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☆ White House to bolster cybersecurity training for K-12 schools, with help from the FCC, Amazon Web Services and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, the White House convened school administrators, educators and companies to explore how best to protect schools and students' information from cyberattacks. At least eight K-12 school districts across the country experienced significant cyberattacks in the last academic year, the White House said, leading to disruptions in learning. The White House announced a series of actions from federal agencies and commitments from companies to help school districts secure their digital information. Amazon Web Services committed $20 million to fund a cyber grant program for school districts and state departments of education. It will also conduct free security reviews for U.S. education technology companies that provide "mission-critical applications" for K-12 schools.

Persons: Biden, Miguel Cardona, Cardona, Cloudflare, PowerSchool Organizations: White, Government, Office, White House, Federal Communications Commission, Universal Service Fund, Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Guard Bureau, CNBC, Web Services, Google Locations: cyberattacks, U.S

☆ Adding one line of code can now prevent OpenAI from accessing a website's data to train ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI launched a new web crawler called GPTBot to browse the internet and collect information. However, adding one line of code to a website will block the crawler from accessing the site's data. Adding just one line of code to a website will now block OpenAI from using the site's data to train its AI models. A web crawler is a bot that browses the internet to collect information. Search engines like Google use web crawlers to collect information for their search results, while AI companies use these crawlers to collect data to train their models.

Persons: OpenAI, Michael Veale, ChatGPT —, James Patterson, Margaret Atwood — Organizations: Morning, University College London, MIT Technology, OpenAI

☆ US government offices close in DC due to severe storm threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. government offices in the Washington area closed early on Monday due to a severe storm threat and tornado watch that was disrupting air travel. The National Weather Service said the Washington, D.C., area was under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. Libraries, museums, the National Zoo, pools and other municipal and federal services in the Washington area were also closing early. The tornado watch covers Maryland, Washington and much of Pennsylvania and Virginia. FlightAware, a flight tracking site, said more than 1,100 U.S. flights had been canceled, including 75 at Washington Reagan National Airport, or 17% of flights.

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz WASHINGTON, David Shepardson, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, National Weather Service, D.C, National, U.S ., Management, Washington Reagan National Airport, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, U.S

☆ Paramount to sell Simon & Schuster to KKR for $1.6 billion in cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Paramount has agreed to sell Simon & Schuster to private equity firm KKR for $1.6 billion in cash, after more than three years of trying to offload the book publishing powerhouse. Paramount posted Simon & Schuster for sale in 2020. In November 2022, Paramount ended its agreement to sell Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House in what would have been a $2.2 billion deal. In October 2022, US District Court Judge Florence Pan ruled the combination of the book publishing giants would illegally reduce competition. The private equity firm also sold audiobook publisher RBMedia to H.I.G Capital this year after acquiring it in 2018.

Persons: Simon, Schuster, Bob Bakish, ” Bakish, Jonathan Karp, Dennis Eulau, Biden, Florence Pan, Penguin, RBMedia Organizations: New, New York CNN, Paramount, KKR, Paramount Global, Random, Justice, Elliott Management, Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, H.I.G, & $, & $ Locations: New York, Barnes

Yeah, you’re going to need one of those fancy pizza ovens to replicate this in your home. I think right now, every media company in the world is trying to figure out what replaces Twitter. And they say, you’re going to about to make the easiest money you’ve ever made in your entire life. You’re going to have more people beating a path down your door than you thought was possible. We now have Ubers that are so — I don’t know if you’ve looked at your Uber receipts recently.

