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☆ Toxic algae that can cause lung infections and neurological disorders is taking over a giant lake in Florida, and ecologists say the bloom will only grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Florida's Lake Okeechobee is already half full with toxic algae, and the bloom will only grow. That's because Lake Okeechobee is already half-full with a bright green, toxic algae that researchers say will only grow as algae season continues on through the summer. The algae can cause several health complications, including lung infections, organ damage, and neurological disorders, The New York Times reports. The algae also thrives among the fertilizer and manure that runs into the lake from nearby crops. Finding a solution to this toxic bloom has been a challenge.

Persons: Rick Scott Organizations: Service, New York Times, Times Locations: Okeechobee, Florida, Lake, Lake Okeechobee

☆ A little-known Russian spy agency left feces in the suitcases of diplomats as its calling card, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A mysterious Russian spy agency left unsettling calling cards for US targets, the Journal reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, or DKRO, is a secretive organization that operates under the FSB, Russia's security agency. They know us extremely well," Dan Hoffman, a former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Moscow, told the Journal. American officials told the Wall Street Journal the DKRO was likely behind the arrest of Gershkovich, who has now been imprisoned in Russia for more than 100 days.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, They've, Dan Hoffman, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, Whelan, Reed Organizations: Service, Wall Street Journal, Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, Central Intelligence Agency, Wall Street, Journal, American Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, American, America, Moscow, Russia

☆ The ACLU settled a 'landmark' lawsuit with the largest jail system in the country, setting a precedent for future prison reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Her son was being held in the Inmate Reception Center, a male-designated intake and release facility for incarcerated individuals. After making an arrest, the Inmate Reception Center is the first place police take someone before they are assigned to another county jail. While policymakers in other jurisdictions have successfully implemented decarceration strategies to limit jail populations, Los Angeles County is home to the largest jail system in the United States. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department did not comment on specific allegations of mistreatment. "Because only by addressing the root overcrowding cause can they break the cycle of horrific conditions in the Inmate Reception Center."

Persons: Corene Kendrick, Kendrick, Vera Institute of Justice —, United States —, Melissa Camacho, Camacho, Rutherford, — Dennis Rutherford — Organizations: ACLU, Service, Prison, LA County Sheriff's Department, Vera Institute of Justice, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los, Southern California, Los Angeles County Sheriff, Southern, Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles, Supervisors, Sheriff's Department Locations: Los Angeles, Wall, Silicon, Southern California, Los Angeles County, United States, Kendrick, The

☆ One of Britain's most progressive newspapers investigated itself and found it was financed by the slave trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

They also discovered nine original investors in the newspaper profited from the slavery economy. The Guardian is more than 200 years old and one of Britain's most progressive newspapers. The Guardian — Britain's most prominent progressive newspaper — was founded by men who profited off the transatlantic slavery economy, researchers commissioned by the outlet found. She also found that nine of the outlet's original investors had ties to transatlantic slavery in the early 19th Century, according to her report. Gooptar said a crucial part of her research involved pinpointing the identities of more than 300 enslaved people in both the Sea Islands and Jamaica.

Persons: John Edward Taylor, Cassandra Gooptar, —, Maya Wolfe, Robinson, Gooptar Organizations: Guardian, Morning, New York Times, The Guardian Locations: Jamaica, Manchester

☆ French government wants the power to block social media and to tap into cellphones
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Macron has said his government needs the authority to block social media to curb protests. First, on July 4, during a meeting with mayors, Macron suggested the government needs the authority to regulate or block social media platforms during major protests. Both left- and right-leaning lawmakers, meanwhile, characterized the comments about blocking social media made by Macron, who is considered centrist, as anti-democratic. Elsewhere in the world, social media censorship has increased in recent years. In an effort to stop people from gathering to protest COVID-19 restrictions, the Chinese government censored discussion of certain cities on social media, according to the BBC.

