, France, South Korea, Kosovo, Ghana, Philippines, Mahé, “, Dubai, China, California, Africa, Asia, Grandview

☆ Italian designers Krill are using fruit peel to make furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Using fruit peel, orange seeds and coffee ground waste collected from businesses in Italy, Krill products can be redistributed to the same businesses for use in their offices, instead of furniture made from common plastics. “After three or four years, you have to change your furniture [anyway],” says Marco Di Maio, director of operations at Krill. “But if all that furniture was made using our materials, we would be able to recover them, crush them and print other furniture with the same material. First, the food waste is dried and crushed into a very fine powder. It’s also looking to develop injection molding — injecting the molten compound of food waste and PHB into a mold instead of 3D-printing — which could cut costs and save time.

Persons: “, ”, Marco Di Maio, Di Maio, won’t, Rekrill, we’ve, ” Di Maio, San, Iles, Ellen MacArthur, bioplastics, ” Iles, It’s Organizations: CNN, Circle Economy Foundation, bioplastics, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Locations: Milan, Italy, San Pellegrino, Sicily, “

Blended finance see providers of public money - typically government aid departments, development finance institutions or charitable donors - agree to accept more risk in a fund to encourage private sector investors to join. The money raised through blended finance funds is a fraction of what's needed. The new 25-year SDG Loan Fund is structured so that FMO takes the first loss should the loans turn sour. Private investors, which include Allianz and Skandia, will be the last to lose money. But this loan fund structure ensured "everyone's interest is aligned," she said, noting that private investors can start getting their money back when loans begin amortising in a few years.

Persons: Tilman Blasshofer, FMO, That's, Nadia Nikolova, Nikolova, Nic Wessemius, FMO's, Wessemius, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Simon Jessop, Mark Potter Organizations: Allianz Global Investors, REUTERS, MacArthur Foundation, LONDON, Private, Allianz, Skandia, FMO, Reuters, concessional, Investment, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Dubai

☆ Review: Years Late, a Young Pianist Finally Gets to Carnegie
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Zachary Woolfe | More About Zachary Woolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The French pianist Alexandre Kantorow was supposed to make his Carnegie Hall recital debut on March 25, 2020, as a late replacement for the ailing Murray Perahia. When Kantorow, 26, finally made it to Carnegie on Sunday afternoon, it was again as a substitute for an eminent colleague, this time Maurizio Pollini. This wasn’t Kantorow’s first time playing at Carnegie; he performed two pieces at Zankel Hall in 2019, as one of the winners of that year’s International Tchaikovsky Competition. But Sunday’s very fine recital, on the hall’s main stage, was a wholly different kind of platform. And he arrived with expectations ratcheted up even higher than if he had merely (ha) won the Tchaikovsky.

Persons: Alexandre Kantorow, Murray Perahia, Kantorow, Maurizio Pollini, Alice Tully Hall, Tchaikovsky, MacArthur, he’d Organizations: Carnegie Hall, Carnegie, Hall Locations: French

A scientist who studies the airborne transmission of diseases, a master hula dancer and cultural preservationist, and the sitting U.S. poet laureate were among the 20 new recipients of the prestigious fellowships from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, known as “genius grants,” announced on Wednesday. MacArthur fellows receive a grant of $800,000 over five years to spend however they want. Fellows are nominated and endorsed by their peers and communities through an often yearslong process that the foundation oversees. Many past fellows like Octavia Butler, Paul Farmer and Twyla Tharp are luminaries in their fields and Marlies Carruth, who directs the MacArthur Fellows program, emphasized that they hope fellows will support and inspire each other. "To think that I’ve actually been selected as one is really mind-blowing,” she said, of the MacArthur fellows.

Persons: John D, Catherine T, ”, MacArthur, it’s, Ada Limón, Allamay Barker, “, Limón, ” Limón, Octavia Butler, Paul Farmer, Twyla Tharp, Carruth, Andrea Armstrong, Patrick Makuakāne, Imani Perry, Linsey Marr, Marr, Ian Bassin, Bassin, Tendayi, Rina Foygel Barber, Courtney Bryan, Jason D, María Magdalena Campos, Pons, Raven Chacon, Diana Greene Foster, Lucy Hutyra, Carolyn Lazard, Lester Mackey, Manuel Muñoz, Williams, Amber Wutich Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, University of Montevallo, NASA, Marlies Carruth, MacArthur Fellows, Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law, Black, Virginia Tech, Protect Democracy, MacArthur, Mexican American, Associated, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Lexington , Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, Caribbean, Americas, Mexican, Central

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the 2023 class of fellows, often known as recipients of the “genius grant,” on Wednesday. The foundation reviews nominations for fellows over a yearslong process that solicits input from their communities and peers. Fellows do not apply and are never officially informed that they've been nominated unless they are selected for the award. The 2023 fellows are:E. Tendayi Achiume, 41, Los Angeles, a legal scholar who examines the history of global migration to argue for a reimagining of the rules governing the movement of people. Lester Mackey, 38, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a computer scientist and statistician whose research has helped improve the efficiency and predictions of machine learning techniques.