Persons: kevin roose I’m, casey newton, kevin roose, casey newton They’re, kevin roose Gang, casey newton Oh, let’s, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, —, Casey, casey newton Mhmm, it’s, kevin roose I’d, you’re, you’ve, — casey newton, Sam Altman, casey newton Isn’t, that’s, Silly Putty, I’m, casey newton Well, Kevin, what’s, kevin roose Totally, casey newton I’ll, Unobtainium, James Cameron, You’ve, Meissner, we’re, There’s, they’re, casey newton Here’s, Twitch, kevin roose There’s, Iris_IGB, she’s, there’s, casey newton There’s, Russia she’s, I’ve, They’ve, hasn’t, ChatGPT, Claude, They’re, hydroxychloroquine, Joe Rogan, Bravo, “ Fortnite, casey newton That’s, we’ve, casey newton Kevin, India Venom, Lydia Tár, we’ll, don’t, casey newton Sure, ”, Joe Biden, casey newton I’m, casey newton Mike Masnick, he’s, Mike, — casey newton Look, who’d, It’s, HatGPT, kevin roose —, casey newton We’re, Rupert Murdaugh, Beast, James Donaldson, Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a, Beast — casey newton James, Uber, Beast Burger, Burger, We’re, Meta, Abraham Lincoln, Facebook — Abraham Lincoln, casey newton It’s, kevin roose Oh, Abraham —, roose, casey newton Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski’s, Greg, You’re, casey newton Wow, Elon Musk, San Francisco NIMBYs, Don’t, kevin roose It’s, you’re Uber Organizations: Mmm, casey newton Mmm, The New York Times, Quantum Energy Research Center, collider, Twitter, Capitol, Federal Trade Commission, Netflix, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Democrats, Republicans, California, Tax, Facebook, YouTube, HatGPT, BBC, WordPress, Health Department, Financial Times, Ford Theater, ” Workers, San, Wall Street Locations: Seoul, Russian, Russia, India, KOSA, SESTA, The, Kashmir, tooting, Washington, San Francisco, Ha, Canada

☆ Ongoing strikes could kill Hollywood's momentum after the 'Barbenheimer' bump, but 4 industry insiders and analysts are still optimistic about the future of these 5 entertainment companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Here's which entertainment companies will outperform, according to analysts and industry insiders. Four industry veterans Insider spoke with unanimously agreed that unless the strikes are resolved soon, the movie industry's much-needed revival will fizzle out. In a mid-July note about the movie industry, Reese and Pachter highlighted three theater-related companies that are best positioned to survive in this difficult environment. FuboTV should be a winner since it's a solid alternative for cord cutters who still need news and sports coverage, which aren't impacted by the strikes, Pachter noted. Netflix is perhaps the most fascinating company in the media industry right now.

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Dergarabedian, Alicia Reese, David A, Gross, Strikes, Reese, Michael Pachter, Dergarabedian, Pachter, Richard Gelfond, JPMorgan's David Karnovsky, Wedbush's Pachter, aren't, it's Organizations: Hollywood, Wedbush Securities, Entertainment Research, Alliance, Television Producers, Consumers, Netflix Locations: Hollywood, creatives

☆ Half of US faces dangerous sweltering heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHICAGO, July 28 (Reuters) - One of every two Americans will face brutally hot and dangerous temperatures and sweltering humidity as a unrelenting heat wave settles over the Midwest and East Coast on Friday and into the weekend. Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories have been issued for more than 170 million Americans as heat index temperatures in many spots are expected to rise well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C) through Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. In Philadelphia, where the heat index could top out at 108 degrees F (42 C), officials extended public pool and spray grounds hours on Friday and Saturday. It also was the 47th consecutive June and the 532nd consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average, according to the weather service. The hot weather through much of the U.S. is expected to dissipated by late Saturday, leaving behind chances of thunderstorms and mild temperatures into next week, the weather service said.

Persons: Brendan O'Brien, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Midwest, National Weather Service, NWS, Thomson Locations: East Coast, Chicago , New York, Philadelphia, Boston, U.S, New York City, United States, Chicago

☆ Publishers, booksellers sue Texas over public school book ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 26 (Reuters) - A coalition of booksellers, authors and publishers has sued Texas seeking to block a new state law that bans "sexually explicit" books from public schools. Vendors that do not participate will be barred from selling any books to Texas schools. Any books rated explicit cannot be sold to public schools and must be recalled from libraries. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has said the Texas law protects children, declaring that it "gets that trash out of our schools" when he signed it in June. In May, the writers' group PEN America and others sued a Florida school district for banning books dealing with LGBTQ and race issues.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Joseph Ax, Colleen Jenkins, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Republican, Texas Education Agency, PEN America, American Library Association, Thomson Locations: Texas, Austin, Florida, Arkansas

☆ I turned a 150-year-old funeral home into a mansion for my family. We have 38 rooms, a casket bar, and sometimes we hear footsteps or doors opening.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Alyshia Hull | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Heather Blumberg and her family turned a funeral home into their mansion. They converted a casket lift into a bar and often hear footsteps or a woman shouting, "Hello!" In 2021, my family and I moved into a funeral home, which we have since converted into our house. We probably use the kitchen and family room the most. This house also has supernatural activity in itSometimes you see people walking around, and you hear footsteps or doors opening.