Persons: Macron, Emmanuel Macron, Monde, Eliska, — Organizations: Service, Police, French, Washington Post, Le Monde, Renaissance Party, Human Rights Watch, Wall Street Journal, Department of Homeland Security, Journal ., New York Times Locations: France, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Spain, Belarus, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, San Francisco

☆ The first-ever independent investigator to visit Guantánamo Bay says she arrived 'too late'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An independent UN investigator visited the Guantánamo Bay prison for the first time in February. She has since called on the US to provide torture rehabilitation and educational resources. The United States used the prison at Guantánamo Bay to detain men it believed to be connected to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Many of those detained were held indefinitely without trial, which led to international condemnation of the United States from human rights groups. The United States detained a total of 780 men at Guantánamo Bay.

Persons: United Nations —, Ní Aoláin, Biden Organizations: Service, United Nations, United, Associated Press, AP Locations: Wall, Silicon, Guantánamo, United States, Bay, Cuba

☆ Ukrainian soldiers are selling downed Russian drones and artillery shells to raise money for the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

So soldiers are auctioning defunct weapons and war footage to raise money for supplies and weapons. Soldiers told the Times that several units fighting Russian forces in Ukraine have to buy their own weapons and supplies, usually relying on outside donations. Ruslan Zubariev, for example, made money off a viral video of him single-handedly killing a group of Russian soldiers with a rocket launcher. "We don't get that stuff issued to us," Zubariev told the Times. "Civilians don't realize that if they're tired and stop donating, it doesn't mean the war is over," Zubariev told the Times.

Persons: —, Soldiers, Ruslan Zubariev, Zubariev Organizations: Service, New York Times, Times, 92nd Mechanized Brigade Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ A Russian missile strike killed a Ukrainian author who began documenting Russia's war crimes after the invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Victoria Amelina died July 1 following a Russian missile strike in the city of Kramatorsk. Amelina wrote two novels throughout her life and began writing poetry soon after the Russian war in Ukraine began. "But I document Russia's war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems." She received a grant in 2022 from Documenting Ukraine — a research project dedicated to documenting personal stories during the Russian war in Ukraine, according to their website — to complete the project. The work records the stories of female civil society leaders amid the war, according to Documenting Ukraine.

Persons: Victoria Amelina, Amelina, —, Amelina —, Sergio Jaramillo, Colombia's, " Jaramillo, Volodymyr Vakulenko — Organizations: Service, BBC, Financial Times, Twitter, Victoria, Irish Times, Kharkiv Literary Locations: Russian, Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Some US cities are allowing corporations to vote in local elections in hopes of stimulating the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Seaford, Delaware is seeking to give business entities the right to vote in local elections. For a small town of about 8,500 people, that's a voter turnout of only 4%. A new bill now being considered in the small town, however, could help increase those numbers. Seaford's town leaders want to give corporations based there the right to vote. In April, Seaford Mayor David Grenshaw cast the tie-breaking city council vote to amend the city's charter, giving business entities — ranging from small businesses to large corporations — the right to vote in local elections.

Persons: It's, —, Seaford Mayor David Grenshaw, Grenshaw, WRDE, Claire Snyder, hasn't Organizations: Service, CBS, Seaford Mayor, CNN, Hall, Seaford, Corporations Locations: Seaford , Delaware, Delaware, Seaford, Delaware's, Newark , Delaware

☆ Tiktok parent company ByteDance wants to capitalize off the success of BookTok but authors worry it might ruin BookTok in the process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

After the viral success of BookTok, TikTok's parent company has now launched 8th Note Publishing. Meanwhile, publishing professionals are skeptical that viral success alone could sustain sales. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has launched a new publishing company, worrying some authors who told the New York Times they're concerned the social media company will unfairly promote their own books. Furthermore, 8th Note Publishing has yet to offer authors competitive advances compared to traditional publishing companies, the Times reports. In response to these concerns, TikTok told the Times that 8th Note Publishing would operate separately from TikTok.