Persons: John D, Catherine T, ”, Carruth, they've, Tendayi Achiume, Andrea Armstrong, Rina Foygel Barber, Ian Bassin, Courtney Bryan, Jason D, María Magdalena Campos, Pons, Raven Chacon, Red, Diana Greene Foster, Lucy Hutyra, Carolyn Lazard, Ada Limón, Lester Mackey, Patrick Makuakāne, Linsey Marr, Manuel Muñoz, Imani Perry, Dyani, Williams, Amber Wutich Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, MacArthur Fellows, Mexican American, Black, Associated, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Nashville , Tennessee, Cuba, Red Hook , New York, United States, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Lexington , Kentucky, Blacksburg , Virginia, Tucson , Arizona, Mexican, Central Valley, Shakopee, Minneapolis, Tempe , Arizona

NEW YORK (AP) — Some organizations representing minority journalists say they're worried that outlets reporting on their communities will be left behind in a recently-announced $500 million initiative aimed at boosting the struggling local news industry. They urged that Press Forward Initiative, a group of 20 funders led by the Knight and MacArthur Foundations, to more explicitly commit to funding these outlets, particularly those run by minorities. “They're sort of skirting around it,” said Martin Reynolds, co-executive director of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, on Tuesday. The letter to Press Forward sent on Tuesday was signed by the Asian American Journalists Association, the Indigenous Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. The organizations that spoke out on Tuesday said they “didn't hesitate to applaud” when the latest funding initiative was announced, and pleased that “improving diversity of experience and thought” was set as part of the mission.

Persons: they're, ”, Martin Reynolds, Robert C, Reynolds, he's Organizations: Initiative, Knight, MacArthur Foundations, Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, U.S, Supreme, National Trust for Local News, Asian American Journalists Association, Indigenous Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Local Locations: U.S

☆ Philanthropies Pledge $500 Million to Address Crisis in Local News
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

John Palfrey, the president of the MacArthur Foundation, said Press Forward aimed to help news outlets that did not have enough revenue to sustain their business. The goal, he added, is to eventually raise and invest $1 billion for the effort. “There’s extraordinary opportunity,” Mr. Palfrey said in an interview. Digital news outlets and nonprofit newsrooms have sprung up across the United States, but not in numbers large enough to fill the gap. According to the Northwestern report, most of the new outlets serve urban centers, leaving some economically struggling and rural communities at a loss.

Persons: John Palfrey, “, Mr, Palfrey Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, Press, United States —, Northwestern University’s Medill School Locations: United States, Northwestern

“This is hugely important, both practically and symbolically,” said Tim Franklin, director of the Local News Initiative at Northwestern University's Medill journalism school. The Carnegie Corp., the Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and MacArthur are among a group of 20 initial funders. Philanthropies that recognize the need to strengthen democracy are beginning to see that progress on many different issues depends on the public's understanding of facts, said John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation president. He said he expected other funding will be added in the coming months to boost the commitment beyond $500 million. Struggling local news sources have also attracted the attention of state governments, where things like tax breaks for advertisers or subscribers are being discussed, he said.

Persons: ”, Tim Franklin, Robert Wood Johnson, John Palfrey, Franklin, there's, “, Alberto Ibarguen, John S, James L, Ibarguen, wasn’t, ” Ibarguen, he's, Tom Rosenstiel Organizations: MacArthur Foundation, Foundation, Press, Local, Initiative, Northwestern University's Medill, Carnegie Corp, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, MacArthur, Associated Press, Knight Foundation, Texas Tribune, Shawnee Mission, University of Maryland Locations: United States, Northwestern, Shawnee, Kansas, Richland, Ohio, Chicago, Dallas , Texas, Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Philadelphia

☆ McDonald’s new battle over the way the Big Mac and fries are packaged
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Carolyn Chun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Reusable packaging may be next. McDonald's biggest reusable packaging changes are outside US McDonald's has made several big packaging changes in recent years, mostly coming from outside the U.S. and following governmental action. And at the end of last year, McDonald's France launched a reusable plastic food container in its signature red color – though not without initiating a new controversy over the decision to not use all glass or metal. There are many challenges that come with reusable packaging, and McDonald's has looked to highlight that as it agrees to conduct more research on the reusables economy. The economics case for reusable packagingAdvocates for reusable packaging argue that the economics will work.

☆ They Want to Change the World. They Would Also Like a Raise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Julie Satow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At Community Solutions, the tensions began after the group was awarded a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation. When they informed management of their decision, workers said they were surprised when Community Solutions hired a powerful law firm, Proskauer, to negotiate a contract. (The firm is also representing The New York Times in current contract negotiations with the The New York Times Guild.) “This was a value statement, based on our lived experiences,” he said. The clause that management would like to use, she continued, “includes strong anti-discrimination language that is nearly identical to other collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the same union.”