Persons: Heather Blumberg, Danes, Alyshia Organizations: Service, Alyshia Hull, ahull Locations: Wall, Silicon, We're

In the past two years, book bans have surged in the United States, driven by conservative activists who have targeted books about race and racism or L.G.B.T.Q. While the fight has largely centered on books that are available in school classrooms and libraries, the legislation in Texas has drawn booksellers directly into the conflict. “Some school libraries have books with sexually explicit and vulgar materials,” he said during the bill signing session. But the plaintiffs said that the Texas law would take decisions out of the hands of schools and parents and put the burden on vendors instead. The law’s opponents also argue the legislation will increase the number of book bans in Texas, which already leads the country in removing books from schools, according to an analysis by the free speech organization PEN America.

Persons: Greg Abbott, ”, “ Organizations: PEN America Locations: United States, Texas

☆ Oppenheimer never won a Nobel Prize, but these 31 scientists with ties to the Manhattan Project did
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Manhattan Project: After a harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, Bohr began consulting on the Manhattan Project. Manhattan Project: Between 1943 and 1944, Muller was a civilian advisor for the Manhattan Project, consulting on experiments studying the effects of radiation. Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1963Maria Goeppert Mayer worked on the Manhattan Project and later won the Nobel Prize in physics. Manhattan Project: Working as an assistant to his father, Niels Bohr, Aage Bohr proved instrumental in interpreting for some members of the Manhattan Project. Manhattan Project: At 18, Glauber was still a student at Harvard when he became one of the youngest scientists to join the Manhattan Project.

Persons: Robert Oppenheimer, Alfred Nobel, Joseph Rotblat, Albert Einstein, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr, Bohr, Nicholas Baker, Nick, James Franck, Boyer, Roger Viollet, Gustav Ludwig Hertz, Niels Bohr's, Franck, Arthur Compton, Imagno, Compton, Harold Urey, Harold, Urey, James Chadwick, Chadwick, Enrico Fermi, Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, Lawrence, Isidor Isaac Rabi, Nancy R, Schiff, Rabi, Hermann Muller, Muller, Edwin McMillan, Bettmann, Glenn Seaborg, McMillan, Elsie McMillan, Seaborg, Felix Bloch, Edward Purcell, Nobel, Hans Bethe, Bloch, Purcell, Emilio Segrè, Owen Chamberlain, Chamberlain, Segrè, Willard Libby, Leona Libby, Lowell, Libby, Linus Pauling, Leona Woods Marshall Libby, Eugene Wigner, Wigner, Leo Szilard's, Einstein, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Maria Goeppert Mayer, J, Hans Jensen, Goeppert Mayer, Teller, Richard Feynman, Tomonaga, Julian Schwinger, Fenynman, Hans Bethe's, Feynmwan, Feynman, Schwinger, Robert Mulliken, Mulliken, Szilard, Hans A, Bethe, Luis Alvarez, Alvarez, Enola Gay, Walter Alvarez, James Rainwater, Aage Bohr, Ben Mottelson, Rainwater, Wu, Aage Niels Bohr, Mottelson, mumbled, Val Fitch, James Cronin, Fitch, Jerome Karle, Isabelle, Larry Morris, Herbert Hauptman, Karle, Isabella Karle, Norman Ramsey, Ellie Welch, Ramsey, Norman Ramsey's Nobel, David Cheskin, Rotblat, Russell, Bertrand Russell, Enstinen, Frederick Reines, Philippe Caron, Sygma, Reines, Roy Glauber, Gail Oskin, Glauber Organizations: Manhattan Project, Service, Manhattan, US Army, AP, Getty, University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, Chicago Met, Los Angeles Examiner, USC, Columbia, Keystone, Gamma, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Trinity Test, University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Hulton, Trinity, Deutsch, Los Alamos, University of Chicago's Metallurgical, Atomic Energy Commission, Harvard University, MIT Rad Lab, Denver, Chicago Met Lab, Materials Laboratory, Los, Radiation Laboratory, MIT, University of Chicago's, Princeton University, Naval Research Lab, Washington, US Naval Research Laboratory, Science, World Affairs, Einstein, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Harvard, Institute for Locations: Wall, Silicon, Polish, Denmark, Copenhagen, Nazi, London , Washington, Los Alamos, German, Germany, Japan, Manhattan, British, France, Washington, DC, Berkeley, Ridge , Tennessee, Los, New Mexico, Hanford, antiprotons, Hiroshima, Lowell Georgia, San Diego, Chicago, Washington ,