Persons: New York Times they're, BookTok, TikTok, Dustin Thao, ByteDance, Ella Fox, Cindy Hwang, Berkley Organizations: Publishing, New York Times, Times Locations: bibliophiles, TikTok

☆ The first aircraft capable of flight on Mars finally makes contact with NASA after 2 months of radio silence
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The helicopter had landed out of range from the Perseverance rover, which allows it to talk to Earth. The duo landed on the red planet on Feb. 18, 2021 for the first time. NASA said Ingenuity's signal cut out on April 26 thanks to a hill that separated the helicopter from the Perseverance rover. On June 28, the rover finally made it over the hill, giving the helicopter the signal it needed to contact NASA mission control. But the next day, the helicopter successfully completed its 50th flight on the red planet.

Persons: —, space.com Organizations: NASA, Service, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Locations: Pasadena , California

☆ The most reliable AI image detectors can be tricked by simply adding texture to an image — a worrying find as AI disinformation plagues the internet and threatens political campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Adding grain to AI-generated images makes them harder to identify as fake, the New York Times reports. The finding comes as users in the US and abroad begin to use AI images to influence election campaigns. From falsified campaign ads to stolen artwork, AI-generated images have been responsible for a wave of disinformation online in recent months. Now, the New York Times reports that AI detection software — one of the frontline defenses against the spread of AI-generated disinformation — can be easily fooled by simply adding grain to AI-generated images. The Times' analysis comes at a time when users are increasingly deploying AI-generated misinformation online to influence political campaigns, Insider reported.

Persons: Cynthia Rudin, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Anthony Fauci Organizations: New York Times, Morning, Times, Duke University

☆ Outgoing CDC director says the US is not prepared for the next pandemic because parts of the public health system still use 'old fax machines'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US isn't prepared for the next pandemic, the outgoing CDC director wrote in a New York Times op-ed. This is partly because local public health systems are still using outdated, unreliable technology. "Some of our public health data systems‌‌ are reliant on old fax machines," Dr. Rochelle Walensky wrote. She concluded with a call for support from the public and US lawmakers in improving public health infrastructure. "It is not enough to support public health when there is an emergency," Walensky wrote.

Persons: Dr, Rochelle Walensky, —, Walensky, Michael Ciaglo, underfunding, Joe Biden, Biden, Mandy Cohen, Cohen Organizations: New York Times, Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Guard, Times, New York Times . Healthcare, Colorado Department of Public Health, Environment, Reuters, CDC, North Carolina's Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Washington, Austin , Texas, Denver , Colorado

☆ Republican lawmakers across 3 states have received letters in the last week filled with a mysterious white powder
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Someone sent Republican lawmakers in Montana letters containing an unknown white powder. Republican officials in Tennessee and Kansas also received similar letters over the last week. Several Tennessee Republicans got similar letters the day before, according to the Tennessee Star. And on June 18, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported that more than 100 Republican lawmakers and officials from across Kansas received similar letters, which also included the suspicious powder. The letters contained cryptic messages and details designed to get recipients to open them, lawmakers told CNN.

Persons: —, Greg Gianforte, baruch, Stephen Owens, Owens Organizations: Service, CNN, Tennessee Republicans, Tennessee Star, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Republican, Kansas, FBI, Kansas State Rep Locations: Montana, Tennessee, Kansas

☆ Ukraine managed to gain ground in Ukraine as Russia faced off against Russia in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian forces spent Saturday preparing to defend Moscow from a paramilitary uprising. But Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his fighters to turn around just before reaching the capital. Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy minister of defense, said Saturday that Ukrainian forces launched new counter-offensives in the country's east and were holding Russian forces in defensive positions in the south. While Ukraine continued its efforts to retake territory, Russia was forced to defend itself from itself. Before the Wagner Group fighters turned back, Russian security officials were gearing up to defend Moscow.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Vladimir Putin —, Prigozhin, Ukraine's, Hanna Maliar, Wagner Group's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sergei Shoigu, Sen, Mark Warner of, Marco Rubio Organizations: Service, Wagner, Russian, Twitter, BBC, Wagner Group, Moscow, Russian Defense, Senate Intelligence, CBS Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Mark Warner of Virginia, Marco Rubio of Florida