☆ Retailers to tackle sustainability at key conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They will discuss the challenges facing their businesses as inflation causes consumers in Europe and elsewhere to reduce spending. The European Commission is drawing up new rules on textile waste that will make companies responsible for managing the waste their products create. Decathlon, the world's biggest sporting goods retailer, sells repair services, spare parts and tools for people to repair their own bicycles, tents, and kayaks. Retailers are working with local authorities ahead of an EU law that will require member states to separately collect textile waste by Jan. 1, 2025. Firms including Decathlon, Mango, Inditex, and IKEA recently created an association in Spain for the management of textile waste.

☆ Lululemon’s Climate Goals Hinge on Replacing Oil With Plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s need for crude oil for its leggings and other stretchy clothes presents a hurdle to meeting its climate ambitions. Its first products out this month are two shirts containing at least 50% nylon made from plant-based sugars instead of oil. A new Lululemon shirt contains at least 50% nylon made from plant-based sugars instead of oil. Lululemon’s push into biomaterials is part of a goal to make all of its products with sustainable materials by the end of the decade. Biomaterials also can help Lululemon more swiftly reduce its climate impact because using recycled materials is challenging, Ms. Speck said.

☆ Timnit Gebru Is Calling Attention to the Pitfalls of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

As a leading researcher on the ethics of artificial intelligence, Timnit Gebru has long believed that machine-learning algorithms could one day power much of our lives. What she didn’t predict was just how quickly this would happen. “I didn’t imagine people would be like, ‘Let’s replace lawyers with a chatbot,’ or ‘Let’s sell AI generated art that looks exactly like someone else’s,’” she says over video from her home in California’s Bay Area. Much of her work involves highlighting the ways AI programs can reinforce existing prejudices. “We talk about algorithms, but we don’t talk about who’s constructing the data set or who’s in the data set,” she says.

Walsh will then start his new private-sector job as executive director of the NHL labor union, the hockey news website reported. The NHL Players' Association did not respond to a request for comment. Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su, a former California labor secretary, is expected to take over as acting secretary. As Labor secretary, Walsh had vowed to boost union membership, a key issue for Biden. The NHL players' union represents 750 athletes, according to the organization.

☆ You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction“People feel a kind of longing for a belonging to the natural world,” says the author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer. I am deeply aware of the fact that my view of the natural world is colored by my home place. But I don’t think that’s the same as romanticizing nature. Of course the natural world is full of forces that are so-called destructive. The story that we have to illuminate is that we don’t have to be complicit with destruction.

☆ Investors sit on a plastic waste ticking bomb
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the United States 73% of plastic waste ends up in landfills, where it takes up to 500 years to decompose. Using recycled plastic, while less energy-intensive than creating virgin plastic, can cost more overall. In March, 175 governments agreed to work out binding laws to end plastic pollution by end-2024. Reuters GraphicsFollow @LJucca on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSRepresentatives of 175 countries endorsed in March a landmark resolution to develop international legally binding instruments to end plastic pollution. In 2008 the Netherlands introduced a packaging waste management levy.

☆ An A.I. Pioneer on What We Should Really Fear
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Pioneer on What We Should Really FearArtificial intelligence stirs our highest ambitions and deepest fears like few other technologies. Can you explain what “common sense” means in the context of teaching it to A.I.? A way of describing it is that common sense is the dark matter of intelligence. I don’t know what “solving” should look like, but what I mean to say for the purpose of this conversation is that A.I. It’s common sense not to kill all the plants in order to preserve human lives; it’s common sense not to go with extreme, degenerative solutions.

☆ Fast-Fashion Brands Like Zara, Shein Create Mountains of Waste From Holiday Shopping, Returns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Gad Allon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that, globally, less than 1% of used clothing is actually recycled into new clothes. Recycling clothes is expensive, and the existing technology isn't adequate to handle the volume needed to make a difference for the planet. While recycling clothing can be expensive, there are some companies that have figured out a way to limit waste by recycling. Time to be honestIn order to fix fast fashion, companies need to start being more transparent about their sustainability practices. It also ensures that the waste companies produce is out in the open.

☆ Amazon used enough plastic air packets in its boxes to circle the planet 800 times in 2021, an outside group found. The company said it used far less.`
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon said its plastic packaging footprint came to 97,222 metric tons in 2021. Oceana estimated that Amazon used nearly 322,000 metric tons of plastic in 2021, more than triple what the company calculated. By Oceana's count, Amazon used 52% more plastic last year compared with 2019, the first year the group conducted its analysis. In 2021, Target, Walmart, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo each used more plastic packaging than the previous year, contributing to an overall 4.3% increase across brands and retailers. California, the largest economy in the US, passed a law in June to cut plastic packaging in the state by 25% over a decade.

☆ The Visions of Octavia Butler
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Lynell George | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +27 min

As a science fiction writer, Butler forged a new path and envisioned bold possibilities. Mural with a portrait of Octavia Butler and her name, composed of dots of various densities in 3-D space. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant. “‘Kindred’ was a story of ordinary people trapped in fantastic circumstances,” Butler wrote in a 1988 notebook. Her point of view was one not traditionally found in science fiction and, simply by writing, she demanded a larger world.

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