☆ Quench.ai, a new startup from the cofounder of verification unicorn Onfido, just raised a $5 million pre-seed round with this 11-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Quench.ai, a new company from Onfido cofounder Hussayn Kassai, has raised $5 million. The pre-seed round came from an array of firms including Firstminute Capital and Tuesday VC. The startup wants to help upskill young professionals at companies to give them a competitive edge. Quench.ai, a new startup using AI to help upskill workers, has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding. The startup, which was set up by the cofounder of identity verification unicorn Onfido, aims to help professionals find relevant training content to help with learning and development.

Persons: Hussayn Kassai, Kassai, Quench.ai Organizations: Firstminute Capital, Firstminute, VC, BY Venture Partners, Ada Ventures, Ventures, Notion Locations: COVID, Europe

☆ They Checked Out Pride Books in Protest. It Backfired.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Jill Cowan | More About Jill Cowan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Conservative groups nationwide have pushed to ban books that discuss L.G.B.T.Q. issues from libraries and schools, saying that parents should be able to control what their children are being taught. The group has promoted a “Hide the Pride” campaign that encourages supporters to check out or move books that depict L.G.B.T.Q. Organizers have described such material as pornographic and obscene and said it should not be available to young library patrons. Both were checked out by the protesters in San Diego.

Persons: Amy M, Vance, Martha Martin, ”, Brian Burch, “ Morris Micklewhite Organizations: Rancho Peñasquitos Library, Catholic Locations: San Diego, Indiana, Coney

☆ Opinion | Barbara Kingsolver Thinks Urban Liberals Have It All Wrong on Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +58 min

It’s like there’s no point in asking who started this because it’s a really, really old antagonism. I think that’s probably what’s most critical right now is that all of our entertainment, our news media, it’s all made in cities. And he’s really pretty horrible, and he doesn’t feed them enough, and that’s really sad. You’re going to have a flat tire, and the guy that pulls up to help you is going to tell your dad within minutes. It’s not like most books you’re going to see.

Persons: Ezra Klein, ezra klein, —, Hernan Diaz, Barbara Kingsolver, “ David Copperfield ”, Dickens, It’s, barbara kingsolver, you’ve, ezra klein We’re, Nobody, I’d, I’ve, Bobby Ann Mason’s, “, — Wendell Berry, Robert Penn Warren, James Still, Harriette, Taylor Greer, you’re, George Washington, ” he’s, — he’s, he’s, I’ll, They’re, George W, Bush, they’re, barbara kingsolver You’re, we’ve, That’s, that’s, I’m, ” barbara kingsolver, barbara kingsolver Oh, barbara kingsolver ezra klein barbara kingsolver, ezra klein Yes, we’re, Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, ”, Tommy, ” It’s, ezra klein There’s, barbara kingsolver There’s, Tommy Traddles, Tommy Waddles, who’s, He’s, We’re, Tommy’s, she’s, it’s, Beth Macy, overdosed, ” ezra klein, There’s, grandkids, they’ve, Dori, doesn’t, Peggot, Frances Goldin, Arwen Donahue, She’s, Beth Macy’s, Lazarus, Laline Paull, ezra klein Barbara Kingsolver Organizations: New York, Fiction, Trump, Nicholas County High School, DePauw University, Walmart, The New York Times, . Times, New York Times, Farmers, “, Knoxville —, Purdue Pharma, Purdue, aha, Scots Locations: Appalachia, It’s, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, U.S, exploitations, Congo, Caribbean, Indiana, Nicholas, Arizona, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Tucson, Paris, Athens, France, “ Shiloh, MAGA, America, Brazil, Eastern Europe, There’s, California, New York, “, Tommy, Pennington, Knoxville, there’s, nove, Lee County, that’s Lee County, that’s, United States of America, who’s, New York City