☆ Ukraine gained ground inside Ukraine as Russia faced off against Russia inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

☆ California birdwatchers watched a bald eagle adopt a baby hawk — a behavior that's been recorded in the wild only 4 other times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A female bald eagle abducted Tuffy, a baby hawk, from his nest and began caring for him as her own. This behavior has only been spotted in the wild four other times, the Los Angeles Times reports. This behavior — strange, according to experts, because eagles prey on hawks — is even more exciting for bird enthusiasts because it has only been seen in the wild four other times, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doug Gillard — former Olympian hammer thrower turned birdwatcher — was the first to spot the strange family in a Bay Area forest, and has nicknamed the baby hawk Tuffy. He now lives with his adoptive parents and their child, whom Gillard nicknamed Lola, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Persons: Tuffy, —, Doug Gillard —, birdwatcher —, Gillard, Lola Organizations: Los Angeles Times, Service, Tuffy Locations: California

☆ Russians are lining up at train stations as Wagner forces march toward Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russians are attempting to flee as Wagner Group forces approach Moscow. Images and videos from Rostov-on-Don showed packed crowds in the city's train station. One post showed the Rostov-on-Don train station jam-packed with travelers attempting to leave after the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization, captured the key Southern port city on Saturday. Earlier Saturday, direct flights leaving Moscow sold out as Russians scrambled to leave when news became clear that Wagner's forces were approaching. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched his so-called "march for justice" on Friday after claiming, without hard evidence, that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered an air strike on Wagner forces in Ukraine.

Persons: —, — Thomas van Linge, Sergei Sobyanin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Wagner, Don Central Station, Russian Defense Locations: Moscow, Rostov, Don, Russian, Southern, Moscow's, Ukraine

☆ Retired US general says Wagner uprising may force Russian soldiers to rethink their mission in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's soldiers may lose motivation in Ukraine if Wagner mutiny progresses, former US general says. "No soldier wants to die in a war that he thinks might already be lost," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told Insider. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to be leading his fighters to Moscow in a move some are describing as a coup. "If the High Command appears to waver or be vulnerable, they will question their own motivation and survival and sense of purpose for the war," Hodges said. Putin described the Wagner uprising as a "stab in the back" and said Russian forces would fight back against the mercenary group.

Persons: Wagner, Ben Hodges, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Hodges, Prigozhin, it's, Putin, it'll Organizations: Service, Ukrainians, Command Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, American, Rostov, Southern Russia, Russian, Russia

☆ FDIC mistakenly releases confidential information on Silicon Valley Bank depositors, revealing major tech giants that benefitted from government help
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The FDIC sent Bloomberg an unredacted list of Silicon Valley Bank depositors by mistake. The list reveals that Silicon Valley Bank's biggest depositors included tech giants like Sequoia. Some of these depositors kept their relationship with the bank confidential, Bloomberg reports. After Silicon Valley Bank failed in March, U.S. officials — including President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen — described its rescue as a necessary step to protect small businesses. While many early-stage startups banked with the SVB, new documents obtained by Bloomberg show that several global tech giants with significant deposits also benefitted from the government's intervention.

Persons: Joe Biden, Janet Yellen —, Jeff Bezos, — Organizations: FDIC, Bloomberg, Silicon, Morning, Valley Bank, Sequoia, Apple, Google, Altos, Inc, Treasury Department, Federal Locations: Silicon Valley, Sequoia, U.S, SVB

☆ A Utah city violated the First Amendment by denying a drag show permit, federal judge rules, marking an LGBTQ victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Southern Utah Drag Stars hoped to put on an all-ages drag show in St. George, Utah. Southern Utah Drag Stars, headed by CEO Mitski Avalōx, had hoped to put on the show in April 2023. Avalōx initially founded Southern Utah Drag Stars to increase access to drag and LGBTQ+ advocacy for youth. The victory for St. George's LGBTQ community marks the third major federal ruling striking down anti-LGBTQ legislation in the last month. In Florida, a federal judge blocked parts of a law that would prohibit transgender youth from receiving puberty blockers, an essential component of gender-affirming care.