☆ Analysts say Netflix investors should 'buy the pullback,' as password sharing 'supercharges' subscriber growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wall Street analysts were positive on Netflix after its latest subscriber additions and largely dismissed concerns of that the monetization of paid sharing is too slow. The company added 5.9 million subscribers in the quarter in a sign that its password sharing crackdown and advertising tier is generating new subscribers. "2Q review: Password sharing supercharges subs Netflix (NFLX) reported healthy 2Q results, which reflected strong net adds of 5.9mn (vs. guidance of ~1.75mn and our 2.95mn est. ), indicating the initial rollout of password sharing has been very positive," the analyst wrote on Thursday. Wells Fargo's Steven Cahall said investors are "over-exuberant on paid sharing," though he reiterated an overweight rating on the stock.

Persons: Doug Anmuth, Anmuth, America's Jessica Reif Ehrlich, Wells Fargo's Steven Cahall, Needham's Laura Martin, NFLX, OTT, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Alex Sherman Organizations: Netflix, " Bank, America's, DIS Locations: Wednesday's

☆ 87% of classic video games are 'critically endangered.' As a millennial, I'm worried it means a huge chunk of my childhood will disappear.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Almost 90% of classic video games are critically endangered, according to a new study. My first video game console was the Game Boy, a portal to many hours of adventure and excitement. The study was conducted by checking the availability of 1,500 randomly selected video games released before 2010 across every type of console and PC. The study's author says the availability of these classic video games is even worse than the survival rate of silent-era films. The next discussion over video games' copyright law is slated for 2024, and the clock is ticking.

Persons: I'm, — Organizations: Software Preservation Network, Federal Trade Commission

☆ Read Your Way Through Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Itamar Vieira Junior | Translated Johnny Lorenz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Read Your Way Around the World is a series exploring the globe through books. I was born in Salvador, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, and lived in the general vicinity until I reached the age of 15. I already knew something of Amado, not from reading him but because he was an omnipresent figure in the cultural life of Salvador. Salvador was the first capital of Brazil, founded in 1549 as part of the Portuguese colonial project in the Americas. In the Salvador of yesteryear, one would find Europeans, mostly Portuguese and Dutch, as well as Indigenous peoples, especially the Tupinambá.

Persons: Jorge Amado, Amado, Salvador, Rufino, João José Reis, Flávio dos Santos Gomes, Marcus J.M, de Carvalho, Rufino ” Locations: Salvador, Brazilian, Bahia, Brazil, Portuguese, Americas, Salvador of yesteryear, Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Dahomey, Togo, Republic of Congo, Angola, Oyo

☆ Gov. Wes Moore wants Democrats to deliver results. If he pulls it off, he could change Maryland for decades.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

When speaking about the Democratic Party in Maryland, Moore leaned into a similar message. "If you look at the work that we're doing here in the state of Maryland, it's results," he said. Moore in his office at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. Moore told me that he had full confidence in the legality of the legislation, calling it "the right thing to do." Moore gives his first State of the State address at the Maryland State House on February 1, 2023.

Persons: Wes Moore, Moore, Wes Moore's, —, Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, Marylanders, We're, Biden, Frederick Douglass, we're, Del, Dan Cox, Michael Robinson Chávez, Moore —, Gov, Aruna Miller —, Annapolis —, we've, Jarrod Ramos, Christian Segovia, Jr, Brian Witte, Atlanta , Georgia —, J.B . Pritzker, Matt McClain, I've, he's Organizations: Maryland Gov, NRA, Black, Republicans, Democratic, Democratic Party, Democrats, GOP, Maryland National Guard, Maryland State House, Washington Post, National Guard, US, 82nd Airborne Division, Gazette, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore's Brooklyn Homes, Guardians, Capital Gazette, AP, National Rifle Association, Morehouse College —, Democratic Gov, Illinois, Washington, Getty, of Commerce Locations: ANNAPOLIS , Maryland, Maryland, Annapolis, Afghanistan, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Buffalo , New York, Baltimore's Brooklyn, Sr, Md, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ How to deal with teensplaining, according to an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN: Why are teens lecturing parents about stuff like no one ever lived before they were born? Hurley: It’s common for people of different generations to have different ideas about how to handle difficult parenting moments. Hurley: When we are dismissive of teen voices, teens get the message that we don’t value their experiences and opinions. One reason teens might feel somewhat disconnected from parents is that a lot has changed since their parents were teens. Instead of feeling upset by the teen expert living in your home, try coming from a place of curiosity.