Persons: Mitski Avalōx, —, George, David Nuffer, Avalōx Organizations: Southern Utah, Service, HBO, Associated Press, Southern, St Locations: St, George , Utah, Southern Utah, Florida, Indiana

☆ American prisoners at Russia's 'Fashion Colony' work in a factory assembling pants and coats for a Russian clothing company
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's IK-17 penal colony is known as a "Fashion Colony" in part for its brightly-painted exterior. IK-17 — known as "Fashion Colony" for its brightly-painted exterior meant to fool onlookers — is about 300 miles east of Moscow, in the Mordovia region of Russia, according to the Wall Street Journal. The United States has classified both Gershkovich and Whelan as wrongfully detained, according to the Wall Street Journal. Inmates also have no access to doctors or dental care, leaving inmates without access to necessary medicine, Wilgus told the outlet. Similarly, Whelan's brother, David, told the Wall Street Journal that dental problems are solved by extractions only.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, —, Jimmy Wilgus, Thomas Stwalley, Paul Whelan, Whelan, Wilgus, Whelan's, David, extractions, Gershkovich Organizations: Russia's IK, Service, Street, IK, Wall Street, United, Wall Street Journal, U.S . House, U.S, Senators Locations: Moscow, Mordovia, Russia, United States

☆ Greg Abbott has cut required water breaks for Texas construction workers and labor advocates say it could kill them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas is currently first in the nation for heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports. Greg Abbott signed a bill Tuesday that eliminated ordinances across the state requiring water breaks for construction workers — all while a record-setting heatwave sweeps across the state. Meanwhile, Bishop James Dixon — President of the NAACP Houston — condemned the bill, according to local news outlet KHOU 11. Ana Gonzalez, deputy director of policy and politics at the Texas AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions, told the Texas Tribune the bill may prove fatal for construction workers. Texas has the highest rate of heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports.

Persons: Greg Abbott, —, Bishop James Dixon —, NAACP Houston —, Ana Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Texas AFL, Texas Tribune, Service, Gov, Huffington, NAACP Houston, Washington Post, Teamsters, United Parcel Service, CNN Locations: Texas, Austin, Dallas

☆ A lawyer for the far-right Oath Keepers was deemed incompetent and her trial over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot will be delayed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kellye SoRelle was charged with conspiracy related to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. Experts found SoRelle incompetent to stand trial, recommending three to four months of treatment. Prosecutors charged SoRelle with conspiracy in September 2022 related to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. Photos from the riots show SoRelle in attendance alongside Stewart Rhodes, founder and leader of the Oath Keepers. According to the Associated Press, SoRelle — who was acting as the general counsel for the Oath Keepers — was also present at a meeting with Rhodes the night before the Capitol riots.

Persons: Kellye SoRelle, —, Amit Mehta, She's, Stewart Rhodes, Rhodes, SoRelle — Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Prosecutors, Capitol, Politico Locations: Texas

☆ A South Korean mayor led hundreds of city officials to stop an annual pride festival but police intervened to protect organizers and allow the event to proceed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The mayor of Daegu, South Korea led a protest to block the city's annual pride festival. Since starting in 2009, the Daegu Queer Culture Festival has been one of the largest in the country. For festival organizers, it was not their first run-in with opposition to the event. Since its inception in 2009, the Daegu Queer Culture Festival has faced repeated protests. The Daegu Queer Culture Festival is one of the largest in the country, with Seoul's Queer Culture Festival taking first place.

Persons: —, Hong Joon Organizations: . Police, Daegu Queer Culture, Service, BBC, Daegu, Korea Times, Culture Festival, Seoul Plaza, CNN Locations: Daegu, South Korea, Seoul

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