Persons: Katie Hurley, “, ”, Hurley, It’s, individuate Organizations: CNN, ” CNN, Technology

“When the spring breaks the ice in the Mississippi River, I get up at 5:00 a.m. to row. The river is veiled with mist, and the water foams and whirls with driftwoods after a heavy rain. Woosh, the boat dashes like a long-legged insect, cutting the water in a straight line. Her grandmother used to sing to her: “Life is a river running to the sea, taking in every stream and every drop of rain along its way. But a neighborhood friend had an illicit copy of “The Little Mermaid.” Ping was smitten.

Persons: ”, “, Wang Ping, ” Ping Organizations: driftwoods, . Locations: Mississippi, Shanghai, East

☆ What Physical Space and Book Bans Mean in a Public Library - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Emily St. James | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In theory, that space is curated for everyone in your community. There is, instead, an attempt to just keep you consuming, usually by serving up things the algorithm is pretty sure you already like. That might serve as a saving grace in a time when so many of us long for that decompression, at least a little bit. What might undo libraries is an insistence that they should reflect only one view of reality, one that has little room for queer people in particular. The library is worth defending not just because it’s important to our society as a whole.

☆ Obama slams 'profoundly misguided' effort to ban books in message to America's librarians
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Obama slammed efforts to ban books in a message to the nation's librarians. Obama said banning books is antithetical "to what has made this country great." "It's also important to understand that the world is watching," Obama wrote in a public letter to the nation's librarians. "I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great," he wrote. According to The Post, Obama also filmed a series of TikToks with local libraries across the country to push his message.

Persons: Obama, Barack Obama, It's, Joe Biden's, Biden, MAGA Organizations: Service, Post, PEN America, The, NPR, Politico, Republican, Social Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington

☆ How to save San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesThis is just a matter of good old-fashioned supply and demand. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

Persons: Nobody's, I've, It's, it's, who'd, Paul Chinn, nix, aren't, rafter, Tayfun, Francis Wood, fixable, Berkeley, Adam Rogers Organizations: Liberal, Homelessness, Bay Area, Pride, Black Panthers, Washington Monthly, San Francisco, Getty, SF, Supervisors, Crafts, Planners, Foods, Anadolu Agency, Walgreens, Nordstrom, Unit Locations: San Francisco, Bay, Francisco, California, Black, Los Angeles, Boston , New York, Washington, United States, Barcelona, Paris, St, Barbary, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Angeles, Houston, Helsinki, East, Treasure, Emeryville

☆ San Francisco’s ‘doom loop’ is a warning for every American city. Here’s how we can fix it — before it’s too late.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

If you want to rile up a San Francisco native, mention the doom loop. But treating San Francisco as some sort of outlier, a sui generis example of urban decay, is wrong, too. After I washed out back there I washed up on the Embarcadero, a typical San Francisco story. Because here's my one crazy trick to fix San Francisco: homes. To revive the city, San Francisco needs to get back to its freak-flag-flying roots.

☆ NDAA: McCarthy faces challenge for passing defense bill after
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Haley Talbot | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a challenge Friday morning: A razor thin margin to get a must-pass defense policy bill over the finish line with a majority of Democrats signaling they cannot support the version of the legislation crafted by conservative Republicans. The bill – known as the National Defense Authorization Act – sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. If they lose that many members, it would greatly increase the prospects that Republicans could muscle the bill through. Without Democratic support, Republicans will need to wrangle nearly every member of the GOP conference in order to get the bill over the finish line. Many Democrats made clear ahead of the vote that if the amendment was included as part of the defense bill, they would be unlikely to support final passage.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Ralph Norman, GOP Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Lauren Boebert’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene Organizations: CNN —, Republicans, National Defense, Department of Defense, Democratic, GOP, Rep, Republican Locations: lockstep, South Carolina, Colorado, Ukraine, Georgia

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